public art

kid-lew-street-art-up-high-in-toronto

Queens-based artist Steve Lew aka Kid Lew recently brought his talents and vision to Toronto’s Enterprise Boulevard. The new urban complex — known as Downtown Markham – is now graced with a huge, brilliantly hued 40’x50’ mural, featuring Kid Lew’s iconic characters. Situated on the northeast corner of the Remington Contemporary Art Gallery, it can be seen for miles and by thousands of folks daily as they pass by on Highway 407. I recently spoke to the artist about his experience.

Can you tell us something about this project? What brought you to Toronto?

I had been invited by Broadway Bound — a fine arts and entertainment company — to paint an outdoor mural in Downtown Markham. I had submitted a few ideas, and one was accepted.

kid-lew-with-street-art-toronto

And how did you initially connect with Broadway Bound?

I had met Shelley Shier, the founder of Broadway Bound, at the Dorien Grey Gallery back in 2012. I was one of the street artists who had collaborated with Hank O’Neil aka XCIA for the exhibit Street Artists Unite. We’ve stayed in touch since.

Your mural is huge! How long did it take you to paint it?

It took 12 days, working 8-10 hours each day.

kid-lew-with-street-art-and-work-on-canvas

What were some of the challenges presented by this project?

I almost always paint standing on the ground. But this time I started on the third floor of a building. I immediately got over my fear of heights!  It was also rainy and very windy. I could feel the lift swinging from side to side! Sometimes the wind actually sprayed the paint! Then when I walked around the hotel, I felt as though everything beneath me was moving! I had a serious case of lift lag!

I’ve been a huge fan of your characters since I first discovered them years ago — on the streets and in galleries! Can you tell us something about them? What initially inspired them? 

I was intially inspired by cartoons. I began as a young child copying Disney characters. And later on my main influences grew to include: graffiti, skateboarding, NYC pop culture and — in general — life in this city. But my greatest inspiration in Keith Haring. And because I am color blind, I tend to use colors that appear brightest to me — those that can be seen at night.

kid-lew-completed-mural-toronto

And who are these characters? What do they represent? And how have they evolved through the years?

They’re often not as bright as they appear to be. They represent different phases in my life. And as my life evolves, my characters continue to evolve, as well. Both my technique and design have become more refined through the years. I am also more responsive to my audience.

What’s next?

I hope to return to Jersey City to complete the mural I’d begun with Will Power and Ree. It is a huge mural that was put on hold. I’m, also, looking forward to painting more large-scale murals in a range of cities. And I am participating this weekend in the New York Comic Con, where you will be able to purchase custom used Montana Gold Spray Paint cans and ink drawings on spray painted subway maps. I will be signing some at 2pm at Booth 603 with Clutter Magazine.

kid-lew-graffiti-characters-spray-cans

Good luck with it all!  And I look forward to checking out your mural when I visit Toronto.

Interview conducted and edited by Lois Stavsky; all photos courtesy of the artist.

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.

en-play-badge 2

{ 0 comments }

see-one-paints-street-art-harlem-nyc

The Education Is Not a Crime Campaign, a street art campaign for educational equality in Iran, continues to grace Harlem with stylishly expressive, mural art on the theme of education. Within the last two weeks, four artists brought their skills and visions to PS 92 — located at 222 W 134th St. Pictured above is Brooklyn-based See One at work. What follows is an interview conducted on site with Not A Crime founder, Maziar Bahari — a journalist, filmmaker and activist who had been arrested without charge in Iran and detained for 118 days during the 2009 Iranian election protests.

maziar-bahari

Can you tell us something about the Not a Crime Campaign? Its mission?

The Not a Crime Campaign is an awareness-raising campaign about the educational discrimination directed primarily against the Baha’is in Iran. The Baha’is of Iran are the largest minority in that country. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, they have not been able to enjoy their rights as citizens in terms of employment and education. Our campaign focuses solely on education and the fact that the Baha’is in Iran can not teach or study in universities.

tatyana-painting-street-art-harlem-nyc

Why did you choose to use street art to get your message across?

