Thursday, March 12, 2009

A Keith Haring mural on Houston Street on NYC's lower east side (early '80s)

I'm pretty sure this photo was taken by Jan Newberry or Miya Ramsay, although I don't remember either of them having a Polaroid Land Camera. I have the original Polaroid, but no one has written on it. It was stapled to a postcard or something and mailed to me from San Francisco, according to the postmark. In 1982 I was living in Seattle, just after leaving NYC and Europe, and before moving to San Francisco. So, someone took the pic. in NYC, and mailed it to me from SF? That would make Jan the likely photographer.


When we lived in NYC, you could still see Keith Haring and Basquiat doing graffiti on the street and subways. Haring used to do chalk drawings several days a week on these black panels in Times Square Station, which I passed through on my way to my job in the village. I saw him a couple of times drawing with chalk on the wall. Had people realized those drawings would one day be worth tens of thousands of dollars, they would have probably removed the walls.


---o0o---
on

7 comments:

  1. Anonymous3/12/2009

    That is such a wonderful story & memory. Here in Belgium we once had an experiment with one of our contemporary artists (Luc Tuymans) who created a work of art in the streets of Antwerp. Less than 20% stopped for one second to look at the work.

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  2. Anonymous3/13/2009

    I do own a polaroid camera, but I don't recognize this. And the notion of sending a photo with no envelope or message just doesn't seem like something I would do, but maybe I was more creative in my past life than I recall.

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  3. Keekee Brummet3/13/2009

    Yeah...you only made sense theoretically. I also thought the lack of writing made it not you. But maybe the writing was on the card? In any case, you're probably remember the mural. Oh well. jb

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  4. Chalk Drawings3/31/2009

    I cant believe those drawings arent real they are awesome. Love your blog too.

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  5. Keekee Brummet3/31/2009

    Dear Chalk Drawings - Are you really Tracy Lee Stum? I am a huge fan of your street paintings!

    Thank you!

    Jack

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  6. Anonymous9/15/2009

    Hey Jack,
    I took that photo on an old polaroid I had to take flower photos - before digital cameras were cheap. It was around the corner from my apartment on Lafayette and Prince.
    Miya

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  7. Anonymous9/15/2009

    Hmm. I'm certain it's Keith Harring but that place is long torn down. The post mark looks like Prince Street PO

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