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DOWN BY LAW
Eric Firestone Gallery, East Hampton
August 14 – September 26, 2010
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Curated by Eric Firestone and Miss Rosen
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“Pioneers are the first to see it… and last to be seen.”
—Mare 139 (aka Carlos Rodriguez)
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On Saturday, August 14, 2010, the Eric Firestone Gallery in East Hampton hosted “Down by Law,” an exhibition of the artists, photographers, and filmmakers whose work in the mid-1970s and early 1980s New York City defined a generation. Graffiti and Hip Hop music, though not at all the same phenomena, developed in the same place and at the same time, and were, for a period, fused together by their shared cultural markers—do it yourself inventiveness born from the streets of New York at a time when so many had so little.
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“Down By Law” showcases rarely seen works by the pioneers of the NYC based graffiti and underground art scene. On view are seminal pieces from the key artists of this genre—some of whom achieved international fame, others who remained relatively anonymous, and still others who died prematurely. These artists’ “billboard masterpieces” and “moving murals” defined a generation and reshaped the way people have related to pop culture, public art, and urban aesthetics ever since.
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The exhibition features the work of Charlie Ahearn, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Blade, Henry Chalfant, Joe Conzo, Martha Cooper, Daze aka Chris Ellis, Dr. Revolt, John Fekner, Cousin Frank aka Ghost, Michael Halsband, Keith Haring, Eric Haze, Keo, Eric Kroll, Lady Pink, Greg LaMarche, Chris Pape aka Freedom, Rammellzee, Carlos Rodriguez aka Mare 139, Anita Rosenberg, Sharp aka Adam Goodstone, Jamel Shabazz, Julius Cavero aka T-Kid 170, Dondi White, and Zephyr.
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Miss Rosen’s Contribution:
Co-curated exhibition, assisted with Publicity and Event Planning.
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Photographs ©Jianai Jenny Chen