digital art

Conceived by Dusty Rebel, Street Cuts is an ingenious street art-based digital sticker app featuring images by some of our favorite street artists. Eager to find out more about it, I posed a few questions to Dusty:

I just downloaded your newly released Street Cuts app. It’s wonderfully engaging!  Can you tell us something about the concept behind it?

I’ve always loved stickers and their role within the street art community…the way they are collected, traded, and often well-placed on the street — especially on other images like ads. It seemed only natural to bring street art to digital stickers, especially with iMessage, which allows you to drop stickers into your conversations or onto your photos. It felt like a fun way to explore “digital vandalism.” Also, I liked the idea of building a collective of street artists who weren’t being asked to simply “work for exposure,” but would be paid for their work. This Street Cuts app makes that possible.

What about its name — Street Cuts?

When we started developing packs — like Hiss’s and City Kitty’s — made from my photos of their work on the street, we began calling them Street Cuts. We soon realized it would be a cool name for the app, itself.

Who are some of the artists involved in Street Cuts?

It is a growing collective with more artists to come. But for the past few months I’ve been working closely with HISS, Abe Lincoln, Jr., City Kitty, KNOR, Belowkey and the Primate, as they developed digital sticker packs.

How can artists become involved in your project? I’m sure there are many who would like to be included?

While our collective is by invitation-only, I’m open to artists pitching their ideas for a pack to me. They can email me at dusty@streetcuts.co 

How can we find out more about it?

You can come and celebrate the launch of Street Cuts this coming Monday, October 23, from 6-10pm at Arlene’s Grocery, 95 Stanton Street on the Lower East Side. The launch party will include a scavenger hunt, give-aways, and original work by the app’s featured artists, who will also be in attendance. Be sure to download the Street Cuts app first and follow us on Instagram for Scavenger Hunt details.

It sounds great! Congratulations!

All images/photos courtesy Dusty Rebel; the second image features Abe Lincoln, Jr., HISS & KNOR; the third KNOR; the fourth the Primate and the fifth City Kitty; interview conducted and edited by Lois Stavsky; the app​ ​is produced​ ​by​ ​​Itsy​ ​Bitsy​ ​Media​​ ​and​ ​developed​ ​by​ ​​Tanooki​ ​Labs​.

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.

en-play-badge 2

 

{ 0 comments }

All-City Express, a hugely impressive interactive art exhibitionmade its world premiere last weekend at Randall’s Island’s Panorama. Under the curatorial direction of 5Pointz Creates leaders Meres One and Marie Flageul, Lady Pink, Tkid 170Toofly, Meres One, Jerms, Topaz, and See tf painted live, covering digital subway cars with original artwork. Fusing graffiti’s underground roots with innovative video technology, the project was developed by Brooklyn-based AST Studios with Tangible Interaction. Here are a few images captured in the course of this three-day cutting-edge homage to traditional graffiti art.

Five of the 5Pointz Creates crew with Marie Flageul in foreground — on green screen

5pointz-creates-with-marie

Lady Pink and Toofly at work on green screen

lady-pink-and-toofly-graffiti

And with completed piece as viewed on virtual subway train

lady-Pink-and-Toofly-graffiti-production

See tf and Python with completed piece on green screen

see-tf-and-python

Jerms and Topaz  as a mix of technologies brings them at work onto a NYC train in real time

Jerms=-graffiti-projection

T-Kid with completed piece on green screen

T-Kid-graffiti

And as viewed on virtual train

T-Kid-Randalls

Meres One at work on green screen

meres-paints-graffiti

Digital tagging by AST Studios; graffiti software by Tangible Interaction & advanced motion capture by PhaseSpace

5-pointz-tags

And the trains roll by throughout NYC with AST Studios‘ life-like visual effects and editorial content by Possible Productions

graffiti-trains

Photo credits: 1, 3-10 Nic Lyte and 2 Rachel Fawn; videos produced by AST Studios

Note: This blog will be on vacation through Sunday, August 7. You can follow us on Facebook and on Instagram.

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

en-play-badge 2

{ 1 comment }

Brooklyn-based Sara Erenthal has shared her distinct drawings, public art, sculptures, and mixed media artworks with us New Yorkers for the past several years in both galleries and on the streets. After viewing her current outdoor installation adjacent to FiveMyles, I had the opportunity speak with her:

"Sara Eremthal installation"

I love your installation here in Crown Heights adjacent to FiveMyles. When did you first begin to share your talents in public spaces?

About four years ago – soon after I returned to NYC from backpacking in India – I drew 100 small faces with a Sharpie in a range of places from phone booths to subways.  It was quite secretive! And, luckily, I was never arrested. These days I can’t take those risks, and I only paint outside on found objects – like abandoned mattresses, castoff furniture, useless appliances and discarded canvases.

Why the streets?

I’ve always loved street art, and I love sharing with others. When I paint on found objects and leave them on the streets, I give people the chance to pick up a free gift. Art should be accessible to the public, and art galleries can be intimidating.

sara-erenthal-art-on-found-object

When did you first begin drawing?

I’ve been drawing all my life, and I’ve always loved art. But growing up in an ultra-Orthodox family, I wasn’t exposed to art outside of a few landscapes and portraits of Hasidic rabbis. I never went to museums or galleries. I do remember, though, seeing art that I loved while I was riding the subways as a child!

When were you first exposed to contemporary art – other than what was “permissible” and what you saw on the subway trains?

I was 17, and I had just broken away from my community. A young Israeli artist at the time introduced me to modern African drawings. That was the beginning!

sara-erenthal-chassid-portrait

How might your strict religious upbringing have influenced your artwork?

Art was my way of releasing myself from all the constraints that had been imposed upon me.  Through art, I was able to let go of the negativity I’d experienced as a child. Creating art was part of my healing process.

Your artwork has a distinct “outsider” aesthetic. Have you ever studied art in a formal setting?

No.

sara-erenthal-portrait-in-room

You are obviously fond of creating portraits. Who are these people who surface in your drawings?

Many are me – variations of myself at different stages in my life. They’re self-conscious representations of my subconscious. Others are people I encounter in my everyday life or people from my past who remain with me.

Are you generally satisfied with your work?

Yes – but I’m frustrated that I often lack the time, space and materials to do a fraction of what I’d like to do.

sara-erenthal=self-portrait-with-coffee-stains

Can you elaborate a bit on some of the challenges you face as an artist?

Yes. Working to meet basic expenses consumes far too much energy and time. I would like to be able to create when I’m inspired. Our society needs to do more to support artists. Artists are undervalued. Most people don’t take artists seriously enough. They tend to perceive what we do as frivolous or self-indulgent. Living one’s life as an artist is not a choice; nor is it an indulgence.  And the public needs to understand that.

What do you see as the role of the artist in society?

To share beauty and inspire others, while evoking conversation.

sara-erenthal-portrait-on-found-art

What’s ahead?

I would like to continue to create, heal and share. I would also love to exhibit more works in public spaces and in galleries. And I would like to gain more recognition as an artist.

Note: Sara’s installation, Made On a Borrowed iPad — curated by gallery director Hanne Tierney for the Interlude Project — will remain on view through December adjacent to FiveMyles, 558 St Johns Place in Crown Heights.

The interview was conducted and edited by Lois StavskyPhotos: 1  Anthony Disparte; 2 – 4 courtesy of Sara Erenthal; 5 & 6 Lois Stavsky

{ 0 comments }