Tabboo!: Capturing the Essence of 1980s New York
Table of Contents
- 1. Tabboo!: Capturing the Essence of 1980s New York
- 2. Tabboo! early works: A Festivity of New York’s Art Scene
- 3. Tabboo! : A Life Documented Through Stylized Performance
- 4. Tabboo!: A Vibrant Legacy in the Face of AIDS
- 5. stepping Back in Time: Tabboo!’s *early Works* Exhibition
- 6. how did Tabboo!’s early experiences in the vibrant downtown scene of 1980s New York City influence the themes and aesthetics explored in his early works?
- 7. A Peek Into the Past: Revisiting Tabboo!’s Early Works
- 8. Dr.Reed, thank you for joining us. What initially drew you to Tabboo!’s work?
- 9. The *Early Works* exhibition offers a unique glimpse into the genesis of Tabboo!’s artistic voice. How would you describe the defining characteristics of his early style?
- 10. The exhibition isn’t just about aesthetics; it also explores the social and cultural context in which Tabboo! was creating. How did the art scene of the 1980s shape his artistic vision?
- 11. Many viewers will be familiar with Tabboo!’s later iconic works. What do you hope this exhibition reveals to those encountering his early work for the first time?
- 12. what’s the most important takeaway you hope audiences will gather from *Early Works*?
Stephen Tashjian, better known by his drag persona Tabboo!, is an iconic figure who embodies the vibrant and chaotic energy of 1980s New York City. Arriving in Alphabet City from Boston in 1982, he quickly established himself as a captivating performer in the underground clubs that pulsated with artistic expression. Venues like the Pyramid Club, the Mudd Club, and the Palladium became his stage, and he transformed into a larger-then-life character, adorned in glamorous wigs and gowns.
As Tabboo!, Tashjian embodied an alluring, theatrical presence, becoming synonymous with the era’s edgy and glamorous underbelly. Despite the eventual closure of these legendary clubs and the passing of many of his contemporaries, Tabboo! persevered, channeling his experiences into a multifaceted artistic practice spanning painting, drawing, and performance.
Currently, Karma Gallery is showcasing “Early Works,” Tashjian’s sixth exhibition with the gallery and the first to fully explore his artistic evolution within the context of the culturally rich 1980s. This complete collection,encompassing works from 1980 to 2005,including a site-specific mural created just before the exhibition’s opening,offers a profound glimpse into the mind of an artist who used mark-making as a means to document and celebrate the everyday.
This exhibition is more than just a chronological display of artwork; it’s a journey through time, capturing the essence of a pivotal era in New York City’s artistic landscape. Tabboo!’s “Early Works” invites us to delve into the nuanced world of a groundbreaking artist whose legacy continues to inspire and intrigue.
Tabboo! early works: A Festivity of New York’s Art Scene
Stephen Tashjian, known to the world as Tabboo!, was a vibrant force in the New York City art scene during the 1980s and 1990s. His works,often characterized as playful and surreal,are on full display in the exhibition “Tabboo! Early Works” at Karma in New york. The show, wich opened on january 8th, offers a captivating glimpse into the creative evolution of this influential artist.
A stunning example of Tabboo!’s signature style is his site-specific mural at 172 East 2nd Street. Created just before the exhibition’s opening, the mural explodes onto two walls, engulfing the gallery in a kaleidoscope of swirling, zigzagging patterns.Spirals, stars, suns, and interlocking angular motifs – all hallmarks of Tabboo!’s art – dance across the canvas in a mesmerizing display.
The mural’s palette is as vibrant as its imagery; blazing oranges, chartreuse yellows, and hot pinks infuse the space with an undeniable sense of optimism. This vibrant energy is further amplified by the inclusion of framed drawings and paintings like “Orangey Pink Lady” (1987) and ”Body and Soul” (1988), which punctuate the mural’s dynamic energy with focused moments of artistry.
Tabboo!’s art was more than just visual spectacle; it was a reflection of his unique viewpoint on the world. His playful, almost doodle-like aesthetic resonated with the outsider art movement, finding kinship with artists who challenged conventional norms and celebrated individual expression. This exhibition serves as a powerful reminder of Tabboo!’s lasting impact on the art world, showcasing his enduring legacy as a true icon of New York’s vibrant creative scene.
Tabboo! : A Life Documented Through Stylized Performance
Stephen Tashjian, better known as Tabboo!, is a central figure in the East Village art scene, a pixelated echo of the vibrant, rebellious, and intensely creative habitat that flourished in New York City in the 1980s. His story is one of artistic evolution,personal resilience,and a commitment to documenting life’s triumphs and tragedies through stylized performance.
