Exhibits

Nick Kuszyk‘s impeccably-crafted robots are among NYC’s most seductive images.  With their bold colors and expressive movements, they brilliantly enhance our urban landscape.  I had the opportunity to speak to their creator, R. Nicholas Kuszyk aka RRobots, shortly before he left for his one-month residency in Jaffa, a seaport town on the outskirts of Tel Aviv.

RRobots

When and where did you first get up?

It was back in 1993 in the suburbs of DC.

Had you any preferred surface or spot back then?

I hit whatever walls and trains I could.

Who or what inspired you at the time?

Cycle and Cool Disco Dan were among my main inspirations.

Rrobots

Do any early memories stand out?

My friend’s older brother had a black book and a copy of Videograf.  It seemed monumental. I was 12 years old when I discovered another reality.

How did your family feel about what you were doing?

My parents didn’t know what I was doing. But my family has always been supportive of my art. My mom is an interior decorator and my sister does cool drawings.

Were you ever arrested?

No. I never got caught.

rrobots

Most of us here identify you with your signature robot. Can you tell us something about it? When was it born?

It was born in 2000, and my first legal robot wall surfaced in 2002 in Richmond.  Since then, it has traveled to over a dozen cities in the US and abroad to Berlin, London, Prague and now to Tel Aviv.

Why a robot? What does this robot represent?

I like its simplicity, its universality. It’s up to you to decide what it represents.

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

It’s fine.

RRobots

Is there anyone with whom would you like to collaborate?

Satan.

Are there any particular cultures that have influenced your aesthetics?

The skateboarding culture and graffiti.

Do you work with a sketch in hand or do you just let it flow?

I always have a general idea of what I will be painting. But I don’t prepare sketches.

Are you generally satisfied with your work?

It depends.

rrobots

Do you have a formal arts education? Was it worthwhile?

Yes.  I studied art at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts. It was definitely worthwhile, as it widened my perspective.

How has your work evolved in the past few years?

It has become more geometric, and the robots are becoming less central to my pieces and more integrated into them.

How do you see the role of the artist in society?

The artist is here to educate and to entertain. And the street artist has a distinct role – to increase property values.

Note: Nick’s exhibit, consisting of artwork created during his one-month residency, opens tomorrow, Thursday, June 5 at SAGA, a new space for art in Jaffa.

This interview was conducted by Lois Stavsky; photo 1 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn by Lois Stavsky; photo 2, courtesy SAGA; photo 3 at Welling Court in Astoria, Queens by Tara Murray; and photo 4, courtesy SAGA

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On exhibit through June 13 at Acquavella Galleries on Manhattan’s Upper East Side is an exhibit of 22 works on paper and two paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat. From the collection of Herbert and Lenore Schorr, who recognized and valued Basquiat’s talents early on, many of these have never been exhibited before. Here’s a sampling:

Untitled, acrylic marker, paper collage, oil paintstick, and crayon on paper, 1981

Basquiat

Untitled, oil painstick on paper, 1981

Basquiat

Portrait of Herb and Lenore, acrylic on paper, 1983

Basquiat

Untitled, acrylic and oil paintstick on paper, 1982

Basquiat

Untitled, graphite and colored pencil on paper, 1985

Basquiat

Jean-Michel Basquiat Drawing: Work from the Schorr Family Collection was curated by Fred Hoffman who co-curated Basquiat’s 2005 retrospective at the Brooklyn Museum. None of the artworks in the exhibit are for sale. “It is strictly educational,” Lenore Schorr is quoted as saying earlier this year in the New York Times.  Acquavella Galleries is located at 18 East 79th Street.

Photos of images by Dani Reyes Mozeson;  all images The Schorr Family Colletion © The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat / ADAGP, Paris / ARS, New York 2014. 

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These past few days have been busy at the Bushwick Collective. New walls have been surfacing daily and the Collective has launched its first indoor exhibit. Here’s a bit of what we captured yesterday and Thursday:

Vexta‘s mural — as seen yesterday — and Vexta at work here

Vexta

Adam Fu at work yesterday

"Adam Fu"

Sexer‘s newly completed mural

Sexer

Solus — in from Dublin — at work yesterday

Solus

 Vers at work yesterday

Vers

FKDL — in from Paris — checks out his progress 

RKDL

FKDL inside the gallery

FKDL-art-exhibit

Jerkface begins

"Brian Jerkface"

Jerkface inside the gallery

"Brian Jerkface"

Also on view in the gallery — located at 426 Troutman Street — in the heart of the Bushwick Collective are works by: Blek le Rat, Solus, Rubin 415, Chris Stain, Dan Witz, Zimad, Joe Iurato, Sexer, Beau Stanton and Atom.   And at tomorrow’s block party you can see and celebrate it all with live street art, bands, food trucks, a beer tent and giveaways.

