BEYOND THE STREETS & CONTROL Gallery are pleased to announce GORDON MATTA-CLARK: GRAFFITI ARCHIVE 1972/73, an unprecedented glimpse into the raw, untamed world of New York City's graffiti scene during the pivotal years of 1972 and 1973. Curated from the late-artist Gordon Matta-Clark's photographic archives, the show presents over 200 carefully selected photographs, many of which have never been revealed to the public until now.
By the late 1960s, the graffiti scene in New York City had remained relatively unchanged for centuries. However, in the mid-1970s, a remarkable transformation occurred as teenagers turned ordinary graffiti into a burgeoning art form. This rapid evolution marked one of the swiftest developments in the realm of art movements. Only a limited number of forward-thinking individuals in New York recognized the potential of capturing the captivating chaos displayed on walls and subways through photography. The subset who not only recognized but also actively documented this burgeoning graffiti movement between 1970 and 1975 was quite small. Depending on your interpretation of “substantial,” this number might be in the single digits. Gordon Matta-Clark belonged to this select group, capturing over 2,000 images of New York City graffiti between 1972 and 1973.
The opening reception for EXHIBITION 011: GRAFFITI ARCHIVE 1972/73 will be held on Friday, March 1, 2024 from 6PM - 9PM, running through April 13, 2024.