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While browsing the National Portrait Gallery this month, visitors initially might think that the museum walls have been defaced. But the four-foot-long graffiti murals that cover the corridors are actually part of "Recognize! Hip Hop and Contemporary Portraiture," marking the Smithsonian's first commission of the underground street art—still widely regarded as vandalism. "We are not glorifying the illegal activity, but we are acknowledging the larger impact this street tradition has had in contemporary art," says Frank H. Goodyear III, one of the exhibition's curators.
When planning the exhibit—which features photography, paintings and videos influenced by hip-hop—curators saw a barren corridor as an opportunity to feature one of hip-hop culture's most characteristic staples: graffiti writing. Since museum officials were hesitant about artists spraying paint directly onto the gallery walls, the works were instead executed off-site by two local artists, Tim "Con" Conlon, 33, of Washington, D.C. and Dave "Arek" Hupp, 34, from Baltimore, who have both been spray-painting (or "tagging") trains and bridges since they were teenagers. They boast quite the portfolio of street graffiti, or what Goodyear euphemistically calls their "noncommissioned works." Hupp estimates that in his peak he tagged about 400 freight trains a year, and Conlon's signature pieces, many of which feature TV's "Simpsons" characters, can be seen around the country. In fact, their street art has gone commercial, with companies such as Coca-Cola and Delta Airlines recruiting them for advertising campaigns to target the youth demographic. Even Maisto International, a die-cast toy company, had the two artists tag model trains last year. "People who think it is just vandalism are amazed when they see what we can do with spray paint," Hupp says.
This is the first major gallery work for either artist. The four panels, which were completed this past summer, depict the traditional style of graffiti from its roots in 1970s New York City, when distorted letters and bright colors dominated. A subway car is the backdrop for one of the murals, and the other three pop with stylized letters that form the words "Con," "Arek" and "Recognize."
The public's view of graffiti has come a long way since Ed Koch, then New York City mayor, suggested combating graffiti artists by releasing wolves into the subway storage yards. Starting in the 1980s, spray paintings migrated into major galleries. The Brooklyn Museum exhibited 20 large-scale graffiti paintings in 2006. But displaying the work in a Smithsonian museum represents "an important step," says Tumelo Mosaka, the associate curator for exhibits at the Brooklyn Museum. "It's a recognition that cultural expression can exist outside conventional canons." Goodyear explains that graffiti's influence on modern art justifies its display. For the past 30 years, contemporary artists, like California-based muralist Brett Cook and Brooklyn-based painter Shinique Smith, have used what Goodyear calls a "hip-hop aesthetic," in which they borrow the vibrant colors, thick outlines and contorted letter shapes of street art and translate it to canvas.
Additionally, Jobyl Boone, a graduate student and the exhibit's guest curator, explains that graffiti tags function as self-portraits. "We want to present the notion that individuality and portraiture might not be someone's face or body," she says. Conlon agrees: "Graffiti is based on choosing a name and making it as prolific as possible."
The murals are approximately 20' long - not "four-foot long".
Posted by richard gould on January 29,2008 | 03:55AM
Interesting!! While there are many different opinions regarding spray-can art (and artists!!), it is cool to see the formal art world begin take notice of this "new" art form. It is good to know that there are artists out there who are still willing to be pioneers in art. Kudos to the Nat. Portrait Gallery for recognizing these very talented artists! And even more praise to Tim and Dave for being the guys who bring this work in off the streets and into the NPG spotlight!! I'd rather look at this type of work in a gallery than on the side of a delivery truck, wall, or sign anytime! --John WDC
Posted by John Simpkins-Camp on January 29,2008 | 08:50AM
as a top graffiti artist from chicago...i look forward to seeing my art grow to the big top...thanks smithsonian for taking a chance so this popular art form...
