Dozens of new pieces surfaced this past weekend in “The Final Edition” at East Harlem’s Graffiti Hall of Fame on 106th Street & Park Avenue. Here’s a sampling from the event presented by James Top Productions and Joey TDS:
Brazilian writer AK47
Pose 2 and Czech writer Chemis
HopsOne
Scratch and Shock
Tomb. Wizart, Mad1, & Had2
Jerms
Photos by Lois Stavsky
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Currently based in both LA and NYC, Bisco Smith is celebrated for his graffiti on walls, as well as for his audio and visual work within hip-hop culture. WORLD UPSIDE DOWN, a recent collection of this talented artist’s works, is on view at Low Brow Artique, 143 Central Avenue in Bushwick, through September 7th. We spoke with Bisco soon after his hugely successful opening:
When and why did you start getting up?
I was about 12 or 13 years old when I started writing.
Any particular inspirations at the time?
I grew up skateboarding, and we were all into writing. Just about everyone in my school had a black book. We also avidly followed Chino’s Graf Flix section in the Source. This was sometime in the mid-90’s.
What was your preferred surface – back then?
Abandoned buildings. I grew up spending day after day inside of a huge dead factory. We could paint anything and everything in there.
Any early graffiti memories that stand out?
The first time I got taken down to the train tracks, a party got broken up by the police and on our escape, we ended up under a bridge filled with burners.
What is the riskiest thing you ever did?
Train tunnels and some less-than-solid rooftops. I remember getting caught between two trains, coming on opposite sides, while I was standing between two third rails. That experience will make you appreciate life all over again.
Why were you willing to take that risk?
I ask myself the same question now.
What percentage of your time is devoted to art these days?
Just about all of it. Both visual arts and music.
Do you have a day job? What is the main source of your income these days?
I work as a graphic designer and I mentor kids. I have a strong moral compass, and just about 98% of the work that I do is for the right cause. I’m involved with various community-based organizations including ARTS By the People, based in New York and New Jersey.
Have you any thoughts about the graffiti/street art divide?
Graffiti has a code, street rules, that “street art” doesn’t have – and that’s one of the reasons for the tensions between the two. But I don’t think there’s enough respect on either side.
How do you feel about the movement of graffiti and street art into galleries?
I think it’s great when people can make a living doing what they love – and also impact others.
Would you rather work alone or collaborate with others?
When I’m working on walls, I prefer to collaborate. More often than not, I paint with my friends and crew mates: Leias, Bishop203 or Meres
Is there anyone in particular with whom you would like to collaborate?
Jackson Pollock – if he were alive.
Any favorite graff artists?
Ces. Since Videograf 8 dropped, that whole 90’s era in the Bronx really was my favorite.
Do you have a formal art education?
Yes. I studied communication design at Pratt.
Was it worthwhile?
Very much so. It taught me a trade. There’s work in graphic design.
How do you feel about the role of the Internet in all this?
Both positive and negative. I love the connections and opportunities, but miss when style was localized
What inspires you these days?
Lately, I have been heavy on instagram and tumblr checking out other artists, working artists.
Are there any particular cultures that have influenced your aesthetic?
Hip-hop culture for sure.
Do you work with a sketch-in-hand or just let it flow?
I let it flow.
Are you generally satisfied with your finished piece?
For the most part, but in the end — for me — it’s more about the day and the moment. The end result is a bonus.
How has your work evolved through the years?
Although I continue to work on the streets, I no longer need its framework to create. I think my artwork is more focused these days – especially if I know it’s headed to a gallery.
What do you see as the role of the artist in society?
Balance out the mundane, as well as make people think.
What about the role of the photographer? The blogger?
It is important to document what’s out there and happening. I think its essential to any movement.
Any thoughts about sanctioned vs. unsanctioned art?
I like them both. I think both are needed and both allow for their own outcomes and impacts.
The Europeans seem to appreciate and respect graffiti far more than we do here in the States? Any thoughts about that?
If it doesn’t make money here, society seems to not appreciate it.
What’s ahead?
More visual explorations, socially engaged work, and gallery exhibits.
