Showing posts with label Al Diaz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Al Diaz. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Howl! Happening explores the history of street art and graffiti with 'City of Kings'

Photos and story by Daniel Efram 

Howl! Happening is now showing "City of Kings: A History of New York City Graffiti," an ambitious and detailed two-part show put together by Eric Felisbret, Mariah Fox and Al Diaz (pictured above) that provides a timetable on the social, cultural and political news of the day about the rise of street art. 

As one of the first-generation pioneers of graffiti as art, Diaz is uniquely qualified to bring the story together. Together with Fox and Felisbret, the trio has stitched together a triumphant tour-de-force exhibition, one that they hope other institutions around the country would like to show. 

It takes work to assemble the original pioneers of graffiti in one room. And it takes a special group to bring together an essential and special show like this.
The "City of Kings" represents "the community and a collective creativity that would evolve into something huge," Diaz says. 

Though Diaz has contributed to an extensive collection of books on graffiti, this one was designed to set itself apart. The team believes that the inclusion of important historical events makes it unique.

"It's important to make clear what was going on in the world at the time," Diaz says. "Current events serve as an anchor." 

As graffiti is an American visual art form, it's imperative that a show and companion book like "New York City of Kings: A History of NYC Graffiti" exists. As time has passed, many first-generation graffiti pioneers have passed away. This show is helpful in describing its history respectfully, honoring as many of those who were there to make certain that this information can be passed along for generations to come. 

"To have Al Diaz do this is important; it gives credibility because the writers respect him. He was there," says self-described next-generation artist Will Power. "And that [the team] brought in the actual writers, 'the pioneers,' to be involved with it while they are still here is also important. He did this from the heart because it’s important. If anyone could pull this off, it's Al."

Diaz and Felisbret are quick to credit Fox, an associate professor at New Mexico Highlands University, as the mastermind behind the "A History of New York City Graffiti" book (Howl! Arts), available in limited edition at the show. 

"One of the goals of the show was to develop a graffiti curriculum," Fox says. "We want to educate people, illuminate how New York's expansive graffiti culture took root, and explain why it's so internationally influential."

"Al wanted a timeline, and he wanted to do an oral history," she continued. "Concurrently, we started working with Eric, and Eric is a really knowledgeable graffiti expert, and he came up with a core outline of important things to cover."

One of the show's essential components is the chronological timeline, expertly illuminated through the use of the NYC subway design elements, a nod to the idea that subway graffiti is its most pure form and to show historically where specific writers used to concentrate their work. But it's also an opportunity to include other milestones and terminology. 

There's a lot of deeply rooted street art information in the "City of Kings" exhibition, and the visual familiarity of the subway is a brilliant way to connect the story. Following their lead, one can follow the graphics of their most used subway line and see what important graffiti history occurred along its route.
This expansive show has two distinctly unique components, one for each of the two Howl Happening locations (6 E. First St. until Jan. 15) and the second at Howl! Arts/Howl! Archive (250 Bowery until Jan. 29.

The First Street exhibit focuses on the chronological framing. At the same time, the 250 Bowery space is an art exhibition featuring canvases by graffiti artists such as Crime 79 and photographs by Henry Chalfant, Martha Cooper, David Gonzalez and others who helped document so much of the scene over the years. 

"City of Kings" also includes an array of special events, including...
Both Howl! spaces are open Wednesday-Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Details here.

Thursday, April 22, 2021

Spring forward with Al Diaz

Acclaimed street artist Al Diaz, whose career spans 50 years in NYC, is the subject of a new (virtual) exhibition via the East Village-based Howl! Happening starting tomorrow.

On Tuesday, Diaz added a seasonal touch to the gate at 246 Bowery (at Stanton Street) ... the message reads: "Spring. Nature's Most Optimistic Gesture."

NY1's Roger Clark caught up with Diaz while on the Bowery.
If the letters on Diaz's work look familiar, it's because they are made up of reclaimed New York City Transit Wet Paint Sign characters, and subway system icons.  

"Being a New Yorker and all, it's a kind of ubiquitous alphabet, constrained alphabet, that as commuters we see every day," said Diaz, who makes messages of all sorts with those letters intended to inspire action.
Diaz grew up in the Jacob Riis Houses on Avenue D. He started writing graffiti at age 12. As a teen in the late 1970s, he and his friend Jean-Michel Basquiat collaborated on a series of cryptic messages seen around the city signed from SAMO©

The show at Howl!, titled A Subterraneous Journal, features work that Diaz created during the pandemic. 

Find more info about the exhibit, which is on through May 30, at this link

Previously on EV Grieve:

Sunday, June 16, 2019

Time passages


[Photo from Friday]

This weekend, Al Diaz and Curt Hoppe collaborated on a mural outside The Quality Mending Co. on the corner of Prince and Elizabeth.







