After a hiatus of several weeks, we are back with our documentation of ILLicit creatives claiming space on the streets of NYC. Pictured above is MFK, the Metal Fingers Krew; what follows are several more graffiti bombs and throwies captured as we revisited Queens.
Angr
Boni and Sykoe
Unidentified
Mono
Someone
Sie and Mer
Post by the Pushing It Forward Collective
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Two long walls along a parking lot on Těšnov Street in Prague’s New Town – the largest of Prague’s four historic districts — have long served as a legal open-air graffiti gallery. The crisply executed piece pictured above was painted by the prolific Every Tag Counts for the Montana Grafficon jam held earlier this fall. Several more images that I captured along the wall — while visiting Prague last week — follow:
To be identified
Spord UFO — painted for the Montana Grafficon jam
To be identified
To be identified
To be identified
Photos: Lois Stavsky
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I recently had the opportunity to speak to BedStuy Walls Mural Festival founder and chief curator Miki Mu about the hugely successful community arts festival held earlier this month on Lexington Avenue and Do the Right Thing Way in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.
This is all so wonderful. What was your initial inspiration for this project?
This is my neighborhood. I’ve lived in Bed-Stuy for over ten years. I was interested in celebrating and beautifying my neighborhood. And I know the huge power of art to uplift a community! I also wanted to create a space where people and businesses in my neighborhood could interact. My vision for this particular project began about a year ago.
How did you secure these walls? They are in such a prime spot, and these murals have totally transformed the entire block.
My neighbor introduced me to the owner of one of the the businesses on the block. But there were many challenges to actually securing these walls. It was not an easy task!
What were some of these challenges that you encountered in seeing this project through?
After I did secure the walls, I had to get a permit to close the block for the day of the festival. The walls and sidewalk had to be primed in advance. I had to purchase supplies. The entire project was quite expensive. I set up a Go Fund Me, but I did have to cover most of the expenses myself.
You have here such a wonderful range of artists here — from legendary graffiti writers to noted contemporary urban artists to newer emerging ones. How did you get the word out to the artists?
We started an Instagram account, and the word quickly spread. So many artists expressed interest in participating — far more than I could have imagined. I still get requests!
How did the community respond to the event?
The response was tremendous! The community loved it! Families came out, and there were so many kids…jumping rope, dancing to the hip-hop music, making art and simply having fun! It was wonderful — actually better than I had anticipated! But I never could have done this alone; there were many folks whose generosity made this possible. Among them are: Chateau Brooklyn for serving as our mothership, headquarters and base; Badman Bus aka Cookie Monster Bus for providing music and a sound system; all of the DJ’s for volunteering their talents; Cheryl Foy, a retired teacher and resident of the block, for helping us secure the block permit and Joe Cirano from Rogers & Sons, the owner of the walls; the Blue Bus Project for providing activities for the kids; Radial Park for lending us ladders; Project Barkada, also, for lending us a ladder and scaffolding; Solidarity Movers for helping us move all the equipment from one location to another and for providing, as well, a fun activity for kids; Black Men Build, Black Chef Movement and Josiane Lysius for providing free food; Loop Colors for adding extra cans to our order; Frankie Velez, my co-curator, for assisting and supporting my efforts in every aspect of this project, and, of course, all of the artists for generously sharing their skills and visions with us.
What’s ahead?
I would like to make the BedStuy Walls Mural Festival an annual event and eventually attain non-profit status.
That would be wonderful! Congratulations!
Images
2. Jason Naylor
3. Chelsea Garcia to the left of Manuel Alejandro
4. Will Power
5. Belowkey
6. Andre Trenier to the left of Megan Olson and Olga Correa
7. Nac 143 (left), OG Millie (center), Bom5 with character by Miki Mu (right)
Photo credits: Lois Stavsky
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Tracing the emergence of graffiti from an underground subculture into a legitimate profession, Duality: A Graffiti Story — directed by Ryan Dowling — focuses on the struggles and successes of five noted graffiti artists. In the Buffalo 8 documentary feature film, legendary writers Meres One, Dual, Sloke, Jaber and Never1959 share their challenges and ventures as they reflect on their personal journeys in this ever-evolving culture.
Many graffiti writers — who were initially deemed as vandals for their tagging and illegal interventions — now earn wide recognition and respect for their stirring murals that grace cities across the globe. Their aesthetics have made their way inside and outside a range of upscale properties from luxury hotels to major corporations — who court them to enhance the “coolness” of their brands.
Once working mainly clandestinely, these artists now foster community, as they share their talents openly with others — who are eager to learn from their skills or simply observe and photograph them as they paint. And as their artwork begins to blur the lines between graffiti, urban art and fine art, it also increasingly finds a home in galleries.
Among the film’s recurrent themes is the artists’ addiction to getting up and their deep love for graffiti. “I’ll probably never ever not want to write my name on something. It’s an addiction for sure,” states Dual. “It’s amazing that there’s that opportunity to bridge the gap from doing illegal graffiti to doing commercial work with big companies.”
Among the many highlights of Duality: A Graffiti Story is the account of the vast achievements and horrific demise of Long Island City’s 5Pointz— as related by its curator and founder Meres One and advocate Marie Cecile Flageul.