We thought that the best way to fight against suppression and bigotry is with arts and creativity. We’ve been involved with street art, music, film… At this moment the major part of our campaign involves street art. Why street art?  We live in a digital age. And we thought it would be interesting to have something really analog like street art and mix it with digital technology.

tatyana-street-art-mural-harlem-nyc

Our campaign is all about dialog and discourse. And through street art we can have different layers of dialog and discourse. I am not a  Baha’i myself, so I have this dialog with the Baha’i community.  And, then as a team, we have a dialog with the artists and with Street Art Anarchy, the organization that helps us choose the artists and negotiate the walls.  The artists, then, have a dialog with passersby.  Then the passersby have a dialog among themselves. And then we create a video about each wall and we put it on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. And, finally, viewers from all around the wall can interact with the videos.

lmnopi-street-art-in-progress-harlem

What are some of the challenges presented by this project?

We face some challenges, but they are nothing compared to what some people go through every day in different countries. People who are arrested just because they want to be educated…people who are tortured just because they want to teach, to study. I’m almost ashamed of talking about our challenges, which are really minor. But NYC is a big, crowded city with a bureaucratic government. And each wall requires negotiating with the building owners, and there are many by-laws that restrict what we can do. But, again, these challenges are minor.

lmnopi-street-art-with-kids-in-harlem

How has the response been?  And why Harlem?

The reaction of the Harlem community has been amazing. We have found a home in Harlem. We chose Harlem because the people here understand discrimination. Harlem is in NYC, and the media attention to NY is always amazing. And we wanted to be in NY where world leaders gather in September for the United Nations General Assembly. But also Harlem is synonymous with the Harlem Renaissance.  And we see that people react to our walls here in ways that many people in other places didn’t. People in Harlem get our message immediately, and they appreciate the way we do things. And in addition to working with the street artists who create these beautiful works of art, we also work in the community in terms of outreach and other subjects.

marthalicia-mural-art-harlem-nyc

What’s ahead?

A continuation of what we’ve started. To have more connections with the community…to see what they want from us… what we can offer them in terms of providing our expertise with street art or music. And to talk about the subject that’s dear  to everyone around the world — and especially the people in Harlem — the subject of education and discrimination.

Thank you so much for the interview, Mr. Bahari. And good luck with the campaign.

Interview conducted by Karin du Maire and edited for Street Art NYC by Lois Stavsky

 Images

1. See One at work

2. Maziar Bahari, founder of  Not A Crime campaign, as captured during interview

3. Tatyana Fazlalizadeh at work

4. Tatyana Fazlalizadeh

5. Lmnopi mural in progress

6. Lmnopi, close-up with young admirers

7. Marthalicia 

 Photo credits: 1-3 & 5 Karin du Maire; 4 Tara Murray and 6 & 7 Lois Stavsky

{ 0 comments }

lamkat

This past summer, a distinctly elegant mural surfaced on the streets of Williamsburg by Brooklyn-based artist LAMKAT. Last week, I had the opportunity to meet up with the talented artist and find out a bit about her.

When did you first share your vision in a public space?

The very first time I painted outdoors was this past June in Krakow, Poland.  It was in collaboration with Marcin Kowalik and sponsored by Galeria Dystans.  I loved the experience, and was instantly inspired to continue painting outdoors.

Processed with VSCO with wwf preset

 Were you always conscious of street art? Have you any favorite street artists?

Yes! I was always aware of it and I’ve always loved it! Among my favorite street artists are Bogota-based Gauche — whom I met in Berlin — and Li-Hill.

Can you tell us something about your particular aesthetic? What inspires it?

My father’s black and white photography has been a huge inspiration. He’s the one that taught me the importance of perspective and depth, both visually and as a way of observing life.  And I’m inspired by math.

Processed with VSCO with a5 preset

Are there any particular cultures that have influenced it?

My Chinese heritage plays a role, and growing up in Texas, I was influenced by Mexican culture.

Do you prefer working alone or collaborating with others?

Both! I like working alone, and I love collaborating. This summer I collaborated with One Thousand Birds, a commercial sound studio. We created interactive sound murals that were featured at Likeminds Camp, a creative and tech conference set in the middle of the woods in Beacon, NY.

lamkat-interactive-sound-mural

Have you a formal art education?

I started with Fine Arts, but I then studied Advertising and Art Direction at The University of Texas at Austin. And I earned a degree in Communication Design from The University of North Texas.

Do you feel that your formal education benefited you?