Interview by Lois Stavsky. Photos: 1. Bisco on exterior of Low Brow Artique, photo by Lois Stavsky; 2. & 3. Bisco in WORLD UPSIDE DOWN, photos courtesy of the artist; 4. Bisco, Meres, Bishop203 & Leias at 5Pointz, photo by Lois Stavsky; 5. Bisco & Leias on exterior of Low Brow Artique, photo by Tara Murray and 6. Bisco in Watts, photo courtesy of the artist
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She stands only five feet tall, but her artwork is monumental. Thirty-four-year old Orly Genger has fashioned 1.4 million feet of lobster-fishing rope into three surging and ebbing sculptures on three separate lawns in Madison Square Park. I passed them by chance earlier this week in an area of town I only occasionally visit, and I was mesmerized. The installation continues through September 8 in NYC and will then travel to the deCordova Sculpture Park in Massachusetts.
Photos by Lois Stavsky
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It’s been busy in DUMBO, Brooklyn. For the past week, some of our favorite artists have been gracing its walls with stylishly striking artwork, transforming its landscape into a stunning open-air gallery.
Shepard Fairey at work
Faith47, close-up from completed mural
Another Faith47 close-up
DALeast, close-up from completed mural
Another close-up from DalEast’s mural
Eltono at work
Another close-up from Eltono mural in progress
MOMO, close-up
Another close-up from MOMO mural in progress
These murals are among eight to grace a four-block stretch along the BQE. We will continue documenting DUMBO Walls on our Facebook page.
Photos by Dani Mozeson
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The once-abandoned trailer on East 1st Street off 1st Avenue in Manhattan’s East Village has once again been transformed into an intriguing canvas of urban art. Here are a few images we captured these past few days from Cycle 9 of the Centre-Fuge Public Art Project.
Cern at work
Cern, close-up
Damien Miksza at work
QRST at work
Cassie Lynn O’Neal at work
Cake — close-up
Caroline Caldwell at work
Royce Bannon at work on collaborative piece with Korn
The curatorial vision of Pebbles Russell and Jonathan Neville, the Centre-Fuge Public Art Project was conceived in 2011 in memory of Mike Hamm. Submissions to Cycle 10 — due by August 26th — can be sent to centrefuge@gmail.com. Keep posted to our Facebook page for more images from Cycle 9
All photos by Tara Murray, except for final photo by Lois Stavsky.
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For over 30 years East Harlem’s Graffiti Hall of Fame has been home to hundreds of stylish masterpieces. This past weekend, generations of fans and writers came together — once again — at 106th and Park to celebrate the extraordinary art movement that began here and continues to impact the world. Here is a selection of images captured at the event:
1983 Wild Style mural by Zephyr, Revolt and Sharp recreated by KingBee and Vase1
The Cone
Craze, Reo, Page3 and Eazy
One of many talented break dancers
In front of the main mural celebrating the 30th anniversary of the film Wild Style
Final photo courtesy of Scott Richardson; other photos by Dani Mozeson, Tara Murray and Lois Stavsky
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Armed with spray paint, paintbrushes, markers, pencils and assorted implements, a diverse group of artists have transformed the ground level of the Marina at Pier 57 into a mesmerizing medley of styles, shapes, colors and concepts. Here’s a sampling of what we recently captured on the “magic carpet” under 36 suspended shipping containers:
Iranian stencil artist Icy; Sinned painting, top left
Icy’s brother and partner Sot
Daniel Patrick at work with words
Queens-based artist Sinned, close-up
Painter Bruce Wall at work on piece in collaboration with Josh Miller
Garrison Buxton of Ad Hoc Art
NYC-based RJ Raizk
Brooklyn-based Subtexture
Not pictured are works by Depoe, Rrobots and In Pursuit of Magic.
Commissioned by YoungWoo & Associates, the completed artworks can be seen at the Marina at Pier 57 at West 15th Street within Hudson River Park through July.
Photos by Dani Mozeson, Tara Murray and Lois Stavsky
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An astonishing array of first-rate murals have transformed three Bushwick blocks into a spellbinding tribute to the late graffiti writer NEKST. Here’s a selection of the varied, strikingly stylish murals — many fashioned by MSK members — that recently surfaced in the vicinity of the L train’s Morgan Avenue station.
Keep posted to our Facebook page for more outstanding Bushwick NEKST tribute murals.
