paintings

From her strikingly expressive stickers and wheatpastes to her distinctly alluring mural art and paintings, Eye Sticker creates a wonderfully diverse range of visually seductive artworks. I was delighted to recently have the opportunity to interview the talented artist.

When and where did you first get up?

It was in 2020 on the streets of the Village, where I was living at the time. I put up a sticker of an eye. That was the first time I ever shared anything in a public space.

What inspired you to do so?

It was something that I’d always wanted to do. And during the pandemic, I finally had the time to do it. I love street art, and I wanted to be part of the scene.

And why an eye? What inspired that?

Picasso’s masterpiece Guernica inspired it. I was drawn to its eye.

Have you any preferred surfaces?

I love smooth surfaces – as smooth as possible – in high traffic spots. I like hitting the Williamsburg Bridge

Would you rather work with permission or without it when you’re out on the streets?

Without it! I love making art anywhere, but if what I’m doing is legal, it doesn’t feel like street art.

Does any specific work you shared on the streets stand out to you?

My most meaningful one was the Trump troll wheatpaste. I designed it back in 2020. It was the biggest street art piece I’d done to date and getting it out there made me feel like a real street artist.

What about experiences or encounters while getting up? Have you any particularly memorable ones?

Yes! I was about to put up a new piece at Freeman Alley late at night when a homeless woman with luggage approached me. Something about her terrified me. I started to run and she ran after me. I then tried to distract her by pointing to the sky. I said, “Hey, look at that!” She did and I quickly made my escape!

Do you prefer working alone or with others?

I generally like to work alone, but I like collaborating with other artists on stickers. Among the artists I’ve collaborated with are Chris RWK and ButtSup.

Have you exhibited your work in gallery settings? If so, where?

Yes! I’ve exhibited in several places. Among them are: 17 Frost, Artel, All Street, The Glass Box Gallery, 188 Allan Street and One Art Space.

Have you any particular cultural influences?

Urban architecture and urban life, in general, are my biggest influence. I used to work as an architect.

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

I like it! It gives me an opportunity to meet new people who have similar sensibilities.

And have you any feelings — positive or negative — regarding the engagement of graffiti and street artists with the corporate world?

I have no problem at all with it, so long as what is being promoted aligns with my values. It’s great for artists to get to do what they love to do and get paid for it!

How does your family feel about what you are doing?

They’re my biggest fans.

What percentage of your time is devoted to art?

100%. I also work as a designer.

Have you any other avid interests?

Vegan food.

How do you feel about the role of social media in this scene?

I hate that we artists need to engage with it.

Have you a formal art education? If so, do you value it?

Yes. I studied Architecture at Shenkar College in Tel Aviv. And I do value it because it helped me develop a good sense of design.

When you paint murals – as you’ve begun to do recently – do you work with a sketch-in-hand or just let it flow?

I work with a sketch, but I would like to be more spontaneous.

Are you generally satisfied with your finished piece? 

Yup! I won’t stop working on it until I am.

How important is commercial success to you at this point in your career?

At this point it isn’t important. Right now my focus is on gaining experience.

Are there any particular challenges that you’ve had to overcome these past few years?

Yes. I was sick with Lyme disease for over two years. It affected every aspect of my life, including my art. It made my art darker.

As an American/Moroccan/Israeli artist, how have the recent events in the Middle East impacted you?

It took me over a month to overcome the initial shock as to what happened in Israel on October 7. My entire body was in a state of shock. And once the reality had set in, I felt I had to get a message out on the streets. Inspired by the kidnapped posters I began seeing taped onto all kinds of surfaces, I designed my own featuring a real baby who had been kidnapped – covered by a strip of tape. I then began posting them in public spaces.

What’s ahead?

More solo shows and more large murals. It’s been wonderful to paint on the streets here in Downtown Brooklyn and to have the opportunity to engage with passersby who have shown me so much love!

Note: You can find out more about Eye Sticker and visit her shop here.

Eye Sticker interview conducted by Lois Stavsky with Rachel Alban and edited by Lois Stavsky

Photo credits: 1. 6, 7 & 8 Lois Stavsky; 3, 4 & 5 courtesy Eye Sticker 

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With its fusion of graffiti, comic and fine art aesthetics, ChrisRWK‘s artworks — both on and off the streets — have long captivated us. His beloved robot character has made its way onto just about every surface — from stickers to canvasses to huge vehicles to massive walls. Opening this Saturday evening at Harman Projects is his solo exhibition, “Promise Made. Promise Kept,” showcasing a range of new artworks, including a 3D rendition of his iconic robot.

