James Kalm, as a young art student newly arrived from the West attending the Arts Students League on the GI Bill found his first job working at the Utrecht Art Supply store in the East Village. Little did he know, but this neighborhood would become the nexus of a controversial scruffy new scene. Walking the streets of the East Village on his lunch hours, your correspondent visited and observed this burgeoning local from the very beginning. The wheels of time keep turning, and it's with more than a bit of nostalgia that your correspondent savors the poignant sensation of the passing of this scene. “Urban Art Evolution” curated by Christopher Pusey, is a major museum show that presents several of the better-known players in the EV milieu. Included in this exhibition are: Rodney Alan Greenblat, Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, Richard Hambleton, Keith Haring, Jane Dickson, Donald “Dondi” White, Fred “Fab 5 Freddy” Brathwaite, Judy Glantzman, Jane Dickson, Donald “Dondi” White, Ronnie Cutrone, Christopher “DAZE” Ellis, Al Diaz, Christopher Hart Chambers, Martha Cooper, Linus Coraggio, John “CRASH” Matos, Rick Prol Et al.
At the very heart of this new milieu was the vivacious Underground film starlet Patti Astor (1950-2024). After starring in a string of low budget “New Cinema” classics, Astor opens what is widely considered to be the first East Village gallery The Fun. Patti and her partner Bill Stelling brought the Graffiti writers down town, championed a cadre of marginalized young artists, and poise a challenge to “the white walls, white wine, and white people” who’d stifled the SoHo neighborhood. A memorial service, organized by the Patti Astor Family Trust was held at the First Street Green Park to honor the memory of the “Queen of the Downtown Scene”. A musical introduction was provided by Matius. This program was recorded 15 June and June 22, 2024. #jameskalmreport #jameskalmroughcut #lorenmunk
1 июл 2024
