“These artists were ambitious. They were using the street as the place to work out their ideas before they took on the galleries. And when they did, they conquired.” “These artists were a bitious. They ere using the street as the place to ork out their ideas before they took on the galleries. And hen they did, they conquered.” A painting isn’t finished when you put down your brush – that’s when it starts. Art comes alive in argument. (1) – Banksy In the summer of 1984 I viewed the Mona Lisa – not in the Louvre, but in SoHo in New York. I walked out of a Brazilian restaurant, looked up, and there she was, high on a wall near the junction of Broome and Broadway. Later, I met the artist, a New Yorker named Stefano Castronovo. He linked his art with an illustrious name, phrasing her image with fauvist touches: green skin, red eyes. This disturbed certain women in the neighborhood. They claimed the artist was cursing them in some strange way. For whatever reason, the painting soon vanished. (2) In the su er of 1984 I viewed the ona Lisa – not in the Louvre, but in SoHo in New Yor . I walked out of Brazilian restaurant, look d up, nd there she was, high on a wall near th junction of Broo e and Broadway. Later, I met the artist, a New Yorker named Stefano Castronovo. He linked his art with an illustrious name, phrasing her image with Fauvist touches: green skin, red eyes. This disturbed certain women in the neighbourhood. They claimed the artist was cursing them in some strange way. For t i ti i . But it was too late. A point had been made. The hip-hop revolution in percussive poetry, b-boy choreography, nd graffiti was encouraging artists to place private musings in public places. I crossed Broome to the other side of the street and promptly got zapped again: there, emblazoned on a side-street wall, loomed one of Richard Hambleton’s powerful “shadow men” figures. That summer they appe red all ver New York. I marvelled at the intensity of the figur , bent rms, b t le s, hallelujah ges ure: both ands up, as if he ere high-fiving he ven. – Robert Farris Thompson But it was too late. A point had been made. The hip-hop revolution in percussive poetry, b-boy choreography, and graffiti was encouraging artists to place private musings in public places. I crossed Broome to the other side of the street and promptly got zapped again: there, emblazoned on a side-street wall, loomed one of Richard Hambleton’s powerful “shadow men” figures (fig. 2). That summer they appeared all over New York. I marveled at the intensity of the figure, bent arms, bent lengs, hallelujah gesture: both hands up, as if he were high-fiving heaven. – Robert Farris Thompson i ’ i y put do n your brush – that’s when it starts. Art comes alive in argument. – Banksy
“Now a new surge of interest has grown around graffiti art. Lovers of graffiti art may have to pay more than $10,000 for a Jean-Michel Basquiat (who was called SAMO in his subway days) or $15,000 for a Keith Haring or a Richard Hambleton.” “Now a new surge of interest has grown around graffiti art. Lovers of graffiti art may have to pay more than $10,000 for a Je n-Michel Basqui t (who w s called SAMO in his subway d ys) or $15,000 for a Keith Haring or a Richard Hambleton.”
- International Herald Tribune, 1983
Images courtesy of The Gagosian
Images courtesy of The Gagosian
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