This is the second in a series of posts showcasing NYC’s stylish stickers that surface on an array of public surfaces:
Tokyo native Lady Aiko
NYC-based Read
Harlem-born artist and curator Choice Royce
Chicago-based Don’t Fret
The ubiquitous KA and MTK
Jos 1’s signature style
Zato’s character in one of his many poses
Photos by Lenny Collado, Dani Mozeson & Lois Stavsky
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Working with discarded objects he finds on the streets, Bronx-native Michael Cuomo has been busily creating an alternate universe. Central to his cosmos are dozens of masks that he displays in a range of public spaces, engaging curious passersby of all ages. We joined Michael this past Sunday up near Yankee Stadium.
You do magical things with what others have discarded. When did it all begin?
The idea of working with found objects came to me after I took a three-hour class in “drawing with wire” at Bronx Community College back in 2006. I made my first masks with wire. And as I’d always been drawn to objects that others deem useless, I began to search for these objects and gradually incorporate them into my masks.
You certainly have some strange objects integrated into these masks – from car parts to broken toys to old hats. How do you manage to get hold of such a variety?
I find most of them on the streets, and recently friends and neighbors have begun giving me “donations.”
When recycling these materials into masks, do you work with a defined concept of the final product?
Never. It’s an organic process. When the mask is finished, it tells me so. I have dozens of sketchbooks and constantly draw, but I don’t consciously work from my sketches.
What engages you about recycling and working with found objects?
It reminds me that we are all one on this planet. The objects that I find help connect me with others – their original owners and our anscestors. I also feel that by recycling I am – in some small way – helping our planet.
Why have you decided to share your masks with the public out here on the streets?
It’s the best way for me to connect with the people. My art is “for the people” and “by the people.” When strangers see my art and engage with it, they break the monotony of their daily lives. I also like the dialog that it spurs.
Where have you displayed your masks?
I’ve shared them in quite a few public spaces. On 110th Street in East Harlem…in front of the Hayden Planetarium on the Upper West Side…on the 6 train.
What about galleries?
I’ve exhibited them at NYU, Gallery 69, at the Longwood Art Gallery up here in the Bronx, and I have a show coming up later this spring in New Rochelle.
How does your family feel about what you are doing?
They like it, but I can’t say they embrace it!
What do you see as the role of the artist in society?
I see the artist’s role as a transformative one. Art enlightens. My art is an extension of the hip-hop movement that was born here in the Bronx. It is all about empowerment and change.
What’s ahead?
My artworks will continue to evolve and — eventually — will travel the world.
Photos by Lois Stavsky
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This is the seventh in a series of ongoing posts featuring the diverse range of trucks and vans that strike NYC streets.
Xabu from Sao Paulo, Brazil
French photographer JR and the crew from Sao Paulo, Brazil
Groser
Veteran graff writer Priz on truck parked on Boston Road in the Bronx
Emo in Chinatown
Hefner, Smart Crew
Never in Bushwick
Photos by Lenny Collado, Dani Mozeson, Tara Murray & Lois Stavsky
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We returned this week to one of our favorite East Village spots — East First Street off First Avenue — where a once-abandoned trailer now boasts a range of crisp, expressive images. With Cycle 7 now complete, this is what we captured:
Joseph Meloy and Nicholai Khan
The current installation will remain through May. Submissions for Cycle 8 are due by April 1 and can be submitted to Centrefuge@gmail.com, Images of Cycle 7 in progress can be seen here.
Photos by Dani Mozeson & Tara Murray
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Born in Argentina and raised in the Bronx, veteran graffiti artist Nic 707 is once again riding the trains. Curious about the force behind the transient graff galleries that have been surfacing on NYC subways, we posed some questions to Nic.
When did you first start getting up?
It was back in 1973.
Wow! So you were at the beginning of it all. What inspired you at the time?
My first hero at the time was Checker 170, the King of the 4 Line. And I saw what guys like Tracy 168, Rub 5 and Pnut 2 were doing.
What train lines did you hit back then?
Mostly the 4, 5, 2, the D and the old CC trains. But I also hit the 7 and the 1 lines.
Did you work with any crews?
Lots. Among them was MGA – with Set 149, Padre, Stone High. When I was 16, I started OTB and was its first president. Presidents that followed included Noc 167, Ban 2 and the current one, Cope 2.
Were you ever arrested?
Let’s just say I was held against my will a couple of times. Life was more adventurous back then.
What is the riskiest thing you ever did?
Probably jumping off the trains when they were moving. I could’ve gotten killed. Some writers did. I also remember when I had to ride on the top of a train to escape some cops, surf to the next station and leap to the roof and lie there for two hours until the coast was clear.
How did your family respond to what you were doing?
They never supported me. When I was 19, I returned from summer camp to discover that my mother had destroyed everything I had ever created. That ended my early stint as a graffiti artist. Luckily, I found my way back to it about seven years ago.
What were you doing all those years you were away from it? And what brought you back to it?
