From the aerosol-scented tunnels of subterranean transit to the hallowed halls of high culture, New York City’s graffiti art has journeyed far and wide. The Museum of the City of New York is currently showcasing “Above Ground,” an exhibit celebrating a movement that has heavily imprinted itself on the city’s canvas. Honoring stalwarts like Keith Haring and Lady Pink, the exhibition runs through next August, offering a profound look at the genre’s evolution.
The transition from outlaw art to gallery chic wasn’t spontaneous. It took advocates like Martin Wong—a painter and erstwhile Pearl Paint employee on Canal Street—to recognize and nurture this raw talent. Wong’s prescient collection of works, which he made a mission to keep in NYC, lies at the core of this exhibit. “It tells the story of art from the streets and the story of how a number of artists who painted on streets and on trains left the streets and became fine artists,” curator Sean Corcoran told FOX 5 NY.
Corcoran further detailed to Muse by Clio the importance of Wong’s collection, emphasizing its rarity and the insight it provides into the graffiti subculture. With over 300 canvases and countless sketches, the collection navigates through personal histories and stylistic innovations of these seminal artists.
“Part of his legacy that he leaves behind is that when you visit an exhibition like this, you’re kind of looking at a time capsule for a part of New York history that no longer exists,” reflected artist Chris “Daze” Ellis, who knew Wong personally. His statement to FOX 5 NY, highlighted the historical value tied closely to Wong’s efforts. Wong’s dedication to these artists was to seamlessly extend encouragement that allowed them to truly pursue and solidify their craft—moving their art from the streets to a more perpetual platform.
The debate around graffiti—once splitting hairs between vandalism and art—is now largely settled within these walls. The works on display bear witness to a tenacity and raw passion that defined an era’s underground scene, now celebrated in broad daylight. “These really are largely self-taught artists who were motivated and knew what they wanted to do and who they wanted to be, and they took their craft seriously and applied the ambition,” Corcoran conveyed in a statement obtained by FOX 5 NY.
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