Fashion Moda
Encyclopedia
Fashion Moda is a cultural concept. As a museum of science, art, invention, technology and fantasy in its South Bronx location from 1978-1993 it combined aspects of a community arts centre and a worldwide progressive arts organization.
. He was soon joined by artist Joe Lewis and William Scott, a young teenager from the neighborhood as co-directors. Defining itself as a concept, Fashion Moda quickly became a strong voice in the New York art world during the late 1970s and the 1980s. Fashion Moda crossed boundaries and mixed metaphors. It helped redefine the function of art in a post-modernist society. Fashion Moda spotlighted such artists as David Wojnarowicz
, Keith Haring
, Stefan Roloff
, Jenny Holzer
, Mark Kostabi
, Kenny Scharf
, Joe Lewis, John Ahearn, Lisa Kahane, John Fekner
, Don Leicht
, Jacek Tylicki
, Stefan Eins
himself and graffiti
artists like Richard Hambleton
, Koor, Daze, Crash
, Spank, and many others. In addition to highlighting new talent, Fashion Moda was a major force in establishing new venues. In 1980, Fashion Moda collaborated with the downtown progressive artists organisation Colab
(Collaborative Projects Inc.) on "The Times Square Show" (June 1980), and Now Gallery
which introduced uptown graffiti-related art to downtown art and punk scenes.
Fashion Moda in the South Bronx was located in a building at 2803 Third Avenue near 147th Street and the Hub, a shopping center. The South Bronx location allowed it the freedom to explore the questions "What is art?" and "Who defines it?" Funded largely by grants from the NYSCA, NEA
, and other, outside money, the space encouraged the production of creative art, unhampered by the contemporary art market and academic art training. As such, it was a center for many downtown and local South Bronx artists, writers, and performance artists to workshop their ideas and first display their works. Fashion Moda was also closely tied to the global emergence of Hip Hop
. In the latter part of its existence the storefront exterior was painted by graffiti artist Crash
. The name ("Fashion" in English, Spanish, Chinese and Russian) was painted graffiti style on top, over a spray painted depiction of a rat, toxic waste and a graveyard. In 1993, Fashion Moda closed its South Bronx location.
History
Fashion Moda was founded in 1978 by Stefan EinsStefan Eins
Stefan Eins Born in Prague, Bohemia, grew up in Vienna and Gresten, Austria. He settled in New York City in 1967. Eins graduated from the University of Vienna with a degree in Theology and he attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna from 1964-1967. He does not distinguish between creating art...
. He was soon joined by artist Joe Lewis and William Scott, a young teenager from the neighborhood as co-directors. Defining itself as a concept, Fashion Moda quickly became a strong voice in the New York art world during the late 1970s and the 1980s. Fashion Moda crossed boundaries and mixed metaphors. It helped redefine the function of art in a post-modernist society. Fashion Moda spotlighted such artists as David Wojnarowicz
David Wojnarowicz
David Wojnarowicz was a painter, photographer, writer, filmmaker, performance artist, and activist who was prominent in the New York City art world of the 1980s.-Biography:...
, Keith Haring
Keith Haring
Keith Haring was an artist and social activist whose work responded to the New York City street culture of the 1980s.-Early life:...
, Stefan Roloff
Stefan Roloff
Stefan Roloff is a painter, video artist and filmmaker, living and working in New York and Berlin. He is a pioneer of digital video and photography.- Life :...
, Jenny Holzer
Jenny Holzer
Jenny Holzer is an American conceptual artist. Holzer lives and works in Hoosick Falls, New York.-Education:...
, Mark Kostabi
Mark Kostabi
Kalev Mark Kostabi is an American artist and composer.-Early life:Mark Kostabi was born in Los Angeles on November 27, 1960 to Estonian immigrants Kaljo and Rita Kostabi. He was raised in Whittier, California and studied drawing and painting at California State University, Fullerton...
