BLACKBOOK 02 – ABIS

With BLACKBOOK 02 – ABIS the publication series continues by the team behind one of the world’s biggest blogs on graffiti: ILOVEGRAFFITI. After years of documentation, research, producing and promoting the graffiti subculture, they decided to go straight back to the roots: A writer’s blackbook. In the pre-internet era of analog photography the blackbook had an unique status. It often featured the writer’s best works, drafts, sketches from friends or tags from heroes – a private portfolio.

If you talk about trainwriting in Berlin, you have to talk about the BAD crew. When it comes to subways ABIS is one of the handful of names who have to be mentioned as legendary. Older or newer generations tried to make an impact for five or rarely even ten years on the system and then stopped, slowed down or came back for a few panels after a while. ABIS is none of these: He in fact constantly painted trains over decades in a regularity that is without a doubt incomparable to any other local trainwriter, especially when it comes to his beloved subways. But the most impressive thing might be: he managed all this without even living in the capital, being a citizen of Potsdam more than 20km away from Berlin.

The second volume of the BLACKBOOK series gives you an insight into 30 years of his trainwriting career mainly in Berlin. As somebody who has always been present with his pieces in magazines and books, we finally get to know the person behind them and are able to join chosen stories of his countless actions. On 144 pages he put together 400 carefully selected photos from his private blackbooks, dating back to the nineties till 2022. Featured guest contributions come from KEAS, AREA, LION, ROY1st, DENIS and KONE.

The BLACKBOOK is carefully produced in Germany with a new robust structured cover material inspired by old blackbooks and an additional silver tag debossing. 300 copies will be signed and numbered by ABIS and will also include two A4 sized prints.

Update: The limited edition is sold out.

144 pages, 29,7 x 21 cm, hardcover, robust structured cover material, additional silver tag debossing
Language: English
Release date: January 2024
Publisher: RED TOWER Publishing