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“PHASE 2: Myth Conception…” Continues Through June 30 at ACA Galleries in Chelsea

May 9, 2023

Currently on view at ACA Galleries in Chelsea, “PHASE 2: Myth Conception…” traces the development of the late visionary stylemaster’s distinct aesthetic from 1972 through 2019. Among the artist’s wide-ranging works included in this hugely comprehensive survey are: PHASE 2‘s hip-hop flyers, IGTimes graphics, varied works on paper, embossed aluminum plates and tantalizing sculptures — in addition to his works on canvas and plywood.

A first generation writer and hip-hop pioneer, PHASE 2 evolved into an astonishingly innovative contemporary artist, blurring the lines between style writing, urban art and fine art. Intricate and immensely intriguing, the works that he created in the last decade of his life exude a distinctly esoteric beauty.

“Don 101,” the image pictured above, was rendered back in 2008 with with ink marker on IGTimes, vol.4. What follows are several of PHASE 2‘s later works on canvas and plywood — all elegantly displayed at ACA Galleries.

“Interplanetary Deity 2,” ca. 2016, Paint marker, spray paint and acrylic on canvas

“Untitled,” Paint marker, spray paint and acrylic on plywood

“Implosion 2.” 2015, Paint marker, spray paint and acrylic on canvas

“Chromatic Implosion,” ca. 2016, Paint marker and spray paint on canvas

“Untitled 3,” 2010, Mixed media on plywood

“Another Time and Space,” ca 2013, Paint marker, spray paint and acrylic on canvas

T.O.N.Y Oy/Not/Vehme/Yeldi, 2016, spray paint and acrylic on canvas

T.O.N.Y Oy/Not/Vehme/Yeldi, 2016, spray paint and acrylic on canvas, detail

Curated by ACA Galleries curator Mikaela Sardo Lamarche and IGTimes founder David Schmidlapp, “PHASE 2: Myth Conception…” can be viewed Tuesday – Saturday, 11:00am – 6:00pm at ACA Galleries, 529 West 20th Street,

Note:

Thursday May 11th @ 7pm
“Funky Nous Deco” and Beyond
Special presentation of PHASE 2 graphic works from his seminal hip hop fliers, IGTimes and album covers to his digital installations and backdrops with Pete Nice, Co-Curator, Universal Hip Hop Museum and David Schmidlapp, founder of the IGTimes and special guests.

Photos of artworks by with City-As-School intern Antonio Gomez and Lois Stavsky

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PUSHING IT FORWARD: ILLicit Creatives Claiming Space on the Streets of Queens, Part III

May 1, 2023

After a hiatus of several weeks, we are back with our documentation of ILLicit creatives claiming space on the streets of NYC. Pictured here is the hardcore international Red Eye Mob above the rather cryptic Bumer Randy. What follows are several more graffiti bombs and throwies captured these past few months in Queens.

Subi, Easy and more

Sice, BS

Angr and Cser

Ecal, Gio, Dink, Tru, Gio, AJ and more

Skiz and Sch, NBT

Sedit captured at work in the dark

Zers, OTL

Post and photos by the Pushing It Forward Collective

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SEAPORT MURALFEST 2023 Brings Ten Dazzling New “You Are Not Alone” Murals to South Street Seaport

April 25, 2023

Inspiring positive vibes and sparking conversations about mental health, ten artists were busy last week fashioning a wonderfully diverse array of murals at South Street Seaport. Conceived and curated by designer, illustrator and muralist Annica Lydenberg aka Dirty Bandits and mental health advocate and author Samantha Schutz, the project suggests that we are all connected through our common humanity and, therefore, never alone.

The image featured above was designed by the Chinese American artist Zipeng Zhu aka Mr.Dazzle. Several more images of newly designed “You Are Not Alone” murals follow:

Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary artist Sally Rumble

Dominican-American visual artist and graffiti writer Indie 184

Brazilian designer and visual artist Cristina Pagnoncelli aka CRISPA

NYC-based type designer and educator Lynne Yun

The prolific Brooklyn-based designer and visual artist Jason Naylor

NYC-based lettering artist and designer Alanna Flowers

Filipino-American multidisciplinary artist Richard Tumang

NYC-based multidisciplinary artist Marco Santini

Brooklyn-based Japanese American artist Adam Fu

And a message from project co-founder Dirty Bandits

Stay posted to the Street Art NYC Instagram for images of Priority Bicycles — designed by six of the artists — that will be used for “Priority Delivers” in honor of May’s Mental Health Awareness Month and Bicycle Month.

Photos: Lois Stavsky

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The Newly Launched Soi Books Celebrates Distinctly Creative Urban Artists from Across the Globe in Mini-Documentary Editions

April 19, 2023

Soi Books, a new series of delightfully curated mini books, celebrates a diverse range of hugely talented urban artists from across the globe. The artists’ varied works, distinct stories and personal histories are at once alluring and provocative. And not only do these booklets introduce us to these artists’ creations, but they acquaint us with the particular cultures and places that inspired them.

