Walls

Girls on Walls, Part VI: Tristan Eaton, Lady Aiko, Gilf!, Inkie, Paola Beck, Lorenzo Masnah, Sien, ND’A and OverUnder

October 26, 2012

This is the sixth in a series of posts of images of girls — and women — who grace New York City’s public spaces:

Los Angeles native Tristan Eaton in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Tokyo native Lady Aiko in Washington Heights, Manhattan

Brooklyn-based Gilf! at Bushwick Five Points

The legendary London-based Inkie at Bushwick Five Points

Mexico City-based artist Paola Beck at Bushwick Five Points

Colombia native Lorenzo Masnah in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Bronx-based artist Sien in Red Hook, Brooklyn

The wonderfully talented ND’A and OverUnder in the East Village

Photos of Tristan Eaton, Gilf!, Paola Beck & Sien by Lois Stavsky; Lady Aiko, Lorenzo Masnah and OverUnder & ND’A by Lenny Collado; Inkie by Tara Murray

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Speaking with Christian Cortes

October 25, 2012

NYC-based painter and illustrator Christian Cortes has been increasingly exploring combinations of graffiti typography with surrealism, abstraction, South American iconography and New York City culture.

Your extraordinary artwork has graced the walls of 5Pointz for years. Where else have you gotten up?

I’ve painted in France, Germany, Spain, Japan, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic and in Puerto Rico. I’ve also gotten up in Seattle, Miami and Fort Lauderdale. And here in NYC, I’ve recently painted in the Bronx.

Any favorite place?

Probably Puerto Rico. I had many Puerto Rican friends as a teenager, and I feel a strong connection between NYC and Puerto Rico.

When did you first start getting up in public spaces?

I was in 7th grade when I began paying close attention to what was happening on the 7 train, on rooftops and along the 59th Street Bridge. Soon afterwards I was bombing those surfaces. I was most active on the streets – as Waqs A3crew– between 1990 -1995 piecing. But then I took a ten-year break.

Do you have a formal art education?

I attended the High School of Art and Design and I began fine art studies at three different colleges. But I dropped out of all of them, as I became increasingly involved in my own work.

What kind of work were you doing?

I was doing lots of commercial work such as record covers, backdrops for videos and steady commissions for rap groups. Among my projects was a video for Jeru the Damaja. This was ideal work for me, as I’ve always felt strongly connected to musicians. When I hit a wall with other artists, it’s like we’re all making music!

What got you back into painting on the streets?

5Pointz – for sure! Also traveling and the Internet. I share much of what I do on YouTube these days. I feel a responsibility towards the younger writers, and I love the interaction with them.

Have you any advice for young artists?

Aspiring artists need to learn the value of discipline. Art doesn’t happen quickly or easily.

Who inspires you?

Mode 2 from France and I’ve developed a new appreciation for Seen. I’m also inspired by musicians – such as Sadat X of Brand Nubian and Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam.

Tell us something about your skulls. They surface in so many of your pieces.

Skulls have forever been a theme in all genres of art. When I first started painting skulls – while still in high school — I was suggesting that graffiti is dead. But now I think of skulls as a celebration of life through acknowledging death. And in relation to graffiti, the skulls have come to imply rebirth, as graff has been reborn.

What do you see as the future of graffiti?

I see it developing into more of a grass-roots movement. I see us developing our own events, along with smaller brands, as the huge brands have been dictating what kids see.

How do you feel about the street art vs. graffiti divide?

I don’t see them in conflict with one another. I see them simply as two separate genres. But I have difficulty understanding, for example, the Banksy phenomenon.

What’s next?

More traveling, more black book videos, more tutorial videos and more walls. I’m planning to paint next in Brooklyn and I’m starting something new at 5Pointz. Next month I will be heading down to Miami for Art Basel.

Good luck! ‘sounds great!