Featured above is ChrisRWK‘s mixed media painting “Tale Be Told,” one of his 12 x 12 inch artworks on exhibit. Several more images of artworks from “Promise Made. Promise Kept” follow:

True to the Blue, 12 x 12 in.

Lost Amongst Ghosts and Shadows, 12 x 12 in.

Beat the Odds, 6 x 6 in.

At the Top of My Lungs, 12 x 12 in.

For Giving, Bronze Sculpture

A reception for “Promise Made. Promise Kept” will be held this Saturday evening, February 11, at Harman Projects from 6-8pm.  Located at 210 Rivington Street on the Lower East Side, the gallery is open Tuesday – Saturday from 10am – 6pm. “Promise Made. Promise Kept” remains on view until Saturday, March 4th

And be sure to check here to read Gallery Director Raul Barquet‘s illuminating interview with ChrisRWK, published this past week in Juxtapoz.

All photos courtesy Harman Projects

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Born in 1986 in São Paulo, the hugely beloved Brazilian artist Enivo began getting up on his native city’s streets at age 12. His artwork has, since, surfaced on walls, in festivals and in galleries worldwide.  It has been presented, too, in such prestigious institutions as Museu de Arte Sacra de São Paulo and National Museum of Brasilia.

As an art educator, Enivo has inspired and trained hundreds of young people from “underprivileged neighborhoods.” And, together with a group of other artists, he founded the A7MA Gallery in Vila Madalena, where he has curated over 70 exhibitions, providing artists with opportunities to showcase and sell their art.

During his recent NYC residency, Enivo created a body of new work, Eyes of the Street. “In the art studio, I combine my street and academic knowledge, mixing graffiti materials with oil paint,” he explains.

Featured above is the artist posed next to his recent oil painting, Jacaré — fashioned with oil, spray paint and pastel on canvas. What follows are several more images captured at the reception following Enivo‘s talk with “Eyes of the Street” curator Simon Watson.

Self Portrait (Arrive in NYC), Oil, spray and pastel on canvas,

Sleeping! Oil, spray and pastel on canvas

Tudo Joia, Oil, spray and pastel on canvas

“O Circo Novo” Jonato, Oil, spray and pastel on canvas

Queen Bee, Oil, spray and pastel on canvas

Self Portrait / Julião Máscaras, Oil, spray and pastel on canvas

Enivo’s canvases will remain on display at the Brazilian Consulate, located at 225 East 41st Street, until the end of February.

Photos: Lois Stavsky

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Working with shades of reds, blues and grays, the legendary Kenny Scharf has fashioned a tantalizing new body of paintings. On view through July 28 at TOTAH on the Lower East Side, the artworks feature a series of alluring, surreal landscapes. The exhibition, aptly titled blue blood, both entertains and provokes, as it raises questions as to the future of our planet. Featured above is Out of the Void, painted with oil and acrylic on linen with aluminum frame. Several more images I captured while visiting the exhibit follow:

Greysvillandia, 2019, Oil on linen with aluminum frame

Fuzzjungle, 2019, Oil, acrylic and spraypaint on linen with aluminum frame

What Me Worry? (Red), 2019, Oil, acrylic, silkscreen ink and mylar on linen with aluminum frame

In the Beginning, 2019, Oil, acrylic and diamond dust on linen

Segment of Funderworld — mesmerizing installation with fluorescent spray paint submerged in black-lit darkness

Located at 183 Stanton Street, TOTAH is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11am – 6pm.

Photos by Lois Stavsky

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A member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, Colorado-based Gregg Deal is an accomplished muralist, painter and performance artist. I first encountered his artwork awhile back on the grounds of the EBC High School For Public Service in Bushwick, Brooklyn. This past weekend, I met him down in DC at the Smithsonian Arts & Industries Building, where he was one of 40 artists featured in CrossLines, presented by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center.

"Gregg Deal"

What spurred you to so fervently embrace your Native American identity?

I don’t know that I specifically embrace it. It is just one of my many identities. I am, foremost, a human being. I am also an artist, a husband and a father.

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You are sitting here in a tipi. What does this particular setting represent?

This tipi represents Washington DC. It is where museums, politics, sports and commerce all contribute to a view of Native Americans.

