The Walter Art Gallery is pleased to present “Subway Rush,” a solo show by Charles Giglia aka SAR opening on May 20 with a reception from 6:30 to 9:30pm.
Charles Giglia was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in south Queens. He adopted the graffiti name SAR in 1977 and began writing in true graffiti form on the inside and outside of New York City trains. His raw subway style is currently transformed onto canvas, paper, and metal in works capturing the color, energy, and style of art that roared through the subway system of New York City from the late 70s to the 1990s.
As a writer (the preferred term for graffiti artists), SAR was in the famous crews “The Master Blasters” and “Rolling Thunder Writers.” Many consider him a historian of Brooklyn Mass Transit graffiti from his Queens neighborhood. His work has been published in numerous magazines and books including: Under the Bridge, From the Platform, NYC Subway Graffiti, Freight Train Graffiti, Taking the Train, Fuzz One a Bronx Childhood, and magazines, Elemental, Move Back, and Hip Hop Connection, to name a few.
In 1991, SAR was featured in a Rap video by The Lords of Brooklyn titled Bombing the System. In the 1990s, SAR was also featured in the graffiti documentaries, Video Graff 2 and Video Graff 3. He also worked on set graffiti for the movie Sleepers.
SAR’s most recent works have been sold at the prestigious Art Curial and Tajan Auctions in Paris. His work was also featured in New York City this year at the Queens Graffiti Legends show at the Village Works Gallery. His artwork can be found in the private collection of the Groninger Museum in Holland and Galerie Salvador in France. The Galerie Salvador collection was presented at the Halle Saint Pierre Museum in Paris, France, February 2022.
This solo show of Charles Giglia, SAR’s, artwork will run from May 20 to July 15, 2022, with receptions on the opening and closing dates from 6:30 to 9pm. Join us to see this vibrant, dynamic art and meet the artist! The Walter Art Gallery is located at 6425 E. Thomas Road. The show can also be seen by appointment. Contact us at gallery@thewalterhive.org