Martha Cooper, a photographer who made a career out of shooting graffiti, isn’t happy about the recent vandalism done to Kenny Scharf’s mural. She said the writers were “mean-spirited and heartless.” To articulate her point, she showed a vintage photo of the wall from 1983 featuring the artist’s work, among others, that’s even more bombed out than it currently is. (Photo: Martha Cooper/12ozProphet)
go vandals! kenny's "art" sucks.
back in 83 you could see the rivalry between "gallery graf artists" like Scharf, Haring and Basquiat. All "street graf writers" hated them, with few exceptions and would toy their pieces whenever they could. Now such distinctions seem quaint as any "street artists" cant wait to get their asses in a gallery, while "gallery artists" never pass up an opportunity to demonstrate how edgy and urban they really are(n't). Such pretense has killed whatever "original" street art there ever was here in NYC. I can only hope its not like this in other major cities although I suspect it is.
Just goes to show his art sucked back then and still does now.
IF HE CARED THAT MUCH ABOUT HIS ART BEING HURT HE SHOULD STICK TO THE CANVASES IN HIS 'SAFE' HOME. PLUS MARTHA COOPER….YOUR SUPPOSED TO BE 'OHH I LOVE GRAFFIT ITS SO PRETTY BLAH BLAH BLAH' BUT YOUR MAD AT SOME PURE GRAFFITI VANDALISM??? GTFO. THE TRAIN ERA IS OVER, NO MORE PRETTY PICTURES AND TIME TO BE TAKEN. ITS GRIMEY GUTTER SHIT NOW. GET USED TO IT.
Yep same shit here in oz gallery scene queens most writers for paint companies are the biggest sellouts. That mural is garbage and Martha should give back all the money she made from graff if she really means wat she says
Obviously, he didn't get paid for this specific mural. I mean, who would pay him for that crap? But the point is that he does that kind of a thing for a living and that wall is just a giant billboard to sell himself/his art in the long run. The point is that this guy is the equivalent of someone like Jim Joe, Neck Face, DickChicken, etc. 20-30 years from now. So what if he drew stuff around other graffiti writers before? Who hasn't? So what if he did his "art" illegally before? Who hasn't? The wall was just wack and reminded me of a Ghost bite to be honest. I am really disappointed in Martha Cooper making that comment. She should understand that this is all part off the game. Graffiti is NOT MEANT FOR GALLERIES (once in a gallery setting, it turns into fine art). Keep it in the streets, raw and unfiltered. Graffiti writers live for one thing and that's to break the rules. Hell, even in 83 that face was probably the wackest thing on the wall.
Martha Cooper, your opinion is no longer valid…that is to say if it ever was.
She admitted in a recent interview that she purposely searched for ways to remove graffiti stickers off the street for her own personal collection and ultimately use them in her books, much like Db Burkeman had done for his recent book.
Nothing on that wall is tight
Vandalog says on his blog that you're a dick who is only good for provoking people Bucky. Seems like he's pissed about something. haha!
Ha. RJ is just pissed that I pulled his card. The fact that he would call asking a legitimate question as provoking shows how scarily conservative he is and reason #43,242 why his site shouldn’t be called “Vandalog.”