Talk Is Cheap: A New York street poster exhibition from 1984
Over the past couple of centuries, New York City has become established as America’s artistic capital. We can attribute the city’s ongoing artistic appeal to several factors. Initially, it became a popular spot for artists to coagulate in the 18th and 19th centuries due to its links to Europe across the Atlantic. Additionally, as a multicultural metropolis, New York was and remains a melting pot for ideas and influences from all corners of the world.
Maintaining its status through the early 20th century, New York City welcomed artists such as Salvador Dalí, who fled war-torn Europe. This same concrete jungle became the focus of Andy Warhol’s American Dream in the 1950s as he laid the foundations for the age of pop art. Inspired by avant-garde art movements of the early 20th century, the pop art movement honed in on consumerism, taking cultural cues from advertising billboards, pulp magazines, television and comic strips.
By the time Warhol designed the album cover for The Velvet Underground’s iconic debut album in 1967, he had established a bohemian art troupe named The Factory. This vibrant and progressive hub helped to consolidate the city’s position in the global artistic playing field. The Factory and The Velvet Underground’s eventual success as a seminal rock band set the pace for the 1970s, which saw New York become America’s musical epicentre during the punk and new wave movements.
Part of New York City’s, especially for artists of The Velvet Underground and Ramones’ ilk, is the gritty realism one can encounter in its bustling streets. In Lou Reed’s songwriting, he gave an uncompromising snapshot of life in the city, warts and all. Often, from the dirtiest places comes the most beautiful art.
In the 1970s and ‘80s, downtown New York grappled with urban decay under the strain of economic crises and the spiralling crack epidemic. While graffiti often grabs the spotlight when we think back to 1980s New York, street posters were just as influential.
CBGB was among the most famous downtown hotspots, providing a platform for bands like Talking Heads, Ramones, Television and the Patti Smith Group. However, it was only the tip of the iceberg of heaving venues and artistic hangouts. Those who visited the area during the ‘70s and ‘80s will remember the iconic Xerox flyers promoting band and club nights. Walls and lamp posts also provided a canvas for politically charged posters of the Guerrilla Girls, Group Material, PADD, and Jenny Holzer’s impactful Truisms series.
Another notable manifestation of this period was Talk is Cheap, a short-lived street poster exhibition from 1984. Organised by John Hogan, founder of Chicago’s artist-bookstore Bookspace, for the artist group Collaborative Projects Inc. (COLAB), the exhibition featured 27 collaborative posters by 47 artists. As seen in the posters below, the project epitomised the creative spirit of the time, inspired by the region’s appetite for punk music and pop art.
