public art

Bushwick Collective Founder and Curator Joe Ficalora on Community Engagement, Mana Urban Arts, Art Basel, the Bushwick Collective’s Upcoming Block Party and more

May 18, 2016

We recently had the opportunity to speak to Bushwick Collective‘s founder and curator, the indefatigable Joe Ficalora, as he readies for this year’s 5th Annual Block Party, June 3-5.

As you prepare for this year’s 5th Annual Block Party, can you share with us some of this past year’s highlights?

Last June’s Annual Block Party was certainly a highlight! The entire community came together as a family. It was a beautiful sight! A special highpoint of this past year was the Bushwick Collective‘s collaboration with Mana Urban Arts. We had the chance to go down to Miami in December during Art Basel. NYC artists, along with local Miami ones and artists from across the globe, painted together, transforming the inside and outside of the RC Cola Factory. It was a particular thrill to have seven-year-old Lola join us and watch her paint with Chor Boogie. We’ve also facilitated murals in Miami and Jersey City in coordination with Mana Urban Arts. And – more recently — during Frieze Art Week, we participated in Art New York on Pier 54 with Sipros in support of the Perry J. Cohen Foundation.

What would you say was your greatest challenge this past year?

My greatest challenge was dealing with all the marketers trying to hunt down walls. Now that this neighborhood is “cool,” they feel that they can take advantage of the public space without giving back.

What can we expect at this year’s Block Party?

There will be live painting, food trucks, local vendors, special activities for families with kids and surprise performers. A pop-up exhibition at 198 Randolph Street will feature artists from the The Parsons School of Design at the New School, the official sponsor of the weekend, along with local artists. The Museum of the City of New York will be projecting images of Bushwick from over 100 years ago and sharing a huge blown-up photo of Bushwick in 1909. All money from the artwork sold at the exhibit — that opens to the public at 7pm on Friday, June 3, and can be viewed on Saturday and Sunday from 10am-5pm — will go directly to the artists. Local artists will also be exhibiting their work independently. Performers opening the weekend include: The BBoy Rebels (NYC Original Subway Dancers), DJ Mister Cee, Loaf Muzik, Monsters of Brooklyn, Thorough, Thirsting Howl lll, Styles P and Jim Jones. And on Saturday — in addition to JADAKISS — DJ Statik Selektah and friends, Lil Waah, Joell Ortiz, Dave East, Chris Rivers, son of the legendary Big Pun, and The BBoy Rebels will perform. Keep posted to our website for updates.

Who are some artists we can look forward to meeting?

Artists from everywhere will be painting. Among them are: D*Face, Case Maclaim, Sipros, Atomik, Don Rimx and Trans1. Local artists include: Giz, Tats Cru, Crash, Meres, Topaz, Plasma Slug, Lola the Illustrator and Hops 1.

That sounds great! What’s ahead for the Bushwick Collective?

We will continue to grow as an organization and evolve with time. We look forward to further collaborations with Mana Urban Arts. We also look forward to establishing new partnerships.

Images

1. Giz, Ghost, Such, RIS Crew

2. Sipros

3. Case Maclaim

4. Oji

5. Starfighter

Photo credits: 1 & 3 City-as-School intern Sol Raxlen; 2, 4 & 5 Lois Stavsky; interview conducted and edited by Lois Stavsky with Sol Raxlen

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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Speaking with Chicago Native Shawn Bullen in NYC

May 5, 2016

Back in 2012, Chicago-native Shawn Bullen brought his wonderful talents to Bushwick. This past weekend, I had the opportunity to meet up with the gifted artist who has just returned to NYC after spending several years in San Francisco.

When and where did you first get up in a public space?

When I was 17, I got hold of some Mean Streak markers and started tagging the mailboxes in my Chicago neighborhood.

What inspired you to get up?

My friends were doing it, and it seemed like a fun thing to do. I didn’t really think about what I was doing, and I certainly didn’t take it seriously. I also wasn’t very good at it!

Do you remember when you first became aware of graffiti?

There was a graffiti wall in New Hyde Park that I used to pass almost every day. But I didn’t quite get it! I thought, “Why would anyone write something that nobody else could read or understand?”

Once you began getting up, did you ever get arrested?

I was arrested twice. The first time, I had climbed on top of a nearby fruit and vegetable stand to write my name. I was caught on camera, and I ended up having to turn myself in. Ironically it led to my first paid gig as the owner of the space offered me $200 to paint his truck.

What was the riskiest thing you ever did back then?

My friend and I would crawl across train tracks lined with live wires through dangerous neighborhoods.

