25 Vintage Photographs of New York City Graffiti in the '90s

Gregoire Alessandrini's photos take us back to a vibrant decade in street art.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Gregoire Alessandrini has been capturing New York City via photography for decades, providing a particular style of visual commentary on street culture. Alessandrini’s collection of graffiti, street art, and mural photographs through the '80s and '90s is like a time capsule—scrolling through his blog is the equivalent of flipping through a catalogue of vintage New York City.

Particularly interesting is the timeline Alessandrini provides of the New York graffiti scene. Rough '90s throw-ups and tags along with pointed commentary on the American Dream come to light in the grit of Alessandrini's street photography. Through his images, the artists connect the dots between street art and street culture. Take a trip back in time with 25 Vintage Photographs of New York City Graffiti in the '90s.

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"Class" and Tags

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"Sonia" Piece

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Basquiat Tribute

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Lower East Side

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East Village Tagged Truck

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East Village

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East Village Mural

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Tags in the Meat Packing District

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Marlboro Man and Tags

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"Obey" in the Meat Packing Distrcit

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Dead End on 20th Street

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138th Street in Harlem

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The New Yorker

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Shoes on a Wire

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Bike Mural

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Dumpster

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Upper East Side

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East Village Mural

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Tags in Soho

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Tupac on Houston Street

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Union Square

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Lower East Side Tags

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East Village

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Liberty Mural

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Bombing in Soho

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