Find Dondi White in the United States. After his energy levels were stable again, he made some of his most famous and memorable blueprints, collages, ink and pencil drawings. Burial will follow in the Shady Grove Baptist Church Cemetery, New Providence Church Road, Buena Vista, Georgia. He collaborated with others for years, but in that period in his career, he wanted his art to be more personal. Dondi Hamm learned that her mother's case file was believed to have been destroyed in a flood in 1993. He refused to be labeled and classified as just a graffiti artist. He was driven by strong will and vision that he can achieve something bigger and more important than the petty gang and criminal exposition. He wanted to be everything in once. He fought hard for his independence and identity. Donald Joseph White, "DONDI" (April 7, 1961 — October 2, 1998 aged 37) is considered one of the most influential graffiti artists in the history of the movement. The work they have done in that time span later became the iconic graffiti legacy. On the streets and in the yards, the word was the Name. It now appears on the commemorative reissue of “Subway Art,” the seminal book Cooper compiled with Henry Chalfant in 1984. “That photo alone did a lot for the culture,” Cooper said. “He had a really beautiful, clear concise way of painting,” said John Matos, a graffiti artist known as Crash. Shop now. Even though he grew up in a certain lifestyle, he never raised to the stereotype of problematic graffiti artist from the streets. Buy Dondi White: Style Master General: The by Andrew Witten, Michael White online at Alibris. “He had this whole crew of wannabes,” said Felisbret, the author of “Graffiti New York” (2009). Critics and commuters called it vandalism. Over the last year Dondi fought a valiant fight to live and end his life on his terms. Part one: The Death Squad, Style Master General: Dondi White and Terrible T-Kid170. He knew exactly where he was going to go and how he had to play the game to get there, and he was not going to compromise. He put his heart and soul in everything he did, and the whole process turned out to be quite exhausting sometimes. Dondi White: Style Master General: The (Hardcover) By Andrew Witten, Michael White. Available for sale from GHOST GALERIE , Futura, Untitled (ca. It was like he was doing math. His earliest interest in graffiti was practical: he kept an eye out for tags by gangs whenever he ventured beyond his block to make sure he wasn’t entering dangerous turf, like Intermediate School 302. “You couldn’t go out to Miller Park anymore because of the Tomahawks, which was a black gang,” he said in a 1995 interview that was published in “Dondi White: Style Master General.” “And then there was the Crazy Homicides, a Puerto Rican gang that was over on Pitkin Avenue near 302. I come from the streets, I painted on subways, and I feel my work is important. Dondi White, Dondi, Bus 129, Mr. White, Pre, Pose, Roll, 2 Many, Asia, no matter what name he used, he set the standards for graffiti art in his time. His name was part of the artwork and the writing style was important to him as much as the graffiti itself. “I never had to compromise myself,” he said in the book “Dondi White: Style Master General” (2001) written by his brother, Michael White, and Andrew Witten. Donald Joseph White died on the October 2nd, 1998, from the illness and complications caused by AIDS. He had to have several connections with local gangs, just to ensure his safety and freedom. It was persona and place, form and content, truth and fiction. He wasn't much fond of group exhibitions, he preferred to show his art solo, even in small galleries and in front of a modest audience. In the 70's and 80's he worked with other graffiti artists like Duro, Noc 167, Kid 56, Kel 139, and Fuzz One. Pleasant Baptist Church, Bridges Road, Buena Vista, Georgia. Part One was sprayed over the surface of three train cars and photographed by Francisco Reyes II. Dondi worked with Futura 2000, Keith Haring, Eric Haze, Lee Quiñones, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Zephyr, who became his best friend for life. His parents were of African American and Italian American origin. He earned his GED in 1984 and after graduation took a job in a government office. It became a synonym for a style, for a movement, it was a part of lifestyle and culture. He died at home in the company of family and friends, after a long illness. This was a healthy type of ambition, and this talented artist truly mastered the skill of the street art. Nicknamed Dondi as a child, after the popular comic strip of an Italian orphan adopted by an American soldier during World War II, he attended a parochial school in East New York, Brooklyn, and passed the time riding his bike, raising pigeons on the roof of his house