A striking new art exhibition is landing in the UK next week, taking up a month-long residency in the Second City. Displaying the work of legendary American photographer and filmmaker Henry Chalfant – the man famed for capturing the rise of graffiti, Hip-Hop and street culture in 1970s New York – The Epic Story of Graffiti will feature iconic photos from Chalfant’s career, as well as archive footage that has never been exhibited before.
The collection of hundreds of photos and video projections from Chalfant’s archive of painted NYC Subway cars. This UK Premiere will be available to view at Birmingham’s Bullring. Painting a picture of life in the 70’s and 80’s, The Epic Story of Graffiti provides a snapshot of when the graffiti movement exploded from the underground to a global platform.
The exhibition is free to attend, with a schedule of events programmed alongside it, including Film screenings, talks, as well as opportunities to meet Chalfant himself.
Brought to the city by Soul City Arts, Birmingham Hippodrome, and Bullring, The Epic Story of Graffiti will be unveiled on 29th May. Once launched, the artwork will be in situ in a large unit off Rotunda Square, at Bullring, Birmingham until 30 June for all to visit.
Danielle Bozward, Marketing & Placemaking Manager at Bullring, shared her excitement for the exhibition, saying: “There’s never been a more exciting, or relevant, time for Birmingham to be the backdrop to an exhibition like this. Henry Chalfant’s work captures a crucial moment in time; a period when New York city was experiencing huge change. It was an era characterised as much by the blossoming of cultural innovation and urban activism; but equally by economic crisis, social unrest, and New York declaring near-bankruptcy: parallels that I’m sure will resonate with my fellow Brummies.”
Henry Chalfant hones in on the connection he sees between these experiences saying “I read that Birmingham, like Pittsburgh where I was born, has gone through de-industrialisation and is now diversifying its economy. There’s a familiar resilience there – a creative determination to reclaim and reimagine public space.”
Chalfant’s photography is world-renowned with many recognising his works from Subway Art: his book, co-authored with Martha Cooper, which became a global phenomenon and has earnt cult status among street artists and creatives across continents. His photos often snapped Graffitiart just mere seconds before they were scrubbed from view and have seen Chalfant credited as the reason that early renditions of graffiti art haven’t been lost forever.
“We’re so proud to be able to bring these works to the city for their UK exclusive and to be working with Henry – an icon of both culture and art – to make them accessible for all. Birmingham is home to some of the most impressive street artists emerging right now, and Henry’s work is what helped lay the foundations for them to succeed: now, we wholeheartedly believe these pieces deserve to be seen in a publicly managed setting by everyone,” concluded Bozward.
Mohammed Ali, the producer of the exhibition from Soul City Arts, added: “Graffiti Art is one of the most misunderstood art forms our time, so this exhibition documenting the movement is crucial to giving that insight into a world we see every day but don’t fully understand.”
With The Epic Story of Graffiti taking over Rotunda Square, Bullring, Soul City Arts, and Birmingham Hippodrome hope to offer a fresh reminder of how global culture connects to local streets – and how art has the power to keep us connected.
Find out more about The Epic Story of Graffiti, visit https://www.bullring.co.uk/see-and-do/the-epic-story-of-graffiti-arrives-at-bullring.
