PETER MAYER
CITY OF NEW YORK

HISTORY

BIOGRAPHY

Peter Mayer (American, b. 1953) is an artist and graffiti writer from New York City's Upper East Side. During the later part of the 20th Century, he achieved international fame for his calligraphic dogs painted throughout Manhattan, particularly in the SoHo neighborhood. His first graffiti dog was produced on 73rd St. off of York Ave. in 1987. Mayer made his way from the UES to join the downtown scene at the invitation of Jean-Michael Basquiat. He recounts, when visiting "a usual spot" frequented by both artists, the text from SAMO written across the wall he was about to paint: "BRING YOUR DOGGIES DOWNTOWN".

Between 1990 and 1991, Mayer met Charles Lucien who was in the process of founding his first gallery at 555 Broadway in Manhattan. Lucien later went on to organize exhibitions with other graffiti artists, including Basquiat and Keith Haring. He suggested that Mayer produce graffiti dogs on canvas. The first two canvas were donated to an auction to benefit AIDS victims in New York City, with a hammer price at around $400 each.

Mayer’s graffiti works have been featured in numerous publications and television shows, including on MTV, NBC with Lloyd Kramer, Page 6 of the New York Post, FujiSankei television, CBS among others. Ten years after his first graffito on the rooftops of five buildings on York Ave. between 75th and 76th Sts, he began producing works on canvas. Works from the series are represented in major private collections in New York City and Europe.

During the 1990’s Mayer purchased the studio of Alexander Helwig Wyant at the Pakatakan Artist Colony in Arkville, New York. He left the art world and relocated to the Catskills on a full time basis in 1998.

Mayer hosts "Graffiti Dog Super Art Now," on WIOX Roxbury at 91.3FM and 107.5FM in the Catskills.

This website is produced in collaboration with Mayer as a repository for his archive of works, ephemera and press material.

Interview with Peter Mayer on Liberal Arts Audio:

First aired: November 30th, 2021
Station: WIOX Roxbury (91.3FM)
Show: Liberal Arts Audio

SERVICES
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CONTACT
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SOCIAL
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Authentication
The studio provides authentication
services, assesments and Certificates of
Authenticity for works between 1979 and
2000.

Available Works & Commissions
Please contact the studio for available
works.

Archive
We are building an archive of photography
and video of Mayer's works from the 1980s
and 1990s. If you would like your photograph
included, please submit it by email, including
the date, location and attribution
(how you would like to be credited in the archive).

Header image: photography by Carlos Gustavo

petermayerstudio@gmail.com

For all inquiries, please contact
N. Hitchcock, webmaster.

The Bridge Street Studio is open by
appointment.

2335 County Highway 41
Roxbury, New York 12474

Instagram
WIOX

Wikipedia article forthcoming.