Next week, Bleecker Street Arts Club will send you on a blast to the past with an exhibition of works by five heavy hitters from the '80s, a trove that passionate art collector Keith Miller has acquired throughout the years. Each of the artists who will go on view in "The '80s: Past + Present" made works that spoke to the spirit of the 1980s. It was a time when graffiti was first pushing its way into gallery walls, and Miller was one of the first to recognize the changing landscape and the potential of street art.
Although "The '80s: Past + Present" features the works of CRASH, Ronnie Cutrone, Michael DeFeo, Tom Slaughter, and Scott Kilgour, it is just as much a narration of Miller's role as an art collector decades ago. While CRASH sprayed subway trains and DeFeo flooded the city with his iconic flowers, young collectors like Miller helped support and build the scene for street artists through their patronage.
"The 80s: Past + Present" opens April 24 and will be on view until May 31.
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