“Utility Writers is a study of the symbols written by construction workers on the asphalt and sidewalks of the New York City streets between 2016 and 2018.” -MRKA

Utility Writers is a book of writing and photographs about the written alphabet on the street by construction workers, often used to denote directions and mark sites. Artist MRKA, also known as Lucas Benarroch, draws parallels between the lexicon of construction workers and graffiti artists. The simultaneous permanence and ephemerality of the two forms of writing is made visible through the cataloguing of photographs by MRKA. Utility Writers is organized into six sections including a collection of writing by artists on the intersection of graffiti and utility writing. Utility Writers coincided with an exhibition with the same title at Wallplay On Canal in New York City in the Fall of 2018.

Artist and designer MRKA was born in Madrid, Spain and moved to New York City to attend Parsons The New School for Design. His work has been shown internationally, most notably at Museo Mar in Buenos Aires and at The Cooper Union in New York City. Utility Writers was printed and bound by Brooklyn based printer and publisher Small Editions in 2018. Each copy is signed by MRKA and features a spray painted cover by Lebron78.