Hunts Point

The following guest post is by Houda Lazrak

This past Saturday, The Point’s Riverside Campus for Arts and the Environment in the South Bronx was the site of the Ngozy Art Collective‘s second live painting event. Curated by Sade TCM, the joyous afternoon featured over a dozen female graffiti writers and muralists painting away.

The legendary Lady Pink

The classic Bronx-based graffiti writer Erotica 67 Fly ID

 Shiro

Gia and Anjl

Steph Burr

And some more action — with Zera to the right of Shiro

Also featured was an art gallery photography exhibition by Gloria Zapata that continues through Saturday, November 17. Here is one of Gloria’s photos featuring her original work:

Photos 1-7 by Houda Lazrak; final photo Gloria Zapata

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Celebrating the launch of the Ngozy Art collective, along with the Point’s 25 years of community service and outreach in the Hunts Point section of the South Bronx, 20 legendary Bronx writers painted live this past Saturday on the Point Campus for the Arts and Environment. Produced by the Ngozy Art collective and curated by Sade TCM, the event, A Cultural Happening in Da’ Bronx, was an ode to the borough that forged a culture that has since impacted the entire world. Beginning next week, the masterfully crafted works — brimming with infectious energy, dazzling colors and expressive creativity — can be viewed on the website of the Ngozy Art collective that will offer local artists a platform to share and sell their artwork.

The image featured above was painted by BIO Tats Cru.  Several more paintings that surfaced last Saturday follow:

John “Crash” Matos

Stash

Chris “Daze” Ellis

Totem TC5

Sienide

Pase BT

Nicer Tats Cru

Saturday’s event also featured a gallery-style exhibition designed by the Point artist-in-residence Eric Orr.  And the legendary hip hop DJ and producer Jazzy Jay, presented by Christie Z, added the musical element to the day.

Photos of artworks by Lois Stavsky

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Opening tonight at More Points Bx in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx is Fight 4 Your Write: The CAMO Show, an exhibit of intriguing art in a range of media and styles suggestive of the notion of camouflage. While previewing the exhibit yesterday, I spoke briefly to More Points Bx directors and curators, Sienide and Eric Orr.

What inspired you to curate this exhibit?

We wanted to bring our friends together, while sharing different styles and techniques of art — all beautiful and unconventional and on a common theme.

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What are some of the techniques represented here?

There are so many. Among them are: stencil art, aerosol art, mixed media, painting, printing, sketching, drawing with markers…More Points Bx even has its first oil painting featured here.

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Can you tell us a bit about the exhibit’s theme? 

It’s our theme — the concept of camouflage. As graffiti writers, there is much we hide. And much of what we write is only for us to decipher.

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How did you decide which artists to feature?

We got the word out among our friends, and we reached out to others on social media.

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There’s quite a range of artists here — from several younger emerging ones to many established legends. How many artists are featured in the exhibit?

There are 36. Dozens of people reached out to us.

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After the exhibit officially opens, how much longer will it remain on view?

It will stay up for a bit over a month — 36 days to be exact!

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How can folks arrange to see it if they miss the opening or if they wish to view it a second time? There’s so much to see!

One of us is here at 527 Faile Street just about all afternoons and evenings. We can also be reached by email at mrmorepoints@gmail.com.

CAMO

What can folks who attend the exhibit’s opening expect — besides the great art and great company?

Music for the evening will be powered by DJ JAZZY JAY with special guests, and drinks will be provided by Port Morris Distillery. Come out and help us kick off the new season!

Images

1  BG 183, Tats Cru

2  Sienide, Rhonda Rae and Al Diaz

3  Al Diaz

4  Bio Tats Cru, Steve Cogle and Nicer Tats Cru

5  Yes One

6  Eric Orr

7  Serve

Photos and interview by Lois Stavsky

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Serve FBA‘s current exhibit at More Points Bx is a brilliantly executed visual ode to the golden days of hip-hop. Here’s a small sampling of what I saw when I visited the Hunts Point space last weekend:

The Roxy, West 18th Street, NYC

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Club Zanzibar, The birthplace of Jersey house music, in Newark NJ

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Studio 54, West 54th Street, NYC, Disco Man Heaven

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Bar Two OTB Car, close-up

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 Two of several masterpieces — showcasing Serve’s extraordinary writing skills — on canvas

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And a closing reception for a chance to see it all and get to own at least one piece —

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Also on display and for sale are subway maps and record covers designed by Serve, along with his BLACK BOOK.

Photos by Lois Stavsky

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After visiting the superb Ex Vandals exhibit — featuring over 30 artists — at More Points Bx last week, I had the opportunity to speak to its curator, Sienide.

