Graffiti is commonly associated with unruly vandalism. Gigantic bubble words and all kinds of images are sprayed onto any imaginable surface. People are divided in their opinions; some embrace graffiti as a free expression of art while others vow to cleanse the walls at all costs. In fact, graffiti is outlawed in New York City. So aerosol artists take their stencils and spray paints to make graffiti in the dead of night. But it’s not always this way.
5Pointz Aerosol Art Center, Inc., or 5Pointz: The Institute of Higher Burning, is considered the world’s premiere “graffiti Mecca” (5 POINTZ). Located in Long Island City, it is a place where graffiti is widely celebrated. Instead of censorship and reproach, artists, musicians, filmmakers, photographers, and tourists all gather at this 200,000 square-foot factory building to commemorate and express this unique art form. Not only is it an amazing sight from the adjacent 7 train, up close it is a marvel of flamboyant colors and stories symbolizing unity of the five boroughs of New York and beyond.
The building complex is owned by Jerry Wolkoff. Called the Crane Street Studios under G&M Realty, the complex provided very affordable studio spaces for artists. Beginning in the late 1990s, a group called the Phun Phactory and Wolkoff allowed artists to paint the outer walls legally (Weir). Soon, the place prospered, pulling artists away from illegal spray painting and to the warehouse walls. Then, in 2002, Jonathan Cohen, a graffiti artist known by “Meres One,” took the task of curating this outdoor exhibition and transformed it into the renowned 5Pointz (Kiper).
But all good things must come to an end. In April 2009, one of the artists, Nicole Gagne, suffered serious injuries when a concrete fire escape collapsed. In consequence, New York City Buildings Department issued numerous violations including unsafe conditions and improper permits and ordered the largest of the buildings closed (Buckley).
Then after years of vacancy, on August 2013, the New York City Planning Commission approved Wolkoff’s redevelopment proposal. The $400 million project included two residential towers, of 41 and 47 stories tall, which combined, can house one thousand apartment units with 210 affordable units for low income families (Nir). In addition, Wolkoff proposed 12,000 square feet for artists’ studios and 10,000 square feet of art panels and walls. On October 2013, the New York City Council unanimously approved the plans, thus beginning 5Pointz’s imminent demolition.
Of course, artists who have spent years painting their proudest work onto those walls were furious. They tried with utmost strength to preserve their work and the iconic site. 5Pointz and the artists formed many rallies and signed landmark petitions. The long struggle resulted in a Federal Court Judge granting a 10-day restraining order under the Visual Artists Rights Act against G&M Realty, and then a 14-day restraining order until November 12. Unfortunately, the efforts were futile as Wolkoff already had approval for redevelopment. As Bramer, one of the councilmen, said, “The truth is there was not a way to save the building. The building is privatedly owned; the owners can knock that down and build a very large building.” Also, an injunction to block demolition could not be passed because 5Pointz was not deemed to be a landmark designation as the oldest art was not over 30 years old (Marzulli).
Despite little success, the artists firmly believed that “this fight is bigger than [sic] graffiti, bigger than [sic] a building, it’s [sic] about preserving something priceless, a piece of history and a monument known the world over [sic]” (5 POINTZ). So they continued to fight for what they have worked so hard for. On November 17, hundreds of artists rallied to save 5Pointz. If this petition to landmark 5Pointz did not work, the artists planned to form a human-chain to block bulldozers. Cohen fully supported preservation and said that the new buildings will “just destroy more of what made New York what it is. Now it is just boring, full of bland boring towers of boxes of glass.” He adds, “‘Giving up’ are no words in my vocabulary. There’s always hope.” Clearly, the artists are very vocal and active in their attempts to saving 5Pointz, however a feeling of desperation seemed to be ominously looming. Emily, of Queens Brownstoner, foreshadowed a losing battle as she described the rally as, “more like a final, fond farewell than an angry political demonstration” (Emily). Meanwhile, Wolkoff remained adamant on his redevelopment plans and urged, “The artwork is absolutely fabulous. That’s why we’re asking them to come back to the new building” (Kiper). Then, everything changed overnight.
On the morning of November 19, 2013, the view from the 7 train dramatically changed. Instead of being greeted by a colorful collage of aerosol art, a white-washed building was in its place. Wolkoff had painted over the building under police protection, completely covering all aerosol art in white paint and causing a total upheaval. He justified his actions by saying, “to watch the pieces go down piece by piece by piece would be torturous… I had tears in my eyes while I was doing it.” He continued to defend his actions by saying that he loves what the artists did, but they are “misguided.” The matter of painting over their work was the same as the tradition of painting graffiti over other works of graffiti. He believed the artists don’t really want landmark preservation; they want to keep painting and he offers that choice in his new construction (Coscarelli).
In response, social media exploded with criticisms and outrage. With fervent pictures being sent across the internet, many considered what Wolkoff had done was an act of greed and disrespect. Especially with the real estate market heating up, people blamed Wolkoff’s timely decision to be for selfish financial gains. Additionally, the sudden erasure of over a decade of art history was completely shocking. Needless to say, artists and fans were aghast, speechless, and heartbroken.
On the evening of the whitewash, artists gathered at 5Pointz to share the site’s final moments. While the artists said goodbye to 5Pointz, they will never forget the connections and moments they’ve had at the site and will continue the tradition of aerosol art.
Works Cited
“5 POINTZ.” 5 POINTZ. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.
Buckley, Cara. “One Artist is Hurt, and 200 Others Are Feeling the Pain.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 18 Apr. 2009. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.
Coscarelli, Joe. “5Pointz Building Owner Defends Paint Job, Demolition: ‘It’s Best for Everyone.” New York Magazine. Daily Intelligencer, 19 Nov. 2013. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.
Emily. “Closing Bell: Jerry Wolkoff Responds, and a Candlelight Vigil for 5Pointz Tonight.” Queens Brownstoner. Queens Brownstoner, 19 Nov. 2013. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.
Kiper, Dmitry. “Curator of an Urban Canvas.” The Christian Science Monitor. The Christian Science Monitor, 24 July 2007. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.
Marzulli, John. “5Pointz Graffiti Mecca in Long Island City Is Likely Doomed after Judge Says He Won’t Stop Demolition.” NY Daily News. NY Daily News, 8 Oct. 2013. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.
Nir, Sarah Maslin, and Charles V. Bagli. “City Council to Decide Fate of Mecca for Graffiti Artists.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 15 Oct. 2013. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.
Weir, Richard. “NEIGHBORHOOD REPORT: LONG ISLAND CITY; Wall Hits a Patron of Graffiti.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 15 Feb. 1998. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.
