Manhattan

kron-one-and nest-paint-graffiti-Inwood

When I stopped by the wall on 207th Street — one of my favorite Uptown spots —  this past Friday, I met veteran writers Kron One, Nest 156 and Bind 156 at work on a mural to serve as a backdrop for a Minx video. Yesterday I returned to see the completed wall. What follows are a few images captured both days:

Nest 156 at work on Friday

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Nest 156‘s completed piece

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Kron One at work on Friday

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Kron One, as seen yesterday

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Bind 156 at work on Friday

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Bind 156, as seen yesterday

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Photos by Lois Stavsky

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Nick-walker-I-love-New-York-Quin-Hotel

Best-known for his sharply dressed, bowler-hatted vandal, the legendary British stencil artist Nick Walker — the  first ever artist-in-residence at the Quin Hotel — has returned!  Curated by DK Johnston, a series of Walker’s new artworks, along with his classic iconic stencil works, remain on view at the Quin through February 18th.  What follows are a few more images of his works on exhibit:

The vandal on 57th Street across from the Quin

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The vandal gets busy

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The vandal leaves his mark on a pair of Louboutins

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And here are a few of his huge stencil works currently on the streets of Manhattan:

In Chelsea

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On the Upper East Side

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In Little Italy

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The Quin Hotel is located at 101 West 57th Street at Sixth Avenue.

Photos: 1 & 6 Lois Stavsky; 2 & 3 Sara Mozeson; 4 courtesy DK Johnston and 5 & 7 Tara Murray

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iena-cruz audubon-murasl-project-NYC

A collaborative venture between the National Audubon Society and the Gitler & ____ Gallery, the Audubon Mural Project, has brought a series of tantalizing murals of climate-endangered birds to the late John James Audubon’s upper Manhattan neighborhood.

Iena Cruz, Tri-colored Heron, 432 West 163 Street, close-up

iena-cruz-street-art-audubon-mural-project-NYC closeup

Gaia, Endangered Harlem, 1883 Amsterdam Avenue, close-up

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Gaia, Endangered Harlem, the complete mural

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Hitnis, Fish Crow, 3750 Broadway

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LNY, Swallow-tailed Kite, 575 West 155 Street

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LNY, Swallow-tailed-Kite, close-up

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Mr. Mustart, House Finch, 5 Edward M. Morgan Place

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Keep posted to our Facebook page and this blog for many more Audubon Mural Project images.

Photo credits: 1, 2, 4 & 6 Tara Murray; 3, 5, 7 & 8 Lois Stavsky

Note: This blog will be on vacation through Nov 28th. You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

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buff-monster-close-up-street-art-nyc

Earlier this month, the LoMan Art Festival brought not only live art by a wonderfully diverse range of artists to Downtown Manhattan, but also a series of workshops, performances and events. And even though the festival has officially ended, mammoth murals continue to surface on our streets. Here are a few scenes from it all:

Another close-up from Buff Monster‘s huge mural

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Beau Stanton at work on mammoth mural on East Third Street

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 French artist Ludo in the East Village

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Dain and Montreal-based artist Stikki Peaches

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JCorp at the Social Sticker Club‘s installation inside the Mulberry Street lot during the festival

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Ron English with assistance from Solus standing to his right

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JPO and B.D. White, one of many collaborations spotted along Mulberry Street

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Leon Reid,  alongside murals by Team Crash — John Matos, Ananda Nahu and Izolag — and Team BIO — Bio, Nicer and Binho — for the Secret Walls Illustration Battle

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Keep posted to the StreetArtNYC Facebook page for more images of the works that have surfaced and continue to do so in Downtown Manhattan through the efforts of the LISA Project

Photo credits: 1, 3, 5, 6 & 9 Dani Reyes Mozeson; 2 & 4 Tara Murray; 7 Rey Rosa Photography / The LoMan Art Festival and 8 Lois Stavsky

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noir-and-trans1-graffiti-NYC

Always a showcase for NYC — mostly veteran — writers, the always-rotating walls off the 1 train on 207th Street and 210th Street increasingly host artists from abroad. Here is a sampling of what was sighted this past week:

London-based Trans1

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London-based Noir

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NYC-based veteran writer Ree 

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Bronx-based veteran writer Rocky184

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Veteran writer Keon1, mgs gnd 

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Legendary Bronx-native T-Kid

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Photos 1-5 and 7 by Lois Stavsky; 6 courtesy of Keon1

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"Lamour Supreme"

Promoting the Ink Master Rivals show on Spike TV, two tattooed arms have made their way onto a huge billboard on Broadway between 51st and 52nd Streets. Featured on the right side of the billboard are several eerie, brightly-hued characters fashioned by Lamour Supreme — as pictured above:

Lamour Supreme, close-ups

"Lamour Supreme"

"Lamour Supreme"

And the left side of the billboard showcases a crew of Sheryo and the Yok‘s delightfully zany characters:

"Sheryo and the Yok"

Sheryo and the Yok, close-ups

"The Yok"

Sheryo

It’s great to see work by some of our favorite artists so prominently displayed!

