public art

Groundswell Youth Muralists — with Esteban del Valle and Jose de Jesus Rodriguez — Address Mass Incarceration on Brownsville Mural

September 2, 2014

We were introduced to Esteban del Valle’s remarkable talents a number of years back at 5Pointz. We’ve since seen his deftly crafted artwork in Bushwick, the Lower East Side, Red Hook, Welling Court and recently at the 21st Precinct Art Exhibit. And in addition to forging his own artwork, Esteban has been sharing his skills and vision with youth this past summer in Brownsville, Brooklyn. Last week, the mural created by 17 young men in Groundswell’s Summer Leadership Institute, along with Esteban and his assistant artist, Jose de Jesus Rodriguez, was officially unveiled. Located at 417 Junius Street on the wall of the Food Bazaar Supermaket, it represents the best possible model for public art. At the mural’s dedication ceremony, I had the opportunity to find out from Esteban a bit more about this particular project, P. I. C. T. U. R. E. S Prison Industrial Complex: Tyranny Undermining Rights, Education and Society.

This mural is quite amazing. When did you begin working on it?

We began on July 2^nd.

Can you tell us something about the process?

We spent the first two weeks researching the issue, discussing the justice system and designing our representation of it. The final four weeks were devoted to painting the mural.

Why this topic?

It’s of particular relevance to this community. We see this mural as a way to raise awareness and provoke discussion about the subject of the prison industrial complex. Some of the youth involved in this all-male Making His’tory mural team have had first-hand experience with the way the justice system functions.

How have the young muralists responded to this project?

The response has been great. We’ve had many intense discussions and we can all walk away with a sense of accomplishment.

What has this experience been like for you, personally?

It was very exciting. And it was great for all of us to see an idea executed into a reality.

Have you any personal message?

With these tools (pen and paint brush in hand), you can change your life and your community.

Elijah Barrington, one of the project’s participants, added the following to our conversation: We sweated every day to get this wall to look the way we wanted it to. I felt focused and happy, and I learned so much. I’m already looking forward to the next project.

Brief interview and photos by Lois Stavsky

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At the NYC Graffiti Hall of Fame with Topaz, Scratch, Ligisd, Hops, Bver, Wiz Art & Queen Andrea and on the Street with Tats Cru, Crash. Nick Walker and more

August 31, 2014

Yesterday at noon, the 14th edition of the NYC Graffiti Hall of Fame, presented by Joey TDS and James Top, was officially launched inside the famed East Harlem schoolyard on 106th Street and Park Avenue. Here is a small sampling of what went down during the early afternoon:

Bver

And earlier in the week, Tats Cru — with Crash and Nick Walker — fashioned a huge mural outside the school yard. Here are some close-ups:

The 14th edition of the NYC Graffiti Hall of Fame continues today from noon to 8pm.

Photos by Dani Reyes Mozeson

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TAG Public Arts Project Adds Visual Intrigue to the Bronx with Marthalicia Matarrita, Raquel Echanique, Sexer, SinXero, See TF, Col, Werc, Daek William, Damien Mitchell, Chris Stain, Billy Mode and Zimad

August 27, 2014

Under the curatorial direction of Tag Public Arts Project founder, SinXero, the walls on and off the 6 line in the South Central section of the Bronx have become one of the borough’s visual highlights. Loved by both local residents and passersby, these murals, in fact, are now incorporated into an official tour of the Bronx. Here is a small sampling of what can be seen:

Marthalicia Matarrita and Raquel Echanique

Marthalicia Matarrita, close-up

Sexer

SinXero

See TF

Col Wallnuts

Werc

Daek William — in from Australia

Damien Mitchell

Billy Mode and Chris Stain

Zimad — close-up

Keep posted to our Facebook page for many more Tag Public Arts Project images and check here for piece painted by the legendary John Matos aka Crash.

Photos by Lois Stavsky

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NYC’s Stylish Trucks & Vans, Part IX: Erica, Cern, Mast, Uta, Urban Animal, Gano and Zeso

August 18, 2014

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

Erica

Mast

Urban Animal

Photo credits: 1, 2 & 6, Tara Murray; 3, Dani Reyes Mozeson; 4 and 7, Lois Stavsky; 5. Sara C. Mozeson

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Speaking with Sienide

August 13, 2014

Bronx-based Sienide aka Sien is one of NYC’s most versatile artists. His delightful compositions — in a range of styles from masterful graffiti writing to soulful portraits — continue to grace public spaces throughout the boroughs. I recently had the opportunity to interview him:

When did you first get up?

I started tagging and bombing on the Grand Concourse in 1981 with my older brother. I was living at 176^th street and Morris Ave. I did my first piece in 1985 with my then-bombing partner SEPH. Jean13 was also there, and he helped me shape up my letters. Ironically, my first piece was also a legal commission.

What was your preferred surface back then?

I really wanted to get into the yards. But I couldn’t, so I hit trailers instead. There was a great lot over in Castle Hill, where we painted and made a tree-house to store our supplies.

What inspired you to get up?

Everybody around me was writing.

Did you paint alone or with crews?