Photos of Cortes at 5Pointz by Dani Mozeson; in the Bronx by Lois Stavsky and painting in the Bronx by Lenny Collado

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Sofia Maldonado Collaborates with Bronx Museum’s Teen Council and Cre8tive YouTH*ink to Fashion Outdoor Mural

October 22, 2012

This past weekend, Sofia Maldonado, one of our favorite artists, collaborated with the Bronx Museum’s Teen Council alumni and Jerry Otero’s Cre8tive YouTH*ink to fashion a mural celebrating the Bronx Museum’s 40th anniversary and its free admission policy. The elegant mural can be seen on the exterior of the Andrew Freedman Home at 1125 Grand Concourse. Here are some more images:

Photos by Lenny Collado with special thanks to Sofia Maldonado, Jerry Otero aka Mista OH, Robin Cembalest of ARTnews and Miriam D. Tabb & Hannie Chia of the Bronx Museum.

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Bushwick Burns with: Phetus & Such, Yes1, Pase, Bekit, Jew, D-Virus, Jem, Knows, Vein, Clark Fly ID, Shank and Dero

October 14, 2012

Within the last few weeks over a dozen first-rate pieces have surfaced on and off Bushwick’s Morgan Avenue. Here are a few images we’ve captured:

Phetus and Such

Yes1 at work

Pase

Bekit

Jew

D-Virus from Holland

Jem

Wane aka Knows

Vein

Clark Fly ID

Shank aka Demote and Dero

Photos by Lenny Collado and Dani Mozeson

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Speaking to Joseph Ficalora: Curator of Bushwick Five Points

October 8, 2012

Within the past year, the walls along Scott, Troutman and St. Nicholas in Bushwick, Brooklyn have evolved into a vibrantly intriguing outdoor gallery. We recently had the opportunity to pose some questions to its curator, Joe Ficalora.

What inspired you to transform this neighborhood into such a wonderful open-air gallery?

I’ve lived in this neighborhood all my life. Growing up here, I was not even allowed to play outside. The delis were drug spots, and the surrounding blocks teemed with prostitutes and junkies. I was continually exposed to hookers and gangs. My dad was murdered right down the block as he was leaving the L train Jefferson Avenue station. As artists and creative types began moving into the neighborhood, things changed. And after my mother’s death, I was moved to transform the cold industrial aura of this area into something that would revive me and provide the artists with a space to showcase their talents. I am trying to create an environment that I couldn’t get as a child.

Wow! You are certainly succeeding. Bushwick Five Points has become one of our favorite spots in NYC! How do you manage to have access to so many walls?

Some are family-owned and others I’ve negotiated with their owners. Once these building owners see a finished wall, it is not difficult for them to recognize that the artwork surfacing here is far more appealing than random tags and unspeakable words!

We’ve noticed and love just how varied the artwork is here – in terms of both artists’ backgrounds and styles. Have you any favorites?

I love them all, and I love the mix! Each piece is special to me. I love watching everything from the progress of the artists to the reactions of the passersby.

How do you decide which artists to feature on the walls here at Bushwick Five Points?

I look for passion and integrity. I always meet the artist first, and we walk through the neighborhood together. I show them the walls, and I tell them a bit about the other artists who’ve painted here. If I like the artist’s work and feel right about the artist, it’s a go!

How do you decide which walls go to which artists?

We discuss which spaces are available and the artist then chooses his or her canvas.

Any thoughts about the graffiti/street art divide?

I admire the graffiti that has been surfacing in the vicinity of Morgan Avenue. But I love the varieties of expression that street art offers.

How do you feel about the role of the Internet in all this?

I think it’s beautiful. We all get to see and appreciate what’s surfacing throughout the world.

What’s ahead?

I’m not looking long-term. I’m enjoying what I’m doing now. And I’d love to keep doing what I’m doing the rest of my life!

That sounds great! We are so glad you are doing what you are doing.

Special thanks to Bodega Wine Bar for the delicious complimentary snacks we were served while interviewing Joe.

Images beginning with top: Nick Walker, Danielle Mastrion and Concrete Jungle, photo by Dani Mozeson; Icy and Sot, photo by Lenny Collado; Priscila De Carvalho, Maria Berrio & Miriam Castillo, photo by Lois Stavsky; Never, photo by Lois Stavsky; The Yok and Sheryo, photo by Dani Mozeson; Rimx, photo by Dani Mozeson; Dan Witz, photo by Dani Mozeson; Hellbent, photo by Tara Murray; OverUnder and LNY, photo by Dani Mozeson; Jim Avignon, photo by Lois Stavsky

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Speaking with Alice Mizrachi

September 27, 2012

Queens native Alice Mizrachi, aka AM, is an artist, curator, educator and community organizer whose artwork is not only on walls throughout New York City and beyond, but in galleries world-wide.

