Street Artists

Earlier this fall, ST.ART founder Kamilla Sun traveled to Kathmandu, the capital and largest city of Nepal. On a voluntary mission — with money raised through a crowdfunding campaign to procure art supplies — Kamilla taught young Napoli students how to transform their school’s drab, dingy walls into vibrant, colorful ones.  

The “Start With A Dream” project, explains Kamilla Sun, “aims to teach the little builders of the future how to imagine, dream bigger and create.”  The vast majority of Nepal students live in poverty and have had little exposure to the arts.

Renowned NYC-based artists Jason Naylor, Sonni Adrian and Adam Lucas created simple mock-up mural designs that the students easily recreated for their school’s walls under Kamilla’s guidance. Other artists who contributed to the project include Agata Wojcierowska and Natasha May Platt aka Surface of Beauty.

Pictured above are the student participants in front of their collaborative mural, “Dream,” as designed by Jason Naylor, and — below that  — the mural as painted on NYC’s Lower East Side by Jason Naylor and Surface of Beauty.  Several more images — all created by the young Nepali students — follow:

Designed by Sonni Adrian and painted collaboratively by Nepali students

Young artists pictured with ST.ART founder Kamilla Sun

Designed by Adam Lucas and painted collaboratively by Nepali students

Completed mural

Designed by Agata Wojcierowska and painted collaboratively by Nepali students

Completed mural

And you can watch Kamilla talk further about the project and view the youngsters in action here:

All images courtesy ST.ART founder Kamilla Sun

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Featured above in Part II of  travel and street photographer Karin du Maire aka Street Art Nomad’s documentation of Playa del Carmen’s delightful public art is another mural painted by the wonderfully talented Mexican artist Farid Rueda. Several more images of artworks captured by Karin on her recent visit to Mexico’s coastal town in Quintana Roo follow:

Mexican artist Minoz with the Dreamers Art Fest

Mexican artist and musician Ekza One

Spanish artist Dourone

Cancún-based Dherzu Uzala with Calles Corazón 

Urban art collective Pinta o Muere

Mexican artist Senkoe

Photos by Karin du Maire aka Street Art Nomad

Note: Hailed in a range of media from WideWalls to the Huffington Post to the New York Times, our Street Art NYC App is now available for Android devices here.

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Among the cities situated along the Caribbean Sea that host a huge range of infectious public art is Playa del Carmen in Quintana Roo, Mexico. The mural featured above was fashioned by the Mexican artist Senkoe. Several more murals captured by travel and street photographer Karin du Maire aka Street Art Nomad, who recently visited the region, follow:

Mexican artist Farid Rueda

Italian artist Zed1 with the Dreamers Art Fest

Urban art collective Pinta o Muere. whose mission is to artistically transform damaged or forgotten public spaces

Also by urban art collective Pinta o Muere

And on a different note, France native Sbu One

Photos by Karin du Maire aka Street Art Nomad

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The shutter featured above was painted by New York-based Chilean artist Nelson Rivas aka Cekis on East Houston Street, around the corner from his recent mural at Rag & Bone.  Several more images featuring the enticing art that has surfaced on NYC shutters and gates follow:

The legendary Kenny Scharf in the East Village

Brooklyn-based Master Moody Mutz on the Lower East Side

Staten Island-based Kwue Molly in Astoria, Queens with the Welling Court Mural Project

Barcelona-based El Xupet Negre in Bushwick

Ecuadorian artist Apitatán in Bushwick with JMZ Walls

Photos by Lois Stavsky

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Beautifying the town for its residents and visitors as it engages members of Akumal’s local community in hands-on activities, the second annual Akumal Arts Festival was held earlier this month. Along with local artists, dozens of artists from around the globe brought their talents to Akumal while paying homage to the coastal town’s Mayan culture. The image featured above was painted by Peruvian artist Joe Fernández Carrasco aka Zelva Uno. Several more images captured by travel and street photographer Karin du Maire aka Street Art Nomad while visiting the region follow:

