The 1980s downtown NYC art and street art scene was a vibrant, transformative period, marked by an explosion of creativity against a backdrop of urban decay. This era saw the emergence of pioneering street artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and Kenny Scharf, who moved from subway cars and city walls into galleries, blurring the lines between high art and street art. Amidst economic hardship, the Lower East Side became a canvas for expressing social and political discontent, with graffiti becoming a powerful medium for voice and identity. This period was characterized by its raw, anarchic energy, a melting pot of music, art, and cultural rebellion, fostering an innovative community that reshaped the art world’s boundaries.
Nassau County Museum of Art has announced its newest installation, Urban Art Evolution, a large-scale, in-depth exhibition surveying the 1980s downtown NYC art/street art scene, guest curated by the esteemed art collector and gallerist Christopher Pusey.
“Urban Art Evolution is an exciting and sweeping exhibition focused on the numerous artists connected to rich artistic history of the 1980s downtown art scene,” Pusey said. “Many Long Islanders are familiar with the more famous artist names such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kenny Scharf and Keith Haring, but there were hundreds of other important and influential talents that comprised the creative fabric of the surrounding neighborhoods.”
The show opened on March 23 and runs through July 7.
“My vision for the Urban Art Evolution exhibition was to highlight these other artists as well and to create specific rooms, with an immersive environment for museum goers, all within the historic setting of this landmark mansion,” Pusey said. “Between both floors of the museum there are more than 135 paintings, sculptures, photographs, and ephemeral items that provide a vibrant and educational experience of this exciting time in New York City.”
Urban Art Evolution is a comprehensive installation focused heavily on pieces from 1980s downtown NYC (alongside some from 1990s to now), a diverse range of compositions by creators who were based in the rough and tumble area of NYC known as Loisaida/LES/East Village (and surrounding neighborhoods): period photography, sculpture, paintings, performance works, films, and important ephemera from many influential artists during this pivotal time in art history (many with strong LI connections/have been exhibited at museum over the years, indicated by *). Included will be Jean-Michel Basquiat*, Mike Bidlo, Linus Coraggio, Ronnie Cutrone, Al Diaz, Dondi*, Chris “DAZE” Ellis*, Judy Glantzman (born on Long Island), Rodney Greenblatt, Richard Hambleton*, Keith Haring*, Eric Haze, Mark Kostabi* (solo exhibited at museum multiple times), Angel Ortiz/LA2, Rick Prol, Judy Rifka (raised on Long Island), Walter Robinson, James Romberger (born on Long Island), Kenny Scharf* (solo exhibited at museum multiple times/in permanent collection), and David Wojnarowicz.
The catalyst for the exhibition is the current moment at which urban art and the music scene are enjoying within the cultural Zeitgeist like the 50th anniversary of the birth of Hip-Hop music and the recent 40th anniversary of the release of the seminal film on the graffiti art movement, Wild Style, making 2024 a perfect time to exhibit the works of the pioneering visual artists that were on the cutting edge of urban inspired contemporary art.
The timeline for the curation goes back to the early 1980s where Pusey was a young art dealer witnessing the confluence of these genres with film, music, and art cross pollinating and influencing each other in immeasurable ways. Rounding out the artist roster for the exhibition are Christopher Hart Chambers, Tseng Kwong Chi, Martha Cooper, Jane Dickson, Fab Five Freddy, Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, Ken Hiratsuka, Stephen Lack, John “CRASH” Matos, Hank O’Neal, Lee Quiñones*, and Martin Wong.
The exhibit will include weekend film viewings, guest lectures and historian partnerships.
Nassau County Museum of Art is located at 1 Museum Dr., in Roslyn (on the 145-acre property of the former Frick “Clayton” Estate). Visit www.nassaumuseum.org for details.