and drawing. His urge to create coupled with his incredible talent made him one of the most influential graffiti artists in the 20th century. He was surrounded by friends and family. Dondi always used clear and defined writing, because he wanted his work to be recognized and shared. “It was always me, doing what was comfortable, and relaying the message that I didn’t have to be taught to be creative and do good things. All of them, except for Dondi, moved out from the family house in New York, and the largest bedroom of the house was soon transformed into a graffiti studio. They ranged from quickly written tags to creations that covered whole cars, making him a legend on the streets and in galleries years before “street art” became popular, and setting a standard that is still followed to this day. He was always close to people he loved, and in his last moments, they were there for him. His work has been exhibited at the Groninger Museum in the Netherlands, the Fun Gallery in New York, and the Musée des Monuments Français in Paris, among others. Hard to Find. By 1975, East New York became an unstable region with racial tensions and social conflicts such as the prominence of gangs. Dondi evolved over the years, and the beauty of his growing was his ability to mix different styles and to make something different. I want people to see it — I want to influence others.”. He was a style leader.”. Growing up in New York at the time was challenging and living in his neighborhood was everything but safe. In it, she captured Dondi, spray can in hand, straddling two subway cars at daybreak inside a Brooklyn train yard. They teamed up with Soul Artist crew that was founded by Marc André Edmonds aka ALI, in 1980. Freddie Gray’s Death Compared to Dondi Johnson’s. When it comes to law, his main concern was the global politics and the state associated policies of American government. © 2013-2020 Widewalls | “His jean jackets were pressed, he had beautiful shirts. DONDI (graffiti artist) Donald Joseph White, "DONDI" (April 7, 1961 — October 2, 1998 aged 37) is considered one of the most influential graffiti artists in the history of the movement. This month, with Overlooked, we’re adding their stories to our archives. Searching for purpose and chasing fame and wealth never fascinated him. When he felt his energy was drained, he would take a break. Dondi White, real name: Donald Joseph White, was an American graffiti artist born in 1961. And across Atlantic Avenue there were the crazy Irish kids called the Headers.”. The odd fact is that Martha Cooper did not know about the Part One of the Children of the Grave series, and only saw the recreation of the piece at the gallery exhibition years later. The name Dondi White has over 6 birth records, 0 death records, 3 criminal/court records, 20 address records, 3 phone records and more. Dondi White was born as Donald Joseph White in Manhattan, New York. His first solo exhibition happened in Netherlands in 1983, and after that one more followed all around Europe. What he knew for sure is that he wanted everyone to know his name. Later, he produced sketches and collages that were as precise and innovative as his subway graffiti. The amount of time since Edna's death and the loss of … After a long period of constant painting and traveling, he took some years off at the beginning of the 90's. Donald Joseph White died on the October 2nd, 1998, from the illness and complications caused by AIDS. Yet Dondi attained a measure of immortality as a master of ephemeral art. Dondi's goal was not to sell his art or to gain popularity. An iconic image of the graffiti artist Dondi straddling two subway cars at a Brooklyn train yard. He also befriended a photographer Martha Cooper who often captured his work and followed him during his career. is no cure and silence still equals death. Part Three was probably one of the most important pieces of graffiti artwork in the history of the style. Within these pages, however, it … He was always close to people he loved, and in his last moments, they were there for him. Dondi was 37 when he died, on Oct. 2, 1998, of complications of AIDS. His style later drew admirers even outside the five boroughs. Of that number, 26 men are scheduled to die by 2023. Andrew Witten, author of Dondi White Style Master General: The Life of Graffiti Artist Dondi White, on LibraryThing LibraryThing is a cataloging and social networking site … We provide art lovers and art collectors with one of the best places on the planet to discover modern and contemporary art. Dondi White: Style Master General presents the life and work of a seminal -- yet heretofore overlooked -- American artist whose work has resonated on every level of our popular culture. Yet no matter how much buzz his pieces generated, they were — like all graffiti — ephemeral. The photo, she said in a recent interview, “captured the intensity of having to paint quickly and illegally.”