Why did you do that?

To get to rooftop walls that we liked along the Green line.

How did your family react to all this?

My mom was hot happy that I was breaking the law, but she was always confident that what I was doing would lead to something.

Do you have a formal art education?

I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t drawing! But, yes, I studied Photography throughout high school. And then I studied Photography and Drawing at Columbia College in Chicago before transferring to NSCAD, the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. But I didn’t graduate. I left after two years.

Why was that?

I noticed that most of the graduates were working in coffee shops. Few had jobs related to art. I had also felt that I had learned enough.

How you feel about the role of the Internet and social media in this scene?

I think the Internet is a beautiful tool that allows us to share our work with others. It is difficult, though, to keep up with social media, and I know that I need to focus more on my Instagram account. I can get lazy!

Are there any particular cultures that have influenced your aesthetic?

Growing up on the South Side of Chicago, I was exposed early on to the hip-hop culture. Undoubtedly, it has influenced my aesthetic. And when I paint, I almost always listen to hip-hop – Kenye West, Jay Z, Drake…

Have you any favorite artists?

So many! To name a few…Kehinde Wiley, Chuck Close, Basquiat, Aryz, the Etam Crew, and – of course – Michelangelo hasn’t been topped yet!

That’s quite a diverse group! Do you prefer working alone or would you rather collaborate with others?

From ages 17-22, 90% of what I painted was with my crew, the IDC Art House, but these days I feel more and more that I like making my own decisions.

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

It depends. I love to freestyle. It is so much fun. But for commissions I often have to present a sketch first.

Are you generally satisfied with your finished piece?

It’s never as good as I’d imagined it to be, but since I can’t spend years on it, I’m generally proud of myself.

Have you exhibited in galleries? Any thoughts about street artists and graffiti writers showing in gallery settings?

Yes, I’ve exhibited in several shows, both solo and group. I don’t have a problem with street artists exhibiting in galleries. All artists need as much exposure and financial support as they can get. And I have only respect for artists who have moved onto the fine art world.

What about the corporate world? Any thoughts about that?

I have mixed feelings about it. Clearly not all corporations are evil. And, yes, I’ve worked with corporations. Corporate gigs, in fact, make it possible for me to survive as an artist. And why shouldn’t corporations support artists?

And do you work full-time as an artist?

Yes! From age 18 on, I was either teaching art or doing art.

What inspires you these days?

I’m interested in exploring people’s ideas as to how we can save the world. I’m intent on uncovering solutions to problems that affect us all.

How has your artwork evolved in the past few years?

I think much more about concepts, and I continue to paint on a larger and larger scale.

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

It’s up to each artist to decide his or her role. I see my role as making life better. I want use my art to make people feel better. I would love to change someone’s life with my painting!

What’s ahead?

I want to paint! I’d like to create at least one piece of public art in every country in the world. And I’d love NYC to be my home base!

Interview conducted and edited by Lois Stavsky; photos courtesy of Shawn Bullen, SHAWNBULLEN1@GMAIL.COM

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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North of Wynwood: Luis Valle, Ruben Ubiera, Faber Medrano, Marcus Blake and Wendell Pierre in Miami’s Little Haiti

April 12, 2016

Brimming with color and intrigue, the artworks that surface in Little Haiti — largely by local artists — are among Miami’s most seductive. Here are a few more:

Also by Luis Valle

Photos by Lois Stavsky

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Battery Park’s Alluring Public Art: Fritz Koenig, Ned Smyth, Tony Cragg, Jim Dine, Constance Mallinson and Nancy L Steinmeyer

March 18, 2016

As the line between street art and public art continues to blur, we find ourselves increasingly intrigued by the range of public art that surfaces in NYC parks. What follows is a sampling of what we’ve captured these past few months in Battery Park.

German sculptor Fritz Koenig, the Sphere, the sole surviving artwork from the grounds of the original World Trade Center

Ned Smyth, The Upper Room, close-up

British artist Tony Cragg, Resonating Bodies (one of two bronze sculptures resembling giant musical instruments)

Jim Dine, The Ape & Cat (at the Dance)

Constance Mallinson, Souvenir (fragment) for the Cool Globes traveling exhibition

Nancy L Steinmeyer First We Scream, Then We Are for the Cool Globes traveling exhibition

Photo credits: 1-5 Dani Reyes Mozeson; 6 Tara Murray

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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Speaking with the Prolific and Talented Misha Tyutyunik aka MDot

March 10, 2016

Based in Brooklyn, Misha Tyutyunik aka MDOT is an accomplished painter, muralist and illustrator. His recent venture, fashioned along with a team of Groundswell youth, looms large at 11 Howard Street in SoHo. Earlier this week, we visited his studio and had the opportunity to speak to him.

