ON SUBWAY TRAINS AND GALLERY WALLS:
WRITING IN NEW YORK CITY
A Symposium at the Museum of the City of New York
Saturday, October 19th 1996
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
(212) 534-1672
WRITING'S PROMISE, PROBLEMS AND POTENTIAL TO BE FOCUS OF INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM AT THE MUSEUM OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK
TOP MEMBERS OF THE PRESS, ACADEMIA, AND THE ART WORLD SET TO ATTEND
Most present art forms couldn't get arrested if they tried. Not WRITING. After 26 years, there seems to be no getting away from it. It is everywhere!
Maybe that is why distinguished members of the press, major universities, foundations, galleries and museums will all be in attendance for the Museum of the City of New York's day long symposium-
On Saturday, October 19th, 1996 at the Museum of the City of New York, starting at 9:00 am, there will be a series of lively panel discussions on WRITING as Art, from its beginnings to the present day. Everyone is invited.
While we can't list here all the notables that will be there, we can say we've seen the guest list and it is heavy-- very heavy. And this is not surprising - WRITING is finally getting the recognition it deserves.
Some of the issues and aspects of WRITING that will be addressed:
How Urban Artists Stole WRITING and Expanded it World Wide.
Why The "Art World" Hates WRITING and Why The Mainstream Refuses to Recognize It For What It Is -- The Greatest and Most Beloved Art Form of the Latter Days of the 20th Century.
Why There Is More Creativity In WRITING's Little Finger Than In All The Downtown Painters In SoHo
Why WRITING Is The Only True Post Modern Movement In Art -- And Why All Others Just Pander To The World Wide Dealer/Critic/Museum Cartel That Seeks to Direct and Control Art And Tell You What You Can Like.
WRITING's Revenge -- How New York's Writers Plan to Get Even With The Art World(?)
Why Most Ordinary Artists Will Continue to Struggle to Break Into the Art World, While WRITING's Princely Kings Will Continue to Seek Only To Break Out Of It.
Why WRITING is The Most Honest Art Form. How It's No Phonies Allowed Posture Effectively Eliminates Soulless Posers and Rewards Those With The Strongest Creative Vision.
The Blood of WRITING -- How WRITING Has Died For The Sins Of The Critical Art World, Only To Be Born Again Stronger and More Fierce Than Ever Before.
WRITING's Godfathers -- How Certain Leaders Protect the Movement From It's Critics And Enemies And They Make Sure That WRITING 's Elaborate Code of Honor Is Obeyed.
What JFK Jr.'s Blushing Bride Doesn't Want You To Know About Her Secret Love Affair With WRITING-- But Is Willing to Tell The Museum of The City Of New York.
Why The Straight Art World, Which Once Sought To Dance On The Grave of WRITING, Now Can't Wait To Make It A Legitimate Heir To Their Revised History of Post Modernism. And Why WRITING Won't Go There.
One problem with the lively arts today; film, music, theater, so on, is that all those forms are so highly defined. Due to their super commercialization and the hyper-marketing, the public knows exactly what to expect as soon as they see the trailer or hear the first few notes. Every commercial form of expression has become so "formula-ized" you practically can tell what the experience will be like by just looking at the ad. Not so with WRITING. An art form universally dismissed from the get-go for being too radical, too anti-social, too destructive and just plain ugly as a motha', that no one in the established art world wanted it. Until now.
The great thing about doing an art form that no one in the regular culture wants or cares about, is that you can do whatever you want. You can make you own rules, take your own time to develop the ideas you want and really work at perfecting the vision of what you want to communicate, without having to cave in to popular norms. In a word the artist can be free. That is why WRITING speaks to people and why the world is starting to listen.
So, if you've ever purchased a spray can, liked the art, or are just interested in what it all means, you must attend.
Advanced Registration Required. Call the Museum at 534-1672, ext. 206
The Museum is located at Fifth Avenue and 103rd Street.
Saturday, October 19th 1996
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
(212) 534-1672
A summary of events
9-9:30 am Registration & Coffee
9:30 am Welcome & Introduction
Dr. Jan Ramirez, Deputy Director of Programs & Collections, MCNY
9:45 am Keynote Address: "WRITING in Context: Urban Youth Culture in America."
Dr. Trisha Rose, New York University, African Studies and History.
10:15 am Panel: Writing History, 1969-1995.
Speakers: COCO 144, MICO, and PHASE 2, (Writers)
A slide presentation of the movement, narrated by the artists.
11:15 am Break
11:30 am Two Perspectives: The "WRITING Problem:" Contexts and Controversies
Speaker 1: Dr. George Kelling, Rutgers University, Criminal Justice,
"WRITING, The Urban Environment, and Social Disorder"
Speaker 2: Joe Austin, Independent Scholar, "Culture, Moral Panics,
and the City of New York's Response to WRITING"
12:30 Lunch Break
1:30 pm Panel: "Take the IRT to the Gallery District:" Writing on the Subways/
Writing in the Galleries.
Speaker 1: BLADE I, Writer, "Negotiating the Boundaries between the
Subways and the Galleries" in the '80s
Speaker 2: Liz Kotz, Professor, Rutgers University, Art History,
"The Critical Reception of Writing as an Art Form"
Respondent: Hugo Martinez (Co-founder United Urban Artists/Director
Martinez Gallery)
2:45 pm Break
3:00 pm Panel: "Write Now: Legacies, Trends, and Continuing Conflicts"
Speaker 1: Nazarena Martinez, Chair, Mayor's Anti-WRITING Task Force,
The City's Responses to the "WRITING Problem"
Speaker 2: KET, Publisher, "Stress Magazine", The Contemporary WRITING
Scene
Respondent: Richard Goldstein, Executive Editor, "The Village Voice"
4:15 pm Audience Questions and Comments
5:00 pm Conclusion
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