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What about the paintings inside this tipi? How did you decide which to include?

I had to include works that would be acceptable to the Smithsonian. They had to be safe. And so I chose identifiable stereotypes of Native Americans — the only image most others have of us.

And as today’s event progresses, you continue to cross out the mouths of your portraits with bold red lines.

Yes! That is because of voices our censored. We have not been permitted to speak for ourselves. I, myself, have been censored.

gregg-deal-censorship

What about your interpreter? You often speak through an interpreter.

That is because our lives — our experiences, feelings and thoughts —  are almost always interpreted through others. Authentic indigenous voices have yet to be heard or recognized.

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You are certainly creating awareness of that here.

Photo credits: 1, 2, 4 & 5 Lois Stavsky; 3 Sara C. Mozeson; interview by Lois Stavsky

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rigoberto-toress-sculpture-Daze-graffiti

Among the thoroughly engaging exhibits currently on view at the Bronx Museum of the Arts are two with special appeal to us street art and graffiti aficionados. Spotlight: John Ahearn and Rigoberto Torres showcases a series of sculptures by the two artists, whose works continue to delight us on the streets of the Bronx.  And Bronx Focus: Paintings by Valeri Larko features stunningly realistic renditions of Bronx graffiti, including some of our favorite walls that no longer exist. While visiting the Museum last week, we had the opportunity to speak to Lauren Click, the Director of Community and Public Programs.

Thank you for reaching out to us. Can you tell us something about your role here?

As director of community and public programs, I organize public programs related to Museum exhibits and events. I also work with the Community Advisory Council (CAC) a volunteer group of local residents with the goal of raising awareness of the Museum and organizing programming in response to community needs.

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What are some of the successful means that have been used to accomplish this?

I like to introduce folks to new experiences while mixing them with familiar ones. For example, on senior Thursdays we combine tea services with multimedia collaborative activities. We also have a weekly newsletter we send to subscribers informing them of all the events that take place. This is part of our effort to establish a large presence on social media. Our twitter page has over 38,000 followers. And since admission has become free, we have had four times as many visitors than we used to.

Valeri-Larco-Graffiti-Zerega-Avenue-Bronx-2008jpg

What are some of the challenges that you face?

The greatest challenge is fighting the stereotype of being located in the Bronx. People are not aware of how rich and varied the cultural opportunities are in this borough.

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What would you like to see happen here at the Bronx Museum?

I would like to see it continue to evolve and engage increasingly diverse audiences.

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How can people stay informed as to all that is happening here at the Bronx Museum of the Arts?

They can follow our Calendar of Events on the Museum’s website. They can also keep up with us on Twitter, on Facebook and on Instagram.

Note: This Saturday — May 14, 2:00pm to 3:30pm — Valeri Larko will offer a free guided tour of her exhibit Bronx Focus: Paintings by Valeri Larko. The Museum is located at 1040 Grand Concourse, Bronx and is easily accessible by public transportation.

Images

1 Rigoberto Torres, Daze

2 John Ahearn and Rigoberto Torres

3 Valeri Larko, Zerega Avenue

4 Valeri Larko, Ferris Stahl Meyer Shipping

Valeri Larko, Power Ball

Photo credits: 1 Tara Murray; 2-5 City-as-School intern Sol Raxlen; interview Lois Stavsky, Sol Raxlen and Tara Murray

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

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Logan-Hicks-artist-talk

Love Never Saves Anything, a solo exhibit of stencil paintings and photographs by the wonderfully talented Logan Hicks, opened last week during Armory Week and remains on exhibit through Wednesday, March 19. Here’s a small sampling of the haunting stencil paintings on view:

A Drop of Blood Shed

"Logan Hicks"

Her Hands Said What her Lips Couldn’t

Logan Hicks

Behind Her Eyes

"Logan Hicks"

 Treading Water

"Logan Hicks"

Deep Sleep

"Logan Hicks"

The following scenes were captured at last week’s opening:

Logan-Hicks and-artwork

Logan-Hicks-opening-night

Logan-Hicks-signs-book

And the artist talk with Logan Hicks, led by Lori Zimmer, will take place 4PM this Sunday, March 16, at the gallery on 154 Stanton Street on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. This exhibit is the artist’s second solo show with PMM Art Projects.

Photos of artwork by Lois Stavsky and Dea Sumrall; images of opening by Dani Reyes Mozeson

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