SPAR ONE
is a freelance artist based in New York City. He received formal training
at The High School of Art and Design, the School of Visual Arts and the
Art Students League. He works in a variety of media including watercolor,
pastels, pencil, pen and ink, acrylic paint, felt tip pens and aerosol
paint.
In his work he draws upon an eclectic sphere of influences such as Hieronymus
Bosch, Salvador Dali, Rick Griffin, Roger Dean, Celtic and African art.
The primary creative force in his work is his experience in the New York
City graffiti art movement. Inspired by subway graffiti kings NOC 167,
BILLY 167, and LEE Quinones, SPAR began painting graffiti during the 1970s.
His work could be seen on the streets and subways of New York. He has
also painted under the alias LED 2. He was a member of popular
graffiti crews such as The Fantastic Partners and The Non Stoppers. SPAR
has exhibited his work in many formal venues including Black and White
in Color Gallery, American Vision 145, MarcoArt, The New York Public Library
and The Fun Gallery.
Since the 1970s, SPAR has committed a great deal energy observing the
historical aspects of graffiti culture. This long-term commitment led
him to found the Web site @149st: New York City Cyber Bench (www.at149st.com).
The site is dedicated to the preservation of the history of New York City
subway graffiti. SPAR's objective is to offer comprehensive documentation
of the New York City graffiti art movement. SPAR's work as a historian
includes curating art exhibitions, speaking engagements and consulting.
EXHIBITIONS
2004
- 100 Tokens- 100 Tags; Marco Art Gallery, New York, NY
2004 - Tag the System; The Show Room, New York, NY
2004
- Pieces of the Past, Living Envious Styles Gallery, New York,
NY
2004 - 9th Annual Lower East Side Festival of the Arts; Theater
for the New City, New York, NY
2003 - Fade Show
2003 - Old Skool Kingz; Club Twist, Brooklyn, NY
2002 - Prince Kave Presents: The Works, SPAR: The Four Seasons;
Abaya Gallery, New York, NY
2002 - Adam
Clayton Powell Jr State Office Building Presents: Graffiti 2002; New
York, NY
2002 - Graffiti in Progress II; Polytechnic University, Brooklyn
, NY
2002 - A Day of New York Art; Baltimore's Intercultural Museum
and Art Gallery Baltimore, MD
2001 - Where Were You in'82?; Soma Gallery, New York, NY
2003 - Pioneers, Legends, Kings and Icons; Concrete Vibes Gallery,
Mineola, NY
2000 - Graffiti 2000 - Uptown Soul; American Vision 145, New York,
NY
1999 - The
Dondi
White Memorial Exhibition;
Exhibit 1A Gallery, New York, NY
1989 - Spar
One: The Psychedelic Experience; Black and White in Color Gallery,
Bronx, NY
1983 - Group Show; Fun Gallery, New York, NY
1982
- Group Show; Fun Gallery, New York, NY
1981 - Graffiti
Art of Spar; New York Public Library, New York, NY
MEDIA
2002 - New York Times “The Newest Notes
From the Underground: Graffiti Comes Back”
2002 - Urb Magazine HyperMedia “Tags of the Times”
2002 - Urb Magazine “1982: The Year that Rocked”
2001 - Gotham TV Interview for "New York City Graffiti"
2000 - Vice Magazine “Steady Bombin'”
1999 - Washington Post (Front cover) “A Spray of History in
Cyberspace”
1999 - Paper Magazine
1999 - Mass Appeal "The Odd Partners"
BOOKS
Published Artwork
Aerosol Kingdom: Subway Painters of New York City, Miller, Ivor;
University Press of Mississippi, 2002
Hands-on Healing, Harrison, Lewis; Kensington Books, 1998
Spraycan Art, Chalfant, Henry, James Prigoff; Thames and Hudson,
1987
New York Graffiti 1972-82, Weisse,
Marcus ;
1998
Published Quotations:
Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip Hop Generation, Chang,
Jeff; St. Martin's Press, 2005
Aerosol
Kingdom: Subway Painters of New York City, Miller, Ivor; University
Press of Mississippi, 2002
Dondi White Style Master General Witten, Andrew, Michael White;
Harper Collins, 2001
CURATED
EXHIBITIONS /SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS:
2004 - Slide
show and lecture: Graffiti History
Beacon High School, New York City
2004
- Curated exhibition: Pieces of the Past, Living Envious Styles
Gallery, New York, NY
2002 - Slide show and lecture: ED HUSH and SPAR ONE Present: Live
by the Can, Die by the Can; New York, NY
2001 - Curated exhibition: Where
Were You in '82?; Soma Gallery, New York, NY
1999 - Guest panelist: Graffiti History Forum; School of Visual
Arts, New York,
NY
Thanks
for the support:
Patti Astor, AZ ONE, BABY 168, BETE, BURN, CASE
2 TFP, CEL, CESISM, CHAIN 3, Henry Chalfant, Jeff Chang, CHINO BYI, Martha
Cooper, CRIME 79, DIAL 167, DIE TNS, DANGER 59, DONDI (RIP), DURO CIA,
ED HUSH, EKO, EL 3 (RIP), ERIC 700, FABLE, FARGO, FDT 56, FLINT..., FLINT
707, FREEDOM, FUZZ ONE, IVORY, IZ THE WIZ, Isabella C, JAMESTOP, JOE 61,
KET, KROOK, LAC, LEC aka HE 3, LEE Quinones, MARE
139, Ivor Miller, NOAH, NYC LASE, PC- KID, POES, PURE, REAS, REE 2, REVOLT,
SENTO, SNIPER, SOE XMEN, SOE TNS, SOL (RIP), SP ONE, STAK, STAR, STAY
HIGH 149, WICKED GARY, ZEPHYR