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Patrick Verel on Graffiti Murals: Exploring the Impacts of Street Art

February 5, 2016

In his highly acclaimed book Graffiti Murals: Exploring the Impacts of Street Art, free-lance writer and photographer Patrick Verel presents six case studies, along with dozens of photographs, exploring the role of sanctioned graffiti murals and street art in the urban environment. I recently met up with him and had the opportunity to ask him a few questions:

What spurred your interest in this topic?

I was always into graffiti. I have a short attention span, and I love being surprised! Cities stimulate me and graffiti is part of that stimulation.

How did this initial interest evolve into a book?

I never thought I’d actually write a book. It developed from the thesis that I wrote when I was enrolled in Fordam University’s Urban Studies Master’s Program.

You focus on six cases from the South Bronx to Trenton, New Jersey. How did you connect to all of the folks whom you interviewed?

I sent out lots of emails after poking around the Internet. And I made some of the connections via my Flickr contacts — like the photographer Luna Park, who hooked me up with Robots Will Kill.

What were some of the obstacles you encountered while doing your research?

Getting people to talk to me and synthesizing all of the information.

You seem to have accomplished that quite well! What — would you say – was the mission of your book?

To change the way so many people think about graffiti. To introduce them to the positive benefits of graffiti murals in enhancing the urban environment.

Are there any particular factors that assure the success of these interventions?

So much depends upon the owner of the space and his relationship with the artists. That owner must be able to trust the artists to do what they want. And a successful collaboration demands money, effort and time.

Were there any unexpected outcomes following the publication of the book?

Yes! I received a positive response from City Government, and I connected to Natalie Raben of the Lower East Side BID and the 100 GATES Program.

Have you noticed any changes in the graffiti/street art since you wrote your book?

There seem to be more projects, like the Bushwick Collective and the Welling Court Mural Project, that give artists legal opportunities to paint outdoors.

Published by Schiffer Publishing, Graffiti Murals: Exploring the Impacts of Street Art, is available online and in most bookstores.

Interview by Lois Stavsky

Photos of murals by Patrick Verel

1. Book cover, Lank completes mural he painted with Delve, Luv1 and Casso in Jersey City

2. Wallnuts mural in Gowanus with Dos, Chester, Muse, Been3 and Werc

3. 5Pointz in LIC with Meres, Zimad and more

4. Robots Will Kill in Bushwick with Chris, Veng, Peeta, Never & ECB

5. Taste, Mek, Evak, Sno Reo & Zoe at TerraCycle in Trenton, NJ

Note: Our highly acclaimed Street Art NYC App is now available here at Google Play for Android devices.

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New in Newark, New Jersey: Torch, Mesk, Era, Goomba, Goal, Ajae, Grope, 4Sakn, Emo, Tiper and Mad Hatter Graffiti

February 1, 2016

The walls of two factory buildings on Abington Avenue in Newark, New Jersey have recently been transformed into an exhilarating, open-air graffiti gallery showcasing a range of styles. Here are a few more images I captured while visiting yesterday:

Mesk

Era

Goomba and Goal

Ajae at work

4Sakn

Note: First image is by Torch

Special thanks to Rachel and Chris for introducing me to Newark’s thriving graffiti scene and to Torch for his passion and knowledge, who — along with Ram — made this particular Abington Avenue spot possible.

Photos by Lois Stavsky

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SOLD Magazine Launches with Exhibit at 17 Frost: Jily Ballistic with JPO, Chris RWK, Raquel Echanique, Elle and Ramiro Davaro

January 30, 2016

SOLD Magazine launched this past Thursday evening with an exhibit — co-curated with Ellis Gallagher — and party at 17 Frost. When I stopped by early in the evening, I had the opportunity to speak to John Paul O’Grodnick, who — along with Greg Frederick and BD White — made it all happen.

Just what is SOLD Magazine?

SOLD Magazine is a free magazine by artists for artists and art lovers. Among its features are: artists interviewing each other, studio visits, artist and photographer profiles, a travel section and much more.

What motivated you thee to launch it?

A sense that artists need a new platform for exposure. Our mission is to provide that platform.

When did you guys first begin working on SOLD Magazine? And how did you fund it?

We began working on it at the beginning of October, and we funded it via a Kickstarter campaign.

It’s great that your campaign was so successful! What has been your greatest challenge in seeing this through?

Rounding up the artists whom we wanted to participate in our venture.

Was it an open call? How did you decide which artists to include?

No! It was artists we’ve known and worked with in the past. Some of them suggested others.

How often do you expect to publish SOLD Magazine?

Once every three months. It is intended as a quarterly.

How will folks be able to get hold of it?

We plan to make it available in galleries and museums throughout the city, as well as in local businesses here in Williamsburg.

