graffiti

Speaking with BG 183 Tats Cru at His Solo Exhibit in Hunts Point

November 2, 2015

A founding member of the legendary Bronx-based Tats Cru, the masterful BG 183 recently met up with us at his solo exhibit, Autumn Spray, in Hunts Point.

When did it all begin?

Actually, my big sister got me started. I used to watch her draw all the time, and I was amazed! I wanted to try it too! So when I was about four — and she was nine — she noticed me drawing and encouraged me. I never stopped!

What inspired you to hit the streets?

Graffiti was all around me. I loved its bright, bold colors. But I had to begin by practicing my tag, the real element of it all. And then after hitting up stacks of paper, I began bombing on public surfaces. I was about 16 at the time. I wanted the fame!

Any early memories that stand out?

Bombing the inside of James Monroe High School and hitting the trains riding back and forth from school.

Any particularly risky moments?

Getting chased while painting trains and dealing with other crews.

How did your family feel about what you are doing back then?

My mother was cool – until Michael Stewart’s death. Then she became very uneasy about what I was doing.

I can understand that. What percentage of your day is devoted to your art these days?

100%. I’m either doing commissions or working on my own body of work.

What keeps you painting after all these years?

I love it, and I want to be the best.

How do you feel about the movement of graffiti and street art into galleries?

It’s a natural progression.

Do you prefer working alone or collaborating with others?

Both. Working with my crew – Tats Cru – helps me keep my skills on a high level.

You’ve painted throughout the globe. Why do you suppose graffiti is more respected as an art form in Europe than here in the U.S.?

There is a huge respect there for anything from New York.

And yet the European writers have largely taken graffiti to another level – beyond what we see here in NYC. Why do you suppose that is so?

Many of the writers here don’t really try to. They simply don’t feel the need to evolve.

Interesting! How you feel about the role of the Internet in this scene?

It’s great! It gets my name out there.

Do you have a formal arts education?

None! Just the Major Art class I took in high school. That’s where I got to know Bio.

Are you generally satisfied with your work?

Yup!

What about your name? How did you get the name BG 183?

When I was in high school, I was the one to BrinG the bats to the baseball team. And 183 refers to the number of my styles – as I have so many!

Yes! You certainly are versatile. The work in this exhibit is so different from most of your work that I’ve seen on the streets. What inspired it?

The life I live! The images represent my life.

And what about the colors. They are wonderful!

Fall was on my mind, and my wife suggested these particular colors.

What’s ahead?

I’d like to focus more on creating a body of work that can be shown in galleries and museums.

Note: Curated by Sien and Eric Orr, Autumn Spray remains on view through November 15th at More Points Bx, 727 Faile Street in Hunts Point.

Photo credits: 1, 2, 6, 7, 9 & 10 Lois Stavsky; 3 (with Crash on the left) Dani Reyes Mozeson; 4, 5 & 8 Tara Murray; interview by Lois Stavsky

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Street Level at Jersey City’s Shuaspace with: Ree, Snow, Sam Pullin, Mr. Mustart, Distort, Acro and more

October 13, 2015

Currently on view at Jersey City’s Shuaspace is Street Level, an exhibit featuring works by a range of artists from Old School graffiti writers to contemporary muralists. While visiting the space this past Sunday, I had the opportunity to speak with its curator, Allison Remy Hall.

What a fun exhibit! It’s such a wonderful mix of styles and genres. How did it all come about?

When the owners of Shuaspace, Joshua Bisset and Laura Quattrocch, met me at the previous show that I had curated, they invited me to curate in this space. I’d always wanted to curate a graffiti exhibit, and this seemed like the perfect venue and opportunity. I then contacted artists whom I knew, who put me in contact with other artists.

Why graffiti? What draws you to graffiti?

I’ve always loved its aesthetic. I love its rawness and spontaneity.

When and where were you first introduced to it?

My older siblings first introduced me to graffiti. I was about eight years old and living in New Haven at the time. Even as a child, I felt there was something bold and bad about it that appealed to me.

What — would you say — is the mission of Street Level?

It’s a celebration of the organic nature of neighborhoods. With gentrification so much of the aesthetics and social dynamics of neighborhoods have been lost.

What was the experience of curating your first graffiti exhibit like?

It was wonderful! Everyone was so supportive and helpful and generous with their time. It was the most fun of any show I’ve curated!