Montpellier, France-based Arnaud DE JESUS GONCALVES aka Arkane

Mexico-based Argentine painter and muralist Jose Dios

NYC-based Chris “Daze” Ellis  posing in front of his mural in the “land of the turtles” — as Akumal is known

Mexican artist Sheick

NYC-based Key Detail

The itinerant Kiptoe

Photos: Karin du Maire aka Street Art Nomad

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Last year at about this time, the NYC Department of Sanitation issued a call for volunteers to transform 23-ton collection vehicles into works of art using paints that had been discarded. Over 100 artists submitted design concepts.

The final participants selected for this innovative project were:  Misha Tyutyunik, Victor A. Saint-HilaireDisterJillian White, and Lady K-Fever, along with visual art students from Long Island City-based Energy Tech High School. First displayed this past summer in Times Square, all five trucks were then on view this past Sunday in Union Square Park. Pictured above is one side of a  truck painted by Brooklyn-based Misha Tyutyunik.  Several more images we captured from the “Trucks of Art” parked in Union Square Park follow:

Misha Tyutyunik and Yonkers-based Victor A. Saint-Hilaire, aka Vash, the other side of the truck

Manhattan-based Dister pays tribute to the sanitation workers

Brooklyn-based Jillian White, DSNY civilian employee in Staten Island, with a message, “Rethink, Renew Reuse.”

Long Island City-based Energy Tech High School students

Bronx-based Lady K-Fever, Recycle, so the future can smell the flowers too’

And the other side of Lady K-Fever‘s truck

Note: Lady K-Fever‘s truck will be on display during the the official launch of The Bronx Graffiti Art Gallery’s “I love Graffiti” clothing series this coming Saturday, November 23, from 12 pm to 8 pm at Scrapyard NYC, 300 West Broadway.

Photo credits: 1, 2 & 5 Ana Candelaria; 3, 4, 6 & 7 Lois Stavsky

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A PangeaSeed Foundation public art program, Sea Walls: Artists for Oceans is committed to bringing the message of ocean conservation into streets around the world. With over 350 murals created in 15 countries, Sea Walls is a model of ARTivism on a global scale. During her recent visit to Cozumel, Mexico, travel and street photographer Karin du Maire aka Street Art Nomad captured several of the Sea Walls murals that have surfaced in this Caribbean island off the eastern coast of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.

Pictured above is Mapache’s Stare, a mural painted earlier this year by South African artist Sonny Sundancerfeaturing a pygmy raccoon endangered with habitat loss. Several more images of Cozumel-based Sea Walls murals follow:

Australian artist Meggs, Coral Conch Shell, 2015

Canadian artist Jason Botkin, Protect What You Love, 2015

UK-based Phlegm, Untitled, 2015

Mexican artist Secreto Rebollo, Letanía, 2019

Argentine artist Nicolas Romero Escalada aka Ever, Untitled, 2015

International duo Alegria Del Prado, Su Vida Es Nuestra Vida, 2019

Photos: Karin du Maire aka Street Art Nomad

Note: Hailed in a range of media from WideWalls to the Huffington Post to the New York Times, our Street Art NYC App is now available for Android devices here.

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An art lover and dear friend to so many street artists, East Village–based Steve Stoppert is a local legend. True to his motto, “Just Paint,” he is the force behind one of NYC’s most visible public spaces – the wall facing the Second Avenue subway station. Dozens of artists have painted there, and dozens more wait their turn. Recently, we had the opportunity to interview Steve in his Second Avenue apartment that brims with art — from floor to ceiling — in just about every media and style.

We are fortunate that you have made New York City your home. Where were you born? And what brought you here?

I was born in Pontiac, Michigan — a northern suburb of Detroit. I came here in 1992 for two weeks to remodel my sister’s bathroom. And I never left. She was living on East 6th Street at the time.

What was it about NYC that so drew you in?

