5 Pointz

Front and side of 5 Pointz

Rear of the 5 Pointz building.

5 Pointz: The Institute of Higher Burnin'^[1] or the 5Pointz Aerosol Art Center, Inc. (45–46 Davis Street) was an American outdoor art exhibit space in Long Island City in Queens, New York, considered to be the world's premiere "graffiti mecca", where aerosol artists from around the globe painted colorful pieces on the walls of a 200,000-square-foot (19,000 m²) factory building.^[2]

The complex is across Jackson Avenue from MoMA PS1 but is not associated with MoMA. It is privately owned by Long Island developer Jerry Wolkoff, and houses the Crane Street Studios in which 200 artists pay below market rents for studio space. In 2009, a 450-square-foot (42 m²) studio was listed as renting for $600 per month.^[3]

5 Pointz is tentatively scheduled to be torn down in 2013 to make way for a $400 million residential project. The residential project will set aside a large amount of space exclusively for graffiti.^[4]

History

The complex was first established as the Phun Phactory in 1993 by Pat DiLillo under a program called Graffiti Terminators to discourage graffiti vandalism by encouraging artists to display their work in a formal showcase.^[5]

In 2002, Jonathan Cohen, a graffiti artist operating under the name "Meres" began curating the work.^[6] If he is not familiar with an artist, Cohen will ask for a sample of their work; if it is a mural, he will ask for a layout as well.^[6] The name 5Pointz signifies the five boroughs coming together as one but, because of its reputation as an epicenter of the graffiti scene, the industrial complex has actually united aerosol artists from across the world. Writers from Canada, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Japan, Brazil, and all over the United States have painted on the building walls, including Stay High 149, Tracy 168, Cope2, Part, SPE, and TATS CRU.

Over the past decade, the striking, graffiti-covered warehouse has attracted several hip-hop and R&B stars, including Doug E. Fresh, Kurtis Blow, Grandmaster Kaz, Mobb Deep, Rahzel, DJ JS-1, Boot Camp Clik, Joan Jett, and Joss Stone.^[1][2] One of the first graffiti there was a portrait of Jam-Master Jay, an important member of the early hip hop musical style.^{[citation needed]}

In April 2009, the New York City Buildings department ordered the largest building closed after citing it for numerous building deficiencies including the studio partitions which were built without permits. The inspections followed an incident on April 10, 2009, in which an artist was injured when part of a concrete fire escape collapsed.^[3]

Demolition plans

On August 21, 2013, the New York City Planning Commission unanimously voted to approve plans to build condos on the 5 Pointz site. The development plans include two residential towers with retail space and affordable housing. The developer, David Wolkoff, wants to demolish 5Pointz by the end of 2013. ^[7] The New York City Council, on October 9, 2013, unanimously approved the $400 million plan to build a 1,000 unit apartment complex with 210 affordable housing units included. The plan calls for 10,000 square feet exclusively for art panels and walls in the building, including ground level facades to be used for curated graffiti.^[8][4]

Time Out New York reported on November 19, 2013 that the 5 Pointz building was painted white overnight,^[9] providing images that showed the building's previously graffiti-covered walls partially covered in white paint. A message posted to the 5 Pointz twitter account the morning of November 19 confirmed the reports.^[10] Despite a lawsuit filed by 5 Pointz proprietors as well as a rally on November 16, 2013, to gain petition signatures^[11] to protect the building from demolition, the sudden whitewashing indicates the end of the space.

Reaction

John Roleke of About.com writes^[12] "5 Pointz is a living collage of graffiti art covering a converted warehouse full of artist studios". 5 Pointz is known worldwide, and taggers or graffiti artists from all over the world have come there to paint graffiti.^[6] 5 Pointz has been the subject of articles in newspapers such as The Christian Science Monitor,^[6] The Boston Globe,^[13] The New York Times,^[1] and the International Herald Tribune.^[14]

See also

• Culture of New York City
• Graffiti in New York City
• Graffiti in the United States

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 5 Pointz.

• 5Pointz web site
• Atlantic on white painting

Coordinates: 40°44′43″N 73°56′44″W / 40.745152°N 73.94567°W / 40.745152; -73.94567