What prompted you to curate an exhibit featuring the Ex Vandals?

It’s my way of paying homage to the pioneering graffiti crew.  It was one of the first organized crews dedicated exclusively to writing that went on to develop various styles of piecing. I am one of the newer members.

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What was your greatest challenge in curating such an ambitious exhibit?

Trying to represent the spirit of the Ex Vandals by getting as many writers involved as I possibly could. The Ex Vandals is now international, but the focus here is on local writers.

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There’s such an incredibly diverse range of artworks here. I was wondering how that happened. Were artists given specific instructions of assignments?

No! I just asked each artist to bring in one work on canvas.

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How did the opening go?

It was great! It was definitely the most successful show I’ve done! And we sold several pieces — an added bonus to an amazing event!

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How can folks see the exhibit? 

It will be up through the 29th at 527 Faile Street in Hunts Point. An appointment can be arranged to view it by contacting me at sienide@gmail.com.

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What’s ahead for More Points Bx?

We are booked through November with a new exhibit every month. Among those artists who will be featured are: the TMT graffiti crew and the photographer Joe Conzo. We are also planning a pop-up show featuring new works by BG 183.

Great! We are looking forward!

Special thanks to Eric Orr for hosting us at More Points Bx on short notice!

Images of artworks on exhibit:

1. Serve

2. Sienide

3. Cone

4. Will Power

5. Kool Kito

Photo credits: 1, 2 & 5 Tara Murray; 3, 4 & 6 Lois Stavsky; interview by Lois Stavsky

Note: Hailed in a range of media from the Huffington Post to the New York Times, our Street Art NYC App is now available here for Android devices.

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A founding member of the legendary Bronx-based Tats Cru, the masterful BG 183 recently met up with us at his solo exhibit, Autumn Spray, in Hunts Point.

BG183-and-artwork-in Hunts-Point-gallery

When did it all begin?

Actually, my big sister got me started. I used to watch her draw all the time, and I was amazed! I wanted to try it too! So when I was about four — and she was nine — she noticed me drawing and encouraged me. I never stopped!

What inspired you to hit the streets?

Graffiti was all around me. I loved its bright, bold colors. But I had to begin by practicing my tag, the real element of it all. And then after hitting up stacks of paper, I began bombing on public surfaces. I was about 16 at the time. I wanted the fame!

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Any early memories that stand out?

Bombing the inside of James Monroe High School and hitting the trains riding back and forth from school.

Any particularly risky moments?

Getting chased while painting trains and dealing with other crews.

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How did your family feel about what you are doing back then?

My mother was cool – until Michael Stewart’s death. Then she became very uneasy about what I was doing.

I can understand that. What percentage of your day is devoted to your art these days?

100%. I’m either doing commissions or working on my own body of work.

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What keeps you painting after all these years?

I love it, and I want to be the best.

How do you feel about the movement of graffiti and street art into galleries?

It’s a natural progression.

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Do you prefer working alone or collaborating with others?

Both. Working with my crew – Tats Cru – helps me keep my skills on a high level.

You’ve painted throughout the globe. Why do you suppose graffiti is more respected as an art form in Europe than here in the U.S.?

There is a huge respect there for anything from New York.

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And yet the European writers have largely taken graffiti to another level – beyond what we see here in NYC. Why do you suppose that is so?

Many of the writers here don’t really try to. They simply don’t feel the need to evolve.

Interesting! How you feel about the role of the Internet in this scene?

It’s great! It gets my name out there.

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Do you have a formal arts education?

None! Just the Major Art class I took in high school. That’s where I got to know Bio.

Are you generally satisfied with your work?

Yup!

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What about your name? How did you get the name BG 183?

When I was in high school, I was the one to BrinG the bats to the baseball team. And 183 refers to the number of my styles – as I have so many!

Yes! You certainly are versatile. The work in this exhibit is so different from most of your work that I’ve seen on the streets. What inspired it?

The life I live! The images represent my life.

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And what about the colors. They are wonderful!

Fall was on my mind, and my wife suggested these particular colors.

What’s ahead?

I’d like to focus more on creating a body of work that can be shown in galleries and museums.

Note: Curated by Sien and Eric Orr, Autumn Spray remains on view through November 15th at More Points Bx, 727 Faile Street in Hunts Point.

Photo credits: 1, 2, 6, 7, 9 & 10 Lois Stavsky; 3 (with Crash on the left) Dani Reyes Mozeson; 4, 5 & 8 Tara Murray; interview by Lois Stavsky

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Best known for his iconic Robothead and his subway collaborations with Keith Haring, South Bronx native Eric Orr can now be found most days in his new Hunts Point studio. I recently had the opportunity to meet up with him there.

