Martha Cooper's Graffiti Photography at Steven Kasher Gallery
The Steven Kasher Gallery in New York presents an exhibition of Martha Cooper's iconic graffiti photography from April 20 to June 3. Cooper, a former New York Post photographer born in Baltimore in 1940, documented the 1970s and 1980s New York graffiti scene, capturing artists like Dondi, Daze, Futura, and Seen. Her work, published in the 1984 book 'Subway Art' with Henry Chalfant, is considered a graffiti bible. The show features 30 new editions of her street art images and black-and-white photos from her books 'New York State of Mind,' 'Street Play,' and 'Tokyo Tattoo.' Cooper's images reveal a dangerous yet vibrant New York that has since changed due to anti-graffiti measures in the mid-1980s, which increased penalties, restricted paint sales, and intensified police presence, leading to the near disappearance of graffiti. The exhibition serves as a denunciation of these legal restrictions that threaten the art form.
Key facts
- Martha Cooper exhibition at Steven Kasher Gallery, New York, from April 20 to June 3.
- Cooper photographed New York graffiti in the 1970s and 1980s.
- She was a young reporter for the New York Post.
- Cooper documented street artists Dondi, Daze, Futura, and Seen.
- Her book 'Subway Art' (1984) with Henry Chalfant is a graffiti bible.
- The show includes 30 new editions and photos from her books.
- Anti-graffiti measures in the mid-1980s led to graffiti's decline.
- The exhibition is an act of denunciation against legal restrictions.
Entities
Artists
- Martha Cooper
- Dondi
- Daze
- Futura
- Seen
- Henry Chalfant
Institutions
- Steven Kasher Gallery
- New York Post
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Baltimore
- Manhattan
- 515 West 26th Street New York