When I was filming Girl Power, I had the opportunity to meet Martha Cooper in New York. For those who don’t know her, Martha Cooper is one of the first graffiti photographers and co-author of the legendary book Subway Art. This book captured the rise of graffiti in New York during the 1980s, a time when people were afraid to enter the ghettos. However, graffiti inspired her so deeply that she took the risk to document it all for us. Thanks to her, we have this unique legacy that has inspired generations of artists worldwide to start doing graffiti.
After the shoot, I asked her off the record if she would ever come to Prague, and she immediately said, “Sure!”
Something incredible happened – together with Blanka Čermáková, we organized the Martha Cooper Files exhibition at Trafačka gallery just a few months later. The entire graffiti and hip-hop scene got involved, creating an event that truly deserved a spot in the National Gallery. I dare to say that in the context of hip-hop, it was one of the most significant events ever held in Prague. People still remember it even years later and often tell me how groundbreaking it was.Since then, Martha and I have become friends, and I can only say that I never would have believed this was possible. Dreams come true.
Press release: A unique showcase of works by legendary American photographer Martha Cooper (*1943), renowned for her relentless documentation of graffiti and hip-hop subculture during their emergence in the 1970s and 1980s in New York City. Martha Cooper didn’t just document the birth of a new subculture—she became a permanent part of it. Her interest in graffiti and hip-hop arose at a time when no one could have predicted that they would spread worldwide and gain such immense popularity. Her photographs carry an immortal message of the early days of street art, inspiring and shaping generations to come. Remarkably, despite her age, Martha continues her work with unwavering enthusiasm. She is preparing two new publications: the first focuses on graffiti and street art in Baltimore, and the second explores the graffiti boom in South Africa, where she now spends much of her time.