It’s where Louis XIV Meets Crash and Blade. We’re talking about the show everyone has been talking about: NYC’s Whole in the Wall. The show is billed as the largest exhibition of American and European street art from 1970 to today, and includes paintings, sculpture and photography.
Whole In The Wall
Words and photos by George Koroneos
The largest graffiti exposition in years was launched in NYC on Thursday, as hundreds of street art fans and fine art collectors made the pilgrimage to a massive two-story gallery to pay tribute to the legendary graf artists from NYC and beyond.
The guest list was a who’s who of the old school street art community – Blade, Haze, Daze, Blek Le Rat…you name a living legend and they were probably there. It was so easy to play guess-the-writer that one almost forgot about the massive amount of art on display. Massive canvases covered in new and old school styles, real Porsche 911 hoods splattered in layers of acrylic adorned the walls, and life-size sculptures were mounted in the middle of the urban garden.
The event was created by Paris, France-based Helenbeck Gallery, run by two twin sisters that are passionate and wild about New York-style graffiti. The same show ran in Paris in November to acclaim reviews and sold out before it closed. It was so overwhelmingly successful that the gallery ran the show in Nice and now New York.
The rationale was simple. Since half the artists in the show are from Manhattan and they get so much attention in Europe, why not bring their work to their hometown with the same prestige and fanfare?
Of the 150 paintings, sculptures, and photos in the show, 50 were commissioned for Whole in the Wall and many of those were created on site. The crown jewel of the show is an installation of 17th century antique King Louie furniture juxtaposed with traditional graffiti art from the likes of Victor Ash and other street greats.
“Jean-Michel Basquiat was able to show that graffiti could be accepted by fine art galleries and that’s what we are trying to do here,” Curator Jean Gismondi told Juxtapoz through a translator. “Nowadays the heirs to Basquiat and the followers of BLADE show that they are real artists. For example SHARP’s inspiration comes from major artists in the Baroque style. Just look at Damien Hirst’s diamond skull. That’s a good example of how street artists can borrow from classic and make it new.”
Whole In The Wall: 1970 – Now
Friday, May 29 to Saturday, June 27
Open 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesdays through Saturdays
529-535 W. 35th St. @ 11th Ave.
Photographer Henry Chalfant in focus
NIC ONE with his signature mini spray can
In the shadow of greats
Kid Lew, Martha Cooper, and Aiko
Martha Cooper shows off her old school jacket… (rules!)
More photos and full scoop here: Juxtapoz