It did when I worked in advertising. It taught me about the relationship between art and business…how to turn art into a business.

lamkat-street-art-shutter-100-gates-nyc

Now that you are now longer focused primarily on advertising, what is the main source of your income? 

My art still is — through commissions — in such venues as restaurants — and also through my work as an illustrator.

Your illustrations — as evident in the gate you recently painted for the 100 Gates Project — certainly exude a different feeling than your huge abstract murals!

Yes! I’ve always loved drawing birds, robots and goofy characters!

Processed with VSCOcam with a5 preset

 Do you work with a sketch in hand or do you just let it flow?

I do have an initial sketch.

How do you generally feel when your piece is finished?

I feel happy and sad at the same time! I’m happy, of course, that it’s completed, but I love painting so much that I feel sad that it’s over!

lamkat-illustration-toxotes

What do you see as the role of the artist in society?

It is to bring a sense of vibrancy to our environment.

What’s ahead?

The interactive sound mural from Beacon will be at the Art Mart, 395 Johnson Avenue, at Bushwick Open Studios (ed.note: beginning today through Sunday); I will also be selling my smaller-scale works there. On October 20th, I will be participating in a skate deck show at Fillin Global, 160 Bowery. I’m also scheduled to paint next month up in the Bronx at the BMX Park. And in late October, I’m heading to Austin.

lamkat-illustration-kenneth

It sounds great! Good luck with it all!

Photo credits: 1 Tara Murray; 2-8 courtesy of the artist; interview conducted and edited by 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 for Android devices here.

en-play-badge 2

{ 1 comment }

ram-street-art-lisbon-portugal

A fantastical wonderland, Bairro Padre Cruz is testament to the power of urban art to transform and beautify an everyday neighborhood. This past spring, the Muro Urban Art Festival, organized in partnership with Galeria de Arte Urbana, graced the district with dozens of huge magical murals, along with smaller artworks, by both local and international artists. Pictured above is by Miguel RAM. Here are several more images I captured:

Borondo

borondo-street-art-lisbon

TelmoMiel

telmomiel-street-art-lisbon

Mr Dheo

mr-dheo-street-art-mural-lisbon

Spok Brillor

spok-brillor

André NADA

andre-nada-street-art-portugal

Daniel Eime

eime-street-art-lisbon

2CarryOn

2carryon-mural-art-lisbon

 Photos by 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 for Android devices here.

en-play-badge 2

{ 0 comments }

17matrix-street-art-portugal

Situated in Sacavém, Loures, Quinta do Mocho is home to an urban social project from the municipality of Loures. This project started with the festival o bairro I o munro and has since graced dozens of stark buildings with stunning murals by both local and international artists. Pictured above is the work of Brazilian artist L7m. Here are several more images captured:

Odeith

odeith-street-art-portugal

Vhils

vhils-street-art-portugal

Nomen

nomen-street-art-portugal

Ricardo Romero

ricardo-romero-aka-chip-street-art-portugal

Oze Arv

ozearv-street-art-portugal

Violant

violant-street-art-portugal

Photos by 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 for Android devices here.

en-play-badge 2

{ 4 comments }

drawing-jesus-faces-on-the-wall-street-art-lisbon-portugal

Facilitated by the Galeria de Arte Urbana, or Gallery of Urban Art, a long wall surrounding Lisbon’s Julio de Matos Psychiatric Hospital has evolved into an intriguing open-air gallery, showcasing a range of expressive faces.  Pictured above is by Portugese artist Drawing Jesus. Here are several more images captured from this wall that stretches over half a mile:

Also by Drawing Jesus

drawing-jesus-street-art-mural-art

Francisco Camilo

francisco-camilo-street-art-mural-lisbon-portugal

 Trafic

trafic-street-art-lisbon-portugal

 Ayako

ayako-street-art-lisbon-portugal

Robo

robo-street-art-lisbon-portugal

Brazilian artist Vanessa Rosa

vanessa-rosa-street-art-lisbon-portugal

Photo credits: 1 – 4, 6 & 7 Lois Stavsky; 5 Sara C Mozeson

{ 0 comments }

bordalo2-street-art-lisbon-portugal

A renovated industrial complex that how houses some of Lisbon’s coolest shops, design firms and restaurants, the FX Factory is also home to an eclectic collection of first-rate street art. Pictured above is a bee fashioned by Bordalo II from discarded objects. Bordalo II has the following to say about his work: …I belong to a generation that is extremely consumerist, materialist and greedy. With the production of things at its highest, the production of “waste” and unused objects is also at its highest. “Waste” is quoted because of its abstract definition: “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”.  I create, recreate, assemble and develop ideas with end-of-life material and try to relate it to sustainability, ecological and social awareness.

