Charlie Ahearn’s seminal 1983 film Wild Style focused on the early years of hip-hop and graffiti in New York, giving validation to the pioneers of these scenes, and soon became a cult classic. Now, thirty years since its release, Complex revisited key locations in the film around South Bronx and the Lower East Side, photographing what remains.

Charlie Ahearn’s images were re-shot by photographer Liz Barclay, resulting in a fascinating comparison of past and present that’s enough to make you nostalgic for a place you’ve never been. Vast expanses of big, bold graf are now gone – faded or painted over in shades of beige – but hints of the old still show through.

Check out Complex’s interactive photo gallery here, or click through the images above to see how they compare.

Hannah Scholte