public art

Speaking with El Niño de las Pinturas

September 2, 2013

Based in Granada, Spain, the wonderfully talented and passionate artist Raúl Ruiz, aka El Niño de las Pinturas, visited NYC earlier this summer. I met up with him at the Bushwick Collective – where he was painting with Rimx – and then caught up with him at 5Pointz, where we spoke briefly.

When did you first get up?

Back in the 90’s. I was 11 when I brought graffiti to my neighborhood in Granada, Spain. I began the usual way — by tagging and bombing.

What inspired you?

The movie Style Wars introduced the culture to me.

What is the attitude of the authorities in Granada to graffiti?

The government makes it tough. The fines for doing illegal works are excessive. It’s difficult to paint anywhere without the owner’s permission. And even when I had the owner’s permission and he loved what I did, I was forced to whitewash the wall.

How does your family feel about what you do?

At first, they didn’t like it. They told me to paint only canvases. But now they take pride in what I do.

Any thoughts about the movement of graffiti and street art into galleries?

It’s okay. We artists need money to live. But when our art is in a gallery, it’s no longer graffiti. Graffiti is made in the streets for all people to experience. And we we must always remember to respect our masters — the streets. The streets are the inspiration and source of it all. If we lose the streets, we lose the way.

What percentage of your time is devoted to art?

Everything I do is art.

Have you a formal art education?

I studied fine arts for a year and a half. But I didn’t need teachers. I have masters — the streets.

Are there any particular cultures that influence your aesthetic?

Granada is a fusion of cultures, so my primary influence is the human culture. But there are definite Moslem influences to my aesthetic.

What inspires you these days?

Everybody I meet. And the natural world inspires me, as well. I love animals.

Are you generally satisfied with your final piece?

I am, but when I look at it, I feel like I didn’t create it.

Where have you painted?

Here in the US, I’ve painted in San Francisco, Santa Fe and NYC. I’ve also painted in many other countries. Among them are: Argentina, Venezuela, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Morocco, Germany, Hungary, Belgium and France.

Any favorite place?

I love them all.

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

Whatever role society has imposed on the artist — the artist needs to break away from it.

Any thoughts about street art bloggers?

They need to know the artists. Many don’t.

What about the graffiti/street art divide?

It’s not important. We use the same gallery — the streets. But in some way street art gave legitimacy to graffiti.

What’s ahead?

My art will evolve as I experience more. And I will continue to develop my own distinct style.

Interview by Lois Stavsky; photos 1. El Niño de las Pinturas at 5Pointz by Tara Murray; 2. with Rimx at the Bushwick Collective by Lois Stavsky; 3. with Rimx in Bedford-Stuyvesant, courtesy Rimx and 4. with Danielle Mastrion in Bushwick by Tara Murray

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“Los Muros Hablan NYC” in East Harlem and the South Bronx: Axel Void, Pastel, Celso Gonzalez & Roberto Biaggi, Viajero, Rimx, Betsy Casañas, LNY, Jufe and Elian

August 29, 2013

From August 19 – August 25, Los Muros Hablan, an international urban arts festival, gave a voice to silent, empty walls in East Harlem and the South Bronx. Presented by La Repuesta, a leading Puerto Rican cultural space, Los Muros Hablan NYC, featured a wonderfully eclectic group of global artists.

Axel Void, 201 East 103rd Street in East Harlem

Pastel, 138 Street & Grand Concourse in the South Bronx — close-up from huge mural captured via instagram

Celso Gonzalez and Roberto Biaggi, 54 East 116th Street in East Harlem

Viajero, 2022 Third Avenue in East Harlem

Rimx,154 East 100th Street, as seen in progress last week

Betsy Casañas, 1664 Park Avenue in East Harlem

LNY, 195 East 100th Street in East Harlem

Jufe, 2018 Third Avenue in East Harlem

Elian, 138 Street & Grand Concourse in the South Bronx

Photos by Dani Mozeson & Lois Stavsky; keep posted to our Facebook page for more images of the completed murals from this week-long Los Muros Hablan NYC event presented in collaboration with Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito and El Museo del Barrio.

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Orly Genger Fashions Fishing Rope into Mesmerizing Red, Yellow and Blue Installation at Madison Square Park

August 23, 2013

She stands only five feet tall, but her artwork is monumental. Thirty-four-year old Orly Genger has fashioned 1.4 million feet of lobster-fishing rope into three surging and ebbing sculptures on three separate lawns in Madison Square Park. I passed them by chance earlier this week in an area of town I only occasionally visit, and I was mesmerized. The installation continues through September 8 in NYC and will then travel to the deCordova Sculpture Park in Massachusetts.

