Coined the godfather of street art, born from the same 80s street art group as Keith Hring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, hambleton’s uniqueness lies in the fact that he has continued to make art despite the lifestyle and to produce works that inspired some of the world’s most infamous street artists of today such as Banksy. B r from the s m 80s str et art group as Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, Hambleton’s uniqu ness lies in the fact that h continued to make art - despite the destructive lifestyle that afflicted each of m - and to produce works that inspired some of the w rld’s m st infamous street artists of today, including B nksy.
That generation of New York artists – Basquiat, Haring, Scharf, Lenny McGurr aka “Futura 2000,” and Richard Hambleton, as well as somewhat older artist like John Feckner – was certainly inspired by the graffiti scene, but what they were doing was more like unauthorized public art. It wasn’t simply about marking out territory, about individuals saying “I’m here” in a world of corporate signs, it was about making art for the great audience, the people on the streets, art that wasn’t a monument to a war hero, or an abstract sculpture founded by a bank, but post-pop popular art. It often had a message and political dimension, like the May ’68 posters of Atelier Populaire, but first of all it was art. Richard Hambleton’s anthropomorphic black shadows were painted on walls along streets that were still dangerous, and they could throw a chill up the spine as you turned a corner. Keith Haring’s subway chalk drawings provided a non- commercial, populiast form of delight for MTA riders. Basquiat and Haring: A Hurried Generation by Glenn O’Brien CHRISTIE’S t r ti f r rti t asquiat, aring, charf, Lenny McGurr aka ‘Futur 2000’ nd Rich r Hambleton, as well somewhat older artists like John Feckner – was certainly inspired by the graffiti scene, but what they were doing was more like unauthorized public art. It wasn’t simply about marking out territory, about individuals saying “I’m here” in a world of corporate signs, it was about making art for the great audience, the people on the streets - art that wasn’t a monument to a war hero, or an abstract sculpture founded by a bank, but post- pop popular art. It ofte had a me s ge and politic l dimension, like the May ’68 posters of the Atelier Pop laire, but first of ll it was art. Richard H mbleton’s anthropomorphic black shadows were painted on walls along streets that were still dangerous, and they could throw a chill up the spine as you turned a corner. Keith Haring’s subway chalk drawings provided a non-commercial, populist form of delight for MTA riders. Basquiat and Haring: A Hurried Generation by Glenn O’Brien, Christie’s, 2014
Richard Hambleton paints Berlin Wall - 17 Shadow Figures, 1984
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