DONDI facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dondi
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Dondi piece on a New York City Subway R22 car.
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| Born | April 7, 1961 |
| Died | October 2, 1998 (aged 37) |
| Style | Graffiti, mural |
| Movement | Subway Graffiti |
Donald Joseph White, known as "DONDI" (born April 7, 1961 – died October 2, 1998), was a famous American graffiti artist. He was known for his unique style and for bringing graffiti art from the streets into art galleries.
Contents
About Dondi
Early Life and Beginnings
Dondi was born in East New York, a neighborhood in Brooklyn. He was the youngest of five children. His family background was African American and Italian American. He went to a Catholic school for a few years.
Growing up in the 1970s, Dondi's neighborhood had some challenges. To stay safe, he joined different groups. He left high school early and earned his GED in 1984. After getting a job in a government office, he started to spend more time on his passion: graffiti.
Becoming a Graffiti Legend
Graffiti became a very important part of Dondi's life in the mid-1970s. At first, he used simple tags like "NACO." A "tag" is like a signature for a graffiti artist. He then started using "DONDI," which was a version of his own name. He worked hard to make his art better, moving from simple tags to more detailed and colorful "pieces." A "piece" is a larger, more complex graffiti artwork.
Using his real name, Dondi, was quite risky back then. The police and transit authorities were trying to stop graffiti artists. But in 1979, Dondi made his name official by painting a huge piece on the roof of his house.
He joined a graffiti group called TOP (The Odd Partners) in 1977. In 1978, Dondi started his own group, CIA (Crazy Inside Artists). His good friend DURO was also part of this group. For over 20 years, Dondi was seen as a leader in graffiti style. He inspired many new graffiti artists.
Dondi created many styles and techniques that are still used today. Sometimes he would paint "wildstyle" pieces, which are very complex and hard to read, mostly for other graffiti artists to admire. But he also wanted regular people to enjoy his art. So, he often focused on letters that were easy to read, but still had amazing colors and designs.
His most famous artworks were Children of the Grave Parts 1, 2, and 3. These were three full subway cars that he painted between 1978 and 1980. The name came from a song by the band Black Sabbath. A journalist named Martha Cooper filmed him painting the last part. For this piece, Dondi used cartoon characters from an artist named Vaughn Bode. He later painted a version of Children of the Grave 3 in a studio.
Dondi was the first graffiti artist to have his own art show in the Netherlands and Germany. His artwork is now part of collections in European museums. In the early 1980s, Dondi helped bring graffiti art from the streets into art galleries and museums. He worked with the Fun Gallery and other famous artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and Fab 5 Freddy.
Later Life and Legacy
Dondi passed away on October 2, 1998.
Even though Dondi didn't have children, his family, including his brother Michael White and nephew Mike White, are working to keep his artistic legacy alive. Dondi left behind many paintings and drawings.
Other artists, like Zephyr, IZ the Wiz, Doc, and Keo, painted special murals to honor Dondi between 1998 and 2000. In 2007, Dondi's art was featured on a Converse shoe as part of the Product Red project, which helps fight AIDS. In 2019, the Dondi White Foundation teamed up with Virgil Abloh for his Off-White clothing line. Money from these projects goes to charities.
In 2018, one of Dondi's paintings from 1984, called Solid Formation, sold for US$240,000 at an auction. This shows how much his art is valued today.
Media and Exhibitions
Exhibitions and Appearances
- Martha Cooper and the Radiant Children (1979)
- Esses Studio (1980)
- New York/New Wave (1981)
- Fun Gallery (1982)
- New York City Rap Tour (1982)
- Yaki Kornblit Gallery (1983)
- Fun Gallery (2) (1983)
- Museum Boijmans - Van Beuningen (1983)
- European Museum Shows (1983–85)
- 56 Bleecker Gallery (1987)
- The Rempire Show (1992)
- Groninger Museum Retrospective (1992)
- Musee des Monuments Francais (Paris)
Film
- Dreams Don't Die (1982)
- Style Wars (1983)
- Wild Style (1983)