Photos by Lois Stavsky
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The new FABnyc sidewalk mural, fashioned by Ecuadorian artist Raúl Ayala, is among our favorite public artworks to surface this year. On one of our many visits to Extra Place in Manhattan’s East Village, we had the opportunity to speak to the amazing artist.
When did you start creating art?
When I was a child, I had difficulty sleeping at night. My mind was plagued by hallucinations, and I would panic. My parents didn’t know what to do with me. Then we learned that what I was experiencing is known as hypnagogic hallucinations, a kind of somnambulism. A doctor told my parents that in earlier times, this condition was considered a gift. So to fight the fear of night, I began to draw.
And what happened to the hallucinations and panic attacks?
They stopped.
Wow! Did you go on to study art in a formal setting?
Yes. I studied Visual Arts at the university back home in Ecuador. I graduated in 2007.
Was your education helpful?
These days my art reflects mostly what I learned after I graduated, but the formal education that I received gave me the opportunity to teach, and I love teaching.
What inspired you to get up on public spaces?
While teaching inmates in Ecuador’s prison system, I came up with the idea of using the prison walls as a canvas. I see walls as the ideal canvas – as they are a metaphor for separation – all kinds of separations…social, economic, physical.
What about graffiti? When did you start doing graffiti?
I went to Argentina for one year to study painting. There the walls are filled with graffiti. When I returned to Ecuador, I began doing graffiti with a spray can. I always preferred the brush, though, and I consider myself a muralist more than a graffiti artist.
What is the attitude of your parents towards your life as an artist?
At the beginning it was difficult for them. But now, they see me happy and productive, and they’re great about it.
What percentage of your time is devoted to art?
Just about all of it. During the day, I work as an art handler for a Chelsea gallery to pay my bills. Other times, I do my own art.
Do you prefer working alone or collaborating with others?
I like to work alone, but I also love working with others. I have collaborated with D*Face and Liqen, along with many other friends and partners in crime. I love the challenge of collaboration, and I think it’s the best learning experience an artist can have!
Do you work with a sketch, or do you let it flow?
I always have lots of sketches, but I’m not faithful to them.
Are you generally satisfied with your finished work?
No.
How do you feel about the movement of graffiti and street art into galleries?
Once art goes into a gallery, it becomes merchandise. It’s all about money. The power of graffiti is its relationship with the city and the people. I see graffiti as a means to communicate with others and as social commentary.
Have you exhibited your work at in any gallery spaces, and how did you feel about it?
My first solo exhibit was at Arteactual FLACSO back home in Ecuador. I did it with the understanding that I could paint all the walls in the gallery. And then we sold prints. I feel that we artists have to take advantage of all the spaces available to us, and if we are going to use a gallery, we have to find a way to question that private space. I prefer outdoor walls, because my mission as an artist is to visually and intellectually engage a broad community of people.
Are there any particular cultures that influence your aesthetic?
Yes. Pre-Columbian and other Ecuadorian nationalities and cultures like the Shuar and Waorani from the Amazon Jungle, and Valdivia and Chachi from the coast.
Any favorite artists or influences?
I have lots of influences — many that do not come from visual arts. These days I am obsessed with the writer Roberto Bolaño, and I am also reading about the Reconstruction Era here in the USA. Among the younger visual artists I like are: Liqen, Hyuro, Escif and Vazco Basko. The more mature ones include: Dennis McNett and Miguel Varea. Some of the dead ones are: Guadalupe Posadas, Guaman Poma, Francis Bacon, el Bosco and los Muralistas Mexicanos. Tattoos and Brazilian Pixacao are other movements that I observe. In terms of music, I am more of a death metal head but I am, also, into Latin American music, specially old tunes.
What brought you to New York City?
I was living with my girlfriend in Ecuador, and she needed to move back to the U.S. to get her citizenship. We tried the long-distance relationship thing, but that didn’t work so well. So I decided to move here. We are now staying in New York City, and I am experiencing first-hand what it’s like to live and work as an immigrant. And we recently got married!
What is your impression of New York City?
I have only been here for a year and a half, so I am still pretty new in the city, Although I have found friends and support, I feel it’s a hard city. I see it as a rich playground, with the rich players blind to the workers behind the scene.
How does the street art/graffiti here in NYC differ from that back home in Ecuador?