Photos of Vexta, Adam Fu, Solus and Vers by Lois Stavsky; of  FKDL, Sexer and Jerkface by Dani Reyes Mozeson; gallery images of  FKDL and Jerkface by Houda Lazrak

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"Erik den Breejen"

We discovered Erik den Breejen’s distinctly brilliant aesthetic when his mosaic-like portrait of David Bowie surfaced on the wall outside rag & bone off Houston Street last year.  Many more portraits of iconic figures of the 1970’s are now on view in There’s a Riot Goin’ On at Chelsea’s Freight + Volume Gallery.  Weaving text into patterns that create the portraits in his paintings, Brooklyn-based painter and musician Erik den Breejen takes us on a journey into his subjects’ minds and times. Here are a few:

Marvin Gaye, What’s Going On? (Note: The exhibit’s title is Sly and the Family Stone’s response: “There’s a riot goin’ on.”)

"Eric den Breejan"

Billie Holiday, God Bless the Child

"Erik den Breejen"

Richard Pryor

"Erik den Breejen"

Liza Minelli in Cabaret, close-up

"Erik-Den-Breejen"

“There’s a Riot Goin’ On” continues through June 7 at Freight + Volume, 530 West 24th Street.

Photos by Dani Reyes Mozeson

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Imagination in Space – a group of talented artists repurposing the use of city space as an alternative to traditional galleries – brought their vision to the East Village this past Tuesday.  In partnership with London-based We Are Pop Up and NYC-based watchmaker Martenero, The Allies have launched their model of “borderless creativity” at 37 East First Street. Among the works featured are quite a few of interest to us street art aficionados. A small sampling follows:

UK graffiti pioneer Inkie

Inkie

London-based Elmo Hood

Elmo-the-Allies

Brooklyn-based Misha T

Misha-T-Field-of-Dreams-Imagination-in-Space-The-Allies1-1024x906

From the launch with noted culture critic Carlo McCormick in attendance (bottom, right)

Allies-5.20-launch

carlo-McCormick-5.20-0764

And a close-up of the backyard — — transformed by Columbia’s Graduate School of Architecture students — the setting of its daily morning yoga classes

The Allies-backyard-east-village

Also on view and for sale are works by NYC-based photographer Joey L, illustrator Sam Spratt and multi-media artist Yazmany Arboleda, along with Martenero‘s customized automatic watches and selections from Heidi Gardner’s esoteric jewelry designs.  Perceiving its space as an alternative to traditional galleries, The Allies aims to transform city spaces into pop-up galleries — more vibrant and accessible than traditional art-sales venues.  You can visit the space through Tuesday at 37 East First Street.

Photos of Elmo and backyard by Dani Reyes Mozeson; all other courtesy of The Allies

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Universal-Weapon-Exit-Room-NY

Barcelona-based Txemy creates innovative, colorful images composed with lively lines and strokes.  Muro is best-known for his fanciful characters — in a variety of uncanny situations — that make their way onto city walls. The current exhibit — “Universal Weapons” at Exit Room NY — features a range of intriguing work from both Spanish artists, including some beguiling collaborations. Here’s a sampling:

 Txemy and Muro, Untitled, Mixed media on paper

Muro-and-Txemy-at-Exit-Room-NY

Txemy, Tiro al Aire, Spray paint on paper

Txemy

Muro, Alphabet “H,” Mixed media on paper

Muro

Txemy and Muro, Untitled, Mixed media on paper

"Txemy and Muro"

 Txemy, Weapons, Spraypaint on paper

Txemy

Final photo by Rachel Fawn Alban; all others by Lois Stavsky; image on Exit Room door by Icy & Sot. 

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RAE BK in Africa

Brooklyn-based RAE — whose folksy sculptures, stickers, paste-ups and paintings on NYC streets always delight us — recently returned from Ethiopia.  And we had some questions for him:

What took you to Ethiopia?

I had connected with the non-profit organization H2 Empower Inc that had recently completed construction of the first community library in the town of Hosanna.

"RAE in Ethiopia"

What was your role there?

I worked with kids building sculptures out of found objects and painting the walls outside.