The music scene. It was magic!  Seeing the Pavement at the Mercury Lounge on the Lower East Side. Hanging out at CBGB on the Bowery…

And what about NYC’s art scene?

I used to go on my own to the Met. But it wasn’t until an artist friend took me on a tour of the museum and introduced me to Cézanne that something clicked!

What is your first street art/graffiti-related memory?

Definitely Shepard Fairey. Seeing Andre the Giant everywhere!

And how did you become so deeply involved with the current scene?

I started going out with Fumero late at night. I was his “look-out.” I remember thinking, “If only I’d had an aerosol can in my hand when I was 15!”

How has the street art scene changed since you first began paying attention to it? 

It’s different. These days, there are lots of fluffy paste-ups, and just about everyone is documenting it. But I still love it.

What is your favorite aspect of the scene?

I love the hunt. When I first began in 2010, I was obsessed with Jim Joe. I used to hunt for him daily. I chased him everywhere between the Lower East Side and Tribeca competing with folks on Tumblr for the most Jim Joe sightings.

For the past several years you’ve been curating a hugely visible wall right on your block. How do you decide which artists to feature?

I have a list of about 80-100 artists who’ve approached me. We simply select a name at random from a hat. Each month the wall changes.

What has the experience been like?

I love it. I love working with artists. I don’t even mind when they’re flakey or late. I just go with it.

How do you deal with the ever-present politics in this scene?

I ignore it completely.

Do any memorable experiences stand out? 

Fun times! When City Kitty got up on the wall and changed it 6-8 times within three months. And, of course, riding on my bike at 3am to 4am with flashlight and bike light – not knowing what I will see that I haven’t seen before.

What do you see as the future of this scene?

It seems to be at an all-time high with its increasing appeal to commercial buildings and high-end hotels.

Yes! It certainly has changed since I first fell in love with it! And we are thrilled that you are doing what you are doing. The wall that you curate is one of our faves.

Images:

1. Steve Stoppert in front or wall painted last Sunday by Key Detail

2, Noted California-born artist and musician Paul Kostabi

3. The itinerant Sirus Fountain aka Pyramid Oracle

4. Bronx-based Zimad

5. Brooklyn-based Argentine artists Magda Love and Sonni

6. The prolific Optimo NYC aka Optimo Primo, Werds and No Sleep

7. Brooklyn-based Argentine artist Ramiro Davaro-Comas

Interview conducted by Lois Stavsky and Ana Candelaria and edited by Lois Stavsky

Photo credits: 1-3 & 5 Lois Stavsky; 4, 6 & 7 Ana Candelaria

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Opening this Saturday, November 9 at 9127 East 5th Street in Downtown Los Angeles is “The Streets Are Queer.” Presented by In Heroes We Trust and Rainbow Walls, it features works by over two dozen self-identifying queer North American artists who have left their mark on our streets. Featured above is LA-based figurative painter and muralist David Puck at work on a portrait of Vanessa Vanjie. Several more public works by a small sampling of the artists featured in “The Streets Are Queer” follow:

Brooklyn-based photographer and filmmaker, Daniel “Dusty” Albanese aka the Dusty Rebel, currently at work on a book and documentary about queer street art

New Orleans-based Brooklyn-native Hugo Gyrl

The itinerant São Paulo-native Suriani

NYC-based Patron Saint of the Underground Jilly Ballistic 

UK-based duo The Postman

LA-based Homo Riot

Curated by Homo Riot,”The Streets Are Queer” continues through December 7.

All photos courtesy the gallery

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Currently living between Paris and Los Angeles, Belgium-born filmmaker Cedric Godin was recently in New York City for the US premiere of his award-winning film, “X art,” at the Chelsea Film Festival. After viewing the insightful film and panel discussion featuring Patty Astor, Henry Chalfant, Enrique Torres aka Part One and Nick Walker — moderated by Marie Cecile Flageul — we  posed a few questions to Cedric.

What inspired you to produce this film?

