New wave

Initially a word used to described French filmmakers of the late 1950s, New Wave in the 1980s became associated with the combining of music and Performance Art. The definition has come to mean a mix of graffiti artists, Neo-Expressionists and East Village Art (the explorsion of painting, performance and and music activity in Greenwich Village). Alternative Spaces showcase New Wave events. Two major New York exhibitions of New Wave artists in the 1980s brought the name to the attention of the media. One of them was in an Alternative Space, which was a dilapidated former massage parlor that offered an alternative to the familiar white-walled art galleries. The second exhibition, held in 1981, was in a space called P.S. 1. New Wave artists include Tom Otterness and John Ahearn. Source: Robert Atkins, "Art Speak"