Govinda Gallery

Graffiti at Govinda

Chris Murray — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:18:33 +0000

Copyright © Govinda Gallery Archives. All Rights Reserved.
The original sticker tagged by Siek for Govinda Gallery’s invitation to the 2001 exhibition Graffiti, the first gallery exhibition of graffiti art in Washington, D.C.

Photo Copyright © Chris Murray. All Rights Reserved.
Exhibition curator Nicholas Posada (Tale) paints a bench for Govinda Gallery.

Photo Copyright © Dave Murray. All Rights Reserved.
Govinda Gallery director Chris Murray stands in front of Washington D.C.’s “wall of fame” in the train tunnel at L’Enfant Plaza.

“It’s like a big beast you can’t tame.”

— Tale

The Washington Post, Thursday, February 22, 2001

Graffiti at Govinda: Coming In off the Street

By Nicole M. Miller, Washington Post Staff Writer

Nicholas Posada took a tour of some of his artistic handiwork last week. The first stop was behind a commercial building on U Street, another was down an alley off 16th Street NW, then under the P Street bridge east of Dupont Circle.

For five years, Posada, 21, has been spray-painting in the Washington area – sometimes with a building owner’s permission, most times not. Graffiti is illegal in the District of Columbia.

But Posada and his work recently landed in Georgetown – legitimately. His and the works of five other area graffiti artists are on display at Govinda Gallery.

“It really is a genre,” says gallery owner Chris Murray. “They’re all street taggers.”

Murray wanted to host a graffiti show, in part, to give the artists a legal venue, but he also defends their painting on the streets. He believes they choose appropriate locations.

“It’s in places that frankly look better,” Murray says. “Technically, whether it’s legal or illegal, to me it looks good.”

Murray met Posada at the gallery two years ago at a surprise party for Murray’s son’s 16th birthday. He found Posada poring over art books in the back room; they started talking about the gallery and graffiti art.

A year later they firmed up the dates for a show, and Posada rallied five other artists to participate. The five – Johnny Real, Sest, Seik, SMK, and Vove – simply use their “tags” in the show.

“These are the people who I respect the most,” Posada says. The show, he adds, is only a “reflection of graffiti.”

“You can’t capture graffiti in a gallery – graffiti is under the bridge,” says Posada, who looks rather clean-cut with his short brown hair, Tommy Hilfiger jacket and Reeboks. His jeans have just a few splatters of paint.

“I like finding places that are real chilled out, relaxed and hidden,” says Posada, who works at a deli and waits tables at a restaurant.

He wavers on the question of illegal tagging. In one breath, he says, “It’s kind of childish.” In the next, “It’s real vibrant and impulsive – emotional.”

He settles on: “It’s like a big beast you can’t tame.”

Neil Trugman, a retired D.C. police officer who investigated gangs, teaches other officers about graffiti. A main distinction for the authorities, he says, is between gang graffiti (usually in a single color and used to leave messages) and tagging, often multi-colored nicknames composed of big “bubble” letters.

Most taggers aren’t members of a gang, Trugman says. They’re usually kids just trying to top one another with their artistic style and obscure locations.

“They have a talent that doesn’t need to be put on cement walls, it needs to be put on canvas,” he adds.

Graffiti art, commonly associated with hip-hop music, derives from a tradition of subway art in New York in the 1970s. Many cities have a “hall of fame” or “wall of honor” where graffiti artists do their best work. The District’s “hall of fame” is in a train tunnel in L’Enfant Plaza. Police try to keep taggers out, but on weekend nights you can smell the fresh paint, Trugman says.

Posada’s tag is “Tale,” a shorter version of his nickname, “Nicktale.” Besides being a way to identify themselves to other artists, the short names can be written fast to avoid being caught.

Trugman emphasizes that officers often use counseling to try to deter taggers. But police do make arrests, and those convicted often face community service, probation, fines, jail time or a combination thereof. Posada has been arrested four times but doesn’t think he’s doing anything wrong.

He says he started out just “throwing up” his name everywhere. Now, however, he says he does it for the art.

He hopes the gallery show will produce other legal artistic opportunities.

Posada says some of his associates don’t think he should discuss their actions publicly, but he wants people to understand the art.

“I feel I’ve become a better person because of it,” he says.

Posada still paints illegally, too, though he adds, “I might grow out of it.”

Copyright © The Washington Post. All rights reserved.

