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The Museum of the City of New York (MCNY) holds what is arguably the most important collection of early graffiti art and ephemera, amassed by Martin Wong, a queer Chinese-American self-taught painter who wore cowboy hats and, for a time, paid for his lodging in a dingy Lower East Side hotel room by working as a night porter. Drawn to the bustling art scene of late 1970s New York, Wong developed a tight network of friends in what may have seemed like an unexpected community at the time: graffiti writers, who would eventually be recognized as creating an entirely new style of art, emulated in every corner of the globe.

This episode of the Hyperallergic Podcast was recorded during a live panel @museumofcityny on March 10 celebrating Wong’s collection and life. Hyperallergic Editor-in-Chief Hrag Vartanian moderated the discussion between Wong’s longtime friend and roommate Lee Quiñones, P·P·O·W Gallery Co-Founder Wendy Osloff, and curator Sean Corcoran, who organized the exhibition.

The panelists shared stories of the singular artist, his love of collecting, and his extravagant storytelling. As Quiñones recalls, Wong once said, “Don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story.”

Check out the episode now anywhere you tune in to your favorite shows, or watch the conversation on YouTube, complete with images of the artworks the panelists discuss.
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#Podcast #MartinWong #MCNY #LeeQuiñones #NewYorkCity