The graffiti writers in Quito are very experimental. Also, one almost never gets arrested back home. There is a bit of a stigma to the use of the spray can, and so a police officer may stop you if you are using one. But graffiti is not regarded as a criminal act! You know that you can talk to the police, and they may leave you alone. You still need to be very careful and fast, but there is more freedom to paint in the streets in Ecuador than here in NYC.
Tell us something about your current project.
I’m working here at Extra Place with James Rubio from the Antagonist Art Movement on a FABnyc sidewalk mural. Inspired by a poem Dee Dee Ramone wrote about Joey soon after his death, it features wild creatures, representing punk rockers, carrying a dragon cloud — a symbol of Joey’s spirit. This mural is a tribute to Arturo Vega. It could have never happened without his influence and support.
What’s ahead?
I am a Fellow for the Create Change Professional Development Program at the Laundromat Project. I’m learning how to work with socially-engaged art here in NYC. I’m quite excited about this. I am looking forward to producing artwork in my current neighborhood in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. I will keep you posted! Also, I am participating in the exhibit For Which It Stands at The Lodge Gallery at 131 Chrystie Street on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Curated by Keith Schweitzer and Jason Patrick Voegele, it opens tomorrow evening — Friday, June 28, 6-9pm and continues through July 28.
It sounds great! Good luck!
Photos by Tara Murray and Lois Stavsky
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The corner of Myrtle Avenue and Spencer Street in Brooklyn’s historic Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood is now home to two huge distinct murals. The works of Brooklyn-resident Joshua Gabriel, they exude a soulfully mystical aura. We spoke yesterday to the artist about these distinct works.
We’ve been captivated by these walls since you began fashioning them awhile back. How did they happen — at such a well-traveled intersection?
The owners of International Stone Collections, a custom stone artisan shop at 703 Myrtle Avenue, had placed an ad on Craigslist seeking an artist to create a “textural mural.” I wasn’t exactly sure what a textural mural was, but I brought it my portfolio, and I was hired.
Wow! Had you worked on the streets before?
I had gotten some stickers and posters up — mainly promoting my music events — but, no, I never painted a public mural before.
What was the experience like?
At first, I was somewhat self-conscious. I had some anxiety about working in public. The entire process is definitely more challenging than working in a private space. But then I came to love it. I loved the engagement of the passersby.
What was that like?
In the past year, since I began these murals, hundreds of folks have stopped to talk to me. The Hasidim — whose presence seems to be increasing in the neighborhood — ask questions like, “Are you allowed to do this?”… “Do you make a living from this?” The local teens love it and ask me to do their tattoo for them. Artists speak to me about the process. And long-time local residents keep thanking me! Everyone has been respectful.
What’s going on here?
The murals weave together patterns and images from nature — such as the ripples in water, the textures of leaves, the shapes of clouds with figurative elements, including a giant lion’s head, a sea of eyes, and a pair of ancient Egyptian heads. It’s my subconscious at work!
Have you a particular message or theme that you wish to convey?
The corner of Myrtle Avenue and Spencer Street is the intersection connecting three diverse communities. Pratt art students, born and bred Bed-Stuy residents and members of Williamsburg’s Hasidic populace all meet here. The theme of my work is that all of us — despite our differences — are interconnected.
There’s quite a bit of mixed-media here. What materials did you use?
I used exterior paint, spray paint and over 100 metallic paint markers.
There are lots of shades of blues and metallics here. Can you tell us something about your choice of colors?
The wall had originally been painted dark blue, and I liked the way it looked. I decided to repaint in a similar color, and I chose to work with metallics because I love the way they pop out.
Did you work with a sketch-in-hand?
I don’t work with sketches, but I do use photo references. And I always have notes with me. The actual process, though, is spontaneous.
Have you any influences? Or artists who particularly inspired you?
Alex Gray is a definite inspiration. Others include Keith Haring and my mother, Rochelle Marcus Dinken.
Are you satisfied with the results of these murals — your first public artworks?
Yes. I’m quite critical of my works, but the reaction has been so positive. And they do look cool!
You can view the murals and meet Joshua Gabriel at a reception to be held this Thursday, June 27, 5-8pm at 703 Myrtle Avenue.
Photos by Lois Stavsky
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