Richard Hambleton: Godfather of Street Art

Richard Hambleton (1954-2017) was a Canadian artist known for his pioneering street art. He was a surviving member of a group that emerged from the New York City art scene during the booming art market of the 1980s, which also included his close friends Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

As a conceptual artist, Hambleton’s early work installations titled Image Mass Murder from 1976-1979 were secretly placed onto streets in over 15 cities, depicting chalk-body outlines and blood-splattered crime scenes of what appeared to be ‘victims’. This theme of a prevailing violence, fear, and morbid curiosity elicited surprise and anxiety from its unsuspecting viewers. In the early 1980s, Hambleton created his most iconic ‘Shadow Man’ works - artfully splattered ominous shadowy figures on unexpected street corners, walls, and alleys that startled viewers into a visceral awareness that the city was still a dangerous place.

This book features over 200 images including his early ‘Shadow Man’ canvas paintings, as well as photographs of his in situ street work, a selection of his ‘Marlboro’ rodeo horse silhouettes, and his ‘Beautiful Paintings’ series of landscapes and seascapes, alongside other works on paper; behind-the-scenes studio shots; personal, unseen photographs of the artist; and inspirational imagery. Hambleton was renowned for influencing artists such as Banksy, Blek le Rat, and Shepard Fairey. This arresting, one-of-a-kind book will appeal to those interested in visual arts, street art, graffiti, and art history.