Among Soi Books,s newly published editions is TILL WE MEET AGAIN presenting an enticing array of artwork by the distinctly skilled Swiss-Peruvian woodblock printer Tania Brun. Included too is a variety of photographs — offering insights into her and her family’s lives. Crisp and infectious, Tania’s aesthetic largely reflects her Andean heritage.

“We used to live in a small town in Puno, where my father was a priest,” she relates. “He always taught us to appreciate the people of the Andes and not to take advantage of being half-Swiss.”

Another of Soi Books,’s inaugural editions focuses on the prolific Italian graffiti crew, SOOL. Curated in a feverishly frenetic and playful mode, the booklet, SOOL BOOMB BOOK, brilliantly captures the talents, energies and adventures of multimedia artists Claudio, Marco and Nicola who hail from the mountains of Northern Italy.

SUPER STRIKE presents a glimpse into Suiko, a wonderfully versatile artist who hails from Hiroshimo. With photos documenting the artist in a range of settings from his studio in Hiroshima to the streets of Nepal, along with engaging, informative text and images of hugely impressive artworks, SUPER STRIKE both educates and and inspires.

CHIP7LAND, the edition focusing on Bangkok-based Thai-American painter and Mayhen crew founder CHIP7, presents – in addition to photographs and random musings – masterful images of futuristic landscapes representing a fusion of Western and Eastern sensibilities.

And all of the booklets also give us a glimpse into the artists at work, providing further insights into the creative process.

To find out more about about these Soi Books, discover others, and find out how you can get your artwork published, check here.

All images courtey of the publisher

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“Swagger and Tenderness: The South Bronx Portraits by John Ahearn & Rigoberto Torres” Continues at the Bronx Museum to April 30

April 11, 2023

Bronx-based artists John Ahearn and Rigoberto Torres have been fashioning exquisite life-like portraits of their neighbors for over 40 years. At once poignant and majestic, their sculptural portraits are a a visual ode to their community — its resilient spirit and its rich culture. Continuing through this month at The Bronx Museum is their solo exhibition “Swagger and Tenderness…,” featuring 65 sculptural portraits created both individually and collaboratively. What follows is a brief sampling:

John Ahearn with Rigoberto Torres, “Janelle and Audrey,” 1983, Acrylic on plaster

John Ahearn, “Joe Conzo at 17,” 2020, Acryic on plaster

Rigoberto Torres, “Daze,” 1998, Acrylic on plaster

John Ahearn with Rigoberto Torres, “Mario and Norma,” 1979, Acrylic on plaster

John Ahearn, “Juanita in Stripes Hugging Carlos,” 2020, Acrylic on plaster

Rigoberto Torres, “Melissa Maycock,” 1997, Acrylic on plaster

John Ahearn with Rigoberto Torres, “Bintou and Anwar,” 1998, Acrylic on plaster

Co-curated by Amy Rosenblum-Martín and literary activist Ron Kavanaugh, “Swagger and Tenderness…” remains on view at The Bronx Museum until the end of this month. Located at 1040 Grand Concourse, the museum is open Wednesday – Sunday from 1 – 6PM. Admission is free.

Photo credits: Rachel Alban, 1, 4, 6 & 7; Lois Stavsky, 2, 3, 5 & 8

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“Messenger” Continues at Vanderplas Gallery Through Feb. 26th With: Will Power, Al Diaz, Magda Love, Cope2, Sonni & More

February 15, 2023

The following post is by student/intern Samantha Sabatino

On view now at Vanderplas Gallery on Manhattan’s Lower East Side is “Messenger.” Featuring an eclectic selection of works by artists who have been active on the streets of NYC and beyond, the exhibition continues through February 26th. Featured above is an untitled mixed-media work by self-taught artist Will Power. A small sampling of artworks by artists showcased in “Messenger” follows:

The NYC-born graffiti artist and SAMO© collaborator Al Diaz, “In the Future All Art Will Be Fake,” 2023, Mized media on canvas, 23″ x 20″

NYC/Buenos Aires/Miami — itinerant artist Magda Love, “Galaxy Inside 1,” 2023, Painting with Embroidered Frame, 24″ x 19″

Veteran Bronx graffiti artist Cope2, 8th Street R W Lines Subway Sign with blue Cope2 bubble, 2023, Mixed media on original metal subway sign, 27″ x 55″

NYC-based Argentine artist Sonni, “Starman,” 2022, Acrylic on canvas, 60″ x 48″

Located at 156 Orchard Street, the gallery is open Wed-Sat: 11am-6pm and Sunday: 11am-5pm.

