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Guide to the Martin Wong Papers
ca. 1982-1999
MSS 102
Descriptive Summary
| Title: |
Martin Wong Papers |
| Dates: |
ca. 1982-1999 |
| Abstract:
|
Born Martin Victor Wong in Portland, Oregon on July 11, 1946, Wong was raised by his
Chinese-American parents in San Francisco. Wong was involved in performance art in
the 1970's, but focused almost exclusively on painting after moving to New York in
the early 1980's. The self-taught Wong, whose work showed a distinct gay sensibility,
became a respected, renowned and prolific painter in New York's downtown art scene.
He also cultivated both working and personal relationships with graffiti artists and
enthusiasts in that scene. His compositions combine gritty social documents, cosmic
witticisms, and symbolic languages that chronicle survival in his drug-and-crime-besieged
Lower East Side neighborhood. In addition to his painting, Wong also experimented
with poetry and prose, much of which he recorded on long paper scrolls. Wong died
of AIDS in 1999.
|
| Quantity: |
29.5 linear feet (33 boxes) |
| Call Phrase: |
MSS 102 |
