While street art is too often used as an avenue to gentrify neighborhoods, it can also serve – as depicted in Spencer Wilkinson’s award-winning documentary film ALICE STREET– as a tool to empower, energize and unite members of diverse communities in their struggle against gentrification.
In 2013, Chilean studio painter Pancho Peskador joined forced with Chicago-born aerosol artist Desi Mundo to create a four-story mural at 14th Street and Alice Street in downtown Oakland. Painted directly across from Hotel Oakland Village, a facility that provides affordable housing and services to hundreds of Chinese seniors, and the noted Malonga Center, a venue for African drumming, culture and dance performances, the mural — designed with direct input from the folks served by the neighboring sites — represented downtown Oakland’s diverse cultures.
But by then gentrification had aggressively reared its ugly head. Local folks were concerned about being economically and culturally displaced as rents feverishly increased, along with condominiums to house the wealthy. And soon after the hugely impressive mural was completed, the news came that another development would be under way that would block the its view.
ALICE STREET brilliantly documents the people’s fervent and largely successful struggle against unbridled corporate greed, as they fight to preserve their culture and their neighborhood. It is an ode to the power of public art to not only enhance but to transform our lives.
This weekend ALICE STREET will be in NYC with the Architecture & Design Film Festival for two special screenings at Cinépolis Cinemas to be followed by discussions.
Photos courtesy of ALICE STREET
In this fifth post of our new series, PUSHING IT FORWARD — featuring ILLicit creatives claiming space on NYC streets — our focus now is on those bombs and throws that have surfaced in Manhattan. The image above features the markings of Spray RBV and Goog, along with dozens of tags. Several more images recently captured on the streets of Manhattan — from Chinatown to Inwood — follow:
Fat Jay
Bat, Cope2, Poke, Ollin Crew, Say No Sleep & more on the Bowery Wall
Acet
Riot
House TOS and Rom89
Mae and Dip
Post and photos by the Pushing It Forward Collective
Note: We return to the borough of Queens in our next PUSHING IT FORWARD post
For several weeks beginning in late May, Will Power brought his massive love of hip-hop and splendid skills to the 150-foot tunnel along New York and Ravine Avenues in Jersey Heights. Working in collaboration with noted hip-hop documentarians Ernie Paniccioli, T. Eric Monroe and David Corio, Will painted a momentous mural paying homage to 45 hip-hop icons and to the photographers who so brilliantly documented them.
Captured above at the entry to the Hip-Hop Tunnel is the late legendary Tupac Shakur — based on a photo by T. Eric Monroe. Several close-ups from inside the tunnel follow:
Snoop Dogg, closer up; original photo, the late Chi Modu
The late Big L; original photo: T. Eric Monroe
Slick Rick; original photo, Ernie Paniccioli
Lauryn Hill; original photo, Ernie Paniccioli
Big Daddy Kane; original photo, David Corio
Rakim: original photo, David Corio
Sponsored by the Jersey City Mural Arts Program, the hugely impressive mural — seen by thousands daily as they travel in and out of Jersey Heights — is a spectacular tribute to hip-hop culture.
Photos by Lois Stavsky
Since 2014, Waterford Walls, Ireland’s largest street art festival, has been transforming and regenerating urban spaces in Waterford, Ireland’s oldest city, while inspiring and connecting communities. Earlier this month, Waterford Walls held its eighth street art festival with over 28 national and international artists creating huge murals across Waterford City and the surrounding areas.
The enchanting mural featured above was painted by the London-based French street artist Zabou with the Dublin-based French illustrator and muralist Juliette Viode. They are both captured here — posing with the local boy depicted in the mural — by travel and street photographer Karin du Maire aka Street Art Nomad. Several more images from the recent Waterford Walls follow:
Ukrainian artist Andrey Palval with one of the murals from the triptych “The Birds”
Portugal-based Emanuel Barreira aka Half Studio in front of his masterly lettering
England-based self-taught artist Sophie Mess at work on her stunning mural
French urban artist GraffMatt checking out his portrait of a young woman
Paris-based South African photorealistic muralist Mister Copy at work
Brooklyn-based Italian muralist Iena Cruz in front of his mural “Out of Sight,” depicting “two vanishing polar bears… fighting to survive”
Photos by Karin du Maire aka Street Art Nomad
In this fourth post of our new series, PUSHING IT FORWARD — featuring ILLicit creatives claiming space on NYC streets — our focus now is on the streets of Staten Island. Widely overlooked by graffiti and street art aficionados, the blocks on and off Bay Street in Stapleton host an infectious range of both sanctioned and unsanctioned images fashioned by local artists and by those from neighboring boroughs. Featured above are the markings of the prolific Pöe. Several more photos of ILLicit public works recently captured in Staten Island follow:
Coe, KGB
Dechead
Par, NS
Over
Rik, Viloe and Osi
Poke
Post and photos by the Pushing It Forward Collective
Currently on view at Underhill Walls in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn is a delightfully nostalgic trip down TV’s memory lane. In the murals featured above, accolades are given to The Sopranos by Paolo Tolentino, while Subway Doodle honors Battlestar Galactica. Several more images from Underhill Walls‘ current iteration follow:
Multi-media artist Sage Gallon pays homage to “The Sonny and Cher Show” for its “talent and variety”
Painter and muralist Jessie Novik celebrates “I Love Lucy”
Artist and arts educator Carnivorous Flora recreates “The Partridge Family” as “little people with a bus rolling out the red carpet to Ukrainian refugees and welcoming them to NYC!”
Tattoo artist and designer DozenFingers Graphics celebrates the animated television series “Sonic the Hedgehog”
Muralist and illustrator Miki Mu adds the final touches to her playful ode to “Sesame Street”
Visual artist and poet Android Oi — in collaboration with painter and illustrator Melissa Schainker — celebrates “Mork & Mindy,” (with project coordinator Jeff Beler standing to his right).
Founded and curated by Jeff Beler, Underhill Walls is a non-profit public art installation located at the corner of St. Johns Place and Underhill Avenue in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn,
Photos: Lois Stavsky
Earlier this summer, several members of the OTM Graff Crew brought their spectacular skills to Bushwick, where they fashioned their distinctly impressive rendition of Jurassic World Dominion. Featured above are the talents of Cortes and Scope against a background created by Cortes, Meres, Albertus Joseph and Topaz. Several more images captured from the huge production follow:
Cortes against collaborative background, closer-up
Meres, 5Pointz founder, who spearheaded this production
Austin, Texas-based Sloke One
Close-up from collaborative background
NYC-based Image
Boston-bred Qwizm
NYC-based Geobany
Photos: Lois Stavsky
In this third post of our new series, PUSHING IT FORWARD — featuring ILLicit creatives claiming space on NYC streets — our focus now is on those images we’ve seen in the Bronx. Considered by many as the birthplace of graffiti back in the 70’s, the Bronx continues to host a multitude of unsanctioned markings. The character pictured above was fashioned by the itinerant Z-Bird. Several more photos of ILLicit public works recently captured in the Bronx follow:
FS TMR, RB OQB, BL WDD and DEN FTR
Jigl
Text and Cous
MFK
Reboe LNE
South LNE
Post and photos by the Pushing It Forward Collective
In this second of our new series, PUSHING IT FORWARD — featuring ILLicit creatives claiming space on NYC streets — our focus now is on those images we’ve seen in Brooklyn. Pictured above is GTAR, MFK. Several more photos recently captured from the streets of New York City’s most populous borough follow:
Uwont and Ruinr
ZigZag and Wombat
Erup and Spray
Ethel and King Baby
Unidentified
Desa
Post and photos by the Pushing It Forward Collective
