Icy and Sot

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Featuring stencil art by some of our favorite artists, STENCILED opens this Thursday evening, April 28, at Montreal’s Station 16 Gallery. Here is a small sampling of what will be on exhibit through May 21:

Also by Joe Iurato

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Logan Hicks

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Lady Aiko

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Icy and Sot

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Also featured in STENCILED is UK-based Snik

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 All photos courtesy Station 16

Note: 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.

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Opening this evening from 6-9pm at World Trade Gallery is Off the Wall, an exhibit featuring artwork by some of our favorite artists. We recently had the opportunity to speak to its curator, Joshua B. Geyer.

What is the concept behind this exhibit?

I wanted to showcase in a gallery setting artworks by a diverse group of high-caliber artists who work in public spaces, as well as in their studios. My current job is just a few blocks away from the Top to Bottom Mural Project on 21st Street. I pass it every day, and I love it. I thought it would be a great idea to feature those artists, as they are among the best anywhere.

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When did you first begin working on Off the Wall?

I first found out about the availability of the space three weeks ago. One of my friends who works in World Trade Gallery offered me the opportunity to curate an exhibit beginning in mid-March.

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What was your greatest challenge in getting this together in such a short timespan?

My greatest challenge was selecting the artists.  There was so much talent to choose from.  Close to 50 outstanding artists have painted in the Top to Bottom Mural Project.  I also wanted to take into consideration the input I was given from the team — James P Quinn and Geoff Kuffner — who implemented the project.

Daze-canvas

Do you feel that you have accomplished your mission?

Yes! The artworks in Off the Wall are representative of the diverse range of outstanding pieces that have surfaced at 43-01 21st Street in LIC since this past September. And this space couldn’t be more ideal!

Off the wall-flyer

We love your flyer. Did you design it?

It was a collaborative venture between See One and me. The photo is mine and the actual design is See One’s.

What’s ahead?

I’d love to build a relationship with World Trade Gallery, and I look forward to curating more exhibits featuring artists whose works are seen on our streets.

Images

1. Icy and Sot, close-up

2. Erasmo and Case Maclaim

3. See One

4. Daze

Photo credits: 1, 3 & 4 Dani Reyes Mozeson; 2 Lois Stavsky

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

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Okudua-street-art-on-Lafayette-David Sharabani-in-NYC

A huge fan of Lord K2’s photography and his outstanding book, Street Art Santiago, I was delighted to discover that Lord K2 has also been photographing NYC’s street art and graffiti.  During his most recent stopover in NYC, I had the opportunity to speak to him.

Why NYC?

Because it is the epicenter of it all.  It is where graffiti was born, and where the best artists from across the globe come to paint.

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Any distinct standouts?

Os Gemeos immediately comes to mind. But just about every artist who has painted on the famed Bowery wall is extraordinary. And the L.I.S.A Project, too, has brought so many first-rate artists to Manhattan.  My initial focus was just Manhattan because the borough attracts so many outstanding artists.

But you had begun to photograph beyond Manhattan.

Yes. I decided that I did not want to limit myself. And among the sites I’ve photographed outside of Manhattan are the Welling Court Mural Project in Astoria, Queens and the Bushwick Collective in Brooklyn.

David-Sharabani-At-Welling Court Mural Project

Many of your photos are in black and white. Why is that?

Too much color in a book can oversaturate the senses. And when I capture the artists in action, I find that limiting the image to black and white often creates a more satisfying overall portrait.

Any particular inspirations among the photographers out there?

I was definitely inspired by Martha Cooper’s work. And the late Garry Winogrand’s photos of Manhattan have influenced my approach to street photography.

Geobany

How have the artists you’ve photographed responded to you?

They’ve all been welcoming and warm.

How long have you been working on this project?

I began two years ago  Taking my time allows me to photograph the new art works that arise which, in turn, allows me to curate from a larger selection.