Photos of artworks by Samantha Sabatino

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ChrisRWK Solo Exhibition, “Promise Made. Promise Kept,” Opens Saturday, February 11, at Harman Projects

February 9, 2023

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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Legendary NYC Graffiti Artist James Top Book Signing and Solo Exhibition at Sister’s Uptown Bookstore & Cultural Center

February 3, 2023

Tomorrow evening, Saturday, February 4, Sister’s Uptown Bookstore & Cultural Center and James Top Productions will host a book signing of James Top‘s autobiography, My Life, along with an opening reception to “Life Is Sweet on Sugar Hill,” a solo exhibition of his artwork. If you don’t already own a copy of James Top‘s memoir, this is the ideal setting to pick up a personally autographed one.

James Top, My Life not only celebrates the life of one particularly passionate graffiti artist, curator, educator and activist, but it illuminates elements of the hip-hop culture that NYC birthed.

Growing up in the projects in East New York, a neighborhood plagued by poverty and violence, it was all too easy to succumb to the fiercely brutal life of the streets. But James Top was determined from early on to somehow escape the “war zone” that was his everyday reality and “make it to the top.”

One of the last of his friends to pick up a marker, James — then JEE 2, the writer — went, within a relatively short span of time, from tagging the walls of his building to hitting trains non-stop. In 1974, along with several other writers, he founded TOP, The Odd Partners, a graffiti crew “with a mission to take over every train line and give Central Brooklyn an all-city graffiti presence.” And that TOP, The Odd Partners did, as its members — principally IN 1, MICKEY729, HURST and JEE 2 — perfected the art of the throw-up as they gained recognition as Kings.

As life evolved, so did the TOP Crew. Members died or were imprisoned; DONDI and NOC 167 were among those inducted; and whole train cars began to roll by. JEE 2 was soon JAMESTOP, and he began actively tagging the streets. “As JAMESTOP, I was a combination of a Central Brooklyn gangster and a Harlem Shaft,” he writes in My Life.

While James Top had found himself enmeshed in a range of personal struggles in the late 80’s, he effectively triumphed over them by the late 90’s after leaving Brooklyn for Harlem. Several hugely impressive accomplishments followed: he curated his first exhibition ever — a DONDI Memorial Show; he launched Graffiti NYC, a TV show centering on NYC’s graffiti art culture; he converted a wall of an abandoned school property into “The People’s Wall” — an open-air gallery, and he began to lecture on graffiti in various venues, including City College, CUNY.

In 2008, James Top had his first one-man show, “AFROLOGY,” showcasing adult versions of his signature AFRO character. And in the late 2010’s, he became actively involved in the Graffiti Hall of Fame, both as a co-director and artist.

You can meet the legendary James Top, view his artwork, and purchase an autographed copy of his memoir tomorrow evening, February 4, from 5-9pm, at Sister’s Uptown Bookstore & Cultural Center, 1942 Amsterdam Avenue @ 156 Street.

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“Eyes of the Street” Showcases the Talents of Brazilian Afrofuturist Muralist Enivo at the Consulate General of Brazil in New York

January 31, 2023

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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“Landmark” Continues at One Art Space Through 1/29 with: Peter Paid, Bluster One, Charlie Doves, Jeff Henriquez, Joe Conzo & Danny Cortes

January 26, 2023

Curated by Kate Storch, “Landmark” is both aesthetically stirring and culturally enriching. Featuring artworks in a range of media by Joe Conzo, Charlie Doves, Bluster One, Peter Paid, Jeff Henriquez and Danny Cortes, the exhibition continues through this Sunday, January 29 at One Art Space in Tribeca. While visiting yesterday afternoon, I had the opportunity to pose a few questions to Kate.

This exhibition is a wonderful homage to hip-hop and to its iconic locations. What spurred you to curate it?

I’d been wanting to curate an exhibition on this theme for awhile. And the beginning of 2023, the year that celebrates the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, seemed like the ideal time to make it happen.

How did you decide which artists to feature?

I chose artists whom I admire as professionals and as people. They are all different, yet all are related to the culture in their own distinct ways. Joe Conzo photographed hip-hop from its early days in the South Bronx. His contributions to the culture are invaluable. I’ve been a huge fan of Charlie Doves for years. He is a master of the craft. I love Bluster One‘s signature style. Music runs through it. Peter Paid brilliantly captures the aesthetics of graffiti in his signage. I had a wonderful experience working with Jeff Henriquez several years ago at the Summer Classics Block Party For National Hip Hop Day at First Street Park. And Danny Cortes‘s expertise, energy, patience and humility increasingly impress me.

What were some of the challenges that curating this exhibit presented?

There are always challenges when curating, but in this case, they were limited. Everything has gone remarkably smoothly. All of the artists are great people — and easy to work with!

The exhibition is so beautifully installed. Can you tell us something about that?

The installation is entirely my vision. I had given the placement of the art considerable thought, and I had the artistic freedom here at One Art Space to make it happen. I wanted it all to come to life! I wanted it to be an experience.

How can folks see the exhibit?

One Art Space is located at 23 Warren Street in Tribeca. The exhibit continues through Sunday from 1:00 PM – 6: 00 PM daily. Easily reached by just about every subway line, the gallery can be contacted at 646-559-0535.