Mobile Museum of Art's 'Gateways: Graffiti to Gallery' Traces Five Street Artists' Rise
In Alabama, the Mobile Museum of Art is hosting a year-long exhibition titled 'Gateway: From Graffiti to Gallery,' under the curation of Stan Hackney. This showcase includes nearly 30 pieces from New York, London, and the American South, documenting the progression of graffiti since the early 1980s. Featured artists include Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Kenny Scharf, who moved from street art to gallery spaces. Haring's Untitled (1983) symbolizes his rise to commercial success, while Scharf's Light Years Away (1983) embodies his artistic manifesto. Basquiat's ERO (1984) pays tribute to Dominique Philbert and is seldom shown. Additionally, Banksy's Playmate of the Month (2000) critiques American scandals, and KAWS's CHUM (2006) addresses consumerism, resonating with Haring's vision of accessible art.
Key facts
- 'Gateway: From Graffiti to Gallery' is a year-long survey at the Mobile Museum of Art in Alabama featuring nearly 30 works.
- The exhibition is curated by Stan Hackney, the museum's chief curator of art & audience engagement.
- It traces five artists: Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kenny Scharf, KAWS, and Banksy.
- Haring signed with dealer Tony Shafrazi in 1982 and painted Untitled (1983) on vinyl construction tarps.
- Scharf coined 'Pop-Surrealism' in a 1981 manifesto; his Light Years Away (1983) preceded When Worlds Collide (1984), shown in the 1985 Whitney Biennial.
- Basquiat's ERO (1984) honors Dominique Philbert and was last exhibited in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1993 before the 2020–21 MFA Boston show.
- Banksy's Playmate of the Month (2000) references war and consumerism; in 2006 he placed a hooded orange-jumpsuit doll at Disneyland's Thunder Mountain Railroad.
- KAWS's CHUM (2006) appropriates the Michelin Man and reflects his production of toys, editioned collectables, and branded products.
Entities
Artists
- Keith Haring
- Jean-Michel Basquiat
- Kenny Scharf
- KAWS
- Brian Donnelly
- Banksy
- Stan Hackney
- Tony Shafrazi
- Andy Warhol
- Dominique Philbert
- Jackson Pollock
- Pablo Picasso
- Jean Dubuffet
- David Schrader
- Juliana Halpert
- Lindsey Vonn
Institutions
- Mobile Museum of Art
- CULTURED
- Whitney Biennial
- Museum of Fine Art Boston
- Con Edison
- Playboy
- Disneyland
- Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Artestar
Locations
- Mobile
- Alabama
- United States
- New York
- London
- United Kingdom
- East Village
- Lower East Side
- Manhattan
- Lausanne
- Switzerland
- Abu Ghraib
- Guantanamo Bay
- Iraq