Roger Gastman’s latest, Tools of Criminal Mischief, might just be his best published anthology yet. The book is a project he tackled to follow the history of graffiti and its writers throughout the century, starting as far back as the 1940′s with hobo train art, carrying through 1970′s gang writing to today’s modern halcyon days of street art. Gastman — who was a Consulting Producer on Banksy’s riveting Exit Through The Gift Shop documentary — has taken photos from his personal travel archives and findings around the world to create a robust collection of what graffiti art has evolved into through the decades. Tools of Criminal Mischief aims to capture the profound influence the art form has had on not only Gastman but other artists worldwide, who have now made a name for themselves through their paint cans and empty walls.