. “But no one ever will.”, Overlooked No More: The Underground Graffiti Adventures of Dondi. Dondi Maurice Prather, age 40, passed on July 16, 2019 in Columbus, Georgia. NEW YORK CITY GRAFFITI ICON REST IN PEACE #DONDI #GRAFFITI #STREET ART #STYLEWARS #CLASSICNYC. Donald Joseph White, considered a legend before “street art” became popular, turned New York City’s subways into rolling canvases of color, humor and social commentary. Undisputed talent in combination with the eagerness to create helped Dondi to become one of the first graffiti masters who exhibited his work in an international gallery. On the streets and in the yards, the word was the Name. His paintings looked simple, but they were not.”. Tags: American Born in 1961 Died in 1998 Graffiti artist. Modern & Contemporary Art Resource. Police say he is responsible for the homicide of 34-year-old Dondi Johnson that happened on October 25 after a dispute in the 3600 block of West … He started with subway graffiti and for years, he painted trains and subway walls. At the time of his death in 1998, Dondi had seen the majority of his work destroyed -- scraped off, painted over, or chemically removed from the steel upon which it thrived. A special Thank You to Dr. Lopez and Village Health Care. He dressed and acted like a leader, too, said Patti Astor, the platinum-haired artist who gained fame during New York’s 1980s downtown scene. Read 5 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Cooper’s photograph of the piece is as legendary as the piece itself and it is one of the most exemplary and widely recognized representations of the graffiti movement, not just Dondi’s work. to Zephyr, Doc,Edlin,Karen co-workers Bicycle Renaissance and Deirdre. His goal was to focus on quality and not to pile up the small works in large quantities. But his reputation as the “style master” endures, with his sketches now going for $100,000 or more, and his canvases for triple that. Donald Joseph White was born in Manhattan on April 7, 1961, the youngest of five brothers to Alan Albert White, Jr., an African-American nurse and political campaign worker, and Lucy Mary Espanet, an Italian-American nurse. The popular theme was gang-related graffiti and their street and whole blocks around them were covered in writings that referred to actions on the other side of the law. Photos of Dondi White by Martha Cooper. Oct 16, 2014 - Dondi White 1961-1998 Artist For more than 20 years in New York City, graffiti culture was as pervasive as it was secretive. (The gallery has also exhibited Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat.). All of those people deeply influenced his work and helped him to truly believe in himself and to rise and evolve. His transition to galleries was very important. Dondi's most famous work is the Children of the Grave series. Unfortunately, Dondi White passed away from AIDS in New York, 1998, aged just 37. After years of tagging, he successfully made a transition from street art to gallery art. His Children of the Grave series — the title taken from a Black Sabbath song — was among his most memorable of his whole-car work. Dondi Cobb was born on February 27, 1957. Dondi’s Children of the Grave series, featuring his name emblazoned across an entire subway car, flanked by cartoon figures or an outstretched hand, was among his most memorable work. List Price: 40.00* * Individual store prices may vary. He started tagging by writing Dondi and Naco, but after sometime Dondi became not just a name. He was very good-looking and very elegant, and that commanded respect. We found 6 entries for Dondi White in the United States. In the 1970s, decades before entire New York City subway cars were wrapped with ads for Target or Amazon, teenagers with lots of talent — but little money — turned trains into rolling canvases, with graffiti tags that proclaimed their identities through kinetic lettering and comic book-style characters. Working at his own pace helped him to focus more on a storyline of his work. On the streets he worked with his CIA and Soul Artist crew, but did most of his work solo. He felt that it was important to exhibit solo, to show his own story, to let his inner voice out. Responding to the furor over Dondi’s immigration, the U.S. Justice Department issued an actual letter in 1955, declaring Dondi a hardship case and granting him his citizenship. His brother Michael White said Dondi first took to the trains in the mid-1970s with a graffiti crew known as TOP, an acronym for The Odd Partners. And I speak from personal experience since I have had the pleasure to work with all three of them. From Gastman, LADY PINK, Lady Tagger (2020), Acrylic on canvas, 48 × 30 in He was of