Last summer, my husband and I happened upon some  interesting sidewalk graffiti.

The drawings, appearing on many corners of Fifth Avenue were like crime scene outlines. But in this case,
they were of something even more ephemeral: the shadows cast by street
lights, bicycles, mailboxes, parking meters and fire hydrants. And they
were all signed either 2006 or 2009.

Rendered
in various colored chalk, the drawings are a cross between  Keith
Haring and James Turrell, an artist known for his work about light. I
for one had never seen Ellis G’s chalk drawings before; I felt like we’d made a great discovery. 

Among other things, it struck me that Ellis G’s work is about gentrification and the
fleeting nature of things. In the last ten years, Fifth Avenue has
changed a great deal.  One population replacing another; stores going
out, new stores coming in; out with the old, in with the new. While
there are still some holdouts from the old Fifth Avenue like Joe’s Shoe
Repair(got shoe problems, call Joe),  the Donut Shop, the pork butcher,
most of it is gone. Like shadows, a neighborhood’s identity can change
in an instant in this city – with money, lots of money. There is
something poignant about this artist’s attempt to capture the mark of a
shadow, something that will soon be gone.

Sidewalk chalk is a great metaphor for time. As are shadows. Ever
fleeting, ever moving, ever changing. The fact that Ellis G. dates his
work in the future is pure irony, I think. These chalk drawings, like
this moment, won’t be around one or more years from now.

I’m glad to see that Ellis G. has a show opening this weekend. He sent me his artistics tatment, bio, and information about the show.

"I have never experienced an art form more all consuming than graffiti.  At one point, graffiti had a very firm grip on my life and lifestyle- it was the last thing on my mind before going to bed and the first thing that came into my head every morning.  From acquiring supplies and photographing a finished work, to wandering the city trying to find the perfect spot to paint and marking the terrain along the way, graffiti motivated almost every move I made. Even perils with the law, fights with rival writers and injuries sustained while out on missions couldn’t have ended my relationship with graffiti.  I still love it to this day.

The death of a friend and fellow graffiti artist while we were bombing the F train tunnel between Bergen and Carroll Street in 2001 caused me to take a less active role in graffiti.  Deeply affected by the tragic loss I chose to channel my energy into other artistic endeavors.  Since then, I have participated in a number of group shows displaying the talents of graffiti artists as well as traditional artists.  While I use canvas, wood, metal as well as found objects, I remain true to my roots and try to incorporate the essence of graffiti into everything I produce.  I continue to use the tools of the trade (paint markers, spray paint, homemade writing implements) in my work; while I have transitioned to the less controversial use of chalk for my street art.

This show is dedicated to the graffiti life and the ongoing struggle graffiti artists continue to face today.  I have massive respect for the forefathers of graffiti who paved the way and pioneered this art form (do the research).  The graffiti writer’s struggle is not limited to running from the police and fighting court cases, but it also lies in the ongoing battle we face to transition from being understood by mainstream society as a "vandal" to a legitimate and commercial artist.  Even though graffiti has inestimably influenced our entire environment- from music and fashion to advertising, architecture and graphic arts, many graffiti artists remain anonymous and unrecognized by mainstream society.

Writing graffiti is putting out public art for people who normally wouldn’t go to a museum or gallery.  All of my chalk drawings are like graffiti in that respect, although they are temporary.  They capture a moment in time.  Ironically they have spawned from an un-pleasurable moment in time, one that Time Out NY has called an "only-in-New York back story." However, I’d like to thank my machete wielding assailant and his shadow for inspiring me to create my drawings on the streets and these pieces on display.  I hope that they make a difference in people’s lives- they sure have made and continue to make a difference in mine.   

-Ellis Gallagher 2005

Biography:

Ellis Gallagher is a native New Yorker.  As the graffiti writer formally known as "NET," his work can be found in the five boroughs and environs, The Brooklyn Front Gallery, in Autograf: New York City’s Graffiti Writers by Peter Sutherland (Powerhouse Books 2004), as well as in numerous newspapers, magazines, on television and in films.  Currently a street artist known as Ellis G., Gallagher’s work has appeared in Time Out NY, the NY Daily News, Trampoline House Gallery, as well as on NY 1 and The WB 11.  Gallagher will publish his first book "Adhesives,"  the ultimate compendium of graffiti, graphic design and street art stickers in fall 2006 with Miss Rosen Editions for Powerhouse Books.

Opening Reception 10/15/05 at 8 pm
Continues through 12/1/05 @ KILI
81 Hoyt St. bet. State St. and Atlantic Ave. Bklyn NY
A,C,G Trains to Hoyt/Schermerhorn or 2,3,4,5,B,D,N,R,Q to Atlantic/Pacific
718-855-5574

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