I had just completed my first film, PTSD, and had returned from California to Paris. I wanted to get back to work as soon as possible, and as I was seeing street art exhibitions and events everywhere, I decided to do a documentary about the street art movement and culture. Even though I had followed the movement since 2012, I never really thought of doing something on it until I returned to Paris from California.

What is the significance/meaning of your film’s title, “X art?”

After I decided to do a documentary, I started to research the street art culture. Rapidly, I realized how complex the world of street art is. So many artists, techniques, movements, markets… It appeared to me that as street art is such a huge subject, it would be an interesting challenge to get people to better understand it. I had a working title but after a few months “X art” came, as the X suggested “the unknown,” “the transgression,” “the X factor” and more.

So I chose the letter X to start  from “the unknown” —  in order to learn and digress to a point where it would become clearer for an audience and hopefully awaken within viewers the curiosity to investigate the culture on their own after seeing the film.

How did you go about choosing/deciding which artists to focus on?

They had to have a career, a real social or political message in their work, a continuity in their journey and an artistic goal. It was important for me that the artists had enough experience on every level to be able to transmit their passion, techniques and journey to as large an audience as possible.

When did you begin filming “X art”

I started to meet with artists in 2016.

In the film there is a focus not only on the artists and their artwork, but also on the art market. Why did you choose to turn your lens on this aspect of the scene?

Simply because these days, you can’t avoid the financial aspects of things. Fortunately or unfortunately, the market has a big influence on how artists develop their careers. Of course, there are pros and cons, but I wanted to give the audience an idea of what’s happening. From there they could visit galleries, events and auction houses and form their own opinions on the subject.

Did anything in your findings particularly surprise you? In what ways may have making this film personally impacted you? Do you find yourself paying more attention to street art and graffiti?

Of course, I do pay more attention. It is funny to see how my eye, three years later, is more “educated.” When I see a painting or a wall, I can recoup more information to understand and form an opinion on that particular piece. I have also learned how to be a good collector.

What were some of the challenges you faced in seeing this project through?

The usual challenge of being an “indie” filmmaker… time and money. Fortunately, the world of street art is a very generous world for the most part. 99% of the artists were just amazingly helpful. My friend and partner Olivier Le Quellec, a street art fan, financed the project with me. Dotmaster and Ben Eine, two famous UK-based artists, offered to design the poster. Eric Brugier, the French gallerist, connected me to several artists who themselves connected me to more. I think you can’t get into this world if you are not well-connected, but once you are in, you feel like a family member.

How have viewers responded to it?

Amazingly! The most touching thing is when people come up to me and say they have learned something; some are even motivated to further research artists or elements they weren’t aware of.  To me, if filmmaking has a purpose. It is to learn and to transmit.

What would you like your viewers to walk away with?

The will to go deeper into the subject  —  to read, to research, to see events, to meet artists. And we have an incredible chance to be able to do it.

What’s next?

Ideally to secure distribution for “X art,” as I humbly think that this little film has its cultural role to play. I’m currently working on a TV show and a feature film. I work in so many directions these days that I couldn’t tell you what is going to happen next…I will let you know very soon!

Congratulations on “X art.  We certainly hope it is widely distributed and, yes, we are looking forward to what’s next!

Images:

  1. Film poster designed by UK-based artists Dotmaster and Ben Eine
  2. Cedric Godin
  3. Film clip featuring Ben Eine and Pure Evil
  4. Parisian graffiti artist Nasty
  5. Patti Astor, co-founder of the legendary FUN Gallery
  6. Henry Chalfant, noted American photographer and videographer, whose current exhibit, Art vs. Transit, 1977-1987, at the Bronx Museum is a must-see!
  7. The famed UK-born street artist Nick Walker at “X art” Chelsea screening

Photo credits 1, 2, 4 – 6 courtesy Cedric Godin; 7 Ana Candelaria 

Interview questions: Houda Lazrak, Ana Candelaria and Lois Stavsky

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