This is the tenth in a series of occasional posts featuring the diverse range of trucks and vans that strike our streets.
Photos: 1 by Dani Reyes Mozeson; 2-4, 6 & 7 by Lois Stavsky; 5 by Lenny Collado aka BK Lenny and 8 by Tara Murray
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Earlier this fall, the Dodworth Street Mural art project began a wondrous transformation of the area on and around Dodworth Street between Bushwick Avenue and Broadway. Here are just a few of the murals that have surfaced:
Eelco ’Virus’ Van den Berg, Rocko and Vera Times
Miss Zukie and Lexi Bella
Col Wallnuts, Marthalicia, BK, Damien Mitchell & Edob LOV3
Photo credits: 1, 3 – 5 Lois Stavsky; 2 & 6 Dani Reyes Mozeson
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Moving Murals: Henry Chalfant & Martha Cooper’s All-City Graffiti Archive, a mosaic of 850 wall images of subway graffiti photographed by Chalfant — along with a series of Martha Cooper’s artist portraits — continues through this Thursday, December 18 at 4pm. A homage to the boundless creativity of the graffiti artists whose talents and passions paved the way to the global street art movement, Moving Murals is the first exhibit to grace the City Lore Gallery at 56 East 1st Street.
Another close-up from Henry Chalfant collage, featuring the legendary Iz the Wiz
Martha Cooper’s portraits
Including such contemporaries as Lady Aiko (top left)
And next Saturday, December 20, 12pm – 6pm, you will have the opportunity to take home one of Henry Chalfant’s graffiti train prints as City Lore will be offering Chalfant’s train photographs from the Moving Murals exhibit with each membership purchased. Membership begins at $35. Hot cider and a variety of gifts by local NYC artists will also be available for sale at the City Lore Store.
Final photo courtesy of City Lore; photos of Henry Chalfant’s installation by Lois Stavsky; of Martha Cooper’s by Dani Reyes Mozeson
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Currently based in Bogota, Colombia, the Australian artist CRISP continues to bring his vision to a range of spaces throughout the globe. We met up with him on his recent visit to NYC.
When did you first start painting on public surfaces? And where?
I’m a late bloomer, as back in Australia and during my time in the UK, I was mostly into sculpting and drawing. But when I moved to Bogota, I became very interested in getting my art out in the street. That was over five years ago now, and I never looked back.
Were there any particular folks who inspired you?
Definitely the Canadian graffiti writer Opek — who was living in Bogota at the time — as he encouraged me to get my art up in the street. Dj Lu / Juegasiempre was an important influence, great support and my favorite stencil artist. Also the local work of Toxicómano , Guache, Kochino, Senil, Vogel, Praxis and others certainly inspired me.
Do you have any preferred surfaces?
The great thing about the urban space is that it’s filled with different textures and surfaces. In terms of my stencils, though, I generally like flat concrete ones, as they’re easier to work with and brighten up an otherwise dull, grey corner of the city.
Any thoughts on the graffiti/ street art divide?
To me they are one and the same. I try not to get into the politics. Live and let live I say. It’s all expression, creativity and passion.
Have you any thoughts about the corporate world’s engagement with graffiti and street art?
I’ve never liked how corporations have always been able to impose their images on our urban environment while graffiti and street art are almost always deemed illegal. Public spaces are for everybody, not just for companies that want to make sales and money. I feel uneasy how private corporations now use urban art to sell their brand, but I also understand that artists need to earn a living!
How you feel about the role of the Internet in this scene?
It’s changed everything. So much more artwork is accessible to so many. It’s not just the people in a particular neighborhood or city who can enjoy the pieces now. It also helps bring awareness to a wider audience of street artists from countries that are less visited or unknown. Bogota has one of the most prolific and best urban art scenes in the world, but not many people know about it or visit.
Do you have a formal arts education?
Not in the formal institutionalized sense, but both my parents are artists, and I grew up around art all my life. My dad is a sculptor, and my mom is a traditional painter. They taught me a lot from a very young age.
How do they feel about what you are doing these days?
They love it. I’ve even turned my mom on to street art! When she came to Bogota, she painted some walls with me!
What’s the riskiest thing you’ve done?
Well, I did get stabbed in the hand during a robbery this year while photographing street art in a dodgy neighborhood in Bogota. I was stupidly doing the wrong thing in the wrong place, and I learnt the hard way! I had to paint with my left hand for a few months while my right hand healed.
What inspires you these days to keep getting your art up in public spaces?
I love the idea of sharing my work with a wider audience without the limitations galleries and internal private spaces impose. And I love it when folks discover my work by chance and enjoy it! I want to be a part of a city’s visual landscape – the one I live in and the ones I visit.
What’s your ideal working environment?
Working in areas of cities where my street art will impact passersby by adding something to their commute, walk or day. Every city and street has its own unique aesthetic and feel.
