Ross + Kramer is thrilled to present an exhibition of works by Lee Quiñones at the inaugural edition of Independent 20th Century. Featuring over 100 of the most influential artists and movements from 1900 to 2000, Independent 20th Century will further diversify the canon of art by championing iconic artists alongside artists that we are rediscovering now. ——— September 8–11, 2022 Battery Maritime Building at Cipriani South Street 10 South Street New York, NY 10004 Hours: Thursday, September 8th from 6pm–8pm Friday, September 9th from 12pm–7pm Saturday, September 10th from 12pm–7pm Sunday, September 11th from 12pm–6pm ——— “When I chose my name for the trains, no numbers or ornamental elements such as halos or crowns were assigned to flank it, just stars because that is what I was shooting for. I instinctively penned my tag to be legible so that both my peers and the riding public could recognize my work within an endless blur of alphabet soup in motion. I chose my middle name LEE not only because it was short and interconnected, resulting in lightning-fast tag attacks, but to create a look of its own to act more as a signature at the finale of something bigger. 

That something bigger quickly came in the form of what is known within the Graffiti lexicon as masterpieces or pieces. For those pieces on the trains and walls, my letters had to shape-shift from swift tremorous tags to towering and self-assured sphinx-like fixtures within a story. I was drawn to painting stories, so the narrative became the vehicle that carried the name along for the ride rather than it just being there for a singular decorative declaration. 

In the end, tagging my name not only underscored that ‘I did exist’ in a town that didn’t value or even consider my existence, but that I existed outside of my very own masterpieces.” — Lee Quiñones, 2021 ——— Lee Quiñones “Whole car cluster #2”, 1980–1983 Alcohol marker, ink, and pencil on poster board card stock 20 x 28 1/2 in ——— To purchase tickets and learn more about Independent 20th Century, visit independenthq.com #independent20c