When I read this news article about a large-scale development project in the works that would potentially replace the iconic 5Pointz graffiti-covered factory building in Long Island City with two high-rise residential towers and a shopping mall, I immediately experienced feelings of surprise, confusion, and disapproval.
Long Island City, a Queens neighborhood previously associated solely with drab factories and mundane manufacturing plants, has undergone several massive construction projects within the last couple of years. It is arguably one of the fastest growing areas in the borough and a popular living destination that young professionals flock to when they can't afford rent in Manhattan. Lying just a couple of subway stops from Midtown, LIC's new skyscraper apartments boast floor-to-ceiling windows that offer gorgeous views of the city from across the river.
While the renovations and city's efforts to clean the area up are definitely overdue and beneficial to the community, this particular development project is a bulldozer of a move that would not only infuriate graffiti artists in NYC and around the world, but it would destroy one of the only establishing relics that is truly indicative of LIC's old industrial neighborhood.
5 Pointz Aerosol Art Center is an outdoor art exhibit space that was created to signify a place where the five New York City boroughs could converge, in collective hopes of carrying out the mission, collaboration, admiration, and expression of graffiti or aerosol art. Breakdancers, Hip Hop and R&B musicians, and world-renowned painters have all visited 5 Pointz, establishing it as a cultural mecca.
Ever since graffiti became synonymous with vandalism, the value and technicality of the art form has decreased. The writers of today are perceived more like criminals than artists, as the graffiti bans have lead them to focus more on throwing up short "tags" that they can paint quickly before the police reprimands them. Larger works, murals, and other wall pieces have drastically declined, but 5 Pointz has welcomed intricate and technical portraits on its property. It is one of the only remaining canvases displaying urban art in the city.
The potential destruction of 5 Pointz strikes a strong chord with me for personal and aesthetic reasons as well. I have taken the N/Q/7 subway lines for years and have always loved the segments of the tracks that exist above ground. The colorful, panoramic views of urban art are impossible to miss when I look outside of the train car and across at 5 Pointz. I can't count how many times the brilliant collage of works has transformed before my eyes like kaleidoscopic images as the subway rumbled on along the tracks.
If this landmark image that I have seen daily for years was extracted from my view forever, I would definitely feel a sense of loss and disorientation... a feeling of being very far away from home.
These pictures were amazing! I just finished reading a book called The Mole People that talks about some homeless who do urban graffiti and art in the subway systems--this reminds me of some of their artwork. The next time I take the 7 out to Citi Field, I'm going to look out for this!
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