I was doing lots of things – mostly stand-up comedy and other things that I shouldn’t have been doing. But I finally realized how much I missed my graffiti days.
I’ve recently seen your work on walls here in the Bronx and up in Inwood. I also saw it on exhibit at Gallery 69 in Tribeca. Have you exhibited anywhere else?
I took part in an exhibit at NYU and at a number of smaller private spaces.
How do you feel about the movement of graffiti and street art into galleries?
I applaud it. It pushes writers to continually refine their styles, and I think it’s great that they can make some money from their talents. I also like the idea of graffiti reaching folks who frequent galleries.
Why do you suppose graffiti seems to garner more respect in Europe than it does here – where it was born?
You’re never a hero in your hometown. And NYC is filled with too many haters.
Who are some of your other favorite graff artists these days?
There are many. Meres, T-Kid 170, King Bee, Sonic, and Serve 1 are among them.
Do you have a formal art education?
No. But I attended DeWitt Clinton High School – along with dozens of other writers. It was the best art education I could get.
Tell us something about your current project.
I came up with the concept in 2008 for “InstaFame Phantom Art.” It’s about creating moving art galleries – back on the subways where graffiti had its first and strongest impact. It’s about bringing people’s art to the people. Who really wants to read a Budweiser ad twenty times?
And how have folks reacted to it?
They love it!
And what about the “InstaFame” part?
Yeah. I want to be famous. Doesn’t everybody?
I’m not sure! What do you see as the role of the artist in society?
To inspire others to dream and to follow their dreams.
How do you see yourself in five years?
I’d like to have my own graffiti reality television show.
Good luck! It sounds like fun! And in the meantime we’re looking forward to seeing more of your InstaFame Phantom Art galleries riding our trains.
Photos by Lois Stavsky
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Boasting first-rate hand styles, cunning commentary and intriguing characters, the stickers that surface on NYC streets are among the best anywhere. Here is a brief sampling:
Australian born painter and installation artist Anthony Lister
First-rate hand stylist(s) Aidge and Serch
Queens-based artist, curator and educator Alice Mizrachi aka AM
One of Curly’s playful statements — though usually handwritten
Brooklyn-based artist RAE
NYC’s prolific Katsu
The legendary NYC-based artist Billi Kid in collaboration with the Russian-born graphic designer and illustrator Street Grapes
Photos by Lenny Collado, Dani Mozeson, Tara Murray and Lois Stavsky
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East First Street near First Avenue in the East Village/Lower East Side is the place to be this week as the Centre-fuge Public Art Project begins its second year of transforming a once-abandoned trailer into a showcase of urban art. These images of works-in-progress were captured yesterday:
NYC native Joseph Meloy at work on his distinct post-graffiti style that he labels Vandal Expressionism
Queens-based Nicholai Khan fashions a school bus as tribute to NYC’s striking school bus drivers
Brooklyn-based Hellbent with his enchanting geometric rhythms
Peeking into Hellbents’s black book
Graphic artist Matthew Denton Burrows conceives an intriguing character
Hellbent and Matthew Denton Burrows side by side
Japanese painter and muralist Yuki brings her graceful aesthetic to the scene
The wonderfully talented Joe Iurato will be on board tomorrow. StreetArtNYC will feature images of the completed trailer next week.
The Centre-Fuge Public Art Project was conceived in 2011 by First Street residents Pebbles Russell and Jonathan Neville in memory of their friend, Mike Hamm.
Photos by Tara Murray
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This is the fourth in an occasional series of artwork on NYC shutters by both local artists and those visiting from abroad:
England’s Ben Eine and Sweet Toof — as seen in the snow this past Sunday in Bushwick, Brooklyn
Sweet Toof of the London-based Burning Candy Crew at Welling Court in Astoria, Queens
Muck123 and UFO on Manhattan’s Lower East Side
Darkclouds, Deeker & Flying Fortress at Welling Court in Astoria, Queens
How and Nosm on East 14th Street in Manhattan
How and Nosm at Hunts Point in the Bronx
Carlos Pinto does Bob Marley in Flatbush, Brooklyn
Beau on Manhattan’s Lower East Side
And — Pixote bringing stylish Brazilian writing to the streets of NYC
Photos by Lenny Collado, Dani Mozeson, Tara Murray and Lois Stavsky
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This is the sixth in a series of ongoing posts featuring the diverse range of stylish trucks and vans that strike NYC streets.
KA and UR New York
Queens-based KR-ONE
Cern’s signature characters
West coast native Auks One
NYC style master Doves
Photos by Lenny Collado, Dani Mozeson and Lois Stavsky; KR ONE, courtesy of the artist
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We’ve been huge fans of Kosby since his stickers and paste-ups began gracing NYC’s public spaces a number of years back. Since, his artwork has surfaced in galleries and is currently on view at the Woodward Gallery Project Space.
When did you first become interested in art?
I have been drawing since I was a kid. I was lucky that my mom loved what I was doing and bought me comic books to encourage me. My mom also taught me to accept people for who they are. I think that shows in my art.