We’ve seen some new pieces of yours at Long Island City’s 5Pointz and in Welling Court. What else have you been up to?

During the summer, I had the opportunity to paint in Tel Aviv, as I was there for a solo show at Bazel Gallery. I’m also curating, along with Diana McClure, Purple, an exhibit produced by YOUNITY — an international collective of urban female visual artists, designers and craftswomen — to open at Causey Contemporary Gallery on October 19.

You seem to move fluidly among the worlds of street art, graffiti, and fine arts. Not many artists do. How do you feel about the so-called divide between street art and graffiti?

To me there is no divide. My work is my work, whether it’s on a wall or a canvas or wood or sculpture. I like to express myself, have fun and explore. I dislike labels.

Who are you looking at these days? Have you any particular favorites or artists whose works inspire you?

I’m inspired by what Cern is doing. I’ve know him for a very long time and it’s great to watch and grow with your peers. Carlos Mare 139’s graffiti-inspired futuristic sculptures are astonishing. He has been a great friend and studio mate to me this past year and I’m inspired by his life and history. I’m always looking at what Trystan Bates from Honeycomb Arts — an arts collective based out of Argentina — is doing. His work is beautiful! And I also want to mention QA (Queen Andrea). Her recent exhibit at the Fuse Gallery featured a new selection of her work, including some beautiful abstract geometric pieces.

What’s next?

This week I’m getting ready to paint with one of my favorite NYC-based graff writers Free5 in the Bronx for a project that Erotica and Clark organized. Next week I paint alongside Ian Kuali’i, David Ellis and Gilf! for a project in Jersey that Arrested Motion will feature. After Purple in the fall, I’m preparing for a solo exhibit during February at Weldon Arts. I’m also working on a community-based project for Art Forward during Women’s History Month, and I’m getting ready to launch a rug with UR Place, a line of street art/graff-inspired carpets. In May I do a residency in Spain, and in the summer I’ll be in Argentina for a show. On top of all that, I’m still teaching workshops and classes with the youth. So as you can see, I’m keeping busy busy busy.

It all sounds great! Good luck! And we are certainly looking forward to checking out Purple next month.

First three photos — AM at 5Pointz, LIC; AM with Free5 & Cope2 at West Farms, Bronx; AM holding print in Chelsea studio –by Lois Stavsky; photo of AM mural in Astoria, Queens by Dani Reyes Mozeson and photo of AM at work in the Bronx by Lenny Collado

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Girls on Walls, Part V: Cekis, Cern, Crystal Clarity, Hef, Shiro, Swoon and the Wallnuts

September 20, 2012

This is the fifth in a series of posts of images of girls — and women — who grace New York City’s walls:

The legendary Chilean artist Cekis in Bushwick, Brooklyn

Queens native Cern at Welling Court in Astoria, Queens More after the jump!

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Heavy Hitters in Bushwick: Hoacs, Owns, Sebs, Seter, Shank, Steel MSK, Vizie MSK, Zimer and more

September 18, 2012

Close to a dozen masters of styles and letters — representing both the East and West coasts — hit the walls in Bushwick this past weekend. Here are a few images:

Queens-based Hoacs

More after the jump!

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Speaking with 5Pointz Founder and CEO: Jonathan “Meres” Cohen

September 5, 2012

Under your leadership 5Pointz has evolved into an internationally acclaimed aerosol art Mecca. When did you first become involved in managing this space? And how did it happen?

It was back in 2002. I simply asked the landlord, Jerry Wolkoff, if I could, as the space had been neglected. And he agreed. He told me, in fact, that he loves graffiti. More after the jump!

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Girls on Walls, Part IV: Celso González, Chris Soria, MOR, Cekis & Cern, Icy & Sot, Tony DePew & more

August 29, 2012

This is the fourth in an occasional series of images of girls — and women — who grace New York City’s walls:

Celso González of Puerto Rico in Bushwick, Brooklyn

More after the jump!

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