I notice that this premier issue focuses on female artists, with your first cover featuring Gilf and Elle. What can we expect in future issues?

Every issue will have a theme. Our next one will focus on collaborations.

That sounds great! Congratulations!

Note: The above images of are of works that were on exhibit and for sale at Thursday evening’s SOLD Magazine‘s launch:

1. Jily Ballistic and John Paul O’Grodnick aka JPO

2. Chris RWK

3. Raquel Echanique

4. Elle

5. Ramiro Davaro

Interview by Lois Stavsky and photos by Tara Murray

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Nick Walker at the Quin and on the Streets of Manhattan

January 28, 2016

Best-known for his sharply dressed, bowler-hatted vandal, the legendary British stencil artist Nick Walker — the first ever artist-in-residence at the Quin Hotel — has returned! Curated by DK Johnston, a series of Walker’s new artworks, along with his classic iconic stencil works, remain on view at the Quin through February 18th. What follows are a few more images of his works on exhibit:

The vandal on 57th Street across from the Quin

The vandal gets busy

The vandal leaves his mark on a pair of Louboutins

And here are a few of his huge stencil works currently on the streets of Manhattan:

In Chelsea

On the Upper East Side

In Little Italy

The Quin Hotel is located at 101 West 57th Street at Sixth Avenue.

Photos: 1 & 6 Lois Stavsky; 2 & 3 Sara Mozeson; 4 courtesy DK Johnston and 5 & 7 Tara Murray

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The Bushwick Collective x Mana Urban Arts Project at Wynwood’s RC Cola Factory with Rimx, Jimmy C, Shok1, Giz, Lady Aiko, Mr. June, Hoxxoh and Christina Angelina

January 16, 2016

In collaboration with the Mana Urban Arts Project, the Bushwick Collective transformed Wynwood’s former RC Cola Factory into a Mecca of first-rate street art and graffiti. During Miami Art Week, celebrated artists from across the globe painted alongside local Miami and NYC-based artists. Here are a few more images from among the dozens of murals I saw last week while visiting Wynwood:

London-based James Cochran aka Jimmy C

London-based Shok1

NYC-based Giz RIS

NYC-based Lady Aiko

Dutch artist David Louf aka Mr June

Miami-based Hoxxoh

West Coast-based Christina Angelina

First image is a close-up from a huge mural by David Sepulveda aka Rimx

Photos by Lois Stavsky

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At Wynwood’s Space 52 Mural Project with: Tristan Eaton, Esao Andrews, Hauser, Drew Merritt, David Flores, Cyrcle and Askew One

January 14, 2016

A stylistically diverse series of portraits of musicians — ranging from Beethoven to David Bowie, RIP — can be found on NW 22nd and 1st Avenue in Wynwood. Curated by Tristan Eaton for Space 52, this mural project was presented by B&A during Art Basel Miami. Here are a few more of the beautifully executed portraits:

West Coast-based Esao Andrews does Bob Dylan

West Coast-based Richard Henderson AKA Hauser does Ralf Hutter of Kraftwerk

West Coast-based Drew Merritt does George Harrison

West Coast-based David Flores does David Bowie

West Coast-based Cyrcle does Beethoven

New Zealand-based Askew One does Billie Holiday

Opening image: Project curator Tristan Eaton’s portrait of Afrika Bambaataa

Photos by Lois Stavsky

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Esteban del Valle on Contemporary Colonialism: Displacing Waves to Open January 9 at Superchief Gallery LA

January 4, 2016

Brooklyn-based artist Esteban del Valle has been busy! The culmination of seven months of travels throughout the United States, Displacing Waves, his upcoming exhibit, reflects on the artist’s role as a member of the “creative class” that creates new settlements, while displacing others. Esteban’s distinctly adroit mixed-media approach — blurring the lines between drawing and painting — brilliantly captures the anxiety, along with the comical irony, that the threat of gentrification poses to various communities, including the gentrifiers themselves. Here is a sampling of Esteban’s painterly musings on contemporary colonialism that will be on exhibit at LA’s’ Superchief Gallery opening this coming Saturday.

Appetite, Acrylic ink and collage on panel, 9″ x 12″

Cocktails near the poor man’s riviera, Acrylic and spray paint on canvas, 48″ x 60″

We are running out of cities, Ink and collage on paper, 11″ x 8.5″

And the artist at work at Superchief Gallery as he readies for his West Coat exhibit

Opening this coming Saturday, January 9, at Superchief Gallery, 739 Kohler Street, in Los Angeles, Displacing Waves remains on view through January 31.