Photos by Lois Stavsky

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Speaking with Ever

August 18, 2013

A masterful muralist and inspiring thinker, Argentinian artist Nicolás Romero aka Ever has graced countless cities throughout the globe with his wondrous vision. Earlier this summer, he stopped off in NYC, where he painted on a rooftop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. That’s where I caught up with him.

When did you first start getting up?

I was 16 and into hip-hop. The first time I got up was with two friends in our school’s bathroom. We thought we were so cool. Then whenever I took my dog for a walk, I did throw-ups around my neighborhood.

So your neighborhood was your main canvas back then?

Mostly for bombing, but it made me nervous.

When did you become serious about it?

When I met Jaz and other members of DSR. They were professionals. They took street art and public art seriously. I started to share a studio with Jaz and began to think of myself as an artist. In 2003, I started making portraits.

How did your parents feel about what you were doing?

My parents encouraged me. When I was seven, they introduced me to Van Gogh and Goya. I became obsessed with Van Gogh because he cut off his ear. I had a problem with my ear, so I identified with him. When I was thirteen, I began taking art classes outside of school.

Did you continue to study art formally?

I studied architecture at the university for a few months, but it wasn’t for me.

Who are your inspirations? Any particularly artists?

I have many. I’m inspired by Mexican muralists — the way their art reflects the people and their social consciousness. I’m also inspired by such artists as Van Gogh, Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon.

What is your main source of income these days?

Half my income is from commissions and the other half is from sales.

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

It’s okay. I’d rather sell my work in galleries than do commission pieces for corporations.

Have you had any negative experiences while getting up on the streets?

The mural that I did in Lima, Peru was censured. I was accused of glorifying Communism. The image on the mural was changed, and it is no longer mine.

You’ve painted in so many cities. Have you a favorite one?

Paris. There is an openness there.

Any thoughts about the graffiti/street art divide?

I don’t see it.

How has your art evolved since you began painting murals?

I’ve become more abstract and I’ve begun to think of the body as “just a dress to use on Earth.” My portraits no longer have eyes. And I’ve begun to use religious symbols obsessively in my work, even though I don’t believe in a traditional God. My work has also become more socially conscious.

What inspired that?

Before 2009, I was apolitical. But in 2009, I lived in Paris, and I began to think of art as the means to inspire societal change. The revolution must start here — on the walls.

Interview by Lois Stavsky. Photos of Brooklyn rooftop and Baltimore mural by Lois Stavsky. Final image of wall in Santurce, Puerto Rico — which I caught only at the beginning — courtesy of the artist.

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Kids on Walls — Part II: Chris Stain, Alice Pasquini, James Rubio, Sonni, Icy and Sot, El Niño De Las Pinturas, Fumero and Lisete Alcalde

August 15, 2013

This is the second in a series of occasional posts featuring images of children that surface on NYC public spaces:

Chris Stain at the Bushwick Collective

Alice Pasquini, close-up from huge mural at the Bushwick Collective

James Rubio in the East Village

Sonni at the Bushwick Collective

Icy and Sot, close-up from huge mural in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

El Niño De Las Pinturas, close-up from huge mural at 5Pointz in Long Island City

Fumero in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Lisete Alcalde at the Bushwick Collective

Photos by Tara Murray and Lois Stavsky, except for Lisete Alcalde, courtesy of the artist

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Stylish Murals Transform DUMBO’s Visual Landscape: Shepard Fairey, Faith47, DALeast, Eltono and MOMO

August 7, 2013

It’s been busy in DUMBO, Brooklyn. For the past week, some of our favorite artists have been gracing its walls with stylishly striking artwork, transforming its landscape into a stunning open-air gallery.

Shepard Fairey at work

Faith47, close-up from completed mural

Another Faith47 close-up

DALeast, close-up from completed mural

Another close-up from DalEast’s mural

Eltono at work

Another close-up from Eltono mural in progress

MOMO, close-up

Another close-up from MOMO mural in progress

These murals are among eight to grace a four-block stretch along the BQE. We will continue documenting DUMBO Walls on our Facebook page.

Photos by Dani Mozeson

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Speaking with Priscila De Carvalho

August 6, 2013

An award-winning multidisciplinary artist, Brazilian native Priscila De Carvalho currently lives and works in NYC. We recently caught up with her in the Bronx, where she was working with local teens on a mural to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Bronx Museum of the Arts.

When and where did you do your first public mural?

In Puebla, Mexico a few years ago.

Are there any particular cultures that influence you aesthetic?

The street art culture and urban life, in general. I used to skateboard and surf back in Brazil.

Your work is not only beautiful; it also intellectually engages us. Does it have a particular message or theme?

Most of my work relates to the economic and socio-political issues surrounding the out-of-control urbanization of slum dwellers. I juxtapose my observations about sub-cultural communities with other contemporary issues such as climate change and pollution

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

I usually have a basic sketch design layout. But it doesn’t always go accordingly.

