Finding fame in a name

Graffiti exhibit Out For Fame showcases NYC graf documentarians

by SCOTT C

 Last year Montreal was host to the first installment of a photo exhibit that focused on the ever-growing phenomenon of graffiti in our city. This year, with the graffiti-phenom in yet another stage of evolution, the organizers of Out For Fame have decided to raise the stakes a little. The exhibit's main punch this time out lies in the inclusion of works from N.Y. photographer Martha Cooper and graffiti granddaddy Henry Chalfant.

 "It's about time for Quebec to start seeing the value in urban art," says organizer Sterling Downey. "The best way we felt we could do that was to include the two people most famous for documenting graffiti throughout the '70s and '80s." He's right too, because you can't really argue with the clout that these two world-renowned artists bring to the table. Martha Cooper has been a photojournalist for almost three decades, working regularly for magazines like National Geographic, while Chalfant has worked with the Guggenheim and is responsible for the classic film Style Wars.

 The works of the two will be featured right alongside some of Montreal's more infamous graffiti personalities, like Zilon, Flow and Other, as well as contributions from Pittsburgh, Halifax, Toronto and even Hell. Although the show last year focused on a more photographic perspective of urban art, this year there will also be paintings, graphic design, sculptures and books for the public to view.

 "It's sad that we still need 'credible' people to back us up and attract the attention of those who don't know, but it's all about reaching people," says Downey. He's looking for the day when an event like this can stand on its own and be viewed with at least a open mind if not a knowledgeable eye. "We're always bragging about how we live in a culture of diversity and artistic sensitivity, so why is there absolutely no progress on the graf front? It's still misunderstood."

 What it comes down to is awareness, and this show should cover all bases. Some of the more striking examples include a graf piece rendered into a 3D sculpture, graffiti that really isn't graffiti and photos of perspective surfaces and graffiti environments. "Flow's photos of subway tunnels and freight yards shine a whole new light on what some guys will go through to find the right surface," says Downey. "It's like the eyes of a graffiti artist see things in a completely different way."

 Although the exhibit opens this Friday, March 10, the organizers have decided to have the vernissage the following Friday, March 17. "We wanted to give people a chance to check out the show at their own pace, and have a proper opening, with other parts of hip hop culture represented, a little later on." Along with the works of Chalfant and Cooper you can check out A-Trak, Dave One, Patwreck, Simahlak, Blast, Devious, Revolution and Storm dropping music for the masses while Tactical Crew and Redmask take care of the b-boying duties on the floor.

 "All in all, I think this is a great way to bring some important figures from the past and show the great influence they've had on what's going on now," says Downey. "It's like a millennium event that's bringing awareness to the old and the new at the same time." :

  At Transart (307 Ste-Catherine O.), March 10-31, Vernissage March 17, 8pm

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