LEE QUINOES: EL PRINCIPO OR THE HOLY GRAIL OF GRAFFITI
I was honored to be invited to this small gathering at Lee Quinones childhood apartment in the Smith houses this past weekend. Lee showcased his teenage graffiti inspired drawings many of which would become productions on NYC’s unsuspecting Mass Transit system. Growing up on the Lower East Side I was enamored with Lee’s creations which were placed strategically on many hand ball courts around my childhood stomping grounds. Lee’s work had a profound impact on me as I realized one of the best graffiti artist’s on the planet was from my hood. He was literally the first neighborhood superstar I can think of and checking out his early musings on paper felt like a visit to Graffiti’s holy grail for me, just really incredible stuff. Take a peak inside the young mind of a genius, the saying born with natural talent has rarely been more evident then right here.
Ok now a pause for the cause….Lee Quionones aka Lee was the most prolific artist on trains during the late 70’s early 80’s. He and his crew the Fab 5 did a 8 car married train, he was on the cover of the Village Voice and is one of the ambassadors of the initial HipHop movement when Graf,dance and music were all equally important elements in the culture. He and his crew were amongst the best cats to ever rock trains and these sketches are a literal blueprint for the graf Lee unleashed on trains and in a sense set forth the graffiti movement to the unsuspecting art world. Street art which is all the rage today owes a direct debt to Lee and his compatriots nuff said.
And this guy showed up how fing cool…Luis Guzman I interviewed him for Mass Appeal at Katz deli once….He is super cool this is him and his son. How gully is it that Lee had his show in the PJ’s and this cat and many other folxs who usually don’t venture in to the Projects came to pay there respects and marvel at these blueprints of the culture
Cafe Adela the LES mainstay provided the chow it was authentic and delicious
And the man of the moment…Lee himself….In his chonies……too dam funny. This show actually took place in the apartment Lee grew up in. This show was a glimpse in to the roots of a amazing talent and a very soulful person Lee Quinones. The show was closed to the general public and was more or less a family and friends affair something I was psyhed to be included in and invited to. This show was a literal cultural flashback for me and really made the influence of graffit and more specifically Lee’s work in my over all want to be a creative force of sorts.
I say thanks this was maybe the dopest show personally for me all year the depth and personal magnitude of this work for me is endless. This was the holy grail so know you can call me King Arthur cause I have seen the grail so to speak!
Thanks Lee
Dante Ross
November 25th, 2009 at 11:59 pm
respect due
November 26th, 2009 at 11:21 pm
Man, this was a very good idea. To truly appreciate it, you’d have to know his background & accomplishments. I certainly did!
November 28th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
Love Lee´s work, wish he´d publish a book with his works!
Truly one of New York´s finests.
Love and respect.
RISER HOLLAND
December 2nd, 2009 at 9:59 am
[...] of the Faboulous 5 had a special show with drawings from his teenage years back in the 70’s! A show held in the same apartment where he lived as a teenager, check out the fresh drawings and [...]
August 24th, 2010 at 12:43 pm
I know I’m insanely late commenting but I only just discovered your blog through your Unkut interview…thanks for being so instrumental in getting out there (and creating!) the dopest music, the soundtrack to my youth…and thanks for posting these incredible drawings, you truly are blessed, Mr Ross! Much respect from the UK!