When and where did you first make your mark on the streets?

Back in 1999, Wisher 914 and I hit up the water tower in Mohegan Lake in North Westchester where we grew up. But my outdoor work is largely commissioned murals. I painted my first one for SoBro in the Bronx in 2006. My most recent one is a collaboration with Groundswell youth at 11 Howard Street in SoHo, the site of Aby Rosen’s latest hotel venture.

You’re also a prolific painter of smaller works – from works on paper to paintings on huge canvases. Have you exhibited your works in gallery settings?

Yes! I’ve exhibited throughout NYC in a range of spaces from CATM in Chelsea and Tambaran on the Upper East Side to a variety of alternative venues.

Do you have a formal arts education? And was it worthwhile?

Yes, I have a BFA in Design and Illustration from Pratt. And, yes, as I learned how to problem solve through creative means.

Are there any particular cultures that have influenced your aesthetic?

I spent my first seven years in the Ukraine, and was definitely influenced by social realism. Other influences include: graffiti in its heyday; Japanese prints; abstract expressionism; traditional mural painting and German expressionism.

What about artists? Any particular influences?

Among the many artists whose aesthetic has influenced me are: Diego Rivera, Klimt and Egon Schiele.

Do you prefer working alone or collaborating with others?

I used to prefer working alone, but lately I’ve become more open to collaboration. I recently collaborated with Chris Soria.

If you could collaborate with any artist – alive or deceased – with whom would you collaborate?

Picasso – all day every day – and Max Ernst.

How does your family feel about what you are doing?

They love it! None of them are artists, but they all love what I am doing!

What percentage of your time is devoted to art?

Pretty much all of it.

Is art the main source of your income?

Yes, the money I earn from commissions, along with income from teaching mural-making and art sales. I’ve also begun working on fashion design.

How you feel about the role of the Internet in this scene?

It’s everything! Without the Internet I’d be nowhere.

Are you generally satisfied with your finished work?

I think so. But the question is: Is anything ever really finished?

How has your artwork evolved in the past few years?

By leaps and bounds! I’m much more comfortable than I used to be with different styles. My visual language has become more confident.

As your work on the streets is largely commissioned murals, have you run into any conflicts with street artists or graffiti writers?

On occasion. While painting a commissioned wall down in DC, for example, I was approached by graffiti writers who told me that the wall was theirs. When I explained to them what I was doing and they saw my work in progress, they came around.

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

I see my role as to reflect on our times, while bringing a strong aesthetic sensibility back into a largely conceptual realm.

What’s ahead?

Everything! Taking over the art world!

That’s quite ambitious! Are there any particular projects we can look forward to?

I am currently painting an anti-gun violence mural in conjunction with BRIC, and I will soon begin working on a mural with Groundswell youth at Stapleton in Staten Island. And opening tonight and continuing through March 31 is The Internal Muse, a selection of my new paintings at Melet Mercantile at 84 Wooster Street in SoHo.

It all sounds great! Congratulations!

Interview conducted by Lois Stavsky with Tara Murray

Photo credits: 1 & 2 courtesy Lindsey Brown McLravy | SLATE PR; 3, 5 & 6 Lois Stavsky; 4 Tara Murray

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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Speaking with Apostrophe NYC Founders and Curators Sei and Ki Smith

February 25, 2016

We recently had the opportunity to meet up with Apostrophe founders and curators — Sei and Ki Smith — and find out a bit about their plans for 2016:

Just what is Apostrophe?

Apostrophe began as a gallery and performance space in Bushwick in 2012, and it has since evolved into a series of pop-up exhibits and events. As a collective, it is designed to offer exposure to artists while sparking a creative energy that can be experienced by everyone. Our last exhibit, Subway Show, took place at the Kosciusko Street stop on the J train. The subway passengers, along with anyone else who came by, were treated to art, music, a comedic performance and refreshments!

What about its name, Apostrophe?

Our concept came before the name. The name was inspired by the title of Frank Zappa’s eighteenth album Apostrophe’. It suggests an inclusive fusion of energies.

What is Apostrophe’s current mission?

The mission of our current project Base 12 is to highlight the art of twelve talented artists in a dozen diverse, unconventional settings, while making their art accessible to folks who might not otherwise see it. When art is shown exclusively in gallery settings, its audience can be limited.

