SHOE'S BLACK BOOK - GRAFFITI IN THE 1980’S BY NIELS SHOE MEULMAN / REGULAR EDITION

Shoe’s Black Book − Graffiti in the 1980s by Niels Shoe Meulman opens a window onto an artist’s formative beginnings. Long before the gallery shows, the acclaim, his evolution as a typographer, and the founding of the Calligraffiti movement, there existed this: a weathered, tirelessly used black book packed with tags, pieces, and outlines.

From 1985 to 1987, Niels Shoe Meulman (Amsterdam, 1967) chronicled his journey from an eager newcomer to an artist with a fully realized personal style.

More than a sketchbook, this black book stands as evidence of a period in which Shoe moved alongside New York legends such as Rammellzee, Dondi White, and Keith Haring. It is a document of learning — part diary, part playground, part experimental ground. Presented here is a facsimile of a book once stolen and later, almost inexplicably, returned. Yet it is enriched further: Shoe’s added notes and vivid memories sharpen the view into that era.

Each page preserves graffiti knowledge passed on from mouth to mouth and hand to hand. Shoe’s Black Book is both document and artefact — immediate, raw, genuine. While many books chronicle a culture, this one played a role in shaping it.

Format: Paperback
Paperback cover: 8-page gatefold
Size: 24 × 33 cm
Extent: 232 pages
Publication date: 6 December 2025
Language: English
ISBN:9789083349343
Authors: Niels Shoe Meulman, Carlo McCormick
Editorial direction: Ferry van Zijderveld
Copy editing: Steve Korver
Design: UNDOG
Publisher: Ruyzdael Publishing (Amsterdam, Netherlands)