Located on 10th Avenue between 207th and 215th Streets in Upper Manhattan, The Ghost Yard — the largest train yard in NYC — was once home to many legendary writers. Among the first writers to hit parked trains there in the early 1970’s were MIKE 171 & SJK 171, also known as The Boys from the Heights, along with graffiti pioneer SNAKE 1, co-founder of the legendary Writers Corner 188. And earning the title King of the Yard in the 80’s, T-KID 170 began writing at the Ghost Yard in 1977.
TALES FROM THE GHOST YARD, curated by artist and arts educator Christine DeFazio, features works by these writers along with photographs illustrating writing at the Ghost Yard from the early 1970s to the late 1980s. While visiting the exhibition at the always-welcoming Bronx Art Space, I had the opportunity to pose a few questions to Christine:
This exhibition is so interesting and informative! What sparked your interest in graffiti?
In the early 2000’s, I began teaching in Mott Haven here in the Bronx. That’s when I started noticing graffiti. But it wasn’t until 2019, after I transferred to a school in Soundview, that my interest intensified. I started paying closer attention to the graffiti walls on the streets, and I began attending gallery exhibitions in spaces — like Wall Works — that featured graffiti.
And what inspired you to curate this particular exhibition?
As I began researching graffiti, I read about the Ghost Yard, and it captured my interest. I was particularly interested in its history and its relationship to the history of graffiti.
What would you like your viewers to walk away with?
A sense of the history and evolution of writing — how writers went from writing on trains to painting with aerosol on canvases.
What were some of the challenges you faced in curating “Tales From The Ghost Yard?”
No challenges come to mind. MIKE 171 and SJK 171 were eager to answer any questions that I had, and I loved hearing Mike’s stories about playing in the Ghost Yard with his friends when they were children.
How has the response to the exhibition been?
The response has been great! There was a really good turnout for the opening. and a wide range of visitors have been coming by.
What’s ahead?
There will be a closing celebration this coming Saturday, February 14, from 5-7pm, along with a launch for my new book, Bronx Visual Identity. Tracing the deveopment of writing “from its inception in 1970’s Washington Heights to the golden age in 1980’s Bronx,” the book can be purchased here.
Good luck with your book! I’m looking forward to reading it. This exhibit has certainly sparked my interest.
Note: Located at 700 Manida Street in the South Bronx, Bronx Art Space, is open Thurs.-Fri., 2-6pm and this Saturday, Februry 14, from noon – 7 for its closing celebration and book launch of Christine’s book, Bronx Visual Identity, published by Lived Places Publishing.
Images:
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T-KID 170 and French artist BLEK Le RAT, Aerosol on repurposed street sign
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MIKE 171, “Golden Dreams,” 2016, Acrylic and gold paint marker on canvas
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SJK 171, “New Piece with Old Flair,” 2017. Acrylic markers on canvas
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SNAKE 1, Orange and red signature piece, Aerosol on canvas
Photo credits: 1, 3, 4 & 5 Lois Stavsky; 2 Tara Murray