Has your aesthetic been influenced by any particular cultures?
I’m especially influenced by Asian cultures and by different tribal aesthetics from around the world. Also popular culture, current world events and the environment influence my work. My work is a mix of socio-political and solely visual expression.
How has your work evolved in the past few years?
I work on larger surfaces, and I’m experimenting more with different materials and subject matters. I’m doing more complex stencils and experimenting with mixing free style with stencils. Also, I’ve started doing more sculptural works in the street through my masks.
Would you rather work alone, or do you prefer to collaborate with others?
Both. It’s always fun to collaborate with other artists, as it can add something new to all our pieces. Among the artists I’ve collaborated with are: Ronzo, Pez, DjLu, Dast, Tarboxx2, Miko and Kochino.
Where else – besides Bogota and NYC – have you gotten up?
I’ve gotten up in London, Mexico City, Miami, Atlanta, Sydney, Alaska, Canada and the Dominican Republic. May favorite place by far, though, is Bogota, Colombia!
What do you see as the role of the artist in society?
To visually reflect a particular perspective of the history and culture of the times and place. The artist highlights a people’s social and political values in a way that’s aesthetically expressive and open to different interpretations.
What about the photographers and bloggers? How do you feel about them?
Urban art is continuously evolving, changing and disappearing. It’s important that it’s documented as eventually it won’t exist. And as I mentioned before, it helps people discover and learn about scenes and artists they wouldn’t generally access.
What’s ahead?
I want to keep painting and creating as much as possible. I want my work to keep evolving. I love combining my love of travel with street art, so I will keep mixing that up! My family and my art are the most important things in my life!
Interview by Lois Stavsky; photos 1, 2, 4 & 6 courtesy of the artist; photos 3 and 5 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn by Lois Stavsky
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Sometimes they last for months; other times for weeks or even just days. But the graffiti that surfaces on Bushwick’s walls, particularly on those streets off the L line, are among NYC’s best. Here’s a small sampling of what we captured last month:
Denver-based Home
Spot KMS captured at work; completed piece here
Yes1 captured at work, with Shiro to his right
Photos by Dani Reyes Mozeson
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Last month, Minneapolis-based artist Eric Rieger aka Hottea came to NYC with a message. Here’s what he has to say about his installation on the iconic, recently-purchased building on Bowery and Spring Street:
Can you tell us something about this specific site? What is its significance to you?
This building used to be the old Germania Bank and was built in 1898-99. Today it is no longer a bank, but a residence. For such a big building you would think that there is more than one tenant. Not the case. There is only one family living there, and that is the family of Jay Maisel. Unfortunately, this is not for much longer. He reportedly sold the property for 50 million dollars. That is quite the profit considering he bought it for around 100k. Over the years that Jay and his family lived there, they refused to clean its exterior walls. The outcome was a collage of graffiti, wheatepastes and stickers. This building is significant to me because it made me think of a different way of installing my work.
Why did you choose to install the word “UUGGHH?”
I wanted this piece to be about the recent purchase of the building and the decision to turn it into a condo development/private gallery space. I have seen gentrification taking place all over the world, and NYC is no stranger to it. There are so many iconic buildings that are lost due to the desire for “New.”
What about the process of the installation? How did you go about it? How long did it take?
The process was done in three parts. I did a lot of organizing in my hometown of Minneapolis, such as ordering lumber, reserving a moving truck, etc. The second part was gathering all the materials once in NYC and building the lettering. This proved to be much more complicated than I was expecting. Many of the supplies were hauled via the subway and once on site, there was little room to work. We used an abandoned lot, but got kicked out so we just worked in front of where I was staying. Not much room at all. The third and final part was hauling the letters on site and installing. The whole process from beginning to end took about two weeks.
What kinds of responses has your installation received?
A lot of people were curious when I was installing. They were curious as to what it meant and who it was for. I think a lot of people assume that if you are wearing a reflective vest and working during the day, that you must be doing something for a brand or for the city. This installation was done to remember what NYC once used to be. I was never able to experience it first-hand, but through images and video I was able to sense the energy and spirit behind the work being done. The reactions have been like mine. UUGGHH, not another building lost to gentrification.
And for a wonderful documentation of it all, check out this video.
All photos courtesy Hottea
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Dorian Grey‘s current exhibit, East Village Alchemy, takes us on a magical foray through the East Village’s 1980’s street art scene presenting a range of artworks by four of its key practitioners. Here’s a sampling:
Keith Haring subway drawing, early 80’s
Paolo Buggiani, Performance Art, Unsuccessful Attack to the World Trade Center, 1983
Ken Hiratsuka, whose intricately-carved artworks have been part of our city’s visual landscape since the early 80’s
Scot Borofsky, whose symbol-based graphics graced the walls of the East Village in the 80’s
The Dorian Grey Gallery is located at 437 East 9th Street at Avenue A in Manhattan’s East Village..
