Wall in the Bronx featuring Nixon
posters, and a CHARMIN 65 tag,
1973 (Photo: Jon Naar)
|
Dear ,
How can an object as seemingly unremarkable as a can of spray paint ignite a revolution?
Wall Writers, narrated by the legendary film maker John Waters, is a new documentary that explores graffiti’s eruption into the mainstream during a period of social turmoil in the late 1960s and early ’70s.
Join us as director and executive producer Roger Gastman follows the timeline from graffiti’s beginnings as urban street art to the sale of the first graffiti painting in 1973.
Watch the film as it uncovers the start of a movement whose pioneers were decried as vandals and praised as subversive visionaries, and that would grow to transform city life, public transit, public art, and ultimately, visual art the world over.
Hear Gastman introduce the film and lead a post-screening discussion.
The documentary’s companion book, Wall Writers: Graffiti in Its Innocence (Gingko Press), is available for sale and signing.
Wall Writers: Graffiti’s Genesis
Evening Program with Film Screening and Book Signing
Wed., Feb. 17 at 6:45 PM
Member*: $30 l Non-Member: $45
*Not a member? Become a Smithsonian Associates supporter today and start taking advantage of member rates immediately! Learn more>>
Your Login Name is:
• • •
Other Connections
See the trailer for Wall Writers.
• • •
You May Also Enjoy:
The Army Corps of Engineers:
Building Managers for the Capital City
Evening Program
Thurs., Mar. 17 at 6:45 PM
Beginning in the early 19th century through the 1930s, the Army Corps of Engineers was an essential force in shaping the urban landscape of Washington. Architectural historian Pamela Scott surveys the often-overlooked but significant work of these military engineers, whose projects—including the Washington Monument, Library of Congress, and Arlington Memorial Bridge—are part of the fabric of the city we know today. Buy tickets>> |
Art Deco: Vibrant, Eclectic, and Dynamic
All-Day Program
Sat., Mar. 19 at 9:30 AM
The up-to-the minute energy of the Jazz Age found its perfect embodiment in Art Deco. Art historian Bonita Billman surveys the eclectic influences and wide range of creators whose work shaped the style that reflected modern living in machine age. (World Art History Certificate elective) Buy tickets>> |
Philip Johnson: A Life of Architectural Invention
Evening Program
Wed., Mar. 30 at 6:45 PM
With an aesthetic that found its reflection both in buildings of stripped-down beauty and bold idiosyncrasy, Philip Johnson made an indelible mark on the architecture of the 20th century. In a richly illustrated lecture, historian Bill Keene traces Johnson’s life and his legacy. (World Art History Certificate elective) Buy tickets>> |
Visual Literacy: The Art of Seeing
All-Day Program
Sat., Apr. 2 at 9:30 AM
Like any language, art has its own vocabulary—one in which you discover more meaning and gratification as your fluency increases. Spend a day with art historian Lisa Passaglia Bauman expanding your understanding of how art communicates, how to analyze and interpret it, and how to see in a cultural context. (World Art History Certificate elective) Buy tickets>> |