Elvis at 21 Exhibition Tour Opens at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles

Cary Scott — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:50:08 +0000

On January 8th, Elvis Presley’s 75th birthday, the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles launched the exhibition Elvis at 21: Photographs by Alfred Wertheimer. This extraordinary touring show was organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service with Govinda Gallery in Washington, D.C. The exhibition was curated by Govinda Gallery director Chris Murray with Amy Henderson and E. Warren Perry, Jr. of the National Portrait Gallery. A critically acclaimed book, Elvis 1956 (Welcome Books) has been published in conjunction with the exhibition. Along with Wertheimer’s remarkable photographs, the book features essays by the exhibition’s curators. Alfred Wertheimer attended the exhibition launch and signed copies of Elvis 1956 as well as copies of his monumental publication Elvis at 21: New York to Memphis (Insight Editions). For more information about Alfred Wertheimer’s photographs, including Vanity Fair’s January 2010 feature story written by Bob Colacello, go to www.govindagallery.com.

Photo Copyright © Carlotta Hester. All Rights Reserved.
Alfred Wertheimer and friends at the Elvis at 21 exhibition. Left to Right: Jeff Greenfield (CBS Sunday Morning), Marna Schnabel, Alfred Wertheimer, Chris Murray (Govinda Gallery), Marquette Folley (Project Director, SITES), Anna Cohn (Director, SITES).

Photo Copyright © Carlotta Hester. All Rights Reserved.
Grammy Museum Director Bob Santelli and The History Channel’s Libby O’Connell at the opening of Elvis at 21.

Photo Copyright © Carlotta Hester. All Rights Reserved.
Nion McEvoy (Chronicle Books), Chris Murray, and Bob Santelli discussing Alfred Wertheimer’s photographs.

Photo Copyright © Gary Leonard. All Rights Reserved.
After the exhibition launch, Bob Santelli moderated a discussion with photographer Alfred Wertheimer and curator Chris Murray at the beautiful Grammy Museum theater.

Photo Copyright © Carlotta Hester. All Rights Reserved.
Catherine Nation (Bhavantu) with Chris Murray and artist Carlotta Hester at Alfred Wertheimer’s book signing.

Photo Copyright © Kenneth Stewart. All Rights Reserved.
Elvis at 21 installation photo at the Grammy Museum.

Photo Copyright © Alex Chadwick. All Rights Reserved.
Alfred Wertheimer enjoying an afternoon at Venice Beach, California the day after the opening of his exhibition Elvis at 21. Left to Right: Carlotta Hester, Alfred Wertheimer, Chris Murray, and a Hare Krishna devotee.

Govinda Gallery’s 34 Years on 34th Street Featured in Vanity Fair

Chris Murray — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:59:55 +0000

Govinda Gallery recently celebrated its 34th anniversary on 34th street in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. Vanity Fair online featured a story on this milestone for Govinda, Govinda Gallery: A Gem in Georgetown. Govinda’s anniversary was also celebrated by Washington Life magazine in their story Miracle on 34th Street.

Naked Ambition Exhibition Opens During Record-Breaking Snowstorm at Govinda Gallery

Chris Murray — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:34:17 +0000

On December 19th, Govinda Gallery launched the exhibition Naked Ambition in association with PETA, celebrating over twenty years of the ‘I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur’ campaign. Co-hosting the opening was Twilight saga star Christian Serratos, who unveiled the latest image, featuring herself, at the exhibition opening. In this photograph, Serratos is inscribing the image to gallery director Chris Murray, who was also celebrating his birthday that same day.

Outside Govinda Gallery at PETA’s Naked Ambition exhibition launch. Left to Right: Michelle Cho, Chris Murray, Christian Serratos, Dan Matthews, and Jack Ryan.

Michelle Cho and Jack Ryan letting it all hang out for PETA outside Govinda Gallery with Twilight saga star Christian Serratos joining the fun. The largest storm ever recorded in December in Washington, D.C. did not deter the Naked Ambition enthusiasts. Check out the Washington Post and PETA’s blog for more on the event.

Alfred Wertheimer

Cary Scott — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:16:59 +0000

Tour Dates and Locations »

Jan 8 – Mar 28, 2010 The Grammy Museum :: Los Angeles, CA
Apr 20 – Jun 20, 2010 Boca Raton Museum of Art :: Boca Raton, FL
Jul 10 – Oct 10, 2010 Museum of the Shenandoah Valley :: Winchester, VA
Oct 30, 2010 – Jan 23, 2011 National Portrait Gallery :: Washington, DC

Alfred Wertheimer’s photographs of Elvis Presley are a national treasure. They are a unique visual record of the most exciting and influential performer of our time. Taken 50 years ago, Wertheimer’s photographs document Elvis Presley at the pivotal moment of his explosive appearance onto the cultural landscape. After these photos were taken, no photographer ever again had access to Elvis that Wertheimer enjoyed. Apart from Elvis’s own recordings from this period, Wertheimer’s photographs are the most compelling vintage document of this musical artist in 1956.

