How did the movement start? Who were the main players? Where are they today? - topics were covered along with info on the legendary FUN GALLERY cofounded by Patti Astor , http://thefungallery.com/ that brought the art of Keith Haring and Jean Michael Basquiat to the world, beginning in the East Village.
Patti Astor, Lady Pink and Fab Five Freddy
A history lesson may be needed for most under about 30 or 35 years old here -- and for those who love ALL that NYC has become via art and graffiti. As I told many people about what I was attending that evening with sheer excitement, I realized many do not know much, if any "history" of who brought the art, how the movement happened and so on. I could go into a thousand details but instead have posted most of the New Museums info on the event below the photos.
And, if you really want to learn the true story make sure you buy Patti's book, FUN GALLERY, http://thefungallery.com/ from Clic Gallery at 255 Centre Street, http://clicgallery.com/. She did a signing the past Saturday night which was packed with NYC art and graffiti royalty. I stayed until the very end and low and behold, met Kenny Scharf, http://kennyscharf.com/ yes, I was in heaven. (All the info from this will be posted tomorrow.) Until then, see the pics and info from the panel discussion...
The men responsible for the documentary!
...and artist Lee Quinones, http://www.leequinones.com/
Continue the history lesson with the press release from the New Museum:
In 1984, Paul Tschinkel’s ART/new york issued the documentary video Graffiti/Post Graffiti. The film captures a unique moment in the intertwined narratives of graffiti and art history, as aggressive anti-vandalism legislation and the lure of the marketplace brought/drew many artists off the street into the gallery. Through original interviews with artists (including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Rammellzee, and Lady Pink) and gallerists (including Patti Astor and Tony Shafrazi), Graffiti/Post Graffiti examines key individuals, exhibitions, and venues during this transition.
A moderated panel discussion will follow the screening, featuring Patti Astor, Fab Five Freddy, and Lady Pink, participants in Graffiti/Post Graffiti, as well as Marc H. Miller and Paul Tschinkel, codirectors of the video.
Patti Astor has contributed to American underground culture for four decades as an actress, gallerist, and screenwriter. In 1981, Astor cofounded FUN Gallery with Bill Stelling. This tenement storefront gallery was the first of the 1980s East Village galleries, and was responsible for many important exhibitions, including solo shows by Futura 2000, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Arch Connelly, and Dondi.
Fab Five Freddy is a pioneer, a cultural legend, and one of the key architects who brought hip hop culture to a worldwide, mainstream audience. Born Fred Brathwaite in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, Fab Five Freddy began his journey as a street artist, executing graffiti pieces throughout New York City. His paintings have been exhibited internationally, and his work in film, television, and music has made him one of the most recognized and respected individuals in hip hop.
Lady Pink began writing graffiti in 1979 and quickly became known as the only female capable of competing with the boys in graffiti subculture. Pink painted subway trains from the years 1979–85. In 1982, she had a starring role in the motion picture Wild Style. While still in high school she was already exhibiting paintings in art galleries and at the age of twenty-one had her first solo show at Moore College of Art and Design, Philadelphia. Her works are included in the permanent collections of the Whitney Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Groningen Museum, the Netherlands.
Paul Tschinkel is the producer and director of the ART/new york series. A painter and video artist, he is a graduate of the MFA program at Yale University. His work has been shown widely throughout the US, Europe, and Japan, at prominent institutions including the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Carnegie International, as well as on television.
Marc H. Miller is an artist, curator, journalist, and publisher who has been an active participant in the NYC art world since 1969. In 2009, Miller launched the website 98bowery.com as a personal memoir of his time on the Lower East Side.
Tomorrow, news and photos from Patti's book signing "FUN GALLERY," from Clic Gallery.
