L'Art du Graffiti, Monaco
***Whack: an event, action, or thing which makes no sense or is contrary to a logical course of action; something entirely disagreable or undesirable; A non-sequitor;
ie: "That's whack! "
No way. It's not whack, people...actually it's ***dope!
***dope: adj. cool, nice, awesome
Let me tell you that back in the early eighties, Graffiti saved my bacon!
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Three weeks before the inauguration of my gallery..the first to specialize in the artwork created by children... two of my artists got "cold feet" and cancelled. There was major press coverage planned, a vernissage (gallery opening party), the invitations (fortunately) were still sitting on my desk and I was faced with 20' X 20' of blank wall space!
A real ***"bummer"...right?
***Bummer: A situation in which no desirable result can occur.
No way. Wrong, again!
The phone rings and a teacher from a prestigious arts high school was asking me if I would consider one of their students for a future show at my gallery.
Hmmm...
The next morning, in walks a cute dark-eyed Hispanic kid, clad in ***Girbauds and ***Reeboks, accompanied by his ***homie.
***Reeboks: Gangster shoes to wear with your girbauds.
***Homie: Shortened version of homeboy, homeboy being your close friend.
ie: Friends ask you to write down your number. Homies have you on speed dial
The artist sat down and with dramatic flourish placed a small ***Black Book on my desk. I looked from my vacant 20' X 20' wall to the relatively teensy tiny black book and silently freaked out! You see, I had no idea of the significance of this small black book, having not yet been introduced to what had come to be called the ***Hip Hop Cutlure.
***Black Book: grafitti book used for sketching plans for large urban mural projects.
***Hip Hop: name for the 4 elements of the late 70's New York City renaissance which includes break dancing, emceeing, (rapping) graffiti, and turntablism.
The three of of stared at one another in silence. A real....long... transgenerational moment...let me tell you.
Ramellzee et Basquiat
Realizing that yours truly was absoultely clueless as I looked through the intriguing extra-terrestrial-looking sketches, the author of the black book and his homie gave me a history lesson on the Graffiti movement and the urban Hip Hop Culture.
Until that day, the only impression I had of graffiti was an often vaguely annoying presence of various ***tag names on subway cars passing by in ever increasing frequency.
Tag: a personal signature, usually vandalism with spraypaint, but can be any graffitti.
This was different. Reminiscent of ***Diego Rivera and Expressionism!
Diego Rivera: (December 8, 1886 – November 24, 1957)a prominent Mexican painter and muralist.
"Don't look scared, Ms. T" he said, laughing as my eyes again looked again from the teensy tiny black book to the naked wall space. "These are just sketches of what I have in my studio."
Then the author promised to deliver to my gallery the following day 3 of his huge, powerful grafitti pieces on strteched linen canvases!
Lee
He delivered the pieces and I sent out the newly designed invitations.
To make a long story short...as they say...I opened this inaugural show which featured this 17-year old Grafitti artist from the Bronx. Not only was it a major media event but this artist received a large commission to paint a mural in Queens.
I and many others agreed that the show was ***Fresh!
***Fresh: Of great quality; new; original
Intrigued by the popularity of this art form, I exhibited a number of other Graffiti artists. During this period, due to the success of the gallery and the influence of the Hip Hop culture, I ironically discovered the South of France, and eventually moved here.
And as they say... the rest is history.
Walking through this exhibit in Monaco remindend me that Graffiti not only saved my bacon, it actually, in its own way, altered the course of my life.
Homage to Ramellzee
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