All roads lead to the Bronx, NY, the birthplace of Hip Hop -- specifically, the Bronx Museum for FUTURA 2000: BREAKING OUT, an expansive retrospective of the artist known as FUTURA! There’s a lot of synergy between Hip Hop and FUTURA, who also happens to be celebrating over 50 years of artistic output through his initial practices of spray paint and graffiti. Practices that have evolved into sculptures, paintings, and even world-class fashion collaborations. I can’t remember exactly when I discovered or came across his work; however, I know he’s been ever-present in that space where art and fashion intersect, holding court with bold imagery, unmistakable brush strokes, and highly sought-after collabs. Let’s get into this week’s “Kickin’ Facts.”
Upon entering the retrospective, one immediately falls into the world of FUTURA, with huge floor-to-ceiling artworks covering multiple walls and different glass encasings dedicated to displaying his collaborative works with contemporary culture and fashion designers. All his Off-White C/O Virgil Abloh x FUTURA x Nike Dunk Low sneakers are present -- the ones from Off-White S/S 2020, never released but unearthed from the vault, and his most recent Nike Dunk Low collaboration that dropped earlier this year next to articles of clothing from the artist’s new collaboration with fashion house Marc Jacobs. In each of these efforts, FUTURA lent his design prowess and unique artistic abilities, highlighting how seamlessly he has permeated modern culture. For proof, all one had to do was look around at what visitors were wearing and you would see different versions of his Nike Dunks and other branded works with designers like Comme des Garçons.
Circling back to the art; of major importance in the exhibition is “JUMP OFF”, one of the first paintings that FUTURA made in his studio on Hope Street in Brooklyn, NYC, the beginning of an actual space that would later become FUTURA LABORATORIES. Other eye-catching works include “INJECTION 2,” a bright red aerosol piece on canvas from FUTURA’s collection; “GARBAGE ROCK,” an aerosol on metal offering; and “5IX BLACK DOOR” (1981-1985), a graffiti-laced piece of art with bright symbols, drawings, and the word REVOLT boldly tagged throughout from the collection of another world-renowned artist, KAWS.
On the second floor of the exhibition, there is another seminal figure in FUTURA’s world, “FL-001 POINTMAN,” a silver rendition of the artist’s signature sculpture, which debuted in 1988. The silver robotic figure with its elongated head, oversized ears, and crustacean-inspired appendages forms a striking silhouette, slightly sinister in its expression. Sinister-looking maybe, but not enough to ostracize the figure that regularly shows up in FUTURA’s clothing designs, artworks, and even on bags.
The exhibition also touched on FUTURA’s personal life, letting us in on the man behind the artwork, born Leonard Hilton McGurr. There are family cycling photographs, an old passport, collected baseball cards, a sketchbook from 1980, his Tour de France cycling jersey, credentials, and even the messenger bag from the ride. All in all, making for the most comprehensive look at FUTURA’s five-decade-plus career presented in his hometown, New York City. I left the exhibition with more insight into the artist and the man behind many symbols, who pioneered a distinct abstract approach all the while remaining curious and open to new revolutions as they came.
The “FUTURA 2000: BREAKING OUT” retrospective is officially on view at the Bronx Museum in NYC through March 30, 2025. It is FREE for the public to experience. More info is available at bronxmuseum.org.