Leni Sinclair

Berlin Wall 1989 Photograph (1980s graffiti)

Printed later

SoHo Fire Escapes, New York, 1984 by Fernando Natalici: The simplicity & grace of iconic New York architecture rendered timeless by the snap of the camera. A window into a street photographer's decisive moment. A window into, not only the New York of 'then', but the hidden poetry of urban architecture... Archival Inkjet Print. Approximately 12 x 18 inches (image size: approx 12 x 17in.). Hand signed from an edition of 20. Obtained directly from artist. Excellent condition. New York based photographer Fernando Natalici is best known for his iconographic documentation of the downtown Manhattan art scene of the mid/late 70's and early 80's. Natalici’s portfolio includes sought after images of a young Patti Smith, Blondie, Talking Heads, Keith Haring, The Ramones and more. As an Art Director, Fernando has played a key role in creating memorable visuals for historic NY venues such as CBGB's, The Mudd Club, Area and Danceteria. Soho Building Architecture, A Brief History The SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District comprises about 500 buildings, many of which are characterized by their cast-iron facades. Development of the district began in the late 18th century. The population surged after the War of 1812, and some homes from this era still remain. The latter half of the 19th century saw the district evolve into a center of commerce and entertainment, and the majority of the cast-iron buildings the district is known for were constructed during this period. The use of cast-iron allowed for ornate facades that were a much cheaper alternative to granite and marble. However, an increase of industrial production along with rising crime and “immorality” steadily drove residents out of the area. The district began to decline in the early 20th century, leaving many spaces vacant for decades and leading some to refer to the area as Hell’s Hundred Acres. 

It was not until the late 1960s that artists became attracted to the area because the large, unoccupied loft spaces made affordable studios. Many of those who moved into the area lived in their workspaces, even though it was illegal to do so, and the area was not sufficiently equipped for residential life, lacking basic necessities. At the same time, the entire landscape of SoHo was threatened by plans to build the Lower Manhattan Expressway (LOMEX) - a proposed ten-lane elevated highway that would require the demolition of much of SoHo and Little Italy. Artists in the area collaborated with other preservation advocates in the first, unsuccessful attempt to designate SoHo as a historic district for its architectural significance. Although that failed, they also formed Artists Against the Expressway and ultimately helped defeat the plans for LOMEX, which saved the architecture in the area. The “SoHo Effect” has become a model for repurposing an industrial district for mixed use, both commercial and residential, while preserving much of the existing structural integrity. Today SoHo is known for its unique cast-iron architecture, desirable loft living...

Jean-Michel Basquiat photograph 1984/2014: This intimate photo of Jean-Michel Basquiat was taken during his stay on a ranch in Hana on the island of Maui in 1984. He was working in ...

DJ Lovebug, Grandmaster Caz, Busy Bee at the Celebrity Club: Harlem, New York, 1980 by Charlie Ahearn, director of Wild Style (1982): A seminal early Hip Hop photograph featured as part of the exhibition: New York, New Music 1980-86: Museum of the City of New York (2021). Medium: Archival Inkjet Print on heavy-weight paper. Overall dimensions: 16 x 22 inches (Image size: 14 x 20 inches). Hand signed & numbered on the verso, from a limited edition of 10. Excellent overall condition. Provenance: Obtained directly from artist. Artist Bio: Charlie Ahearn, best known as the director of the classic hip-hop film Wild Style (1982), arrived in New York in 1973 to attend the Whitney Museum of American Art Independent Study Program. Later he was joined by his twin brother, John Ahearn, and they became part of the artists' group Colab (aka Collaborative Projects, Inc). Ahearn showed his early films in an abandoned Time Square massage parlour that Colab had taken over on the corner of 7th Avenue and 41st Street (where Ahearn also lived from 1981 to 1993). Colab's 1981 art show - titled, "The Times Square Show" - is famous for introducing Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring among many others. In 1982, Ahearn directed Wild Style - universally hailed as the first hip-hop movie. Wild Style immortalized the birth of an underground hip-hop scene changing the face of music, fashion, art & popular culture forever. Ahearn's recent silkscreen paintings depicting hip hop culture’s seminal years were exhibited at PPOW Gallery in New York in 2017 and Beyond The Streets (2019 & 2020); with selections of his photography and film work most recently exhibited at MFA Boston...

Charlie Ahearn, "Rapture" (in motion) 1981: A rare historic Debbie Harry, Fab 5 Freddy & Lee Quinones photograph captured by Wild Style director Charlie Ahearn on the set of Blondie's "Rapture". Medium: Archival Inkjet Print on heavy-weight paper. Overall dimensions: 16 x 22 inches ( approx image size: 13 x 19 inches). Hand signed & numbered on the verso, from a limited edition of 10. Excellent overall condition. Provenance: Obtained directly from artist. Literature/References: Writing the Future: Basquiat and the Hip-Hop Generation (MFA Boston). 'New York, New Music 1980-86': Museum of the City of New York (2021). More on Rapture: The music video made its U.S. television debut on Solid Gold on January 31, 1981, and became the first rap video ever broadcast on MTV. Set in the East Village, much of the video is a one-take scene of Debbie Harry dancing down the street, passing by graffiti artists, Uncle Sam, an American Indian, child ballet dancer, and a goat. Fab Five Freddy...