New York City

Dylan Egon

Charmed by Dylan Egon’s paste-ups that surface on the streets of Manhattan’s and Brooklyn’s trendier neighborhoods, we loved viewing this Jersey City-based designer’s works currently on exhibit and for sale at reGeneration. Here is a sampling:

Dylan Egon

Dylan Egon

Table stools

Dylan Egon

She’s Found Religion (mod Victorian vanity totem)

Dylan Egon

And the iconic Petey

Dylan Egon

Presented in cooperation with the Jonathan LeVine Gallery and ABC Home Store, Dylan Egon’s splendid pieces can be seen at 38 Renwick Street, between Prince and Canal.

Photos by Lois Stavsky

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Rammellzee

In a Tribeca loft that became known as the “Battle Station,” the legendary graffiti artist and hip hop MC Rammellzee began in the 70’s to create his own mythology. Known as “Gothic Futurism,” it was a world that he would continue to develop — often with objects he found on the streets — for 30 years. The most comprehensive collection of Rammellzee’s works to-date is on view through February 3 at the Children’s Museum of the Arts at 103 Charlton Street in the South Village.  Among the items included in the RAMMELLZEE Galaxseum are: large-scale paintings, figurines, Rammellzee’s legendary letter racers and full-body life-sized costumes. Here are a few more images that we captured while visiting last week:

Rammellzee

Figurine, close-up

Rammellzee

Letter-racers representing letters of the alphabet — transformed into war machines — seeking to “break free”

Rammellzee letter racers

Letter-racer, close-up

Rammellzee letter racer

Life-sized costumed figure

Rammellzee life-sized costumed figure

Close-up from a second life-sized costumed figure

Rammellzee costumed figure

Curated by Prescott Trudeau, The RAMMELLZEE Galaxseum at CMA is certainly as appealing to us adults as it is to children!

Photos by Lenny Collado and Lois Stavsky

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This is the seventh in a series of posts featuring images of girls — and women — who grace New York City’s public spaces:

Toofly on Manhattan’s Lower East Side

Toofly

 French artist Frank Duval aka FKDL in Brooklyn

FKDL

FKDL

Lady Aiko in Bushwick, Brooklyn

Lady Aiko

Hef in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Hef

 Russell King on the Lower East Side

Russell King

Shiro and King Bee in the Bronx

Shiro and King Bee

 Photos by Lenny Collado, Tara Murray and Lois Stavsky; Toofly image courtesy of the artist

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Speaking with Baser

December 31, 2012

Baser’s masterful handstyle can be seen on sundry stickers on a range of public surfaces throughout Manhattan. We recently had the opportunity to pose some questions to him. 

Baser sticker collage

When was Baser born?

I started writing Base in 1986 in Pittsburgh. It mutated to Baser in 1999 when I began using stickers as my primary means of getting up. By then I was living in Brooklyn where I had originally been exposed to graff and where it had seeped into my brain.

Why did you choose that name?

The letter combination. I know that its connotation is drug-related. But that had nothing to do with it. Many people have suggested I change it, but I’m stubborn. Besides, after the Godfather dropped a signature in my black-book to that name, I felt it was official. So that’s it!

Any formal art training?

No. Just the desire to rock my name with style. But for all the kids out there: Go to school, master your craft and get paid!

Baser

What made you go postal?

I’d been getting up with labels since ’99. Not postals or name-badges. But my supply of free labels dried up about the same time a number of books came out on the subject. And except for a few clipped tags, Baser was nowhere to be found. Burn! It became evident at that point that I needed to broaden the palette. So I started using a variety of labels, developed my style and put in the work. This way, book or not, the streets would know and I’d be certain I put in my best effort.

What made you want to share your style?

I didn’t necessarily want to ‘share’ my style. Maybe more like competing for style. I’d put stickers up to entertain myself while walking the city. I certainly liked comparing various hand-styles and wanted to see how I fit in. The quality of style a few years back drove me to take stickers seriously. So I could look at my work and be proud.

Any favorite writers?

There are so many amazing writers today. And with the specialty paints and caps, it’s even easier to produce quality work. But personally, I would go back to the cats I grew up admiring and the pioneers before them. Dudes like RTW Crew, Dondi, TFP Crew, Seen (UA), T-Kid, Phase 2, Billy 167 and Fuzz. The list goes on.     

Baser

 What about handstyles? Are there any handstyles you admire?

I’ve always been a fan of many hands coming out of New York City. But to be specific, Zephyr, Revolt, Haze and Trike were the first to do it. Brooklyn and Manhattan styles, for me, unquestionably kill it. Later on the stickers of Sure and Faust, Twist and others of the late ‘90s and early 2000s lit a fire in me to skill up.  I might add, though, that it’s a pleasure to see anyone from anywhere who’s doing it well.

