Street Artists

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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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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Girls on NYC Walls, Part XVIII: Swoon, JR, Gabriel Pitcher, Panmela Castro with Opni, Ramiro Davaro and Anthony Lister

January 26, 2016

This is the 17th in an occasional series of posts featuring images of girls — and women — who grace NYC public spaces:

Swoon in Red Hook

JR in the East Village

Gabriel Pitcher in Bushwick

Panmela Castro with Opni in the Bronx

Ramiro Davaro with JMZ Walls in Bushwick

Anthony Lister in Bushwick

Close-up of Lister’s ballerina

Photo credits: 1 & 2 Tara Murray; 3-5 Lois Stavsky, and 6 & 7 Dani Reyes Mozeson

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Curious Characters on NYC Streets, Part VIII: Mike Lee, Werc, Elle with the London Police, Buff Monster, Binho and Esteban del Valle

January 23, 2016

This is the eighth in a series of occasional posts featuring some of the curious characters that surface on NYC streets:

Mike Lee in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Werc, close-up in Long Island City

Elle and the London Police on Manhattan’s Lower East Side

Buff Monster at the Bushwick Collective

Binho in Long Island City

Esteban del Valle at Welling Court in Astoria, Queens

Photo credits: 1, 3 & 5 Dani Reyes Mozeson; 2, 4 & 6 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