What a great space! When did you begin working here?

It’s been four months now. It couldn’t be more perfect, as it’s just a short ride from my house and convenient to just about everything.

eric-at-work

How does working in a studio differ from working in your apartment?

It’s an entirely different experience. There’s a lot less traffic here. I can leave my paint on the floor and know that it will still be there when I return. I have the freedom to create without having to put things away. And my family is happy too! No more fumes and no more paint in their way!

How does having your own space impact your work as an artist?

Bigger thoughts and bigger pieces. I’m planning to design huge sculptures and paint on larger surfaces. Can you imagine what I’d be doing now if I had a space like this 40 years ago!

Dennesa-Andrea Usher-and-Eric-Orr-collab

You are currently participating in Leave a Message, a group exhibit — curated by Tes One at St. Petersburg’s Morean Arts Center. What’s next?

I’m showing in Unveiling Visions: The Alchemy of the Black Imagination, an art and design exhibit — curated by John Jennings and Reynaldo Anderson — at the Schomburg Center’s Latimer Edison Gallery. On exhibit are photos of the 1984 Eric Orr and Keith Haring subway drawings, along with an original 1986 cover of my Rappin Max Robot comic book. I will also be exhibiting five new Robothead masks recently created in the new studio space. Then later this year I will have a solo exhibit at WallWorks Gallery.

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What about the upcoming New York Comic Con? Can we expect to see you there?

Yes! I will have hand-embellished mini posters of the cover of my Rappin Max Robot #1 comic book available for purchase. I will also be speaking on the Hip-Hop & Comics: Cultures Combining panel discussion with Depth of Field‘s, Patrick Reed on October 8, 2015 at 11 AM.

I am looking forward to it all! 

Note: Unveiling Visions: The Alchemy of the Black Imagination opens tomorrow evening, Friday, September 25, at the Schomburg Center’s Latimer Edison Gallery, 515 Malcolm X Boulevard in Harlem.

unveiling-at-schomburg center

 Photo credits: 1 & 3, courtesy of the artist; 2 & 4 Lois Stavsky; interview by Lois Stavsky

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This is the eighth in a series of occasional posts featuring images of children that have surfaced on NYC public spaces:

Nick Walker in the South Bronx

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Izolag in Hunts Point

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Chain for JMZ Walls in Bushwick

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Lorenzo Masnah on the Lower East Side

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Miss 163 in Hunts Point

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Australian artist Adnate at the Bushwick Collective, close-up

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Icy and Sot on the Lower East Side, close-up

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Shiro in Bushwick

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Note: Entre La Guardia y El Dorado, featuring works by Lorenzo Masnah (featured above) and Alex Seel, will open this evening at 6pm at XY Atelier Gallery, 81 Hester Street on the corner of Orchard. It will remain on view until August 30.

Photo credits: 1 Tara Murray; 2, 3, 5, 6 & 8 Lois Stavsky; 4 courtesy of the artist 7 Dani Reyes Mozeson

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This past Saturday, David Gonzalez, award-winning journalist, photographer and co-editor of the New York Times photoblog, Lens, led a group of Instagramers on a walk through Hunts Point, introducing us to works by some of its legendary graffiti artists and muralists. Here are a few images StreetArtNYC captured on Instagram:

Tats Cru with How and Nosm, close-up

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Nicer, Tats Cru with Instagramer Sarah Sansom aka catscoffeecreativity seated

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Ces

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Daze

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Crash, who also shared some Hunts Point history with us, in front of his mural

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David Gonzalez leads the way to the Point, Tats Cru‘s headquarters

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Artist-at-work at the Point

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David Gonzalez (left), Whitney Richardson (center), James Estrin (right) and Kerri MacDonald (top) of The New York Times at the Point

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Renowned photojournalist Martha Cooper, also on the walk, shared with us some photos she had taken of the trains in key spots over 30 years ago, and she captured us all here.

Note: You can check out the Instagram hashtag #NYTBronxWalk for more images from Saturday’s tour.

Photos by Lois Stavsky

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A visit to the South Bronx neighborhood of Hunts Point this past Monday led to the discovery of some of its recently-surfaced graffiti murals. Here is a sampling:

Deem

"Nelson Deem"

Dero

Dero

Pase

pase-graffiti-hunts-point-nyc

Gusto and Owns

"Gusto and owns"

Logek

Logek

Siek Fly ID

"Siek Fly ID"

Seter

Seter

Mast

Mast

All photos by Tara Murray

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