"RAE street art"

Those of us who follow you on Instagram had the opportunity to witness an exhibit, as well – with goats in attendance!

Yes, we staged an exhibit in the living room of the home of a local family we met in town.

"RAE in Ethiopia"

How did it all culminate?

We successfully raised funds to furnish an empty, unused wing of the Alemu Woldehanna Community Library with tables, chairs and a computer station.  That financial goal has been met, and the furniture making will soon be in production.

" RAE street art in Ethiopia"

Who will be involved in the next step?

The students at the nearby School For The Deaf in Hosanna, Ethiopia will be making the furniture.

"RAE stickers in Ethiopia"

It all sounds great! Welcome home!

Photos courtesy of the artist

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Teeming with infectious energy, Dorian Grey’s current exhibit, 12 Mexican Street Artists, richly reflects the inventive aesthetic of Mexico City’s street art.  Here are just a few images from this landmark exhibit curated by Luis Accorsi:

Seher, close-up

Seher

Meiz — known for both his hyperrealism and wild style productions

Meiz

 Meca

Meca

Sego

Sego

Smithe, close-up

Smithe

From the Outside Looking In

"Dorian Grey Gallery"

Also on exhibit are splendidly imaginative works by Bebo, Dhear, Fusca, MilAmores, MinozSaner and Undo, along with images by noted photographer Christophe von Hohenberg.  12 Mexican Street Artists continues through June 15 at Dorian Grey, 437 East 9th Street between 1st Ave and Ave A.

Photos by Dani Reyes Mozeson and Lois Stavsky

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Located at 5-25 46th Avenue in Long Island City — just minutes from Manhattan — the Fridge Art Fair has much to offer us street art aficionados. Here’s a sampling:

John Matos aka Crash presented by Dorian Grey Gallery

Crash

Cosbe

Kosbe

Deps1

Deps1

Cody and Youth Waste

"Cody and Youth Waste"

Alone One with the The Sticker Social Club aka the Secret Sticker Club

"Alone dfm"

The Sticker Social Club aka the Secret Sticker Club  — under the curatorial direction of Cosbe

"Secret sticker club"

Conceived by Eric Ginsburg, whose portraits of pets are on display at the fair’s Dorfman Projects booth, the Fridge Art Fair  — now in its second year —  presents an eclectic array of art in all media and styles. It continues through Sunday with live art and performances throughout, as well as pets for adoption today and tomorrow!

Photos by Dani Reyes Mozeson and Lois Stavsky

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"Sonni in Seoul, Korea"

Brooklyn-based Argentinian artist Sonni Adrian has been delighting us New Yorkers with his brightly hued, delightfully playful aesthetic for the past two years. He recently had the opportunity to share his vision with the folks in Seoul, Korea. 

What took you to Seoul?

While attending a conference at Parsons last year, I met a young woman who was establishing a new gallery, Everyday Mooonday, in Seoul. When she saw my artwork, she thought I’d be a great fit for the gallery. She, immediately, invited me to exhibit there and to paint on the streets of Seoul. I was thrilled that the opportunity came my way.

What was the experience like 

It was wonderful. I loved everything about Seoul – its kind people, its fantastic food and the enthusiastic response I got to my artwork.

"Sonni in Seoul"

Can you tell us something about that?

My exhibit was super successful. And I had over three weeks to paint in public spaces. I am already looking forward to returning next year.

Was it difficult to find walls?

No. The government made them available to me. This was arranged through the gallery.

Sonni

Was there much of a language barrier between you and the folks in Seoul?

Most of the younger people speak English. And folks who don’t speak English often responded to my artwork with friendly smiles!

Since your return to NYC, you’ve exhibited with the new collective, Ñewmerica over at Exit Room NY and at Outdoor Gallery NYC over at 17 Frost.  Can you tell us something about that?

It’s basically a group of friends who love to work together. It includes LNY, Icy and Sot, Mata RudaNDA and me. We feed off each other’s energy and inspire one another. We have a show coming up in June over at MECKA Gallery here in Bushwick.

NewMerica-

That sounds great? Anything else coming up?

Right now I’m finishing up my first collaborative mural with Cruz here on Waterbury Street. I will be showing in a group exhibit up in Boston at Liquid Art House, a new space opening on May 6. I will be painting soon in Mexico and I am planning to return to Seoul in 2015.

Liquid-Art-House

It all sounds wonderful. Good luck!

Sonni interviewed by Lois Stavsky;  first three photos courtesy of the artist; photo from Ñewmerica mural at 17 Frost by Lois Stavsky

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