Over 30 years ago, Angel Ortiz aka LA 11 and Keith Haring met on the streets of Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Sharing a similar aesthetic sensibility, they began to partner on dozens of projects. And while Keith Haring went on to achieve enormous recognition, LA ll has been largely overlooked. Recently, though, LA 11’s work has begun to surface in various gallery exhibits and festivals, including a solo exhibit at the Dorian Grey Gallery last spring, and on East Village walls, as well. Earlier this week, we revisited LA 11’s recent mural on East 11th Street. A welcome addition to the streets of NYC’s Lower East Side/East Village, its countless curves, lines and figures distinctly evoke Haring’s signature style.
Here are two images captured from the huge mural:
And here is LA 11’s ubiquitous tag, La Roc, on the door of 161 Essex Street, home to noted photographer and documentarian Clayton Patterson who maintains that Angel Ortiz was not only Haring’s collaborator, but his “mentor,” as well.
photos by Street Art NYC
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I’m glad that someone clarified that, he doesn’t evoke harings “signature” style, haring evoked the influence of LA’s style… Smh…
Wow – so many copies of Haring images in this mural. Copying is not art. It’s a shame that LA II doesn’t understand that.
Read a little, Mulu: Haring and LA created that style and many of those icons TOGETHER.
LA II and Keith Haring partnered on stuff, so maybe he’s not copying Haring, maybe he’s remembering a project they did together?
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