To Be Alive and in a Museum
From 8 February to 26 October, 2008, the National Portrait Gallery had an exhibition called "Recognize! Hip Hop and Contemporary Portraiture". Seven artists were represented, in photography, film, painting, graffiti, and poetry. The two graffiti artists were Tim Conlon and Dave Hupp, both living in Washington, DC.
Alas, I didn't see the show. I will admit to being old enough and uptight enough that the idea of graffiti on public surfaces as art rather than vandalism still causes conflicts in my mind, but the photographs of their work on display is exciting: vibrant, colorful, and brilliantly executed. Conlon and Hupp collaborate, it seems; one excels at figurative art, the other at lettering, so they combined their talents. (See their work on this page.)
In the NPG blog ("RECOGNIZE! Graffiti Art"), Deborah Sisum wrote about the pair, and transcribed part of the interview with NPG web developer Benjamin Bloom (available on page linked above). I really enjoyed Hupp's enthusiasm and his attitude in this bit:
BB [for NPG]: How do you feel about graffiti being in a museum?
DH [Dave Hupp]: Well I’m glad to be alive and be in the Smithsonian. Because I guess not too long ago, you had to be dead to be in the Portrait Gallery, right?
BB [for NPG]: That’s true.
DH [Dave Hupp]: So to be alive and be in it is good! It’s a sign of the times. Some people may say “hey you’re a sell-out.” I look at it like being a musician, and never making an album or putting a CD out. Why are you strumming on that guitar for twenty years, if you can’t make a buck, or be seen, or be heard? And this is a way to be seen and be heard. This is huge—I guess when I walk down that marble floor and through the pillars and see these huge panels affixed to the wall, I’ll be like “damn, that’s our stuff.”