When you meet John ‘Crash’ Matos, you quickly realize how down to earth and humble he is. 40 years ago he began graffiti bombing subway cars and soon became a major sought after artist and featured in so many galleries and museums throughout the globe, yet none of this seems to have changed his persona.
Now, after all these decades, Crash put down some roots in his home borough of The Bronx and opened up a gallery in Port Morris.
Called WallWorks NY, according to Crash, he was in Paris a little over a month ago and was inspired by a Parisienne gallery called Galerie Wall Works. While in conversation with the curator, they agreed that WallWorks NY would be a great idea. When I asked him about why the name he simply said, “It’s what we do.” Both the Paris gallery and The Bronx WallWorks NY will be collaborating in exchange programs, a sort of artist swap if you will.
When we asked Crash what he envisions the space to be, he said, “I want it to be an updated Fashion Moda, a space where we can have exhibitions of local artists, small music events, poetry readings, workshops for kids, as well as showcasing work from around the world.”
He added that, “If it weren’t for Fashion Moda, we wouldn’t be sitting here right now talking about this.”
Crash said that he doesn’t want to display his work and doesn’t want to make the space about him. The gallery is a way of being able to give back what he was afforded in his youth and throughout his life.
In the back of the gallery will be a pop up shop much like what Keith Haring did so long ago — someone who he respected, was inspired by and also knew very well.
The pop up shop will feature different types of art available for sale, making it accessible to the general public versus the high end art that will be on display in the gallery for sale.
WallWorks NY is yet another welcomed addition to the vast number of cultural institutions throughout the South Bronx which only keeps on growing. The art scene in the borough, which has always been strong throughout its history, is indeed thriving and shows no signs of slowing down.
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