Both. In 1986 IZ the Wiz put me down with TMB after he saw my black book. Since, I’ve painted with the best of the best: OTB, FX, KD, GOD (Bronx) and GOD (Brooklyn), MTA, Ind’s, Ex-Vandals, XMEN, and TATS CRU

What about these days? Do you paint only legally?

Oh, yes! I’m too old to play around, and I want to get paid for what I do. I also want to paint in peace.

How did your family feel about what you were doing back in the day?

They weren’t happy. When I was arrested for motion tagging with my cousin on the 6 train, my uncle — who was my dad at the time — told me that no one would ever hire me because I defaced public property.

What percentage of your time is devoted to art?

At least 85% of it.

What is your main source of income these days?

It’s all art-related. I sell my work, earn commissions for painting murals and I also teach.

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

I love them both. I have forever been trying to marry them.

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

I think it’s cool. I love to see my stuff hanging on walls, and when someone asks me to be in a show, I feel honored.

What about the corporate world? How do you feel about its engagement with graffiti and street art?

I have no problem with it. If the corporate bank writes me a check, I’ll cash it.

Is there anyone in particular you would like to collaborate with?

I would like to collaborate more with Eric Orr.

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

The Internet is useful. It works for me.

Do you have a formal art education?

Yes I have a Masters Degree in Illustration from FIT.

Did this degree benefit you?

Yes, I now know my worth.

How would you describe your ideal working environment?

Outdoors, Florida-type weather and a generous paint sponsor.

What inspires you these days?

I’m inspired by the life I live and by the students I teach.

Are there any particular cultures that have influenced you?

The human culture.

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

I work with a rough sketch, but I never have colors in it. This prevents me from becoming a slave to my reference, and it allows my creative mojo to experiment freely.

Are you generally satisfied with your finished piece?

Never.

How has your work evolved through the years?

My work keeps evolving and changing because I allow myself to experiment. I don’t like being stuck in one particular mode. That bores me.

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

To give back… to share a gift that we artists have with others.

How do you feel about the photographers in the scene?

I think they’re helpful, but they should share any profits they make with the artists whose works they photograph.

What’s ahead?

I hope to be still doing what I’m doing while advancing my skills. I hope never to lose my passion.

Interview by Lois Stavsky; photos 1, 2 and 8 (collaboration with Kid Lew) by Sienide; 3, 4 and 7 (on canvas) by Lois Stavsky; 5 (collaboration with Eric Orr) and 6 by Lenny Collado

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Stephen Powers: A Love Letter to the City — A Look at the Book

August 7, 2014

The following guest post is by Houda Lazrak, a graduate student in Museum Studies at New York University.

To the discontent of many, the corporate advertisements plaguing the urban landscape have become integral to our every-day visual vocabulary. As a response, street art is often offered as an alternative platform to reclaim public space from the impersonal iconography of corporate publicity. However, Philadelphia native Stephen Powers has employed that very language to empower his own personal vision.

A Love Letter to the City tells the tale of how artist Steve Powers’ witty lettering and profound insight turned advertising on its head. Authored by Powers himself, the book is a visually astonishing compilation of his large scale public art projects in cities across the globe, such as Philadelphia, New York City, Dublin, Sao Paulo and Johannesburg. With each chapter focusing on a metropolis, the book illustrates the artist’s engagement and collaboration with local communities and art organizations to “reflect their collective visions and dreams… to make art for the people.”

Powers’ outrageously honest introduction retraces his debut into the graffiti world under the moniker of ESPO in Philadelphia. In first-person narratives, he highlights his experiences and encounters that propelled him to the status of acclaimed public artist. Readers are treated to his eloquent personal recollections, as well as captivating photographs of his beautifully executed street art pieces.

Steve Powers’ employs signage style graphics to produce poignant conceptual pieces, ranging from single word slogans to multiple line phrases. The publication’s images bear witness to Powers’ ability to marvelously blend colors into the pre-existing urban hues. Prior to hand-painting site-specific murals, Powers deeply immersed himself in the spirit of each city. He embraced the values and needs of communities, deciphered central issues of local histories, and appreciated the soul of its neighborhoods.

In Coney Island, Powers worked with local citizens to revitalize an abandoned space into a sign shop/social club. The shop produced street signage for the inhabitants free of charge, which served to invigorate local businesses, as well as to enhance the community’s visual landscape. In another instance in Dublin, Powers altered his design plans when he saw a neighborhood recurrent tag: “Please call me, I am home, the door is open, ” followed by a phone number. Inspired by the message of love and loneliness, Powers then created a mural that spoke to similar concerns.

A Love Letter to the City provides invaluable insights into the creative mindset of a unique street artist. It sheds light on the back-stories of his sign pieces, from his improbable conversations with passersby to the formally held community meetings. Ultimately, the book illustrates how Powers and his team remarkably wove intricate typographic art into the fabric of multiple cities around the world.

