On View from June 8 through July 1, 2011 at Gallery 151.

Gallery 151 is honored to present the solo exhibition of Fred Brathwaite, hip hop pioneer and legendary graffiti artist known as Fab 5 Freddy. In 1980, Mr. Brathwaite gained notoriety by covering an entire subway car with Campbell’s soup cans. This homage to Andy Warhol was the creative force in helping Brathwaite lead a cultural revolution out of which graffiti-based artists transitioned from the streets into galleries and the art world. On June 8th 2011, Gallery 151 debuted the exhibition NEW YORK : NEW WORK, Brathwaite’s series of stunningly vivid mixed-media works on canvas – some figurative iconography and others an abstract exploration of his graffiti experience. Brathwaite has developed a modified pointillism technique using hand-laid crystals to explore and deepen his the viewer’s relationship with his work. This process of embellishing the form, one grain of color at a time, is also a delicate and personal celebration of his subject. Graffiti, and its new manifestation Street Art, is one of art’s most transient forms, often existing for mere days, if not hours. NEW YORK : NEW WORK is not only a celebration of Brathwaite’s newest work but also a triumphant recognition of the permanence of these works on canvas.

During this exhibition, Brathwaite was also a featured artist in MOCA’s “Art in the Streets,” the first major museum exhibition in America to depict the history of Graffiti and Street Art.