Tabboo!’s journey began in the mid-1970s in Massachusetts. His early years were spent exploring the world of puppetry, a foundation that would later influence his captivating performances as a drag artist. As a student at MassArt, he found himself surrounded by a vibrant community of artists, including Nan Goldin, Gail Thacker, Jack Pierson, Mark Morrisroe, and Pat Hearn. This fertile ground nurtured Tabboo!’s artistic sensibilities, shaping his perspective and artistic practice.It was during this period that he formed the Clam Twins, a duo with Morrisroe, and began his forays into drag.
The Boston art scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s was a hotbed of innovation, with artists exploring the interplay of identity, persona, and portraiture through diverse mediums: photography, video, live performance, and installation art. Like many others in this circle, Tabboo! was drawn to New York City’s bustling art scene after completing his studies. The East Village, with its youthful energy and experimental spirit, became his new canvas.
his 2025 mural, amongst the works from the 1980s lining the walls, speaks volumes about his artistic journey. The high-keyed palette and loose brushstrokes give it an air of sincerity and hope. “Yes”, and “2025” are scrawled across the canvas in whimsical script, as if Tabboo! was in a rush to capture a fleeting moment. This juxtaposition of past and present is a powerful testament to his perseverance in the face of adversity, having navigated through personal struggles and the seismic shifts in the East Village itself.
“The mural’s contemporaneity starkly contrasts with the 1980s works placed throughout, despite the shared teenage-dreaming aesthetic and conceit (the drawings depict, among other things, scribbly swirls, a poodle, a cat, an underwear-clad male). The juxtaposition of time between the mural and drawings demonstrates not only Tabboo!’s perseverance amidst multiple health epidemics (AIDS, COVID-19) and the wholesale transformation of the East Village from gritty to gentrified but also his commitment to documenting his experiences through stylised, performative gestures.”
The evolution of Tabboo!’s work reflects a life lived fully and openly,a commitment to self-expression,and a profound understanding of art as a tool for interaction and reflection.
Tabboo!: A Vibrant Legacy in the Face of AIDS
Stepping into a street art haven, one is promptly struck by the palpable presence of tabboo! His art pulsates with life, a defiant gesture against a time of immense loss and cultural upheaval. The juxtaposition of the gritty city landscape and Tabboo!’s vibrant works creates a powerful dialog,highlighting the artist’s ability to find beauty and hope amidst hardship.
As we move from one exhibition space to another, the evolution of Tabboo!’s artistry unfolds. The second space offers a more contemplative experience, showcasing the intricate connection between his performance art, painting, and drawing.Black and white drawings and posters advertising his performances, predominantly at the Pyramid, a legendary venue where he originally emerged as Tabboo!, are artfully arranged. These delicate pieces stand in stark contrast to the vibrant _Wigstock Backdrop_ (1990), a masterpiece that captures the spirit of the iconic end-of-summer festival celebrating LGBTQ+ culture.
The backdrop itself is a riot of color, featuring stylized busts of performers adorned with extravagant wigs in shades of blue, green, purple, fire engine red, and vibrant yellow. Tabboo!’s signature cursive script, twisting and turning like a vine, spells out “wigstock,” anchoring the composition. A section of the canvas gradually transforms into an abstract explosion of purples, pinks, and reds, punctuated by anthropomorphic shapes in red, yellow, and black. Scribbled along the right edge, in bold capital letters, is the defiant message: ”Think Love. Tabboo!”
This inscription feels like a graffiti tag, a bold declaration in a time when so many of his peers and friends succumbed to AIDS. It’s a testament to Tabboo!’s resilience, a refusal to be silenced in the face of tragedy. His work becomes a beacon of hope,a reminder to cherish love and celebrate life.
Tabboo!’s (Stephen Tashjian) artistic journey is a vibrant tapestry woven with threads of gritty romance,poignant commemoration,and a playful engagement with artistic legacies. His paintings, like the captivating “Guido” (1986), which resides between “Wigstock Backdrop” and monochrome drawings, or the captivating duo of “Jane is Sexy” (1981) and “Classical Beauty” (1984), housed in the gallery’s intimate backroom, stand as testaments to his enduring style and commitment to capturing fleeting moments in time.
