Cops on Subway, 1981 (Hand-Signed)

Martha Cooper (b. 1943) is an American documentary photographer renowned for her pioneering work capturing the emergence of graffiti and hip-hop culture in New York City during the 1970s and 1980s. With a background in anthropology and a keen eye for everyday life, she immersed herself in the city’s underground scenes, documenting subway trains, street artists, and the communities shaping a new visual language. Her seminal book Subway Art (1984), created with Henry Chalfant, became a global touchstone for graffiti culture.

Beyond New York, Cooper has spent decades photographing creative communities around the world, from urban street artists to traditional craftspeople. Her work consistently highlights the power of self-expression in public space, offering an intimate and enduring record of subcultures often overlooked by mainstream narratives. Today, she is widely recognized as one of the most important visual historians of street culture.