A recent article in the New York Times: Writing’s onthe Wall (Art Is, Too, for Now)*, took me back to my 2008 visit to New York City. It was a beautiful spring dayin early April when I headed out to visit the Museum of Modern Art offshootknown as PS1 in Long Island City, Queens. It was herethat I discovered the amazing 5Pointz Arts Center.
Apart from the many New York artists that have added theirwork to the 5Pointz building, artists from all over the USA, as well as fromFrance, Australia, Spain and elsewhere have also contributed to the site. Thebuilding is mentioned in some foreign guidebooks and it has become a touristattraction in its own right, and is well worth a look if you have the time tofit it into your New York visit.
While tagging is illegal in New York, it appears to bepermitted if a building’s owner gives the Ok for a work of graffiti art to bepainted on their structures. Permission to use the warehouse as a giant canvashas long been granted by the owner, Jerry Wolkoff, who also rented out studiospace until the afore mentioned accident in 2009.
*Note: Articles in the New York Times are eventually onlyaccessible via paid subscription. While the article referred to above wasviewable when I wrote this entry, it may no longer be so.
