72 pages Edited by Hondo 21 x 29.7 cm Language: French and German Paperback Publisher: Spray Studio First edition of 1000 copies 2009
Published on the occasion of the exhibition Hondo 1972–1986–2009, this catalogue traces the trajectory of one of the key figures in the emergence of French graffiti and its transition into the field of contemporary art.
An active participant in the development of graffiti in France during the 1980s, Hondo was also deeply involved in the transnational hip-hop movement, notably through his engagement with the Zulu Nation initiated by Afrika Bambaataa. Rather than abandoning the wall when turning to the canvas, Hondo’s practice consistently sought to collapse the distance between urban space and institutional art contexts.
The catalogue documents this pivotal shift through critical texts that examine his mastery of spray-paint as a pictorial tool, redefining the canvas as a site where graffiti’s codes, gestures, and energy are reconfigured rather than neutralized. Concepts such as sub-graffitism, post-graffiti, and lyrical non-figuration are mobilized to situate Hondo’s work within a broader contemporary artistic grammar, without reducing it to a marginal or transitional phase.
Spanning from early graffiti works to later painted canvases, the publication highlights an economy of color, the expressive use of the aerosol line, and a sustained commitment to abstraction. It also reflects the growing institutional and market recognition of Hondo’s work in the 2000s, with references to gallery collaborations, auction houses, and public collections.
Both a historical document and a critical tool, Hondo 1972–1986–2009 is an essential reference for readers interested in the early history of French graffiti, the evolution of post-graffiti practices, and the complex dialogue between street-based cultures and contemporary art institutions.