Photos by Dani Reyes Mozeson

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BilliKid

Approaching his 80th birthday, Allan Ludwig, aka Elisha Cook, Jr., can be found just about every day in downtown Manhattan photographing the writings on the walls.  With a BFA Degree in Painting and a PhD in Art History from Yale University, he explains his passion for graffiti and street art.

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How did the name Allan Ludwig become Elisha Cook, Jr.?

When I first started posting photos of graffiti on Flickr, I was advised not to use my real name. I chose to identify myself as Elisha Cook, Jr. because he is my favorite actor. The name stuck!

So that’s it!  When did you begin working as a photographer?

Almost 60 years ago. I was in my 20’s.

What attracted you to the field?

I started drawing in my room as a child. But I had difficulty drawing faces. I never liked the way my noses looked. And when I tried to erase them, I’d end up making holes in the paper. It drove me crazy! I decided that it would be easier for me to capture a face with a camera.

street art and graffiti on 11 Spring Street

Had you any influences back then? 

When I was about 13, my neighbor Max Coplan, an accomplished photographer, taught me how to use a camera.

When did the writings and images that surface on public spaces begin to engage you?

In the early 80’s, I walked into a school playground on Grand and Baxter and discovered that its walls were filled with graffiti. I was intrigued. But as I only used black and white film at the time, my earliest photos of graffiti are in black in white, and I wasn’t documenting it regularly.

What spurred you to photograph the streets so methodically since 2000?

My neighborhood had begun to gentrify. Changes were happening rapidly. Overnight the rent on a local restaurant soared from $4,000 a month to $16,000. I wanted to document these changes. And as soon as I switched from black and white film to color, I began noticing street art.

11 Spring Street

Have you had any particularly memorable experiences while photographing graffiti and street art?

I once came upon a love letter written by a woman from England to Faile that was posted onto the building at 11 Spring Street. She had assumed, incorrectly, that Faile was one person and single. I photographed her love letter and posted it onto my Flickr photostream.   When the woman discovered her letter online, she asked me to remove it – which I didn’t. But the story doesn’t end there. She had just returned from Zambia with a love potion. She decided that the time was right for her to visit NYC to meet Faile.  She would set up a meeting to buy a print from him. Surely, the love potion would work!

Did it? What happened? Did she ever meet Faile?

She did, but she encountered an unanticipated problem. When she inserted the love potion into her mouth, it distorted her speech and facial expression. She did meet the object of her love, but she decided against using the love potion. And that’s the end of the story.

Wow! What is it about street art and graffiti that has so captivated you?

It’s the thrill of discovery. There is something magical about it.  I also love its inclusiveness and democratic nature.

11 Spring Street

Have you any thoughts about the street art/graffiti divide?

Most of the street artists I’ve met were trained in art schools, while the original graffiti writers didn’t have any kind of formal art education.  And when the street artists started making their mark on the legendary building at 11 Spring Street off the Bowery, the writers felt that they were not getting enough space or respect.  I remember walking by one day to discover the entire building sprayed all over with silver paint.  There definitely is a divide.

What about your perception of the divide? What differences do you see?

Graffiti is a highly refined art.  It is beautiful. The first generation of writers created an entirely new aesthetic.  They invented a whole new language. Yet few people can understand it and appreciate it. Street art is far more accessible.

There are many folks out there who consider the illegal writings that you photograph vandalism. Have you any thoughts about that?

It’s a non-issue. It’s meaningless. It’s a political fiction invented by politicians and lawyers and the police who enforce it.  It has no validity.

graffiti and street art on 11 Spring Street in NYC

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

The commercial world sucks the credibility out of graffiti and street art.  It takes it out of its natural setting.

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

I think it’s wonderful. It makes everything even more accessible. I have Flickr contacts all over the world.

What do you see as the future of graffiti and street art?

I see it as the most important international movement in world art since American pop art. It’s here to stay.

All photos by Elisha Cook, Jr. Except for first two BilliKid paste-ups of Elisha, images capture NYC’s legendary building at 11 Spring Street, 2006-7

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LNY Is Back in Manhattan

March 13, 2013

We love having LNY back in our borough. We’ve missed him. And thanks to Keith Schweitzer and FAB, he’s back! Here are a few images captured form the wondrous wall that he recently fashioned on East Second Street.

LNY in action

LNY paints in East Village

The morning after

LNY mural in NYC

 Close-up with recycled trash bags!

LNY street art- close-up

And this past weekend was a special treat for us LNY fans, as his artwork could be seen at the Fountain Art Fair, as well. Here’s a sampling of images — all fashioned on recycled materials:

LNY at Fountain art fair

LNY

LNY portrait

Photos by Tara Murray 

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