All images courtesy of Princeton Architectural Press

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Guys on Walls, Part VI: Icy and Sot, Jason Coatney, Never, El Sol 25, Abstrk, Elbow-Toe, Sien and Bradley Theodore

August 5, 2014

This is the sixth in an occasional series featuring images of males who surface on NYC open spaces:

Icy and Sot at the Bushwick Collective

Jason Coatney in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Never in Bushwick

El Sol 25 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Abstrk in Bushwick, Brooklyn — in this past weekend from Florida on the 004 East Coast tour

Elbow-Toe in Red Hook, Brooklyn

Sien on Bronx Rooftop

Bradley Theodore in downtown Manhattan

Photos of Icy & Sot and Abstrk by Tara Murray; Jason Coatney, El Sol 25, Elbow-Toe and Bradley Theodore by Dani Reyes Mozeson; Sien by Lois Stavsky

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Centre-fuge Public Art Project — Cycle 14 with Raquel Echanique, Al Ortiz Jr, J David McKenney, Moody Mutz, Jeromy Velasco, Nether and Abiter

August 3, 2014

Last weekend, the DOT trailer at First Street off First Avenue was — once again — transformed into a beguiling open-air gallery. Here are a few more images:

Joshua David McKenney at work

Moody Mutz, Jeromy Velasco, Nether and Abitar

Moody Mutz at work

Jeromy Velasco and Nether

Nether at work

Abiter

This cycle of the Centre-fuge Public Art Project continues through September 25, 2014.

Note: The first photo features Raquel Echanique, Al Ortiz Jr and Joshua David McKenney.

All photos by Dani Reyes Mozeson, except for Moody at work by Lois Stavsky

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SinXero, Sexer and Chris & Veng RWK Transform Bronx Skyline

August 1, 2014

The Tag Public Arts Project, founded and directed by SinXero, is continuing its transformation of the Bronx’s visual landscape. In addition to the alluring murals that have surfaced on the streets within the past few months, new artwork recently made its way up to a rooftop, visible from the 6 line.

Sexer (left) and SinXero at work:

SinXero pays tribute to the legendary graffiti artist Christopher Lee aka Shadow in “Shadow’s Kiss”

Sexer is “Soaring High”

And Chris and Veng RWK bring their iconic characters along

All photos courtesy Tag Public Arts Project

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Speaking with Raquel Echanique

July 30, 2014

Born in 1986 in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Raquel Echanique is making her mark in NYC – both on the streets and in galleries. I recently had the opportunity to speak to the talented young artist whose solo exhibit, Chain Reaction, opens tomorrow evening at 7pm at Spinelli Galleries in Chelsea.

When did you first paint on a public surface? And what inspired you to do so?

The first time I ever painted in an open space was for the Welling Court Mural Project in Astoria, Queens in 2013. It was by chance! My boyfriend – at the time – had been assigned a wall. But because he had to DJ that day, he offered it to me.

What was the experience like?

I loved it! It was surprisingly easy. It actually felt easier than painting on canvas or paper.

Your works on canvas and paper have made their way into galleries worldwide. When was your artwork first exhibited?

I was 17 when my work was first shown in a museum back in Ecuador.

Wow! You were quite young. How were you “discovered?”

When I was 15, I participated in a live painting competition. I won first prize.

How does your family feel about what your work as an artist.

They have never supported it. My mom encourages me, instead, to pursue steady, permanent work.

What percentage of your day is devoted to your art? Do you have a “day job?”

During the day I work at the Whitney Museum. When I’m not working, I’m doing my own art. Art occupies my mind all day!

What are some of your other interests?

I write poetry and I’ve won awards for my poetry back in South America.

Any thoughts on the graffiti/ street art divide?

I love them both. But I think of graffiti as a superior art form – in terms of the skills that it demands.

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

I think it’s fantastic. We can see what other artists are doing and other artists and the general public can see what we are doing.

Did you study art formally?

For brief periods of time! Twice in Ecuador and once in Argentina.

What inspires you these days?

Everything I see inspires me!

Have any particular cultures influenced your aesthetic?

Certainly South American culture and its tradition of portraiture.

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

When I work in my studio, it is without a sketch. When I’m on the streets, I have with me a sketch with a concept.

Are you generally satisfied with your work?

I love it!

How has your work evolved in the past few years?

It’s been getting stronger, especially since I moved to NYC.

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

To put something really good – aesthetically pleasing – out there.

What about society’s view of the artist? How do you feel the artist is perceived?

The artist is – paradoxically — both respected and degraded.

How do you feel about the photographers and bloggers in this scene?

They are important, as they offer an alternative, more authentic, voice than the mainstream media.

What’s ahead?

My solo show, Chain Reaction, curated by Frankie Velez opens on Thursday, the 31^st, at Spinelli Galleries in Chelsea. On Saturday I am participating in the exhibit, Justice, at Succulent Studios in Greenpoint. Next week I will be painting in the TAG Public Arts Project. And — looking ahead — on Friday, October 3, I will be participating in Street Murals: An Exhibition, curated by Kevin Michael.

It all sounds great! Good luck!

Interview conducted and edited by Lois Stavsky. Photo 1, by Lenny Collado; photo 2, Welling Court, 2014 by Lois Stavsky; photo 3, Centre-fuge Public Art Project and photo 4, collab with Fumero by Dani Reyes Mozeson

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