A Rare Look
The famous New York City Center on Friday revealed a rare viewing of the Fiorelli Wall that’s never been seen in public before where spectators got to see this unforgettable painting by Keith Harring and Angel Ortiz aka LA II.
A popular artist and activist, Keith Haring was an influential part of the New York art scene during the 1980s.
Inspired by graffiti art, he began drawing in New York’s subway stations, filling empty advertising spaces with chalk drawings.
His aim was to make art accessible to everyone.
In 1983, legendary Milan-based designer Elio Fiorucci invited Haring to Milan to turn his store into a work of art.
Fiorucci stripped his 5,000 square foot store bare, creating a blank wall canvas.
Haring painted the shop in 13 hours, working overnight with his friend and collaborator Angel Ortiz (LA II), accompanied by the tunes of DJ Maurizio Marisco.
When the installation came down in 1984, Fiorucci saved the panels and kept them in storage for decades.
The panel currently installed in City Center’s Shuman Lounge, on display in New York for the first time ever, was restored by Fiorucci in 1991.
A series of portraits by q known for her photographs of the New York art world in the 1980s, accompanies the panel just outside the Lounge.