Artists Find Inspiration in Graffiti

"Tawkin' New Yawk City Walls" Explores Hip-Hop Culture in a Multimedia Exhibit
at Hillwood Art Museum on the C.W. Post Campus From January 18-April 9

Opening Reception/Hip-Hop Party - January 27, 5 to 8 p.m.
Film Screening: "Wild Style" - March 10, 7 p.m.

January 17, 2005 - A time-lapse video flashes urban images against a wall in C.W. Post's Hillwood Art Museum at a seemingly supersonic speed. There's a glimpse of a building, a bridge perhaps, a flag - before the pictures fade into a soft, blurred green background. Then they repeat. Shot at the World Trade Center on September 10th, 2001, this piece by Monika Bravo eerily captivates viewers - even before they realize what they're seeing.

Inspired by the graffiti movement of the '70s and the subsequent rise of hip-hop culture, Bravo is among 12 artists displaying their provocative work in "Tawkin' New Yawk City Walls," an exhibit at Hillwood Art Museum on the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University from January 18 through April 9, 2005. The opening reception will be in the style of a hip-hop party with a live D.J. on January 27 from 5 to 8 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

"This exhibition presents a selection of artists who have examined and artistically used the walls of New York City as a template for creative pursuits," said Guest Curator John Fekner, who is also a Professor of Art and Director of the Digital Arts and Design Program at C.W. Post. In addition, Fekner has contributed two pieces of his own artwork to the show. "The grid of the city constitutes a living canvas, a nexus for exploration, reflection, and contemplation."

The exhibition includes a variety of media such as photographs, paintings in automotive oil and spray paint, prints, sculpture, and digital media. Other work includes early historical photographs by Charlie Ahearn of the hip-hop culture before it went mainstream as well as '80s graffiti artists posed with their work. The exhibit also includes a free screening of Ahearn's 1982 classic hip-hop documentary "Wild Style," which follows the outlaw artists through the train yards to the rap/breakdance clubs and includes rare footage of one of the godfathers of hip-hop, Grandmaster Flash.

"The exhibition is different because it's visually accessible," said Barbara Applegate, museum coordinator. "Some of the work deals with visual pop-culture icons and the viewer's interpretation of them in the context of his or her own experiences."

Hillwood Art Museum offers an extraordinarily spacious gallery with a 15 foot ceiling and a curved back wall. Phyllis Braff of The New York Times has called it "one of the Island's most dramatic showcases for art." Funding for the exhibition is provided by Hillwood Art Museum and the Institute for Arts & Culture, both based at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University; a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice; and Encounters with the Arts, a special program funded by the Tilles Family in honor of Rose Tilles.

Admission to Hillwood Art Museum is free and open to the public. Museum hours are Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Thursdays until 8 p.m., and Saturdays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hillwood Art Museum is located on the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University, 720 Northern Blvd. (Route 25A), Brookville. The Museum has ample free parking and is handicap accessible. For more information, call (516) 299-4073 or visit www.liu.edu/museum.

Images from the Exhibition