Saatchi stages graf spectacular – with a bit of help from Juno Daily
JD man lends a (possibly paint splattered) hand
Organisers of a massive graffiti exhibition at London’s prestigious Saatchi Gallery reached out to Juno Daily for a bit of expert help with the show.
Beyond The Streets runs at the gallery in Chelsea from February 17 to May 9 and features over 100 international artists, “from defiant train writers to powerful large-scale muralists”.
The show’s curators were researching the New York City Rap Show – effectively the first ever international tour of hip-hop culture – when they discovered Juno Daily writer and music communications university lecturer Gareth Thomas’ article about it for our I Was There section.
They ended up interviewing him for the exhibition, supported by adidas Originals, which claims to be the most comprehensive graffiti and street art exhibition to open in the UK, set to take over all three floors of London’s iconic Saatchi Gallery. Following successful exhibitions in Los Angeles & New York, it will feature new works, large-scale installations, original ephemera and extraordinary fashion that capture the powerful impact of graffiti and street art across the world.
Each of the exhibition’s chapters will explore exceptional moments in the history of this artistic movement; including the emergence of punk; the birth of hip-hop and street culture’s strong influence in fashion and film.
Gareth Thomas told us: “I’m absolutely delighted to have been asked and to be involved in what looks like being an amazing exhbition.”
His memories of the Lyons show, which featured in our article, are mixed. It certainly didn’t go down a storm. “Things took a lot longer to spread then and I’d only read a bit about hip-hop in the NME – I think the main reason I went is because (graffiti artist) Futura 2000 was appearing and I knew he’d done something with The Clash when they were in New York the year before.
“I don’t think a lot of people in France were ready for it. I believe there were bottles thrown at the Paris show – there was no violence at the one I went to but I remember people being confused because they’d expected a standard gig but there were different things going on in different corners of the venue, all representing the different parts of hip-hop culture. There was no main focus.”
The full list of artists featured in Beyond The Strets is: 10FOOT, AIKO, Alicia McCarthy, André Saraiva, BÄST, Beastie Boys, Beezer, Bert Krak, BLADE, BLONDIE, Bob Gruen, Brassaï, Broken Fingaz, C. R. Stecyk III, CES, Charlie Ahearn, Chaz Bojórquez, Chris FREEDOM Pape, Christopher Stead, Conor Harrington, CORNBREAD, Craig Costello, CRASH, DABSMYLA, Dash Snow, DAZE, DELTA, DONDI, Duncan Weston, Dr. REVOLT, Eric HAZE, Escif, Estevan Oriol, Fab 5 Freddy, FAILE, Felipe Pantone, FUME, FUTURA2000, Glen E. Friedman, GOLDIE, Gordon Matta-Clark, Gregory Rick, Guerrilla Girls, Gus Coral, Henry Chalfant, HuskMitNavn, IMON BOY, Jaimie D’Cruz, Jamie Reid, Janette Beckman, Jason REVOK, Jenny Holzer, Joe Conzo, John Ahearn & Rigoberto Torres, José Parlá, KATSU, KAWS, KC ORTIZ, Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf, KING MOB, LADY PINK, Lawrence Watson, Lisa Kahane, Malcolm McLaren, Maripol, Martin Jones, Martha Cooper, Maya Hayuk, Michael Holman, Michael Lawrence, Mister CARTOON, MODE 2, Ozzie Juarez, Pablo Allison, Pat Phillips, Paul Insect, POSE, PRIDE, PRIEST, Richard Colman, RISK, Robert 3D Del Naja, Roger Perry, Shepard Fairey, SHOE, Sophie Bramly, STASH, Stephen ESPO Powers, Stickymonger, SWOON, TAKI 183, Toby Mott, TOX, Tim Conlon, Timothy Curtis, Tish Murtha, Todd James, VHILS , ZEPHYR and more to be announced.
Read articles by Gareth Thomas on the first hip-hop show at The Hacienda, the New York City Rap Show and Throbbing Gristle’s Oundle School show