Here are several other artworks I saw last week while visiting the FX Factory:

Miguel RAM

ram-street-art-lisbon-portugal

French artists Noty & Aroz

noty-and-aroz-street-art-lisbon-portugal

Mário Belém, close-up from huge mural

mario-belem-street-art-lisbon-portugal

Mariana Dias Coutinho, close-up

mariana-dias-coutinho-close-up-street-art-portugal

MaisMenos, one of his “streetments”

maismenos-street-art-lisbon-portugal

Photos by Lois Stavsky

{ 0 comments }

lamour-supreme-paints-100-gate-street-art-nyc

With Lamour Supreme’s completed shutter for the legendary Katz’s Deli, the 100 GATES Project has reached its goal of transforming 100 LES shutters into artworks. Produced by the Lower East Side Partnership, the project has been connecting artists with LES businesses through original murals on roll down security gates since the summer of 2014. Beginning today, September 15 through Sunday the 18th, the 100 GATES Project – in coordination with Tiger Beer –invites us to come out for a self-guided walking tour of the gates while enjoying Tiger Beer specials. Pictured above is Lamour Supreme captured at work by travel and street photographer Karin du Maire.

Another of Lamour Supreme, close-up

lamour-supreme-paints-les-nyc

Houston, corner of Ludlow

lamour-supreme-paints-100-gates-nyc

And a small sampling of what you will see on your self-guided walking tour:

ASVP, close-up, A. Feibusch Corporation, 27 Allen Street

asvp-close-up-100-gates

Hektad, T shirt-express, 15 Orchard Street

hektad-street-art-100-gates-street-art-nyc

For specific information, images and a wonderfully comprehensive documentation of it all, check out 100 GATES Project.

100-gates-image

Photo credits: 1-3, Karin du Maire; 4 & 5 Tara Murray

{ 0 comments }

kwue-molly-col-ski-and-2esae-jpg

Under the direction of Centre-fuge Public Art Project co-founder Jonathan Neville, the once drab trailer on the south side of East First Street is continually reinvented. Here are some images from its current transformation:

Staten Island-based Kwue Molly with the Ology Collective — Col, 2ease & Ski

kwue-molly-and-ology-collective-nyc

Brooklyn-based Julia Cocuzza with J Mike Kuhn on her left

julia-cocuzza-public-art-nyc

J Mike Kuhn

j-mike-kuhn-public-art-nyc

Ogie 

ogie-public-art-nyc

Damien Miksza

damien-miksza-public-art-nyc

Check here for information on how you can submit a proposal to paint on the East 1st Street Trailer.

Photos by Lois Stavsky

{ 0 comments }

santhori-wuth-youth-mural-art-first-green

Back in 2008, First Street Green converted a derelict building lot at 33 E. 1st Street in Manhattan’s Lower East Side into an open art space. In collaboration with NYC Parks and Partnership For Parks, it has successfully incorporated the lot into First Park.

These days, First Street Green provides a wide range of cultural activities and programs in First Park by engaging with artists, architects, cultural groups and community members. It has also become a favorite destination for us street art aficionados, as it has evolved into an intriguing outdoor gallery featuring some of our favorite artists and introducing us to others. Pictured above is a segment of a collaborative mural created during #WeSpyNY, a community workshop conducted by Swiss pop artist Santhori. Here is a small sampling of other works that were seen earlier this month:

Bosnian artist Vedran Misic

vedran-misic-mural-art-nyc

Murrz

murrz-street-art-nycjpg

Bronx-born, Copenhagen-based artist, musician and activist Peter Missing, close-up of huge mural

peter-missing-mural-art-nyc

Melbourne-based artist Stuart Ringholt

stuart-ringholt-sculpture-first-street-green-park

 Photo credits:1-4 Lois Stavsky & 5 Tara Murray

{ 0 comments }