Elvis at 21 features over forty of these stunning and intimate black and white photographs. This exhibition also celebrates the publication of Elvis 1956 (Welcome Books), with photographs and text by Alfred Wertheimer and edited by Chris Murray, owner and director of Govinda Gallery. Many previously unpublished photographs along with the author’s personal recollections document the young man who invented the rock and roll persona as we know it and would become an enduring international cultural icon.

Since 1995, Murray has presented Wertheimer’s work in several exhibitions, including his first major one-person exhibition in 1997 at Govinda Gallery and in the exhibition Artist to Icon: Early Photographs of Elvis, Dylan, and the Beatles organized in 2001 in conjunction with the Experience Music Project, Seattle.

Exhibit Photo Gallery. Click on an image to launch slideshow.

Before Elvis there was nothing.

- John Lennon

Press & Media »

The Herald, Monterey County – February 1, 2010
Los Angeles Times – January 8, 2010
NPR – January 7, 2010
USA Today – January 3, 2010
Vanity Fair – January Issue
Smithsonian Institution – December 2009

More Info »

Donovan Performs For Guests at Halcyon House Cocktail Party In His Honor

Chris Murray — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:01:26 +0000

Poet, musician, and artist Donovan was in Washington, D.C. last week visiting Govinda Gallery director Chris Murray. Donovan and Murray were working on the upcoming exhibition in Athens, Greece of Donovan’s Sapphographs. Donovan was also in the United States to continue his work with film director David Lynch on Lynch’s education initiative which brings meditation to inner city schools. Guests at the party on November 18, hosted by gallery director Chris Murray at Georgetown’s historic Halcyon House, were delighted to meet the legendary singer and were enthralled by his spontaneous and intimate performance.

P.K. 14 Live at Govinda Gallery

Chris Murray — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:51:25 +0000

Surrounded by their comrades in music on the walls of Govinda Gallery, Beijing underground music legends P.K. 14 and Xiao He are performing live sets at Govinda. Among those attending this historic event are Spin magazine publisher Nion McEvoy, The Evens Ian Mackaye, formerly of Fugazi, and Rollins Band guitarist Chris Haskett. The Sound Kapital exhibition continues through November 28th. Also on display are a selection of Sound Kapital photographer Matthew Niederhauser’s compelling images of architecture in China from his Visions of Modernity project.

Sound Kapital Musicians Xiao He and P.K. 14 Perform at the Velvet Lounge

Chris Murray — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:19:14 +0000

Last night, Beijing musician Xiao He and rock band P.K. 14 performed for the first time in the nation’s capital at U Street’s Velvet Lounge. Xiao He mesmerized the sold out audience with his extraordinary multi-dimensional sounds. P.K. 14, China’s most influential rock band, put on an inspired set that had the audience in a frenzy. Both Xiao He and P.K. 14 are featured in Govinda Gallery’s exhibition of Matthew Niederhauser’s photographs and his just published book Sound Kapital (powerHouse 2009). Xiao He and P.K. 14 are performing a free show at Govinda Gallery tonight with photographer Matthew Niederhauser in attendance.

Matthew Niederhauser Exhibit is Washington Post’s Gallery Opening of the Week

Chris Murray — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:03:23 +0000

Today’s Washington Post highlights Matthew Niederhauser’s opening tonight at Govinda Gallery as the “Gallery Opening of the Week.” This exhibition is organized in conjunction with Fotoweek DC, which also opens this evening.

More info on the Matthew Niederhauser Exhibit »

Govinda Gallery at National Harbor Exhibition for Jet Magazine Photographer Lamonte McLemore

Chris Murray — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:02:11 +0000

The opening night crowd at the exhibition for legendary Jet magazine Beauty of the Month photographer Lamonte McLemore, October 30th, 2009, Govinda Gallery at National Harbor. McLemore attended the exhibition’s opening, much to the delight of everyone at the gallery. Along with his work as a photographer, McLemore is a founding member of the sixties chart-topping musical group The Fifth Dimension.