Lady Pink is a no-joke graffiti artist who got her start painting in high school, had her fist solo show at 21, and has since continued to dominate in the mostly male street art in NYC with her prolific and powerful pieces. Her work has been shown in collections at the Whitney Museum, the MET, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Groningen Museum of Holland.
Stated by Rhiannon Platt on Complex:
“Lady Pink is considered to be graffiti’s female leader. She climbed walls, jumped fences, and went to great physical lengths to prove her prowess in the ’70s. “
Graffiti and street art is rooted in powerful resistance culture and is all about reclaiming public spaces – commenting on the complicated geopolitical politics of space, boundaries, and belonging. It is unquestionably a form of powerful activism through gripping imagery accessible to all, unlike art in galleries or museums. The art aligns tightly with feminism as a form of creative resistance, but the medium was and is still largely seen as a man’s domain.
Lady Pink’s feats of determination and rebellion are even more greatly appreciated when taking into account the state of women’s rights in the 70’s, when Lady Pink got her start. Just 40 years ago, but still a world away. Although we are not exactly beyond it now; again from Platt’s article on Complex:
“Over four decades later it is still taking four years for a woman to be given a spot on the famed Bowery/Houston wall in New York. It wasn’t until 2012…did a woman tackle the iconic space.”
Lady Pink’s righteous trailblazing carved a path for other fearless female graffiti artists of today, and the slow but steady efforts to reclaim public spaces through feminist art. Be sure to check out the full article by Complex here about feminist street artist’s struggles today, and to look at some more great art.
Visit Lady Pink’s website to see more of her work and read related press.
First image: Spray Can Monster, acrylic on wood by Lady Pink
Images via pinksmith.com
