208 pages Edited by Babs 30 x 21 cm Language: English Hardback Publisher: Publikat 2025
Launching the new GRAFFITI BLACKBOOKS series, this first volume is dedicated to BATES, one of the true masters of style writing. Active since 1984 and still relentlessly productive, BATES belongs to a rare generation that never stopped pushing letters forward. Remarkably, the last book focused on his work dates back to 1998 — now a sought-after collector’s item.
This book opens a series devoted to what usually remains unseen: the blackbooks. Not fragments, not highlights, but the private sketch practice of a single writer, explored in depth.
Renowned for his precision, balance, and deep knowledge of classic letter structures, BATES has gained renewed international recognition through his Exchange Project, reinterpreting other writers’ sketches on walls with his unmistakable style. Here, however, the focus shifts inward.
Thousands of original sketches are reproduced exactly as they exist: raw, layered, stained with paint, folded, annotated, and worn by years of use. These pages offer a direct look into BATES’ creative process and lifelong dedication to style. Selected spreads pair sketches with finished wall pieces, allowing readers to trace the transformation from paper to concrete.
The book also includes personal reflections by BATES on sketching, letters, and the essence of style writing.