The final product include's Diaz's text- and message-oriented work with Hoppe's portrait photography...



"Time pulls us along as present becomes past. People, pets, places and possessions all turn into memories..."

"This piece is not for selfies ... just stop, read and think," Hoppe told me.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The EVG podcast: Al Diaz on BOMB1, SAMO© and Basquiat

Curt Hoppe's 'Downtown Portraits'

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Last week to see work by Al Diaz and SAMO© at the Same Old Gallery on Great Jones



The Same Old Gallery, curated by Adrian Wilson and Brian Shevlin, featuring an exhibit of old and new work by Al Diaz, ends its run at 57 Great Jones St. on Saturday evening.

Wilson was originally hopeful that he could use the space through the end of December.

As previously reported, the front part of No. 57 west of the Bowery had been sitting unused. The back of the building houses Bohemian, an exclusive (referral-only) Japanese restaurant. They will be expanding in January, and gave Wilson access to the space rent-free.

"Unfortunately, as the space was donated for free by the leaseholders, this was always going to be a temporary gallery," Wilson told me. "It was always guaranteed for Al's show, and I hoped they would then let me keep it open until they start renovation on January, but [the landlord] liked what we did so much they have rented the space for a Christmas market, selling gifts.

"It's kind of sad but also very perfect that the one and only exhibition there will be Al."


[Al Diaz and friends via Adrian Wilson]

Diaz, who grew up in the Jacob Riis Houses on Avenue D, started writing graffiti at age 12. As a teen in the late 1970s, he and Jean-Michel Basquiat collaborated on a series of cryptic messages seen around the city signed from SAMO©.

The gallery is inside the building once owned by Andy Warhol. Jean-Michel Basquiat lived and worked here at the time of his death in 1988.





The gallery hours are from 2-7 p.m. through Saturday.

Meanwhile, you can listen to my recent podcast with Diaz right here (or download it for later)...

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Same Old Gallery debuts tonight on Great Jones Street with Al Diaz and SAMO©



The Same Old Gallery, curated by Adrian Wilson and Brian Shevlin, opens this evening with an exhibit of old and new work by Al Diaz.


[Image via Instagram]

The gallery (first reported on here) is inside 57 Great Jones St., once owned by Andy Warhol. Jean-Michel Basquiat lived and worked here just west of the Bowery at the time of his death in 1988.

Diaz grew up in the Jacob Riis Houses on Avenue D. He started writing graffiti at age 12. As a teen in the late 1970s, he and Basquiat collaborated on a series of cryptic messages seen around the city signed from SAMO©.

The front space at No. 57 was sitting unused. The back of the building houses Bohemian, an exclusive (referral-only) Japanese restaurant.

"They are expanding the Bohemian restaurant and very kindly donated the space to me to use as a gallery before construction starts in January," Wilson told me.

This initial exhibit features a selection of Diaz's work through the years ... as well as several archival items, such as a satirical story co-written and illustrated by Diaz and Basquiat published in the City-As-School newspaper in January 1978 that marked the start of SAMO©.

Diaz also invited several artists to help put their mark on the space...







The opening party is tonight from 7-10. The first show will be up through Oct. 20. The gallery hours are Tuesday-Sunday from 2-7 p.m. You can find the Same Old Gallery on Instagram here.

And you can listen to my recent podcast with Diaz right here (or download it for later)...



Thanks to Adrian Wilson for the photos!

Friday, September 14, 2018

The EVG podcast: Al Diaz on BOMB1, SAMO© and Basquiat



Artist Al Diaz joined me in the East Village Radio storefront studio on First Avenue for this EVG podcast.

Diaz grew up in the Jacob Riis Houses on Avenue D. He started writing graffiti at age 12. As a teen in the late 1970s, he and his friend Jean-Michel Basquiat collaborated on a series of cryptic messages seen around the city signed from SAMO©.

Some 40 years on Diaz remains active (check out his Instagram account here).

We covered a lot in 30 minutes, from the early days of graffiti in NYC to Sara Driver's recently released documentary, "Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat," which features Diaz, to the return of SAMO© after Election 2016.

Take a listen... or download it for later...



His work will also be featured in a new gallery via Adrian Wilson coming to 57 Great Jones St. ... where Basquiat lived and worked at the time of his death in 1988.



Al Diaz image via Instagram

Previously on EV Grieve:
The EVG podcast: Red-tailed hawk talk with Laura Goggin

The EVG podcast: Mike Katz and Crispin Kott on the "Rock and Roll Explorer Guide to New York City."

The EVG podcast: A 'Vanishing New York' conversation with Jeremiah Moss

The EVG podcast: More hawk talk with Laura Goggin