How has your style evolved?

It’s constantly evolving because I always strive to do better. Well, I hope it’s gotten better and more pleasing to the eye. Balance, composition and flow are three ingredients I try to ingrain in the muscle memory. The less my hand needs direction the more room there is for improvisation. Then more of my soul pours out and people feel it. Anyway, that’s the theory and, hopefully, the evolution is evident.

Any past collabs?

Not really. I stick to myself mostly. I did some work with Sabeth718 on the zine Stuck #1. I, also, worked on the zine Bad Things Come in Two’s with Feecees from Miami, produced by TrustNoOne. And I did a few personal ones with Chris RWK and Paecher from Colorado. That’s it. I like to keep it limited because the reality is I’m out there alone. It keeps it simple. Besides, I got more fingers on one hand than I have friends.

Baser

Do you work with anyone these days?

Currently I’m doing some work with KA and MTK76. We’ve been hitting the same spots for years, and we hold a mutual respect for each other’s work. It just made sense to hook up. They’re definitely two cool and talented people. As for anyone else, it remains to be seen.

Have you any thoughts about the current graffiti and street art scene?

I miss everything about the pre-Giuliani New York, especially the graff scene. I’m not too hip to all these street artists. They do what they do, and some of it is really cool. But for me it’s always been about writing, and these days, limited to stickers. So I’m not sure I can judge the current scene. As long as they don’t go over me!  Like Mare 139 said, “We may have lost the trains but we’ve gained the world.”

How do you feel about people peeling off your stickers?

I hope they last on the streets, no doubt. But I give away so many to the city that it balances out the fact that I sell sticker packs. I’ve always said, “If you don’t want to prop the dough on a pack from me, then start peelin’ and stealin’.” I don’t get mad; I just go in with more. Ha!

Baser

What’s your most memorable graffiti moment?

I could hit you with a few clean train chase stories. But the most memorable was back in 1989. A couple of so-called friends came in from out of town. I took them on a flick mission to different spots around the city. I knew Vulcan worked at the old Forbidden Planet near Union Square. So we decided to go down there and see if he would drop a tag in our books.      

Did he?

When we got there, we went downstairs and there were these two cats there — one dude at the register and a dude with a Kangol hat. No Vulcan. It turned out he was off that day. But the guy with the Kangol was looking for him too.

“You don’t write, do you?”  he asked us.

“Yes!” I replied, nodding toward my book.

He quickly glanced through it and handed it back, telling us he was Phase 2.

Wow! The Godfather!

He asked if we knew who he was. No doubt because of our age, we looked ignorant. But of course I did. I had subscribed to the 1980’s zine IGT he did with Schmidlap. Also I was an early collector of books on graff, so I had seen a photo or two of him and definitely his work.

“If you have time, we’ll head over to Union Square and I’ll do something in your books,” he said.

We headed over.

And what began as seemingly random lines all over the page turned out to be a masterpiece. I hadn’t seen anything like it. He did one for each of us, but mine seemed more complex. All the while, he schooled us on the history of writing and the birth of Hip Hop. It was a great oral history lesson. I will never forget that day and will always be grateful to him.

Have you exhibited your work?

Yes! Everywhere from 8th Street stir up to 80th Street! As far as galleries go, I had a few stickers exhibited at NYU’s Bronfman Center. I also recently donated a collage for the Sandy Relief Auction at Trumbull Studios. There might still be some of my work displayed at the Bomit Pop Up shop in California. But that’s it.

Henry Chalfant

How did you start selling your work?

Early on I’d give them away or trade. But that didn’t work out too well. So as interest went up, I put a price on sticker packs and some of the larger pieces. I’m not making a living at it, nor is it why I do it in the first place. But I’m not one to turn away cash. Who is?

What do you see as the future of stickers on the streets?

Not sure. It’s looking pretty dim. There’s only a few of us left doing quality work. I miss the news boxes with their collages of first-rate handstyles that were all over the city a few years back. I was recently looking at some flicks from just a couple years back, and styles were great. Part of the reason I started doing collages on the boxes is because they were too vacant or sporting just a few stickers that were plain garbage. I guess we’ll see.

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

The Internet, with its entire social media, opened up a worldwide stage for us. It’s part of the game now. But nothing beats actually walking the streets or riding the trains and experiencing graff as it was meant to be seen. I still get that rush when I turn the corner and Bam! there’s a dope tag, fill-in or piece.

