Martha Cooper Captures How Urban Youth Made New York

Art Review

Her photographs capture the city’s vibrant physicality: dancing on boxes, spray-painting subway cars.

Martha Cooper, “Sean after painting Happy Holidays car with Jason, Esplanade lay up Bronx” (1982) (all photos Imani Williford/Hyperallergic)

What defines a city’s physical character? This question lingered as I explored the Bronx Documentary Center’s exhibition Martha Cooper: Streetwise. Known for her early 1980s documentation of New York City’s graffiti and breakdancing scenes, Martha Cooper’s exhibition spans her work from the late 1970s through the 2010s across New York, Baltimore, Tokyo, and Soweto, South Africa. Cooper’s images invite a deep reflection on the urban physical experience.

The exhibition opens with the renowned piece “Cops patrolling on the number #1 line Harlem” (1981), capturing the gritty allure of 1980s New York. Two officers patrol a subway car while a woman sits amidst a backdrop of worn grays, vibrant ads, and graffiti. The woman’s alert gaze, more striking than the uniforms that blend into the scenery, conveys a heightened sense of vigilance, mirroring the city’s atmosphere both then and now.

The “Street Play” section highlights Cooper’s work on the Lower East Side from 1978 to 1980, illustrating how New York City becomes a playground. Beyond parks, spaces like fire escapes and vacant lots fuel creativity and imagination, echoing the legacy of photographers like Helen Levitt and Arthur Leipzig. Cooper and her contemporary Jamel Shabazz continue this tradition of capturing urban youth, though they often go unrecognized for their contributions.

Cooper’s iconic photographs from hip hop’s early days, set in clubs, streets, and trains, emphasize the dynamic interaction between young people and the urban landscape. They transformed their surroundings into stages for dance and canvases for graffiti, engaging with the city’s structures in vibrant dialogue through movement and color.

Cooper’s work also highlights the collaboration with Bronx artists Rigoberto Torres and John Ahearn, who create 3D murals of local residents. A favorite photograph shows friends playing double dutch beneath their mural likenesses, blending life with art in a beautifully seamless tribute to their community’s spirit and identity.

Streetwise offers a profound visual and psychological exploration of how New Yorkers assert themselves through physical expressions. The photographs serve as an affectionate homage to the city, encouraging reflection on how we personalize our urban environment through creativity.

Martha Cooper: Streetwise continues at Bronx Documentary Center Annex (364 East 151st Street, Melrose, Bronx) through June 14. The exhibition was organized by the institution.