Several screenshots from the riveting documentary follow:
NYC-based Meres One, founder and curator of the iconic graffiti mecca 5Pointz — whose talents continue to make their way onto walls, huge canvases, lightbulbs and varied corporate settings.
On the site of citizenM New York Bowery hotel where Meres painted this stained glass-inspired piece
Houston, Texas-based Dual, best known for his wheat pastes — whose body of artwork includes everything from meticulously-made tape collages to sign painting to huge commissioned murals that beautify cities
Dual, The Rice Box River Oaks Mural
Austin, Texas native Sloke — who, in addition to painting, curating and mentoring youth — has produced murals for a range of companies including Apple, Facebook, Nike, Google, Red Bull and Time Warner
Sloke mentoring young man on the art of graffiti
West Coast-based Jaber (ala El Ninja Blanco) — who has been making his mark on the streets since the early 9o’s and now does — among other things — design for major fashion companies and film sets
Jaber, Along the tracks
Los Angeles-based Never1959 — who is best-known for his large scale murals on buildings around Los Angeles
Never‘s 50-foot high mural that parodies the 1958 Orson Welles film noir “Touch of Evil”
The premiere of this splendid homage to graffiti will take place tomorrow, October 19th, in Austin, Texas. And beginning Oct. 21, it will be available on Amazon Prime, AppleTV/iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, and YouTube movies.
And you can check out the trailer below:
All images courtesy Buffalo 8
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From September 15 – 18, an all-female team of urban artists — local, national and global — brought their skills and visions to 49 Wyckoff Avenue in Bushwick, Brooklyn.
The stunning image featured above was fashioned collaboratively by project curator Herakut (pictured) and Miami-based Didi Contreras. Several select images — all captured by by travel and street photographer Karin du Maire aka Street Art Nomad — follow:
Brooklyn-based Lexi Bella, who assisted the project’s curation (top), and local, mixed-media artist Isabelle Ewing
New York-based interdisciplinary artist and educator Alice Mizrachi
The legendary Ecuadorian-American graffiti artist and muralist Lady Pink
London-based Spanish artist Lours
NYC-based graphic designer and muralist Queen Andrea
Brooklyn-based muralist and painter Danielle Mastrion
Bristol, UK-based artist HazardOne
Special thanks to Karin du Maire aka Street Art Nomad for documenting this project and sharing it with us
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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
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
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Brooklyn Art Haus aka BAH! — a new hugely impressive home for innovative artworks and events in Williamsburg, Brooklyn that will officially open in January — debuts tomorrow evening, September 9, from 6-9pm with RAWTHENTIC. Curated by Silvertuna Studios and Collect with Lulu, the premier exhibition and event features a diverse array of contemporary urban artworks by legendary artists Chris RWK, Al Diaz, de la Haba, Kit 17, Easy, Zimad and Nite Owl, along with video presentations — filmed by Silvertuna Studios — of the artists at work. Also on view will be the distinctly unique Vanderhall Carmel GTS custom-designed and hand-painted by the artists.
A small selection of images from the dynamic, brilliantly curated exhibition follows:
Chris RWK, “Built For This,” Mixed media on canvas, 24″ x 24″
Al Diaz, “For The Haters,” Mixed media on wood, 24″ x 34″
Gregory de la Haba, Straight Red Threes, Oil, krink, and spray paint on printed canvas, 78″ x 44″
Kit 17, “Subway Days Burner,” Mixed media on canvas, 63″ X 113″
Easy, (Right) Bronze & Gold Tag Cut Outs on Wood, 24″ x 24″ and below them, “Steel,” Mixed media on canvas, 48″ x 48″
Zimad, “Area 51″, Mixed media on unstretched canvas, 83″ x 82″
And Nite Owl, pictured below with exhibition information —
The exhibition continues through September 16 from 1 pm to 5 pm. Private viewings are available by appointment. Guests can RSVP here.
Note: Be sure to check out the exhibition catalog for bios, prices and more!
Photos of artworks, 2-7, Lois Stavsky
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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
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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
Text and Cous
MFK
Reboe LNE
South LNE
Post and photos by the Pushing It Forward Collective
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Curated by COPE2, “Subway Art Legends,” a dynamic mix of artworks created by those icons who “rocked the trains” during the subway era of the early 80’s, continues through Tuesday at One Art Space in Tribeca. The tantalizing image featured above, China Red N.Y.C, was fashioned by the legendary Delta2 with acrylic, spray paint and paint markers. Several more infectiously rhythmic works on exhibit follow:
Bronx native TKid 170, “Old School,” Circa 1989, Redo of a classic
Brooklyn native Dome, “NYC Subway Panel,” Enamel on metal
Bronx native Bom5, “Graffiti,” 36 x 24 in.
Manhattan-native Part TDS, “Delta Blue,” Multimedia canvas, 12 x 16 in.
Bronx native and “Subway Art Legends” curator Cope2, “Salsa,” 36 x 36 in.
London-native Wane One, “KNOWS,” 24 x 48 in.
Located at 23 Warren Street in Tribeca, One Art Space is open daily 1-6pm.
Photos of artworks, Lois Stavsky
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