When and where did you first start hitting the streets?
I started in Chicago between 1993 and 1994, and I began bombing buses. Then I met DREL and he introduced me to street bombing.
How did you guys meet?
He sat on a bench – next to me in church — and I was drawing a graffiti character on a piece of paper. He was intrigued and we kicked it off. He went as Drel of KMD, BTC and MOM Crew. He also got me to do my first fill-in. He said if I did it at a specific spot on Fullerton Avenue – a particularly busy and dangerous one — I would be set, established as a graffiti writer. And I did it.
How did your family react to the whole graff thing?
I’m sort of the black sheep of my family. Ironically, though, graffiti saved my life. Logan Square — where I grew up — was gang-infested, and graffiti was a pass. When gang bangers stopped us, we explained what we were up to and they mostly left us alone.
Respect to the writers! Are you trying to get a specific message across with your work?
No specific message, but I like to be brutally honest. When I was younger, I was often isolated and shy because my family moved around a lot. Today, I’m more open. And that’s difficult for graffiti writers, as we usually play the whole smoke and mirrors game. But I like to be honest about who I am. I struggle with that in my art.
From where do you get your ideas?
My head. I have worked with plenty of people like Sure RIP, Overconsumer and Wisher914. Sure inspired me and prodded me to get better. And I’ve always liked what Cost and Revs were doing. Their poetic messages seem spontaneous and off the head. I ran away from home when I was younger to California and that’s when I was exposed to Mike Giant, Twist, Reminisce and Revok.
Have you collaborated with any artists?
I’ve done work lately with Cekis, Zato and Crasty. And I have a ton of homies I would like to collaborate with.
Tell us something about your process.
I care less about how something looks and care more about the act of doing it. I did a tribute piece for Nekst RIP recently on a rooftop.I was thinking about how he would never get a chance to paint again, I didn’t like how the piece was turning out, but it was just about doing it. I like having fun and I hope that translates through the work.
What materials do you like to work with?
Anything…spit. ink. markers, vintage paper, cloth. The other day I tagged with Montana refill paint, mistaking it for an acrylic paint marker.
Have you any favorite artists?
I am a fan of Abstract Expressionism. Some of my favorite artists include: Robert Rauschenberg, Chuck Close, Espo, EKG, Michael Allen Alien, Dee Doc, Anthony Lister, L’amour Supreme, Suck Lord and Rammellzee.
Have you ever been arrested?
Yes. I was often bailed out of jail by mom. She always worried about me when I stayed out past my curfew. Even though my disposable cameras – that I stole to shoot my work — were confiscated at the time of my arrest, I always got them back in time to get a flick of my mom bailing me out. ‘sorry, Mom.
What are some of your other interests?
I love photography, spending time with my friends and girlfriend and exploring the city.
How has your work evolved?
I’ve never been a good judge of my work. I am actually dangerous with it because I can’t tell when a particular piece of work is done. I keep drawing on it and drawing on it. I’m more interested in people’s reactions to it. I believe I’ve gotten looser and more chill. I don’t like the trendy. I have been careful not to lose that looseness to my work. It’s really a balance I’m looking for.
What do you think about the graffiti and street art divide?
I don’t think there is a divide. It’s a culture within a culture. I’ve seen street artists going over graffiti not knowing what they were doing. If you’d like to learn the proper etiquette, call me at 1 (800) GRAFFPRO.
What do you think about the Internet in all of this?
It’s good. It’s such a part of our mass culture.
Do you see any danger in Internet oversaturation?
Sure. There should be a “Get off the Internet Day.” I often put messages like this on my stickers, like “Don’t Use Your Cell Phone Day.” I usually use the Internet in the morning when I check out www.theworldsbestever.com. I’ll be checking out StreetArtNYC.org from now on too. But that’s it.
How do you feel about your work being shown in galleries?
I love to share my art; it makes me happy. I like to stand next to people at galleries as they check out my art. I like getting their honest response to it.
When you’re not getting up on the streets, where do you tend to work?
It’s changed over the years. My mom gave me my first studio. For a while, my kitchen served as my work space, and I had collectors call me wanting to see my work. I said, “Of course, just come to my kitchen.” I’d say I’m in a better space now.
Who do you follow these days?
I’m looking at Lois Stavsky, as well as Martha Cooper, Angelo from Doyle Auction House, Royce Bannon, Brooklyn Street Art, Alex Emmert, SuckLord, who’s a major mentor, and Simeon from Art Hustle.
What do you see yourself doing in the next five years?
Chilling with my family and friends, enjoying a nice glass of wine, while we laugh with some purple kicking it back with my boy, Lenny.
‘sounds cool!
I want to say thank you to StreetArtNYC for being so supportive of NYC artists and to Lois for being so positive. And don’t forget, guys, to check out the StreetArtNYC app!
Interview by Lenny Collado; photos by Dani Mozeson and Lois Stavsky
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