
Al Diaz and Brett De Palma: A Conversation
Al Diaz and Brett De Palma: A Conversation
Highlighting the work of an early street art pioneer—whose adventures with Jean Michel Basquiat gave birth to graffiti’s iconic symbol SAMO©—Howl! Happening is pleased to present Al Diaz in conversation with downtown artist and luminary Brett De Palma, both of whom are featured in Zeitgeist: The Art Scene of Teenage Basquiat.
SAMO© initially became known because of its wit and sarcastic humor, becoming a globally recognized graffito after Basquiat’s rise to fame.
A prolific and influential first-generation New York City subway graffiti artist who later became a text-oriented street artist, Al Diaz’s career spans five decades. He currently works with WET PAINT signs used throughout the New York City subway system. After cutting out individual letters to create clever, surreal, and sometimes poignant anagrams, he hangs the finished works in subways stations. His WET PAINT work was featured in the 21st Precinct: Street Art & Graffiti Art Show (July 2014) and in a solo show at Outlaw Arts (March 2015). The upcoming book Street Messages by Nicholas Ganz will include the artist’s work.
He has been a featured speaker in a variety of panel discussions at The New School, the Museum of the City of New York, the NOLA Arts Festival in New Orleans, and other venues.
About Al Diaz
Al Diaz is best known for his collaboration with Jean Michel Basquiat on SAMO©, graffiti that appeared in lower Manhattan from 1977 to 1979. SAMO© initially became known because of its wit and sarcastic humor; but became a globally recognized graffito after Basquiat’s rise to fame.
A prolific and influential first-generation NYC subway graffiti artist, who later became a text-oriented street artist, Al Diaz’s career spans 5 decades. He currently works with WET PAINT signs used throughout the New York City subway system. After cutting out individual letters to create clever, surreal and sometimes poignant anagrams, he hangs the finished works in subways stations throughout New York City. His WET PAINT work was featured in the 21st Precinct Street Art Event ( July,2014) , a solo show at “Outlaw Arts” (March, 2015) and will appear in the upcoming book, “Street Messages” by Nicholas Ganz.
He has been a featured speaker on a variety of panel discussions, including at The New School, The Museum of the City of New York, and NOLA Arts Festival in New Orleans.
About Brett De Palma
De Palma worked at Sperone Westwater Fischer Gallery and was included in 1982’s Documenta 7, curated by Dutch art historian Rudi Fuchs. He exhibited with Tony Shafrazi and Fawbush galleries. De Palma was the recipient of an NEA grant and has shown nationally and internationally. He taught advanced painting in the early 90s at Princeton and has been on the faculty of School of Visual Arts in New York for the past 28 years. From 1992 to 2005, De Palma was also director of creative arts at VillageCare, a Manhattan AIDS day treatment program.