In the late 1970s and early ’80s as New York City was in the throes of economic collapse, Martha Cooper was one of a handful of photographers to capture the colourful graffiti appearing on the city’s subways.

Decades later her book Subway Art, a collaboration with Henry Chalfant, became the ‘bible’ of graffiti and a catalyst for the spread of urban art globally. In addition, Martha’s early b-boy photos introduced youth worldwide to the emerging culture of hip hop.

Martha’s extensive body of work before and after NYC’s graffiti explosion highlights many forms of street creativity that are often overlooked by a passersby.

In this FREE exhibition at Brisbane Powerhouse, Street Shots 1970 – 2019 features photos taken from over four decades in such diverse places as New York, Japan, Haiti, Baltimore, Berlin, Japan and Sao Paulo, and includes Martha’s personal mementos and collections.