KAWS, Barry (Twist) McGee, Margaret Kilgallen, Shepard Fairey, Ruby Rose Neri, Jared (Geso) Costa, Mr. Element, Spie One, Grey, and other Graffiti/Street artists
Created by San Francisco street artist, Jared (Geso) Costa (b. 1977) from 1995 through 1996. A tag book composed of three bound artist sketchbooks comprising mixed media, pen, pencil, colored pencil, felt-tip pen, tape, stickers, photo, and paper collage, containing over 100 pages of approximately 236 tags and original works by various street artists from San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York.
6" H x 4.5" W x 3" D
Other Notes: This lot of tags and sketches by legendary artists represent an important aspect of the Graffiti/Street Art genre. Individual artists would carry these sketchbooks, containing doodles, plans, and drawings for projects, and collaborate with other area artists out in the field. Artists would sign, tag, or draw in each other's books. As these sketchbooks filled with work, they were often referred to as "bibles." A tag in a "bible" meant you were doing something meaningful in the streets, and your peers were acknowledging that. To have a tag in a "bible" was one thing; to have multiple tags meant you were going places.

Artists represented in this book include KAWS (b. 1974), Shepard (Sheppard) Fairey (b. 1970), Ruby Rose Neri (b. 1970), Margaret (Meta) Kilgallen (1967 - 2001), Jared (Geso) Costa (b. 1977), Barry (Twist) McGee (b. 1966), and various other street artists who, literally, made their mark in the Graffiti/Street Art scene. Many of these artists would be codified into the "Mission School" of Street Artists based in and around the Mission District of San Francisco. The "Mission School" was not characterized by traditional graffiti crews as one might associate with street art. Instead, it was an informal collective of artists sharing a common aesthetic, often collaborating on various projects. They engaged in street art activities, incorporating a blend of graffiti, muralism, and other expressions, united by camaraderie and a desire to push artistic boundaries.

While some may have seen KAWS' tag books behind glass at the Brooklyn Museum in 2021, this tag book, owned and created by Jared (Geso) Costa (b. 1977) and comprising of approximately 236 tags, is a uniquely important object from the early Graffiti/Street Art movement to come to the auction block. This "bible" is a testament to a time when the American Graffiti and Street Art Movement was still in its infancy, and getting their art noticed meant running in a crew, running from the police, and putting their work in as many public spaces as possible.

Overall generally good condition. The cover with scattered areas of surface scratches, abrasion along the extreme edges and corners, and wear to the pigment applied to the silver tape. The inside of the book with areas of abrasion along some of the sheet edges, surface scratches, wear, and the third sketchbook's tape is detached from the two other sketchbooks. All issues commensurate with age, use, and handling. Condition reports are offered as a courtesy and are typically published in Moran's catalogue or can be made available upon request. The absence of a condition report does not imply that an item is free from defects or restoration, nor does a reference to particular defects imply the absence of others. Buyers are responsible for determining to their own satisfaction the true nature and condition of any lot prior to bidding. Though buyers are not legally required to inspect lots prior to purchase, failure to do so may constitute a waiver of complaint that an item was not delivered in a condition equal to the existent condition at the auction.