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Gallerist and dealer Jonathan LeVine is Heritage’s guest curator for ‘Provocateur,’ the Urban Art Signature® Auction taking place July 16. Photo courtesy Jonathan LeVine.

On the Record With Gallerist and Guest Curator Jonathan LeVine  

THE LONGTIME URBAN ART CHAMPION HAS COMPILED AN AUCTION FEATURING SOME OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL VOICES IN GRAFFITI, STREET ART AND POP SURREALISM

Interview by Julia Matthiesen |  July 1, 2025

As a teen growing up in 1980s Trenton, New Jersey, Jonathan LeVine was captivated by the era’s hip-hop and punk rock culture. The energy of those scenes had a lasting impact on him, and by the mid-’90s, he had begun organizing DIY exhibitions at New York and New Jersey music venues including CBGB, Webster Hall and Maxwell’s. These places embraced the raw, outsider spirit that would come to shape his curatorial point of view and lead to his status as a defining voice in the world of street and Urban Art.

In 2001, LeVine opened his first formal gallery, Tin Man Alley, in New Hope, Pennsylvania. The following year he relocated to Philadelphia, where he continued to champion underground and countercultural voices. A few years later, he opened the Jonathan LeVine Gallery in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood. There, he played a vital role in introducing street artists to the mainstream art world, exhibiting influential figures like Shepard Fairey and Invader. In 2017, LeVine relocated the gallery to Jersey City’s Mana Contemporary and rebranded it as Jonathan LeVine Projects, reflecting his commitment to community, collaboration and supporting artists who push boundaries and defy convention.

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LeVine

‘Provocateur’ reflects LeVine’s decades of work championing artists who operate both outside and inside the traditional art world. Photo courtesy Jonathan LeVine.

Throughout his career, LeVine has stayed true to artists who challenge the status quo – those whose work is raw, rebellious and deeply authentic. Most recently he turned his curatorial eye to Heritage Auctions, where he serves as guest curator for Provocateur, Heritage’s July 16 Urban Art Signature® Auction. The works in Provocateur span mediums and movements and showcase the talents of artists ranging from KAWS and Matt Gondek to James Jean and Audrey Kawasaki.

In advance of the auction, LeVine sat down with Intelligent Collector to discuss his art-world journey, the evolution of the Urban Art movement and the one piece he’d love to have in his own collection.

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Audrey Kawasaki

Audrey Kawasaki ‘If Only You Knew,’ 2013. Acrylic on wooden panel. 24 x 24 inches (61.0 x 61.0 cm). Available July 16 at Heritage Auctions.

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Blek le Rat

Blek le Rat ‘Peace.’ Spray paint and stencil on linen. 23-1/2 x 23-1/2 inches (59.7 x 59.7 cm). Available July 16 at Heritage Auctions.

You have long been involved in the street and Urban Art scene. What initially drew you to the movement?
Growing up in Trenton, I was immersed in hip-hop culture through rap music, graffiti art and breakdancing. This also intertwined with the DIY punk rock scene, which I became deeply involved in. There was a thriving and accessible creative community that I could easily join and contribute to. Throughout my teens and into my mid-20s, I was actively creating objects, publishing fanzines, making music and organizing art events. I collaborated with numerous artists and musicians who were also shaped by these movements. I was drawn to these emerging art forms because they were raw, authentic, exciting and truly represented my generation of outsiders and our perspective on the world.

How do you define “Urban Art” today, and how has that definition evolved over the years?
Urban Art is now a very encompassing term, covering a range of art forms that share connections and have been influenced by similar ideas and visual styles. Graffiti art, street art, skate culture and pop surrealism, among others, now interact and influence each other. They originate from a place of rebellion and offer alternative viewpoints and aesthetics. Initially, Urban Art seemed to primarily refer to graffiti art and illegal street art, but it has since broadened to include these other related art forms.

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Shepard Fairey

Shepard Fairey ‘Flag HPM,’ 2010. Screenprint in colors and collage on wove paper. 29 x 43 inches (73.7 x 109.2 cm) (sheet). Available July 16 at Heritage Auctions.

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Tats Cru

Tats Cru ‘Untitled,’ 2021. Spray paint, ink and acrylic on canvas. 36 x 48 inches (91.4 x 121.9 cm). Available July 16 at Heritage Auctions.

What distinguishes Urban Art from other forms of Contemporary Art?
While some Contemporary Art has begun to incorporate the aesthetic of Urban Art, a key difference remains its accessibility to the general public. Often, Contemporary Art can be very conceptual and not easily understood by everyone.

How do you balance the anti-establishment roots of street art with its growing commercial appeal?
I see a fundamental difference between pieces created illicitly in public spaces and those intended for galleries. Street art, born outside traditional art venues, is inherently site-specific and often interactive, serving as a spontaneous expression or a direct confrontation meant to provoke thought. It feels like “art for art’s sake” in its purest form. While gallery work can certainly stem from the same artistic impulse, its context and purpose within a traditional setting are different.

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James Jean

James Jean ‘Bowler (Vessel),’ 2014. Acrylic gouache on canvas. 40 x 30 inches (101.6 x 76.2 cm). Available July 16 at Heritage Auctions.

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Ed Roth

Ed ‘Big Daddy’ Roth ‘Fink 100,’ 1997. Acrylic on Ford F-100 tailgate. 50 x 19 x 2 inches (127 x 48.3 x 5.1 cm). Available July 16 at Heritage Auctions.

If you could acquire one piece from this auction for your own collection, which would it be and why?
I’m particularly drawn to the Ed Roth Fink 100 piece on the Ford truck tailgate. It brings a smile to my face while also striking me as genuinely beautiful. My early exposure to art through comics, especially the wonderfully weird Wacky Pack stickers from Topps and the cartoons in Mad magazine, shaped my taste. Roth’s work, coming from that same era, resonates deeply with that kind of imagery. It’s also important to have someone of such legendary status and pivotal influence informing the auction.

Why did you want to curate this sale with Heritage?
Over the years, I’ve taken on many roles, from curator and gallery owner to artist manager, arts consultant, events coordinator and secondary market dealer. I am known for my early involvement in the street art and pop surrealism movements, and my focus remains on these genres. Collaborating with an auction house provides a valuable avenue for me to continue championing the art movements I am passionate about in a new capacity.


About the Author

Article's Author

JULIA MATTHIESEN is the Fine Art Department Coordinator in Heritage’s New York office. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in studio art from Davidson College and has a background working in commercial galleries.

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Intellligent Collector Magazine

Intelligent Collector is a trusted resource serving owners of fine art, collectibles and other objects of enduring value. It is written for passionate, curious collectors who want to learn more about the assets they own, or wish to own, and then consistently make transactions that enhance their collecting experiences. Whether it’s auction highlights, interviews with top collectors or advice from industry-leading experts, Intelligent Collector strives to keep readers educated on the best place to sell fine art and collectibles.

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