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You spent a considerable amount of time in South America. What are some of the most striking differences between the street art scene here in NYC and what you experienced there?

I found that in South America the artists generally paint for the love of it. And making a living out of art is a bigger challenge in South America than it is here. In NYC, financial considerations come more into play, as many of the artists have more opportunities to get the attention of gallerists and collectors.  Also, in South America lines are blurred between what is legal and what is illegal. There’s a general leniency towards unsanctioned art, while here in NYC painting illegally is quite problematic.

Icy-and-Sot

Absolutely! And accessing legal walls can be quite challenging! When can we expect to see you back in NYC?

I plan to return in the summer.

That sounds great! The walls are waiting for you!

Interview by Lois Stavsky; all photos Lord K2

Images: 1. Okuda  2. Buff Monster  3. SweetCrimes  4 .Geobany  5. GumShoe & 6. Icy and Sot

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

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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

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London-based Jimmy C

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London-based French artist Zabou

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

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Iranian artists Icy and Sot

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Note: The first image features Berlin-based Low Bros

All photos by Houda Lazrak

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"Icy and Sot"

Led by Maziar Bahari — a former Newsweek journalist who was imprisoned in Iran for 118 days and became the subject of Jon Stewart’s film Rosewater — the #NotACrime campaign focuses on human rights abuses in Iran.  Members of the Baha’is, Iran’s largest religious minority, have been jailed solely for teaching and studying, as have journalists who expose the Iranian government’s policies. #NotACrime‘s current street art campaign, curated by Street Art Anarchy, has brought a series of new politically-engaged murals to New York and New Jersey. I recently had the opportunity to speak to the noted Brooklyn-based Iranian-American artist Nicky Nodjoumi, one of the campaign’s participants, who had been exiled from Iran in the aftermath of the Islamic revolution.

"Marina Zumi"

What moved you to participate in the #NotACrime Street Art Campaign?

I have been using art as a means to expose political crimes for a long time. It is part of my overall activities as an artist.

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You are principally known for your exquisite politically-infused figurative paintings, but you also designed posters against the Shah back in the late 70’s.

Yes, while teaching at the Tehran University of Fine Arts, I became involved in the movement to oust the Shah. We never could have imagined that what would follow would be even worse than the Shah’s regime.

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For the #NotACrime street art Campaign, you painted a pair of shackled hands. That image has also been surfacing on posters Downtown. Why that image?

It is a symbolic gesture in support of journalists in Iran. It is a general representation of the suppression of free expression.

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Do you feel that all artists have a responsibility to raise issues that will facilitate change?

An artist who lives in the Middle East does. There one has to have a position and take a stand.

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What is the foremost challenge facing artists and journalists in Iran today?

There is no freedom of expression. Human rights are abused. Everything must be done clandestinely. One faces the risks of imprisonment, torture and worse for any expression that challenges the government.

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What do you see for the future? Are you at all optimistic? Will things get better in your native country?

Unfortunately, I don’t have any hope for the immediate future. Despite the election of a more moderate President, dissent is not tolerated, as the hardliners are the ones who are setting the present policies.

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I suppose we all need to work together to create awareness.

Note: All murals in the #NotACrime street art campaign were curated by Street Art Anarchy. What follows are the ones featured above:

1. New York-based Iranian artists Icy and Sot819 Broadway and Ellery St in Bushwick

2. Argentinian artist Marina Zumi, Frederick Douglass Blvd and 126th St in Harlem

3. American artist David Torres aka Rabi, part of the art duo Cyrcle, 126th St in Harlem’s Nelson Mandela Memorial Garden 

4. New York-based Iranian artist Nicky Nodjoumi, 11-22 Welling Court in Astoria

5. Italian artist Jacopo Ceccarelli aka 2501, 24th St and Lex Avenue in Manhattan

6. Brazilian artist Alexandre KetoFrederick Douglass Blvd and 126th St in Harlem

7. South African artist Faith47, Colombia and Woodhull Streets in Red Hook

8. New York-based Jennifer Caviola aka Cake, 612 Communipaw, Jersey City

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Interview with Nicky Nodjoumi by Lois Stavsky

Photo credits: 1, 4, 6 & 7 Tara Murray; 2, 3 & 5 Dani Reyes Mozeson and 8 courtesy of #NotACrime

Check here to find out how you can participate in the campaign.

