Artists 
from the recently demolished 5Pointz graffiti mecca will be “honored” in a unique way, showcasing their work in an actual art gallery just two blocks away from its ghostly shell. The Jeffrey Leder Gallery will open with a unique exhibition featuring 9 Graffiti Artists and 2 photographers. It’s about time graffiti is recognized as an authentic art form. Being 1/4 of Hip Hop’s original elements, it should have happened a long time ago. Anyone who lives in/around NY or has heard of 5Pointz knows how much of a loss it was to see it go away overnight, especially in the whitewashed fashion it was done in. Maybe one day, Hip Hop will enact a board of directors, of sorts, to keep the culture’s monuments, such as this, in place. Moving forward, this art exhibit is a breath of fresh air in a recent wound. Thank you, Jeffrey Leder Gallery. See their full statement, below.
These artists have created art that explores their strong reactions to 5 Pointz being whitewashed overnight. The Jeffrey Leder Gallery is proud to present this expansive and provocative exhibit: “Whitewash.” The exhibit will occupy 2 floors of the gallery. We are located in LIC, New York City: 8 minutes from Manhattan, around the corner from MoMA PS1 Museum, 2 blocks from the Sculpture Center and 6 Blocks from the Noguchi Museum.
Contributing Artists: Auks, Cortes, Hans Von Rittern, Jerms, Meres One, Orestes Gonzalez, Poem, Shiro, See TF, Topaz, Zimad
Whitewash, is an answer to the violent act of G&M realty on November 19th, 2013 in Long Island City Queens. Overnight thousands of murals adorning the building known as 5 Pointz were destroyed. It‘s a story of pain, sadness, and anger at times and reflection – An epic of an art community and its home coming apart under the pressure of economical trends and waves of gentrification.
Bringing together a cluster of resident graffiti artists and two Queens photographers, the exhibition enables the artists to express their true feelings and thought process since loosing their work to a white layer of paint, and their home to the pressing demands of real estate development. For the first time since the whitewash we will witness how affected this collective is by being eclipsed from their 11 years home.
The artists in Whitewash share a medium known as graffiti or aerosol art, and all contributed multiple murals at 5 Pointz. Their raw feelings will emerge from the work on view, coupled with a renewed belief in art as a healing tool through their favored medium of communication.
Starting with the violent images of the once colorful building, turned white, the show itself and its creative process serves as catharsis for the artists, and as a crucial push to move forward. Different views and emotions emerge from the works on view, leading to renewed belief in art as a tool for mythmaking.The works in Whitewash aspire to such : Laying feelings on canvas, and letting go of the pain, the show brings together artworks that can be interpreted as confession, lessons, or reflection but also aspirations and hopes.
Whitewash is an obvious requiem for 5 Pointz the building but also maybe the beginning of a rebirth of 5 Pointz the community and its true core: the people.“ – Marie-Cecile Flageul
“I miss 5 Pointz. There’s an emptiness that I experience now that 5 Pointz is no more.
When the 7 train emerged from the tunnel onto Long Island City and took the bend around 5 Pointz my experience of the brightness and social statement of the artwork on the walls was very compelling and constantly evolving through Meres One astute direction. Or at times hearing the gasps of delight from packs of tourists on the train as we’d emerge into the daylight and they experienced 5 Pointz for the first time – you could see the excitement on their faces as they’d take in the color and expertise of the outdoor artwork.
With the Jeffrey Leder Gallery located just a block away, 5 Pointz was a constant backdrop for many of my days and a positive experience, both aesthetically and emotionally. The work on the 5 Pointz walls was a perfect example of art in every sense of the word – an outdoor art gallery of the highest order. Though ever-evolving through Meres’ direction, the creative, personal and meaningful work was a stark contrast to the corporate, and impersonal world we often find ourselves living in.
Jeffrey Leder Gallery
2137 45th Road
Long Island City (NY) 11101 United States
Phone: (212) 9248944
jeffrey@jeffreyledergallery.com
www.jeffreyledergallery.com
Opening hours
Friday – Sunday
From 12pm to 6pm and by appointment
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Matt Whitlock – @mattwhitlockPM