, Kenny Scharf
Kenny Scharf
Kenny Scharf is an American painter who lives in Brooklyn, New York. The artist received his B.F.A in 1980 at the School of Visual Arts located in New York City. Scharf's works consist of popular culture based shows with made up science-related backgrounds...
, Joe Lewis, John Ahearn, Lisa Kahane, John Fekner
John Fekner
John Fekner is an innovative artist who created hundreds of environmental and conceptual outdoor works consisting of stenciled words, symbols, dates and icons spray painted in New York, Sweden, Canada, England and Germany in the 70s and 80s...
, Don Leicht
Don Leicht
Don Leicht is a visual artist who has worked as a painter and sculptor in the Bronx, New York City for over thirty years. Leicht has had one person exhibitions in New York, Sweden and Germany and is an early figure in the New York City downtown scene in the 1970s, and in the subsequent Street Art...
, Jacek Tylicki
Jacek Tylicki
Jacek Tylicki is an artist who settled in New York City in 1982.-Works:Tylicki's work is closely related to Land art, Installation, video and Photography...
, Stefan Eins
Stefan Eins
Stefan Eins Born in Prague, Bohemia, grew up in Vienna and Gresten, Austria. He settled in New York City in 1967. Eins graduated from the University of Vienna with a degree in Theology and he attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna from 1964-1967. He does not distinguish between creating art...
himself and graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
artists like Richard Hambleton
Richard Hambleton
Richard Hambleton is an artist-painter currently living and working in the Lower East Side of New York City. Richard Hambleton has been called the godfather of street art. He is the surviving member of a group who, together with Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, had great success coming out...
, Koor, Daze, Crash
John Matos
Crash is a graffiti artist. As early as 13, John Matos was spray painting New York City trains, the full image art as opposed to simpler tagging soon transferred to silk screened canvas. He was first noticed through his murals on subway cars and dilapidated buildings, he is now regarded as a...
, Spank, and many others. In addition to highlighting new talent, Fashion Moda was a major force in establishing new venues. In 1980, Fashion Moda collaborated with the downtown progressive artists organisation Colab
Colab
Colab is the commonly used abbreviation of the New York City artists' group Collaborative Projects, which was formed after a series of open meetings between artists of various disciplines. Colab came together as a collective in 1977, and initially received an NEA Workshop Grant through Center for...
(Collaborative Projects Inc.) on "The Times Square Show" (June 1980), and Now Gallery
Now Gallery
Now Gallery was a New York City art gallery based in East Village, Manhattan active in 1983 - 1989. An artist himself, director and owner Jacek Tylicki, has been recognized as an important promoter of emerging artists....
which introduced uptown graffiti-related art to downtown art and punk scenes.
Fashion Moda in the South Bronx was located in a building at 2803 Third Avenue near 147th Street and the Hub, a shopping center. The South Bronx location allowed it the freedom to explore the questions "What is art?" and "Who defines it?" Funded largely by grants from the NYSCA, NEA
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
, and other, outside money, the space encouraged the production of creative art, unhampered by the contemporary art market and academic art training. As such, it was a center for many downtown and local South Bronx artists, writers, and performance artists to workshop their ideas and first display their works. Fashion Moda was also closely tied to the global emergence of Hip Hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
. In the latter part of its existence the storefront exterior was painted by graffiti artist Crash
John Matos
Crash is a graffiti artist. As early as 13, John Matos was spray painting New York City trains, the full image art as opposed to simpler tagging soon transferred to silk screened canvas. He was first noticed through his murals on subway cars and dilapidated buildings, he is now regarded as a...
. The name ("Fashion" in English, Spanish, Chinese and Russian) was painted graffiti style on top, over a spray painted depiction of a rat, toxic waste and a graveyard. In 1993, Fashion Moda closed its South Bronx location.
External links
- Sally Webster. Fashion Moda: A Bronx Experience. 1996. http://www.lehman.cuny.edu/gallery/talkback/fmwebster.html
- "Hope Is Artists' Medium in a Bronx Neighborhood" New York Times, December 27, 2000.
- NYU's Fales Library and Special Collections Guide to the Fashion Moda Archive