Street Graphics New York

by Barry Dawson

New York is the world capital of street graphics―a creative kaleidoscope of urban ephemera in the form of signs, symbols, graffiti, murals, and advertising. Its innovative ideas, styles, and mediums quickly become international. Street Graphics New York documents the emotionally charged street imagery of the city post-September 11th. New York landmarks are represented in chic fashion advertising and on iconic tourist souvenirs. Ethnic diversity is signified through a cultural smorgasbord of restaurant signs. Jazz Age vitality, brash Sixties Pop Art, hip graffiti, stencil and sticker art - throughout, Barry Dawson's skilled eye portrays the energy and humanity of New York through visual themes that surprise, intrigue, and amuse. Here is a rich sourcebook for designers, a quirky visitors' guide, and a historical document of a time that changed New York, America, and the world. 150 color illustrations

Genres: Art

112 pages, Paperback

First published May 5, 2003

Reviews

[Gerry]

In the first statement in this colourful book, Barry Dawson declares 'New York is the world capital of street graphics' adding, 'the urban ephemera of signs, symbols, graffiti, murals and advertising ... form a metaphor illustrating New York's dynamic sense of the present'. Having read the book and viewed all the images, it would be difficult to dispute this statement - especially as the first illustration is of the delightful Betty Boop purporting to be atop the statue of liberty, complete with flaming torch, in one of her provocative poses and sets the tone.

It is obvious that the city's iconic landmarks seem to be continually reworked for advertising, patriotic propaganda, especially involving the tragic events of 11 September 2001, humour, nostalgia and images that appeal to the tourists.

The 23 square miles of Manhattan is at the forefront of the graphic movement with its vast canvas for artistic expression which is rich in its range and scale that crave the attention of all and sundry. But Manhattan is not on its own in attracting admiring glances as the graphic movement, as it were, spills over into Brooklyn and the other boroughs of New York City.

And the modern artists who create the images follow in the footsteps of such as Man Ray, who was brought up in the city, and artist Joseph Cornell who apparently scoured the city for ephemera to be included in his works. In addition, photographer Walker Evans collected and documented the city's signs for over 40 years. New York artists Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns used street motifs in their seminal work 1950s' work and who could forget Andy Warhol's contribution with his New York Pop Art movement of the 1960s.

In the 1970s a cryptic graffiti style of what was called 'tagging' was developed in the Bronx and artist Keith Haring risked arrest drawing in the city's suburbs in the 1980s and all this lead to the look that is presented in this book in the early 21st century..

There are some magnificent examples of the graphic art in the volume but perhaps my favourite is a Greenwich Village mural depicting rock 'n' roll stars of the 1950s; the fun is trying to identify many of those that are there but once I discovered Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis, Bill Haley were there all was well with the world! And I imagine that the person with a telephone to his ear could well have been the Big Bopper, JP Richardson, with his 'Hello baby, this is the Big Bopper speaking'! And the mural outside the Veselka Ukranian restaurant on Second Avenue is also very eye-catching but these are just two of many amazing pieces of graphic art that adorn the walls of New York City.