Photos of artworks 2-6 on exhibit by Dani Reyes Mozeson
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This is the 14th in an occasional series of posts featuring images of girls — and women — who grace our public spaces:
Dasic in Bushwick
Ben Angotti in Bushwick
Mexican artist Fusca and French artist Kazy in Bedford-Stuyvesant
Swoon in Red Hook
Ree2 and Teck1 in Washington Heights
Alice Mizrachi in the Rockaways
Photos: 1, 2 & 4 by Dani Reyes Mozeson; 3 & 5 by Lois Stavsky and 6 by Tara Murray
Note: StreetArtNYC will be on vacation through December 1. Follow what’s happening here in NYC on our Facebook page.
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Straddling the border between Williamsburg and Greenpoint, the building at 106 Bayard Street was transformed this past spring into a 3,000-square foot outdoor canvas. The 70’s and 80’s NYC subway and graffiti movement was the theme of the inaugural 106 Bayard mural project, curated by Gee Dajani and Keene Carse. Here are a few more images from both the exterior and interior of 106 Bayard captured when we recently revisited the spot.
Part One, Dr. Revolt, Wolf 1 AOK and Futura
A wide view from across the street with Part One, Dr. Revolt, Wolf 1 AOK, Futura and Team
And inside — Whisper and Pure TFP, segment of huge mural
Created and sponsored by Cirkers Fine Art Storage & Logistics, 106 Bayard will be transformed once again this coming spring.
Note: First photo features the legendary Cycle with Jackson and artwork by Williamsburg Charter High School students.
Photo credits: 1, 4 & 5 by Dani Reyes Mozeson; 2 & 3 by Lois Stavsky
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An innovative line of hoodies with interchangeable, collectible art-inspired hoods provides a new canvas for artists, including some of NYC’s street artists. Curious about it all, we posed some questions to Amisha Patel, the founder and CEO of Le Collektor.
What inspired you to bring the art that we see on our city’s streets and galleries to hoodies?
The outcry and public debate around the whitewashing of 5Pointz reminded me of what street art is all about. It’s such a pure form of self-expression — truly democratic in nature. At its root is a desire to be seen and heard. And while I think it’s great for artists that street art has been recognized by traditional art collectors and galleries, we wanted to find a way to bring its democratic spirit to its original fans – people on the streets. The hoodie – a streetwear classic – seemed a great way to do it.
How did you select the particular artists who are participating in this venture?
We approached it as if we were curating a group show that artists would want to attend. We wanted to showcase distinct styles that could be seen in cities around the world. We also wanted to work with artists who were on board with what we’re trying to do. Our inaugural artists – Nick Gazin, Chris Uphues, Sonni, Dru Brennan, EWOK, David R. Head, Jr. and Joseph Meloy – have been amazingly supportive, and we very much appreciate that they trust a new brand with their work.
How have the artists responded to your mission?
The artists love the idea. It gives them a direct way to connect to fans — especially those who aren’t in cities that have street art scenes. Everyone also really loves the way the hoodies turned out.
Which artists – based here in NYC – are you featuring?
Joseph Meloy, Nick Gazin, Sonni, Chris Uphues and David R. Head, Jr
How can artists join this project?
We’d love to grow our list of collaborators! Artists can email me directly at amisha@lecollektor.com
Can you tell us something about the hoodie itself? Who will be manufacturing it?
We wanted our hoodie to be the go-to so we made sure that it was worthy of the art on its hoods. It’s being made by a factory in Los Angeles that we found through our friends at Bleick Studio who work with some of the best streetwear brands out there:
Why did you launch a Kickstarter? Can you tell us something about it?
Big brands use artists’ work all the time, but we want to build our brand around the artwork in a way that it will provide artists with meaningful income directly from their fans. Kickstarter seemed the perfect platform to engage directly with artists’ fans and with the creatively-minded community we want to build around Le Collektor. It’s about bringing big ideas to life, and — really more than any other company out there — it has created a new class of everyday patrons of the arts – which is in line with our company’s mission. So far, it’s been very exciting to see all of the support and love for what we’re doing. We’re a Kickstarter staff pick, and artists have written in from all over saying they’d love to be part of the movement.
Note: You can check out and support Le Collektor’s Kickstarter here.
Photo credits: 1. Sonni on Bushwick rooftop, Lois Stavsky; 2. Sonni in the East Village, Tara Murray; 3. Sonni hood, courtesy of Le Collecktor; 4. and 5. Chris Uphues in Williamsburg, Lois Stavsky; 6. Chris Uphues hood, courtesy of Le Collecktor; 7. Joseph Meloy at Welling Court, Dani Reyes Mozeson; 8. Joseph Meloy for the Centre-fuge Public Art Project, Tara Murray; 9. Joseph Meloy hood, courtesy of Le Collecktor
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