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This is the eighth in a series of occasional posts featuring images of children that have surfaced on NYC public spaces:

Nick Walker in the South Bronx

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Izolag in Hunts Point

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Chain for JMZ Walls in Bushwick

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Lorenzo Masnah on the Lower East Side

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Miss 163 in Hunts Point

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Australian artist Adnate at the Bushwick Collective, close-up

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Icy and Sot on the Lower East Side, close-up

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Shiro in Bushwick

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Note: Entre La Guardia y El Dorado, featuring works by Lorenzo Masnah (featured above) and Alex Seel, will open this evening at 6pm at XY Atelier Gallery, 81 Hester Street on the corner of Orchard. It will remain on view until August 30.

Photo credits: 1 Tara Murray; 2, 3, 5, 6 & 8 Lois Stavsky; 4 courtesy of the artist 7 Dani Reyes Mozeson

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This is Part II in an ongoing series of posts featuring politically and socially conscious works that have surfaced on NYC streets:

Caleb Neelon and Katie Yamasaki collaborate on a memorial wall for Kalief Browder at Welling Court in Astoria, Queens

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East Harlem wheatpastes

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Shepard Fairey in Coney Island

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Kesley Montague leaves a message in Nolita

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Icy and Sot at Welling Court in Astoria, Queens

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Chris Stain and Josh MacPhee in the East Village, fragment from mural in First Street Green Park

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David Shillinglaw and Lily Mixe for Earth Day in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

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Photos: 1 & 2 Dani Reyes Mozeson; 3, 4, 6 & 7 Lois Stavsky and 5 Tara Murray

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On view through August 9 at Dorian Grey Gallery in Manhattan’s East Village is an eclectic array of stencil-based compositions spanning 35 years. Among the 25 artists featured in the exhibit are several whose works are also presently on the streets of NYC. Here is a sampling of these artists’ pieces at Dorian Grey.

Lady Aiko, Drip Skull

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Icy & Sot, Starlight

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 Blek le Rat, The Violinist

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Chris Stain, Bukowski

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Joe Iurato, Cosmic Kid

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Nick Walker,  I love New York

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Solus, Dream Big

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Located at 437 East 9th Street off Ave A, Dorian Grey Gallery is open Tuesday – Saturday 12pm-7pm and Sunday until 6pm.

Photos: 1 Tara Murray 2-7 Dani Reyes Mozeson

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Curated by Ad Hoc Art, the Welling Court Mural Project is once again bringing a wonderfully diverse array of public art to Welling Court and its neighboring blocks in Astoria, Queens. Here is a sampling of what’s been happening as artists ready for today’s official launch:

Chris Cardinale

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LMNOPI

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Wane

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RRobots and Evan Cairo to his right

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Sinned

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See One

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Queen Andrea

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The 6th Annual Welling Court Mural Project officially opens with a block party today, Saturday, June 13, at 30th Ave & 12th Street from 12-8PM.

Note: First image is of Icy & Sot.

All photos by Tara Murray.

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This is the sixth in an occasional series featuring images of males who surface on NYC public spaces:

Dasic at the Bushwick Collective

"Dasic Fernandez"

Connor Harrington for the LISA Project in Downtown Manhattan

"Conor Harrington"

Icy & Sot and Sonni for the Bushwick Collective

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Sexer for the Bushwick Collective

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Damien Mitchell at Welling Court in Astoria, Queens

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 Danielle Mastrion near Yankee Stadium in the Bronx

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Photos 1 and 6 by Lois Stavsky; 2-5 by Dani Reyes Mozeson

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