African American and Italian American descent. In the beginning, there was the Word. In a city reeling from near bankruptcy, their spray-painted expressions gave the cars a touch of color, humor or social commentary as they pulled into dirty stations or rumbled along streets lined with blocks of buildings that had been abandoned, incinerated or reduced to rubble. Dondi became his new persona, a representation of his true self. But along the way, his interest in drawing led him to try his hand at graffiti. His letters were enigmatic, yet clear. Dondi truly enjoy everything he did, but he put so much energy and effort in all of his work, so after the long period of activity, he had to take a break in 1984. They were visible and memorable. This book may be unable to order. And when downtown galleries discovered the medium in the early 1980s, Dondi was among the first aerosol artists to achieve aboveground success. All that he wanted is his work to speak in his name, for people to understand what it is that he’s doing, for them to surpass the doubt they felt towards him in the beginning. The funeral service will be held at 1:00 P.M., Saturday, July 20, 2019 at Mt. Hardcover. Dondi White (American, born April 7, 1961–died October 2, 1998) was a Graffiti artist best known for his dynamic lettering and stick figures. He was on assignment for ZUMA Press, a California company that archives and sells images. He was an inspiring figure and a huge influence for many graffiti artists. Within a few years, he was covering entire cars of trains that traversed miles of tracks, his work commanding notice from southeast Brooklyn to the northernmost reaches of the Bronx. Eventually, he settled in Midville, a small town with white picket fences, where he was adopted by Ted and Katje Wills. It has been over twenty years since my dear friend DONDI WHITE died. 13. These three book will get you to where need to go. He was a master of technique, working for days in his Brooklyn home on designs that he would later spray paint during nighttime forays in train yards and tunnels. He attended a Catholic school during his sophomore years. We aim at providing better value for money than most. He was known for his palette of soft colors and his ability to render his vision quickly and precisely. His magnetic personality and optimistic nature helped him to meet and have many friends. We have new and used copies available, in 0 edition - starting at . All images used for illustrative purpose only © Dondi. And the name was everything. Get full address, contact info, background report and more! Dondi White left us Friday October 2nd. His strong faith led him to major progress, and he wanted to help others to achieve a similar success. $40.00 . Catch up with our street art legends series by reading Street Art Legends: The Best of Basquiat Art and Street Art Legends: King Robbo Graffiti, about the work of King Robbo. To make a name for yourself in graffiti is a literal statement, after all.”, Astor gave Dondi his first solo show at Fun Gallery, a venue in the East Village that she ran with Bill Stelling. Dondi was always influenced by music, and although the graffiti movement is connected with hip-hop and rap, he was no stranger to good old heavy metal. His brother, Michael White, who co-authored (with Zephyr) the book about the artist, Dondi White Style Master General: The Life of Graffiti Artist Dondi White, said that his brother’s wishes were simple in life. His magnetic personality and optimistic nature helped him to meet and have many friends. Very often, apart from his sketches, photographs are the only remaining testament. Donald White considered it art. Part Two was painted on one train cart and there Dondi ensured to write his name in bold and clean letters. He believed that ideas and art can change the world and make it a better place for everyone. Dondi formed CIA creative fellowship, Crazy Inside Artists in 1978 with his colleagues Crash, Doc, Rasta and Duro. He joined the ancestors on Friday, Oct 2, 1998. Eighteen years after his death, he still influences and inspires many artists. The inspiration for this three-part artwork came from the Black Sabbath song. The most iconic image of Dondi was taken by the photographer Martha Cooper. Classification Toys and Games Type toys (recreational artifacts) Topic Art Hip hop (Music) Credit Line Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Dondi White Estate Object number 2011.148.26 He used various nicknames for tagging his art, but Dondi was his favorite since it was derived from a childhood nickname. Dondi White. Dondi took to the gallery scene, with shows elsewhere in New York City and abroad. Description "In the beginning, there was the Word. His followers, admirers, and the audience worldwide, keep his legacy alive. Dondi accomplished