What’s ahead?

I don’t know. What are the choices?

Interviewed by Lenny Collado; photos by Dani Mozeson, Lois Stavsky and courtesy of the artist. Final image features noted photographer Henry Chalfant — checking out Baser’s stickers on exhibit at NYU’s Bronfman Center

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This is the fifth in a series of ongoing posts featuring the diverse range of stylish trucks and vans that strike NYC streets:

Sevor and Ideal

"Sevor and Ideal"

Cinik

Cinik

Ski and Optimo Primo

Ski and Optimo Primo

Staino

Staino graffiti

Noxer and 3ess

Noxer and 3ess graffiti

 Roda

Roda graffiti

Repo

Repo graffiti

Toper/Smart Crew

Toper of Smart Crew

 Photos by Lenny Collado, Dani Mozeson, Tara Murray and Lois Stavsky

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This is the third in an occasional series of artwork on NYC shutters by both local artists and those visiting from abroad:

Phlegm — in from Sheffield, UK — in the East Village

Phlegm

Brooklyn-based Never in Astoria, Queens

Never street art

NYC-based Faust’s tribute to Sure RIP in Greenpoint, Brooklyn

Faust graffiti

Meres at 5Pointz in Long Island City, Queens

Meres

Germany’s Most and Flying Fortress at Welling Court in Astoria, Queens

Most and Flying Fortress

NYC’s Ozbe at Welling Court in Astoria, Queens

Ozbe

Veteran artist Kenny Scharf on the Lower East Side

Kenny Scharf

Grad of Smart Crew in Greenpoint, Brooklyn

Smart Crew

The legendary Tracy168 at West Farms in the Bronx

Tracy168

Photos by Lenny Collado, Dani Mozeson, Tara Murray and Lois Stavsky

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Delusional: the Story of the Jonathan LeVine Gallery

Just how likely is it for a punk kid from a Trenton, NJ working-class background to emerge as a preeminent art dealer in Manhattan’s hottest gallery district?  When Jonathan LeVine spoke of establishing a gallery that would support artists who had been shunned by the mainstream art world, his friend and renowned critic, Carlo McCormick, deemed him “delusional.” But with passion and perseverance, Jonathan LeVine has triumphed, and among the many first-rate artists his gallery features are some of  street art’s finest including Shepard Fairey, Doze Green, Invader, Blek le Rat, WK and Blu. Caleb Neelon’s excellent book, Delusional: The Story of the Jonathan LeVine Gallery, offers an intimate look into the man behind the vision. Interviews with LeVine, along with observations from a range of folks, reveal a deeply humane individual with a fervent mission.

Adrift as a youngster, Jonathan LeVine was reborn in 1985, when, at age 16, he discovered the punk rock scene. The “misfits” this scene attracted were nothing like his high school peers who tormented him for being “different.” Soon LeVine began producing  fanzines and booking and promoting shows — the beginning of a life-long calling of nurturing artists he loved and sharing their work with others.

After graduating from Montclair State College with a BA in art, LeVine spent time on both the West and East coasts, where he met fellow artists and art enthusiasts who now count among his closest friends.  As early as 1996, he organized a solo exhibition of Ron English’s work at Maxwell’s in Hoboken, NJ, before moving on to curating CBGB’s gallery. The following year, he reached out to Shepard Fairey, offering him his first solo show in NYC.

In 2001, LeVine opened his own gallery Tin Pan Alley in New Hope, PA and a year later moved it to Philadelphia’s Northern Liberties neighborhood. But the art market started booming and NYC was calling, so in 2005, LeVine made the move to NYC’s Chelsea, his current home.

Featured in Delusional are dozens of splendid images culled from exhibits that have graced the walls of the Jonathan LeVine Gallery. Interspersed, too, are comments – often insightful and revelatory — from a range of artists who have found a home with Jonathan in Chelsea.

Delusional

Available at most bookstores and online book sellers, Delusional: The Story of the Jonathan LeVine Gallery is currently on the display table at St. Mark’s Bookshop at 31 Third Avenue between 8th and 9th Streets in Manhattan.  You can also pick up an autographed copy at the Jonathan LeVine Gallery at 529 West 20th Street. Enjoy!

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Speaking with Chris Stain

December 19, 2012

Queens-based artist Chris Stain is best known for his splendid stencil images that often reflect his concern with social inequality. We recently had a chance to speak to him following the opening of  Sowing the Seeds of Love at Munch Gallery on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

Chris Stain

When did you start getting up in public spaces? And where were you living at the time?

In 1984.  I was 11 years old and living in Baltimore.

What motivated you to hit the streets?

