Those smitten with the street art of the 1980s should get themselves down to the Dorian Grey gallery in the East Village to check out the "Club 57 & Friends" exhibit. Among the works presented is the photo below (taken by Hank O'Neal of a collaboration between Richard Hambleton and Jean-Michel Basquiat). Music-dork trainspotters like myself might also be quick to point out that these two artists' signature work was also featured on the cover art of Felshtones-collaborator Marty Thau's somewhat clunkily-compiled NYC rock compilation, The Groups of Wrath (see pic above) from the early 90's. It was cool collection of music and well-intentioned but somewhat botched, being that the cover art featured 80's art, but the disc featured late 70's music....whatever.
In any case, I'm captivated by the photo below not only because it features both Basquiat's inimitable illustration and Hambleton's sinister silhouettes (which used hold court on many a desolate downtown street corner), but because it was evidently taken right on my old block (I used to live at 39 East 12th.) Here's the thing that stumps me, though. If you look at 34 East 12th (basically the Police Athletic League Building), nowhere is there a patch of wall that mirrors this one in texture. In other words, the edifice upon which Hambleton and Basquiat created this artwork seems nowhere to be found in relation to the building today. Take a look at this Google maps representation. Not only is the building brown (which, admittedly, could have happened sometime after this photo was taken), but the facade is completely different, stone-wise, from the one in the photo (unless, of course, this painting was captured in the rear of the building or something). I can't figure it out.
Can anyone pinpoint exactly where this photo was taken? GO!
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