The origins of Street Art, of how we think of it today as a “type of Art” that evolved from graffiti, began in the Lower East Side of New York in the 1970s. Of course, as long as humans have had walls, they have also been writing on those walls, from ancient cave paintings to railroad monikers. However the Street Art that is now shown in galleries across the globe originated from a hotbed of cultural activity across the city of New York. This time spawned some of the most recognisable names in art today; Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Lady Pink amongst them.
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Razor Gallery was the first gallery to exhibit graffiti in 1978, organised by the United Graffiti Collective (UGC). This provided a sense of legitimacy to the artworks and began the transition of institutionalising Street Art. This naturally raises the paradox of displaying graffiti privately on the inside when its foundational principle is to be viewed openly on the outside. Certainly this push was in some part by artists themselves, as the government of New York began cracking down on subway painting, making it more dangerous let alone difficult to paint. Consequently, further exhibitions were organised including PS1’s seminal New York / New Wave in 1981 organised by Diageo Coretz. Bringing together over 100 artists, New York / New Wave showcased a generation of new talent, and brought Basquiat into the limelight.
Jean-Michel Basquiat, New York/New Wave
Also in 1981 Patti Astor's Fun Gallery opened in Manhattan's East Village, the first gallery to do so. During it’s short 4 year tenure, Fun Galley held solo exhibitions for Kenny Scharf and Basquiat and became a fixture in the downtown art scene. Despite being billed as a solo show, Keith Haring alongside Angel ‘LA II’ Ortiz, then just a young teenagers, exhibited in 1983. Through this exciting programming, Fun Gallery set itself apart from the typical white cube Manhattan gallery which had become, and somewhat still remains, the norm.
In the midst of all the cultural flurry, films WIldstyle and Style Wars which document the graffiti culture were released. Both films became cult hits and opened the movement up to an international audience. At the same time, Matha Cooper published her book Subway Art, in which she photographed graffiti artists painting in New York during the 1970s and 1980s. One of her subjects, and also lead of WIldstyle, was Lady Pink. The book serves as both an intimate look into graffiti culture and an archival document as the only existing records of the artistic efforts.
Subway Art, Martha Cooper
Another pivotal figure was Richard Hambleton whose work transitioned from the street to canvas. His eerie “shadowman” silhouettes painted on walls and doorways across Lower Manhattan blurred the line between street art and performance. Though not a traditional graffiti writer, Hambleton’s ephemeral works were deeply embedded in urban space, yet he too transitioned into galleries including an appearance at the 1984 Venice Biennale.
Richard Hambleton, Shadowman
Street Art’s beginnings in the Lower East Side ignited a creative energy that continues to shape urban culture worldwide. The rebellious spirit that once animated subway tunnels and city walls now finds new expression in galleries like D’Stassi Art, which bridge the gap between the street and the institution. By championing artists who honour those early pioneers while pushing the medium forward, D’Stassi Art extends the lineage of spaces like Fun Gallery, places where authenticity, community, and experimentation converged. This evolution from public defiance to professional recognition underscores Street Art’s enduring paradox: art born of the street yet celebrated within walls. Its journey from transgression to tradition reminds us that Street Art remains more than a movement; it is a conversation between past and present, between artist and city, that continues to redefine what art means and where it belongs.
The origins of Street Art, of how we think of it today as a “type of Art” that evolved from graffiti, began in the Lower East Side of New York in the 1970s. Of course, as long as humans have had walls, they have also been writing on those walls, from ancient cave paintings to railroad monikers. However the Street Art that is now shown in galleries across the globe originated from a hotbed of cultural activity across the city of New York. This time spawned some of the most recognisable names in art today; Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Lady Pink amongst them.
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Razor Gallery was the first gallery to exhibit graffiti in 1978, organised by the United Graffiti Collective (UGC). This provided a sense of legitimacy to the artworks and began the transition of institutionalising Street Art. This naturally raises the paradox of displaying graffiti privately on the inside when its foundational principle is to be viewed openly on the outside. Certainly this push was in some part by artists themselves, as the government of New York began cracking down on subway painting, making it more dangerous let alone difficult to paint. Consequently, further exhibitions were organised including PS1’s seminal New York / New Wave in 1981 organised by Diageo Coretz. Bringing together over 100 artists, New York / New Wave showcased a generation of new talent, and brought Basquiat into the limelight.
Jean-Michel Basquiat, New York/New Wave
Also in 1981 Patti Astor's Fun Gallery opened in Manhattan's East Village, the first gallery to do so. During it’s short 4 year tenure, Fun Galley held solo exhibitions for Kenny Scharf and Basquiat and became a fixture in the downtown art scene. Despite being billed as a solo show, Keith Haring alongside Angel ‘LA II’ Ortiz, then just a young teenagers, exhibited in 1983. Through this exciting programming, Fun Gallery set itself apart from the typical white cube Manhattan gallery which had become, and somewhat still remains, the norm.
In the midst of all the cultural flurry, films WIldstyle and Style Wars which document the graffiti culture were released. Both films became cult hits and opened the movement up to an international audience. At the same time, Matha Cooper published her book Subway Art, in which she photographed graffiti artists painting in New York during the 1970s and 1980s. One of her subjects, and also lead of WIldstyle, was Lady Pink. The book serves as both an intimate look into graffiti culture and an archival document as the only existing records of the artistic efforts.
Subway Art, Martha Cooper
Another pivotal figure was Richard Hambleton whose work transitioned from the street to canvas. His eerie “shadowman” silhouettes painted on walls and doorways across Lower Manhattan blurred the line between street art and performance. Though not a traditional graffiti writer, Hambleton’s ephemeral works were deeply embedded in urban space, yet he too transitioned into galleries including an appearance at the 1984 Venice Biennale.
Richard Hambleton, Shadowman
Street Art’s beginnings in the Lower East Side ignited a creative energy that continues to shape urban culture worldwide. The rebellious spirit that once animated subway tunnels and city walls now finds new expression in galleries like D’Stassi Art, which bridge the gap between the street and the institution. By championing artists who honour those early pioneers while pushing the medium forward, D’Stassi Art extends the lineage of spaces like Fun Gallery, places where authenticity, community, and experimentation converged. This evolution from public defiance to professional recognition underscores Street Art’s enduring paradox: art born of the street yet celebrated within walls. Its journey from transgression to tradition reminds us that Street Art remains more than a movement; it is a conversation between past and present, between artist and city, that continues to redefine what art means and where it belongs.