Posted by tselone on January 31,2008 | 11:05AM
I've been teaching this art form to my eighth grade classes for the past four years. That age group stirs great interest in graffiti and it helps teach many design concepts in art. After years of hard comments from another "seasoned" art teacher, I'm delighted to see this "art" finally getting it's due!
Posted by Ron Gregorchik on February 1,2008 | 08:22AM
I've just completed a documentary feature, SprayMasters, about the 1970s and 80s graffiti phenomenon in New York. It includes interviews with prominent original writers who now make their living throught their art and journalism. It also has extensive never-before-seen graffiti subway footage from that time. The film will have its world premiere at MoMA on February 13 at 6pm. If there is interest by the Smithsonian in showing it, I would be happy to send a screener along with more information. Manny Kirchheimer
Posted by Manfred Kirchheimer on February 2,2008 | 07:36AM
Hey, I am a graffiti artist from northern california. I head up an international crew of christian graffiti artist.. confused?, well we don't do anything illegal and most of what we do has a christian/gospel message to it. Last weekend was my money opportunity, as i was flown to north carolina to be filmed doing my graffiti by Billy Graham Evangelistic Association for a video short they are making. This comes after 16 years of doing graffiti and 11 years of doing it legally. see gospelgraffiti.com for more info. -Fasm
Posted by Fasm on February 12,2008 | 04:24PM
Big Ups to CON and AREK!! Repping Baltimore big time. They deserve it. They have put in tons of work. Spade KOS...
Posted by Chris Spade on February 20,2008 | 12:17PM
Beautiful work. I've enjoyed and appreciated well-executed graffiti art since the late eighties, and am extremely happy to finally see it getting the national recognition it so well deserves. Kudos to the Smithsonian and National Portrait Gallery.
Posted by Marcia on February 20,2008 | 02:51PM
While living in Okinawa, I came upon many sea walls that were decorated with graffiti. Seems some graffiti artists claim a section of the sea wall and repaints once a year. What a great way to express oneself in a creative way.
Posted by kaiju on February 20,2008 | 05:21PM
Congratulations to all who made this exhib possible. I wish we had in France similar open minds to host such an event. I am a french photographer and have been documenting street art from 20 countries (USA,Canada, Colombia, Brasil, Mexico, Japan, Sth Korea, Sth Africa, Morroco, Spain, France, Belgium, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Hungary, Holland,Autralia,China) with now over 22,000 photos.(see my website : urbanhearts.com) This is a world of creativity and great talents which is unfortunately still plagued by the image of vandalism. This ephemeral art must be recognised as a major part of contemporry art, more easy to access and understand than many contemporary art works.
Posted by Eric Marechal on February 22,2008 | 08:59AM
Nice article, if you go to the exhibit's website you can see more photos of Con and Arek's graffiti murals, as well as the work of other artists featured in the exhibit: http://www.npg.si.edu/exhibit/recognize/graffiti.html
Posted by Ben on February 27,2008 | 03:05PM
The exhibit was exceptional yet it was disappointing to hear a museum employee at the Visitor Information desk inform an incoming guest: "it's not real art but it's bringing in people that don't usually visit this museum."
Posted by Joe on February 28,2008 | 04:04PM
I am very annoyed that the Smithsonian even considered displaying this criminal activity and giving it an air of acceptability. Perhaps for their next installation the curators can display pictures of the creative way serial killers carve their victims, or positions favored by rapists. The bottom line is that tagging is a criminal activity in which an individual's property is vandalised by a self serving, arrogant criminal. Displays of this activity have no place at the Smithsonian. The right to own property, unmolested is one of America's key freedom. Tagging violates that right and the Smithsonian has just validated it. Unacceptable!
Posted by Renae Schmidt on May 23,2008 | 10:43AM
It is nice to see this art form getting some representation in major galleries and museums It is really brave of places like the Brooklyn Museum and the Smithsonian to embrace the movement that has been inspiring artists of all styles, forms and colors for years Klim www.allcitystyle.com
Posted by klim on June 28,2008 | 07:31PM