Note: You can visit Street Level, at Shuaspace this coming weekend from 1-6pm at 340 Summit Ave, a few blocks from Journal Square in Jersey City. You can also arrange a visit by contacting Alison at aremyh@gmail.com.

Photos by Lois Stavsky

1. Ree and Snow, painted on gallery wall interspersed with black and white photographs

2. Curator Allison Remy Hall at gallery space

3. Distort and Acro, painted on gallery wall interspersed with black and white photographs

4. Mr. Mustart

5. Sam Pullin aka Bedbugs, painted on gallery wall interspersed with black and white photographs

Photographers on exhibit: Andrew Blumenthal, Miguel Peralta and Giovani Santoro

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Street Art NYC at Urban Spree in Berlin with: Low Bros, Bordalo II, Jimmy C, Zabou, Paola Delfin and Icy & Sot

October 10, 2015

The following post is by Houda Lazrak, a contributor to StreetArtNYC and an M.A. candidate in Museum Studies at NYU:

Located on the river bank in the Friedrichshain district of Berlin, Urban Spree is a vast multi-purpose creative space dedicated to promoting urban cultures. The walls of its industrial buildings are graced with constantly rotating murals, stencils, wheat pastes, and stickers from a rich array of local and international artists.

Here are a few more artworks I saw during a recent visit:

Portuguese artist Bordalo Segundo aka Bordalo II

London-based Jimmy C

London-based French artist Zabou

Mexican artist Paola Delfin with artist to-be-identified to her right

Iranian artists Icy and Sot

Note: The first image features Berlin-based Low Bros

All photos by Houda Lazrak

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At 12C Outdoor Gallery with: Jerkface, Daphne Arthur, MCA and Zeso

October 8, 2015

Curated by East Village resident Robert Galinsky, the 12C Outdoor Gallery — on Avenue C and East 12th Street — showcases an ever-changing array of murals representing a range of styles and themes. Recent additions include: Jerkface, Daphne Arthur, Mike Ceeza aka MCA and Zeso.

Jerkface at 12C Outdoor Gallery’s back-to-school block party

Daphne Arthur

Mike Ceeza aka MCA at 12C Outdoor Gallery’s back-to-school block party

Zeso, close-up

Zeso‘s complete mural with the message, Education is a Weapon of Mass Construction

Photo credits: 1, 3 & 5 Lois Stavsky; 2 & 4 Tara Murray and 6 Dani Reyes Mozeson

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Street Art NYC in Rome’s San Lorenzo Neighborhood: Alice Pasquini, C215, Solo, Broken Fingaz, Above and more

October 2, 2015

The following post is by Houda Lazrak, a contributor to StreetArtNYC and an M.A. candidate in Museum Studies at NYU:

San Lorenzo, an up-and-coming art district in Rome, is home to a wide range of street art, including a block-long mural by Italian artist Alice Pasquini and a number of poignant stencils. Here are some of the pieces — many timeworn — that I captured.

French artist C215

Unidentified artist — with a message

Italian artist Solo

Unga of the Israeli Broken Fingaz Crew

West Coast-native Above

Note: The first image features a segment from Alice Pasquini‘s huge mural painted adjacent to a school.

All photos by Houda Lazrak

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Curious Characters on NYC Streets, Part VII: Fanakapan, Bebar, Telleache, Pyramid Oracle and Mr Nerds

October 1, 2015

This is the seventh in a series of occasional posts featuring the range of curious characters that have made their way onto NYC open spaces:

London-based Fanakapan at the Bushwick Collective

French artist Bebar in Brownsville, Brooklyn

Mexican artist Telleache at the Bushwick Collective

Pyramid Oracle at Welling Court in Astoria, Queens

Mr Nerds at the Bushwick Collective

Photo credits: 1, 3 & 5 Lois Stavsky; 2 & 4 Tara Murray

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More than Words Continues at Azart Gallery through October 3 with: Ayad Alkadhi, Tim Okamura, Rocko, Greg Lamarche, C215 and more

September 29, 2015

Continuing through October 3 at Chelsea’s Azart Gallery is More than Words, co-curated by Melissa McCaig-Welles and Latifa Metheny. Presenting a range of artworks fusing text and images, the exhibit features a wonderfully eclectic mix of styles, sensibilities and cultures. Here is a sampling of the works:

Brooklyn-based Canadian painter Tim Okamura

Brooklyn-based Moroccan artist Rocko, close-up

Queens native Greg Lamarche aka SP.ONE

Vitry sur-Seine-based French artist C215

Azart Gallery is located at 617 West 27 Street in Chelsea and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 am to 6 pm.