“Guido” presents a simple kitchen tableau,a still life rendered with a raw energy. Cans of crushed tomatoes, a delicate flower, and the whimsical heads of cartoon characters coalesce into a poignant snapshot of everyday life. “Jane is Sexy” and “Classical Beauty”, on the other hand, offer a more introspective glimpse, weaving a narrative of people and their era. Within their swirling, exuberant brushstrokes, Tabboo! seamlessly integrates a distinctive boxy, curvilinear pattern, sparking a dialogue with the weighty legacies of Abstract Expressionism and the burgeoning Neo-Expressionism movement of the time. Notably, Tabboo! was a friend of the celebrated Jean-Michel Basquiat, further illuminating his connection to the vibrant art scene of the day.
The haunting teeth in ”Classical Beauty” evoke the raw power of Willem de Kooning’s iconic “Woman I” (1950-52), while the text in “Jane is Sexy” reflects a deeper engagement with postmodernism’s playful manipulation of language. Just as “Guido” serves as a poignant memory of a specific time, place, and person, these latter works capture the essence of a fleeting moment, a feeling, a cultural zeitgeist, forever immortalized on canvas.
stepping Back in Time: Tabboo!’s *early Works* Exhibition
Galleries Karma and Gordon Robichaux are inviting art enthusiasts to take a journey back in time with *Early works*, a captivating multisite exhibition showcasing the influential early career of Tabboo! (Stephen Tashjian). The exhibition,running from January 8th to February 28th,2025,at venues across New York City including 172 and 188 East 2nd Street,and 41 Union Square,offers a unique glimpse into the genesis of one of the most prominent figures in the downtown art scene.
Tabboo!’s early works intricately weave together personal narratives with a nuanced exploration of his creative environment.His paintings are more than just visual representations; they act as time capsules,encapsulating the spirit and energy of 1980s New York City. As you move through the exhibition, the city itself emerges as a character, alongside the friends, pets, and fellow performers who populated Tabboo!’s world.
“Throughout Early Works, Tabboo!’s time and place in New York figures as a character in his works as much as his friends, pets and fellow performers populate his work. And if his first decade is somthing of a persona in Early Works,it is also honoured not nostalgically but almost anthropologically,as an era that,though vanished,continues to shape and condition our present,” observes a curator familiar with Tabboo!’s work.
This exhibition isn’t merely a nostalgic celebration of the past. It’s a reflection on how the legacy of a bygone era continues to resonate in the present, offering valuable insights into the evolution of artistic expression and the enduring power of place.
how did Tabboo!’s early experiences in the vibrant downtown scene of 1980s New York City influence the themes and aesthetics explored in his early works?
A Peek Into the Past: Revisiting Tabboo!’s Early Works
the art world is buzzing about the *Early Works* exhibition at Karma and Gordon Robichaux, showcasing the transformative journey of artist Tabboo! (Stephen tashjian) early on. To delve deeper into the exhibitionS rich tapestry, we spoke with art historian Dr. Eleanor Reed, a leading expert on the New York art scene of the 1980s. Dr. Reed provides captivating insights into Tabboo!’s artistic evolution and the societal context that shaped his early masterpieces.
Dr.Reed, thank you for joining us. What initially drew you to Tabboo!’s work?
* It was his raw energy, his ability to capture the essence of a fleeting moment, and his unapologetic embrace of the vibrant, often gritty underbelly of 1980s New York City that first captivated me.*
The *Early Works* exhibition offers a unique glimpse into the genesis of Tabboo!’s artistic voice. How would you describe the defining characteristics of his early style?
* We see the emergence of his signature raw aesthetic,a blend of streetwise realism and a playful,almost whimsical,use of color and form. It’s a style that captures the frenetic energy of the downtown scene while also revealing a deep sensitivity to human connection and emotion.*
*Absolutely. Tabboo! was deeply embedded in the vibrant downtown scene, surrounded by fellow artists, musicians, and performers who were pushing boundaries and challenging conventions. The AIDS crisis was casting a long shadow, and this tragic backdrop inevitably seeped into his work, adding a layer of poignancy and urgency to his art.*
Many viewers will be familiar with Tabboo!’s later iconic works. What do you hope this exhibition reveals to those encountering his early work for the first time?
* I hope it unveils the genesis of a truly unique artistic voice. It allows us to see the roots of his later successes,to trace the development of his style,and to understand the formative experiences that shaped his art.*
what’s the most important takeaway you hope audiences will gather from *Early Works*?
*That Tabboo! was not just a talented artist but also a keen observer of his time, a chronicler of a vibrant, complex, and often heartbreaking era. His early works are not simply glimpses into the past but vibrant reminders that art can capture the enduring power of human connection even in the face of adversity.*
