Roll Over Picasso: E.F. Higgins III, His Life, Art, Legend

Roll Over Picasso is Istvan Kantor’s third major biographic account narrating the legends of artists emerging from the 80's New York Underground, in the pre-gentrified, wild, anti-authoritarian territory of the Lower East Side. Kantor’s main focus is on the insurgent street artist gang of the Rivington School of which E.F. Higgins III was a founding member: visionary graffiti artists; welders; noise makers; beer drinkers; ardent guerrilla fighters striving against conformist museum art. The 80's Lower East Side was the birthplace of legends. Among the ruined buildings, surrounded by misery and decay, a new spirit of desire burst forth. Fires burned in oil drums nourished by art history books; sparks from welding torches covered the ground; rough-looking lads and filthy gals were beating trashcans to death. Sirens of firetrucks added to the noise. That’s where E.F. Higgins III found himself a new living/working territory to manifest his eccentric and divine ‘wingnut’ ideas and start his Doo Da Post mail-art crusade.

This edition contains both color and black & white images.