Last weekend, the northwest corner of Bowery and Houston Street turned into an ad hoc hip hop block party as the legendary graffiti artist Futura (Leonard McGurr) returned to the streets. 

Known as the Bowery Graffiti Wall, the concrete canvas became the first street writers’ gallery when Keith Haring bombed it, under cover of darkness, in the summer of 1982. During the last decade, the wall has been maintained as a public art project by Goldman Properties, with contributors including Barry McGee, Os Gemeos, Ron English, and Shepard Fairey. In 2008, Haring’s mural was repainted by a team of artists hired by art dealer Jeffrey Deitch, who represents the artist’s estate, together with the Keith Haring Foundation [more].

Futura, who participated in last summer’s Coney Art Walls project, along with Crash, Daze, Jane Dickson, Kenny Scharf and more, brought his trademark style of painting as performance to the play. He was joined by other legends of the scene, including photographers Martha Cooper (whose 1984 book, Subway Art, has become a classic) and Janette Beckman, and BMX-er Nigel Sylvester.

In a press release, Futura said, “When I was contacted to paint the Houston/Bowery wall, my first thought was ‘OH MY GOD!’ ‘Then I started thinking about colors and content and exposure. LOCATION. LOCATION. LOCATION. It is an absolute honor to join the list of creative individuals who have previously worked on this wall and moved through such historic time and space. My mural is inspired by and in loving memory of Mr. Tony Goldman, a true friend and supporter for many years.” [More]. Photos: The Dusty Rebel/Facebook