From the international notoriety of Shepard Fairey, to the success of films like Exit through the Gift Shop and Radiant Child, to fashion that appropriates street iconography, graffiti and street art are massively influential in popular culture today. But while this work is enjoying a resurgence of popularity, many of the original artists remain unrecognized.
"Down By Law" showcases rarely seen works by the pioneers of the NYC based graffiti and underground art scene. On view are seminal pieces from the key artists of this genre—some of whom achieved international fame, others who remained relatively anonymous, and still others who died prematurely. These artists' "billboard masterpieces" and "moving murals" defined a generation and reshaped the way people have related to pop culture, public art, and urban aesthetics ever since.
Highlights include:
• Paintings by Coco 144, whose work in the early 1970s earned him the title "The Marcel Duchamp of graffiti subculture."
• Rarely seen canvases from the early 1980s by style master Dondi White, who by age 22 had had seven solo exhibitions and whose painting was in several European museum collections.
• Zephyr's animation sequence frames for Charlie Ahearn's iconic film, Wild Style.
• Original drawings from "Yo! MTV Raps", plus original logo designs for the Beastie Boys, Run-DMC, and the Cold Chillin' record label.
"Down By Law" will also include photos and contemporary art that gives context to this period: subway car photos by Henry Chalfant, rarely seen portraits of Jean-Michel Basquiat by Michael Halsband, plus new work from old graffiti masters, such as Mare 139's steel sculptures of two dimensional graffiti motifs, Sharp's sexualized mixed-media collages, and canvases by Blade, Lady Pink and Eric Haze.
"So much of contemporary art and culture is indebted to this genre," says Mare 139. "This survey helps chart the historical relevance of, and diffuses the prejudices about, what was once considered a marginalized outsider art form."
Exhibiting Artists include: Charlie Ahearn, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Blade, Henry Chalfant, Coco 144, Joe Conzo, Martha Cooper, Cope 2, Daze, Dr. Revolt, John Fekner, Cousin Frank aka Ghost, Michael Halsband, Keith Haring, Eric Haze, Keo, Eric Kroll, Lady Pink, Greg LaMarche, Chris Pape aka Freedom, Rammellzee, Carlos "Mare 139" Rodriguez, Anita Rosenberg, Sharp aka Aaron Goodstone, Jamel Shabazz, T-kid 170, Dondi White, and Zephyr. Additional artists to be announced!
• Rarely seen canvases from the early 1980s by style master Dondi White, who by age 22 had had seven solo exhibitions and whose painting was in several European museum collections.
• Zephyr's animation sequence frames for Charlie Ahearn's iconic film, Wild Style.
• Original drawings from "Yo! MTV Raps", plus original logo designs for the Beastie Boys, Run-DMC, and the Cold Chillin' record label.
"Down By Law" will also include photos and contemporary art that gives context to this period: subway car photos by Henry Chalfant, rarely seen portraits of Jean-Michel Basquiat by Michael Halsband, plus new work from old graffiti masters, such as Mare 139's steel sculptures of two dimensional graffiti motifs, Sharp's sexualized mixed-media collages, and canvases by Blade, Lady Pink and Eric Haze.
"So much of contemporary art and culture is indebted to this genre," says Mare 139. "This survey helps chart the historical relevance of, and diffuses the prejudices about, what was once considered a marginalized outsider art form."
Exhibiting Artists include: Charlie Ahearn, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Blade, Henry Chalfant, Coco 144, Joe Conzo, Martha Cooper, Cope 2, Daze, Dr. Revolt, John Fekner, Cousin Frank aka Ghost, Michael Halsband, Keith Haring, Eric Haze, Keo, Eric Kroll, Lady Pink, Greg LaMarche, Chris Pape aka Freedom, Rammellzee, Carlos "Mare 139" Rodriguez, Anita Rosenberg, Sharp aka Aaron Goodstone, Jamel Shabazz, T-kid 170, Dondi White, and Zephyr. Additional artists to be announced!
