Public Art Projects

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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Kids on Walls — Part IX: Ernest Zacharevic with Martha Cooper, Icy & Sot, Priscila De Carvalho, Joe Iurato with Logan Hicks and Anthony Lister

February 3, 2016

This is the ninth in a series of occasional posts featuring images of children that have surfaced on NYC public spaces:

Also by Ernest Zacharevic with Martha Cooper, huge segment of mural at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center — with the Bushwick Collective

Icy & Sot in Bushwick

Priscila De Carvalho in Bushwick

Joe Iurato and Logan Hicks, as seen at the Bushwick Collective awhile back.

Anthony Lister with the the Bushwick Collective

Photo Credits: 1, 2 & 4 Tara Murray; 3, 5 & 6 Lois Stavsky

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

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Searching for Public Art in Riverside Park on a Snowy Sunday Afternoon: Sukyung Kim, Kate Jansyn, Paola Morales, Lee Apt and Ken Shih

January 25, 2016

On a mission to find public art in my Manhattan neighborhood, I hit Riverside Park yesterday afternoon. Here’s a sampling of what I found walking among the snow drifts — overlooking the Hudson River — from 72nd Street down to 59th Street:

Sukyung Kim, Flow 1 – Cascade

Kate Jansyn, Fragment of an Angel

Paola Morales, Thrive

Lee Apt, Jubilation

Jubiliation, in its entirety from another angle

Ken Shih, Can Love Pervade Space? close-up of huge installation

Accidental art

Note: Images 1-6 — of the Model to Monument Program (M2M) — represent a collaboration between the Art Students League of New York and New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.

Photos by Lois Stavsky

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In Hialeah’s New Arts District with: Juan Travieso, Nicole Salgar, Reinier Gamboa, Ernesto Maranje and Diana Contreras aka Didi Rok

January 21, 2016

A vibrant art scene has begun to emerge in Miami’s largely industrial Hialeah neighborhood. What follows are a few more murals — all painted by Miami-based artists — that greeted me there on my recent visit:

Nicole Salgar

Reinier Gamboa

Ernesto Maranje

Miami-based Diana Contreras aka Didi Rok

First image was painted by Juan Travieso

Photos by Lois Stavsky

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At Wynwood Walls, Part II: DALeast, Cryptik, Faith47, Gaia, Crash and Ernest Zacharevic

January 20, 2016

What follows are a few more images representative of the wonderfully diverse range of murals gracing Wynwood Walls:

Chinese-born DALeast

West Coast-based Cryptik

South African artist Faith47

Baltimore-based Gaia

Bronx-based John Matos aka Crash

Lithuanian born Ernest Zacharevic

Photos by Lois Stavsky

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At Wynwood Walls with PichiAvo, Inti, Alexis Diaz, el Seed, Case Maclaim and Logan Hicks

January 18, 2016

Since its inception in 2009, Wynwood Walls has served as a rotating canvas for a stunning array of street art and graffiti murals painted by outstanding artists from across the globe. Here is a sampling of what I captured last week:

Another segment from huge mural painted by Valencia, Spain natives Pichi & Avo

Chilean artist Inti

Puerto Rico-based Alexis Diaz

French-Tunisian artist El Seed

German artist Case Maclaim, close-up

NYC-based Logan Hicks, close-up

Photos by Lois Stavsky

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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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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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