The legendary artist and performer Tabboo! talks to us about his decades-long love affair with New York City's storied skyline.
—that delve into his ongoing fascination with the city’s storied skyline. Entitled simply, “Cityscapes,” the dual exhibitions revel in Tabboos!’s enduring love affair with the greatest city in the universe, its vistas swirling like a Ferris Wheel around him. Painted primarily from his apartment building, the works on view range from quotidian walk-ups to spectacular, towering landmarks.
TABBOO!: I moved on June 15th, 1982. On my very first day, I met Jean Michel Basquiat and Anne Craig, who were performing at White Columns art gallery. They told me I should go to the Pyramid Club and book a show, which I did that night!! Day one kismet. I was off to the races….INTERVIEW: Your performances in the 1980s are legendary.
TABBOO!: I never paint when I perform. I can’t paint if anyone’s around, really. Though I have painted backdrops for shows . I’ve been an artist since I was a little child. In fact, I recently came upon a painting I did at 4 years old, and it was very similar to one I did just last year. It had a crow, a blue jay, a robin, a sun, and some flowers. I went to art school as a teenager and started learning to stretch my own canvases then.
INTERVIEW: Over the decades, you painted portraits of friends and fellow performers. How did those come about? Is there a difference between capturing people and painting buildings? TABBOO!: My portraits were done old school, with the people actually sitting for me in my studio. I usually finish them all in one afternoon. For my cityscapes it’s a lot looser than painting friends, because I don’t have to be so “realistic.” It’s more an essence.
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