Note: The first image, I Am Baghdad, is by New York-based Iraqi artist Ayad Alkadhi.

Photo credits: 1-3 & 5 Dani Reyes Mozeson; 4 Lois Stavsky

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Writing on the Walls in Brownsville, Brooklyn, Part II: Joel Artista, Welin, Ben Angotti, Zeso, Teo Doro and Phetus

September 27, 2015

Writing onthe Walls is an ongoing project launched last year by N Carlos J – noted artist, community revitalizer and founder of Brooklyn Is the Future — for his father, a Brownsville native who had been diagnosed with cancer. This is Part II of our continuing documentation of it:

Danish artist Welin

Brooklyn-based Ben Angotti

French artist Zeso, close-up

Chilean artist Teo Doro

Long Island-based Phetus

And you can find out here how you can help support this wonderfully transformative project.

Note: The first image is by Joel Bergner aka Joel Artista.

Photo credits: 1, 2, 4-6 Tara Murray; 3 Lois Stavsky

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Street Art NYC at Berlin’s Young African Art Market: The Weird Crew, Sokar Uno, Juliah, Gamze Yalcin, Manoel Quitério, Paola Delfin & more

September 25, 2015

The following post is by Houda Lazrak, a contributor to StreetArtNYC and an M.A. candidate in Museum Studies at NYU:

Since 1994, YAAM, the Young African Art Market in Berlin, has served a myriad of purposes — from a home away from home for refugees to an open air gallery for graffiti and street artists. The following photos are of works I recently saw in this space that has evolved into a model of social and cultural integration:

The Berlin-based Weird Crew

Close-up

Berlin-based Sokar Uno

With German artist Juliah

Istanbul-based Gamze Yalcin and Brazilian artist Manoel Quitério

Mexican artist Paola Delfin

Note: Featured in the first image are Vhils, the Weird Crew and Alaniz

All photos by Houda Lazrak

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Eric Orr on His New Hunts Point Studio Space, His iconic Robothead, the Schomburg Center, the New York Comic Con and more

September 24, 2015

Best known for his iconic Robothead and his subway collaborations with Keith Haring, South Bronx native Eric Orr can now be found most days in his new Hunts Point studio. I recently had the opportunity to meet up with him there.

What a great space! When did you begin working here?

It’s been four months now. It couldn’t be more perfect, as it’s just a short ride from my house and convenient to just about everything.

How does working in a studio differ from working in your apartment?

It’s an entirely different experience. There’s a lot less traffic here. I can leave my paint on the floor and know that it will still be there when I return. I have the freedom to create without having to put things away. And my family is happy too! No more fumes and no more paint in their way!

How does having your own space impact your work as an artist?

Bigger thoughts and bigger pieces. I’m planning to design huge sculptures and paint on larger surfaces. Can you imagine what I’d be doing now if I had a space like this 40 years ago!

You are currently participating in Leave a Message, a group exhibit — curated by Tes One — at St. Petersburg’s Morean Arts Center. What’s next?

I’m showing in Unveiling Visions: The Alchemy of the Black Imagination, an art and design exhibit — curated by John Jennings and Reynaldo Anderson — at the Schomburg Center’s Latimer Edison Gallery. On exhibit are photos of the 1984 Eric Orr and Keith Haring subway drawings, along with an original 1986 cover of my Rappin Max Robot comic book. I will also be exhibiting five new Robothead masks recently created in the new studio space. Then later this year I will have a solo exhibit at WallWorks Gallery.

What about the upcoming New York Comic Con? Can we expect to see you there?

Yes! I will have hand-embellished mini posters of the cover of my Rappin Max Robot #1 comic book available for purchase. I will also be speaking on the Hip-Hop & Comics: Cultures Combining panel discussion with Depth of Field‘s, Patrick Reed on October 8, 2015 at 11 AM.

I am looking forward to it all!

Note: Unveiling Visions: The Alchemy of the Black Imagination opens tomorrow evening, Friday, September 25, at the Schomburg Center’s Latimer Edison Gallery, 515 Malcolm X Boulevard in Harlem.

Photo credits: 1 & 3, courtesy of the artist; 2 & 4 Lois Stavsky; interview by Lois Stavsky

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