What kinds of alternative settings are you referring to?

Of the nine upcoming pop-up shows here in NYC, three will take place on subway platforms, three in museums and three in parks. They will all engage passersby in non-traditional ways. Details will be announced the day of the event via Instagram and Facebook.

That sounds great! How did you select the artists?

Some had participated in exhibits in our former Bushwick space; others we met through friends. And some we discovered through our open call for submissions. We’ve all gotten to know one another, and we all work well together. Once a month we come together, and we critique each other’s artworks. We love not only the works of the artists we are showing, but their energy, as well!

Do you both have a formal art education?

We both went to art school, but neither of us finished. We grew up, though, in a family of artists and have always engaged in art-related projects here and abroad.

What’s ahead?

In addition to what will be happening here in NYC, we are planning three exhibits and events abroad: at Alan Istanbul in Turkey; at corretger5 in Barcelona, and at a gallery space — to be announced — in London.

It’s all very exciting! Lots of luck! We will definitely keep posted to your Instagram.

Interview by Lois Stavsky with Houda Lazrak

Photo credits: 1 Lois Stavsky; 2-4 courtesy of Apostrophe; 5 Tara Murray

2 Subway Show

3 James A Reyes, My Shorty

4 Sei Smith, Half Portrait No. 5

5 James Rubio, Black Flowers, close-up of public art work

Apostrophe’s Base 12 will also feature the works of Caslon Bevington, Ryan Bock, Morell Cutler, Alana Dee Haynes, Kolter Hodgson, Charlie Hudson, The Love Child, Julia Powers and Bruno Smith

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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Faces in NYC Public Spaces, Part XI: Otto Schade, Luis Rosenfeld, Brown Boyz, Dasic, Sonni, Mast & Logik, Beau Stanton and Chris Soria with Groundswell Youth

February 17, 2016

This is the tenth in an occasional series of posts featuring the range of faces have surfaced in NYC public spaces:

Chilean artist Otto Schade with JMZ Walls in Bushwick, Brooklyn

Luis Rosenfeld in Bushwick, Brooklyn

Brown Boyz — Don Rimx, Ricardo Cabret, LNY, Alex Seel and Mata Ruda — in Bushwick, Brooklyn

Dasic with the Bushwick Collective on Manhattan’s Lower East Side

Sonni in Bushwick, Brooklyn

Mast and Logik with the Welling Court Mural Project in Astoria, Queens

Beau Stanton with the L.I.S.A Project on Manhattan’s Lower East Side

Chris Soria, lead artist, with DonChristian Jones and Groundswell youth in Brownsville, Brooklyn — since 2013

Note: Our highly acclaimed Street Art NYC App is now available for Android devices here.

Photo credits: 1, 2 & 6 Lois Stavsky; 3 – 5 Dani Reyes Mozeson; 7 & 8 Tara Murray

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NYC’s Stylish Trucks & Vans – from the Whimsical to the Wild, Part XIV: Marvel, Buff Monster and KA, Iena Cruz, Kepts, Taboo and Signal

February 13, 2016

This is the fourteenth in a series of occasional posts featuring the diverse range of trucks and vans that strike our streets.

Swedish writer Marvel aka Marr

Buff Monster and KA

Photo credits: 1 Nic 707; 2 Tara Murray; 3 Lois Stavsky; 4 & 5 Dani Reyes Mozeson; 6 Houda Lazrak

Our highly acclaimed Street Art NYC App is now available for Android devices here.

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Politically and Socially Conscious NYC Street Art, Part III: Kingbee with Tito Na Rua, Hanksy, Groundswell Youth with Danielle McDonald & Jazmine Hayes, Hunt Rodriguez and Sophia Dawon

February 11, 2016

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

Kingbee and Tito Na Rua take on gentrification in the Bronx

Hanksy‘s famed portrait of Donald Trump in Downtown Manhattan

Groundswell youth — with lead artist Danielle McDonald and assistant artist Jazmine Hayes — in Bed-Stuy

Hunt Rodrigues on the pavement in Bushwick

Sophia Dawson on Myrtle Avenue — with quote from Assata Shakur — for Black Artstory Month

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

Note: Our highly acclaimed Street Art NYC App is now available for Android devices here.

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Riding the D Train with Nic 707, Part One, Styx and Gear One

February 8, 2016

After a brief hiatus, I was again riding the subway trains with Nic 707 as he continues to bring Old School writers, along with new artists, back to where it all began. Here are a few more images captured yesterday from another chapter in the Instafame Phantom Art movement:

Nic 707, Surround Yourself with Love