The movie Beat Street had a huge impact on me, as did the book Subway Art by Martha Cooper and Henry Chalfant. I also caught Style Wars on PBS.

Were there any particular writers who inspired you back then?

Most of us starting out in Baltimore were inspired by local writers, Zek, JamOne and RomeOne. Zek, considered the king at the time, was a lefty and had a distinct left-handed style that we all borrowed and tried to make our own.  Another writer who influenced us all was Revolt who came down to Baltimore from NYC in the early 80’s.

Chris Stain

Have you a first graffiti memory?

I was 11 when I did my first tag on the last house of a row of houses on my block. The kids on my block would usually find some flat black or white paint lying around somewhere in their fathers’ basement. But I used cherry red spray paint – the Testor spray paint that was bought for plastic car models — to put up my first tag. 

What did you first write?

I wrote Savage. I wanted a name that sounded cool. Later I wrote Stain after hearing it rapped by Rammellzee in his song Beat Bop.

These days we identify you with huge stencils that surface on city streets. When did you first begin working with stencils?

I began in the late 90’s. In the beginning of my artistic endeavors I was into traditional graffiti lettering. Long after I graduated high school, I began stenciling to tell more of a personal story.

Chris Stain

Have you ever been arrested?

Three times…when I was eleven, sixteen and thirty-nine.  I remember being grounded for two months after my first arrest.

We’ve seen your work in a number of galleries here in NYC. Have you exhibited outside of the U.S.?

My work has been exhibited in London, Paris, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Germany, and Norway.

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

I don’t think about it. Both have their different energies. To me it’s all creativity.

With whom have you collaborated?

Among those with whom I’ve collaborated are:  Josh MacPhee and the Justseeds crew , Billy Mode, Swoon, The Polaroid Kidd, Bill Daniels, Martha Cooper, Skewville, Login Hicks, C215, Armsrock, Know Hope, Nick Walker, Blek Le Rat, and Chris & Veng of Robots Will Kill, Hell Bent, and a host of others.

Chris Stain and Billy Mode

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

I have mixed feelings. On one hand, it’s taken away from the specialness – the underground secrecy – of the counterculture. But it also allows us to easily share our work with one another. And that is a plus.

Do you have a formal art education?

No. I never attended art school.  Not formally at least. I tried some continuing education classes to build a portfolio after I got out of high school but I had a hard time with the discipline.

Your artwork reflects a strong social consciousness – both in your subject matter and placement.  Could you tell us something about this?

I was brought up to respect other people’s struggles.  It is important that we treat others the way we would like to be treated – regardless of race, nationality or social status.  If there is a message in my artwork, it is that we need to be more aware of each other.

Chris Stain

What do you see yourself doing five years from now?

Teaching art, still painting with Billy Mode and working with JustSeeds. And I’d like to continue to show my work in galleries and create public works as well.

That sounds great! We are looking forward to seeing your artwork anywhere!

 Interview by Lenny Collado; photos of Chris Stain street art by Lois Stavsky; photo of Chris Stain and Billy Mode by Dani Mozeson

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Committed to the transformative power of art, the members of the Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative create works that reflect a strong political and social consciousness. Currently on exhibit at Munch Gallery at 245 Broome Street on Manhattan’s Lower East Side is Sowing the Seeds of Love, the first Justseeds group exhibition in New York City. Over 20 Justseeds members have created new pieces specifically for this exhibit that continues through December 23. Many of these artists have also participated in public art projects. Here is a sampling of what is on view at Munch Gallery:

Chris Stain, Occupy

"Chris Stain"

Roger Peet, Great Auks 

"Roger Peet"

Colin Matthes, Personal Continuous Evacuation Dwelling

Colin Matthes

Meredith Stern, Mutual Aid

Meredith Stern

  Josh MacPhee, Even the Worms Must Produce

"Josh MacPhee"

 Photos by Lenny Collado, Sara Mozeson & Lois Stavsky

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Artists from across the globe, along with some of our favorite local artists, have been busy this past month gracing Brooklyn’s most elegant, evolving canvas – Bushwick Five Points. Here are some pieces that have recently surfaced:

Brooklyn-based artists See One and Hellbent

"See one and Hellbent street art"

Hellbent, close-up

"Hellbent street art"

 Italian artist Pixel Pancho

"Pixel Pancho street art"

 

Italian artist Never2501

"Never2501 street art"

"Never2501 street art"

 Cuban artist Shie Moreno

"Shie Moreno street art mural"

Australian artist Reka

"Reka street art"

"Reka street art"

Photos by Tara Murray and Lois Stavsky

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