Note: Opening image is Looking for sediment, Acrylic ink and collage on panel, 8″x 10″

All photos courtesy the artist

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Kristy McCarthy aka D Gale on HART: the Harlem Art Collective

January 3, 2016

A collective of artists based primarily in Harlem, HART has become an active force in the uptown arts scene. While visiting its space, I had the opportunity to speak to one of its founders, Kristy McCarthy aka D Gale.

Can you tell us something about HART’s mission?

Our mission is to use art as a tool to engage, educate and empower the members of our Harlem community. We are especially interested in beautifying abandoned and neglected spaces.

When was the Harlem Art Collective first born? And was anyone – besides you – involved in its conception?

It officially began last February. Gia Gutierrez and I had talked about starting some sort of Harlem-based artist organization. But as she didn’t have enough free time at that point to devote to launching it, Harold Baines and I organized the first few meetings with about 10 other artists and community members.

How did you get the word out? And how many artists are currently involved?

We initially got the word out mostly via emails and through our personal networks. About 40 artists currently participate.

Here at HART’s base, you provide space for local artists to live and free studio space for artists to create. In addition, you rent out two of the bedrooms to folks who are in NYC for short periods of time. How did you come upon such an amazing 5-bedroom space in the heart of East Harlem?

We found out about it from the building’s landlord. And its size and location made it a perfect match for our needs.

Among your projects is the always-engaging Guerilla Gallery on 116^th Street off 2^nd Avenue. It has introduced us to many new artists, and it also showcases art by some of our all-time favorite ones. What other projects have you initiated?

We have partnered with other community organizations — such as the East Harlem Block Nursery, Concrete Safaris and the Manatí Community Garden — to paint murals at block parties and community events. We worked with Urban Innovations to paint and install little free libraries in community gardens around Harlem, and we have hosted free art workshops at the HART house.

How can an artist join your collective?

We hold meetings twice a month. Anyone interested in attending and finding out more about HART can contact us via our Facebook page. We are also going to start a monthly newsletter this spring and, hopefully, add a community calendar to the Guerilla Gallery.

What’s ahead?

We are working on organizing a spring show that will feature artists from the collective and from the neighborhood. We are also working on starting other Guerrilla Galleries on abandoned construction walls around Harlem. And we are planning to paint more murals that directly involve the community. We have, also, recently formed a women’s caucus within the collective to organize projects specifically dedicated to women’s issues and female empowerment.

That sounds great! Good luck with it all. We are looking forward!

Images:

1. El Nino de las Pinturas, inside the Hart House

2. Lexi Bella, Danielle Mastrion and Kristy McCarthy in East Harlem

3. Kristy McCarthy in East Harlem

4. The Guerrilla Gallery in East Harlem, as seen earlier this year

5. Steve Perez, Zerk Oer and Bio,Tats Cru at the Guerrilla Gallery in East Harlem, as seen this past week on massive wall spelling out E-L B-A-R-R-I-O

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

Interview by Lois Stavsky

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At First Street Green Art Park in the East Village: Topaz, Meres, See TF, Python, Demer and Jerms

January 2, 2016

Meres, Jerms, Topaz, See TF, Python and Demer made their way — several weeks back — to First Street Green, where they painted an ode to the historic East Village/Lower East Side neighborhood. Here are a few more images:

Python aka Kenji

Meres One

Python, Demer & Meres One

Jerms

The huge mural was painted in collaboration with the Centrefuge Public Art Project and First Street Green. The art park is located at 33 East First Street on the site of — what was once — a derelict building.

Note: First image features Topaz, Meres One and See TF

Photos: 1 & 2 Tara Murray; 3 Dani Reyes Mozeson and 4 & 5 Lois Stavsky

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Syrian Artist Issam Kourbaj’s Installation Another Day Lost Continues through January 5 on the Grounds of Trinity Church in Lower Manhattan

January 1, 2016

Since 2011, over 10 million Syrians have been uprooted from their homes. Another Day Lost, a mixed-media installation by Syrian UK-based artist Issam Kourbaj, offers a powerful look into the crisis crippling his homeland.

Inspired by the aerial imagery of the refugee camps in the Jordanian desert, the artist fashioned his installation — reflecting on the lives of refugees living in tents — from waste materials, such as medicine packaging and discarded books.

Each day of the installation, another match is lit and then blown out to mark one more day of Syria’s devastation.

U.S. residents visiting the site are invited to compose and electronically submit a letter to their elected representatives encouraging them to support increasing the number of Syrian refugees admitted to the U.S.

On the grounds of Trinity Church — at the intersection of Broadway and Wall Street in Lower Manhattan — Another Day Lost can be viewed through January 5^th.

Note: This post was written in collaboration with Kristin L. Wolfe.

Photo credits: 1, 3 & 4 Dani Reyes Mozeson; 2 & 5 Kristin L. Wolfe

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