Martha Cooper - Farewell to Faile as Retna and Retinue Arrive

Retna could not have asked for a nicer day to start his mural on the celebrated wall on the corner of Houston and Bowery. Owned and organized by Tony Goldman, the man behind the Wynwood Walls, since 2008 this corner of SoHo has seen murals by Keith Haring (recreated in honor of his 50th birthday), Os Gemeos, Shepard Fairey, Barry McGee, Kenny Scharf, JR, and Faile. Everytime the artwork changes, one thing has remained constant, and that’s Martha Cooper’s presence on the scene, documenting the process. Yesterday was no different, as the legendary graffiti photographer (and 12ozProphet blogger) was on hand to capture Retna in action. Scroll down to see Martha Cooper’s pictures from Day 1 along with her commentary.

“The Houston/Bowery wall is undergoing another transformation.  L.A. based Retna, painting freehand with brushes,  is covering the wall with his unique alphabet.  I haven’t learned to read Retna yet but plan to work on it. Meanwile he’s promised to de-code his universal message when the wall is finished in the next couple of days.” -Matha Cooper

Text and Photo: Martha Cooper