this, passing away at home with his family and friends. He did not want to make small works anymore. New York Graffiti Street Art Graffiti Graffiti History Graffiti Artists Street Artists Nyc Subway Subway Art Hip Hop Martha Cooper. He wanted to see his 37th birthday, take a long ride on his bicycle and see the year 2000 and the rise of a new millennium. Enjoy Some of Dondi White's Best Works For helping Sadly, the artist’s career was cut short, and Dondi died on October 2, 1998 from AIDS at the age of 37. Two decades after Dondi’s death, street art is commonplace, if not tame, attracting muralists who never did traditional graffiti, much less paint in a train yard. He was surrounded by friends and family. The state of Ohio currently has 136 inmates on death row awaiting a date for their execution. Style Master General: The. Dondi died in March 1976 at 19 years old. Dondi believed that an artist must achieve a perfect balance in showing the obvious message and hiding the more provocative reference. In an interview with Zephyr, Dondi stated that he had joined several gangs in the 1970s to avoid being attacked. When he didn't have to worry about deadlines and pressure to finish his pieces as soon as possible, he felt more relaxed and the working became enjoyable. A memento mori of Dean’s death from AIDS, it is a tribute to a remarkable man and a metaphor for all of those we lost. His personal style was bold and bright. Dondi felt, deep in his heart, that he had so much more to offer. I guess what I’m saying is that I’m here and I want to be heard. He started working on canvases around 1980, and from 1985-86 that sort of work became his preoccupation. I am going to take this opportunity to share some very personal memories and history about him and our friendship and of course I will share many photos of DONDI and his extraordinary work. Whole-car advertisements on subway cars are just as common, as the city has sought new ways to generate revenue. Born in New York, he began his career in the early 1970s, as part of the group of Graffiti artists known as The Odd Partners, who worked primarily on the M, J, and LL subway lines during the 1970s. White, better known as DONDI, was stylish and shy, but his pieces were forceful visual postcards from the margins of the city. “You wish you could do style like Dondi, just like you wish you could play guitar like Hendrix,” she said. They had that area. Part Two and Three were photographed by Martha Cooper. He successfully transitioned to galleries and swapped buses and trains for canvases. Chris Rusanowsky, who is white, is a 30-year-old father and freelance photographer. The timing was right; eventually graffiti began to fade from the public eye as city officials aggressively ordered train cars to be scrubbed before putting them into service. In those periods of solace and rest, he contemplated his ideas. And then he was gone. “He would stare at it, pull back, do a line and look at it. Dondi White . Born in the East New York neighbourhood of Brooklyn, Dondi was the youngest of five children. 2006), Ink on paper, 31 × 21 cm The photo “captured the intensity of having to paint quickly and illegally,” said its photographer, Martha Cooper. His artworks have been exhibited throughout Germany, Netherlands, France and the USA. “He was someone who not only had great command over letter forms, he became known for mentoring others. Dondi White book. ZEPHYR New York City October 8, 1998 A new report has surfaced about the spinal injury death of Freddie Gray.. 10 years prior to Gray dying after his spine was somehow snapped while in police custody, another man named Dondi Johnson suffered a similar fate. Sadly, only his first wish came true. He did not want to be described as just a street artist or a gallery one from the streets. Not only he was one of the most original style masters on the streets, he managed to translate that overwhelming talent onto a canvas in a way few others have done. He had four brothers and he grew up with them in a big family house. Saved by Graffiti Street Art Inspired Collection. Fact Check. He did much commercial work, traveled for his exhibitions all over USA and Europe, painted in his breaks. Eric Felisbret, a former graffiti artist and friend, said Dondi was generous with his time and advice with younger artists, giving them outlines to follow or touching up details himself. He wanted to make some of his work suggestive, so one would have to dig deeper to find out what it is all about. When they were growing up, he and his brothers went separate ways. So many people were touched, not just by his work, but also his personality, and that’s why he was loved by so many. Dondi liked to put everything on pause and to enjoy in small good things around him. 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