Do you generally work alone? How do you feel about collaborating with other artists?

Yes, most of the time I work alone or with some assistants. I enjoy working alone, but there’s also the communication and camaraderie — so important among artists — that only collaboration can bring.

What percentage of your time is devoted to your artwork?

At this point of my career, it’s a full time job. It’s not just the creative end of it. There’s also the administrative part. And gallery exhibits demand a huge amount of work…lots of business work, including networking.

Any other passions?

Music. I studied piano for six years, but I just didn’t have what it demands.

As a muralist who works in sanctioned spaces, what are your thoughts about graffiti?

I’m highly inspired by graffiti — its energy and vitality.

Any thoughts about the graffiti/street art divide?

Graffiti has its distinct history and techniques. It has evolved from tagging into a complex art form. Many street artists started as graffiti artists. Street art and graffiti are connected.

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

It can turn art into a commodity. But it must remain an option, as every artist has to earn a living.

Where have you exhibited?

I’ve exhibited in Spain, London, Paris, Berlin, Nepal and Mexico. I had my first solo exhibition at The Jersey City Museum in 2009.

What’s the riskiest thing you’ve done as an artist?

In Nepal, I had to climb a 30-foot bamboo structure with no scaffolding. I was tied to a harness, and it was hard for me to visualize what I was painting. But it one of the most rewarding work/travel experiences I’ve had.

Do you have a formal arts education?

No. I studied painting/sculpture informally for a few years before I started with my studio practice.

What’s ahead?

Some permanent public art projects and more exhibitions.

Interview by Lenny Collado; first photo by Lois Stavsky; all other images are courtesy of the artist.

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Faces in NYC Public Spaces, Part IV: Alice Mizrachi, How & Nosm, ND’A, Cern & Lee Quiñones, Carlos Pinto, Paul Richard and ECB

August 4, 2013

This is the fourth in an ongoing series featuring the range of faces that surface daily in NYC’s open spaces:

Alice Mizrachi aka AM at the Bushwick Collective

How and Nosm, close-up in the South Bronx

ND’A in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Cern and Lee Quiñones in Fort Greene, Brooklyn

Carlos Pinto in Flatbush, Brooklyn

Paul Richard in the East Village — on the pavement

ECB on the Lower East Side

Photos by Dani Mozeson, Tara Murray and Lois Stavsky

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Speaking with Esteban del Valle

August 1, 2013

Currently based in Brooklyn, Chicago native Esteban del Valle is an interdisciplinary artist whose public artworks have surfaced in NYC, as well as in Chicago, IL, San Antonio, TX, and Kansas City, MO. We first came upon his extraordinary work at 5Pointz in Long Island City, Queens.

When and where did first get up?

I was in junior high school back in Chicago when I did my first tag on a school bench. I was soon hitting the back of K-Mart and piecing under nearby bridges.

What inspired you to hit the streets? Have you any early graffiti memories?

I was in sixth grade when I saw a legal wall in Chicago’s Ukrainian Village that was all graffiti. I thought, “Wow! I want to do something like that!”

Back in Chicago, did you paint alone or were you part of a crew?

Both. Just about all the guys I went to school with were into hip-hop. We called ourselves FYM (Free Your Mind).

What percentage of your time these days is devoted to art?

120%

Is art, then, the main source of your income?

Yes, I sell studio work. I do commissions and I work for Groundswell, an organization that engages youth in creating community murals.

How does your family feel about what you are doing?

They’re fine as long as what I do is legal.

Any thoughts about the graffiti/street art divide?

I love both. But what I especially love about street art is that it inspires people to take to the streets to do more than just their names.

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

It’s fine. Artists need to make a living from their work. But once it’s in a gallery, it isn’t “street art” any more.

Why do you suppose graffiti is held in higher esteem in Europe than it is here in the States?

For the same reason public intellectuals are valued in Europe. There’s a greater appreciation of culture, in general. And the Europeans have different notions of public space.

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

It’s great. It makes art accessible to so many.

Have you a formal art education?

I have a BFA in Art History and Painting from Southern Illinois University and a Masters Degree in Painting from the Rhode Island School of Design.

What inspires you these days?

Innovative music and performance art are my main inspirations. The Mars Volta and Geo Wyeth come to mind.

Are there any particular cultures that have influenced your aesthetic?

Hip-hop and Chicago’s rich mural culture.

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

I don’t like to work from sketches. I’d rather sketch on a wall. But much of what I do has to be pre-approved, and so I need to have a basic drawing of what I plan to paint.

Are you generally satisfied with your finished piece?

Yes. I push it until I feel satisfied.

How has your work evolved through the years?

I’ve begun to develop my own language. I’m more experimental and I’m more about moving to do what challenges me.

Any favorite artists?

Many. Among them are: Carrie Moyer, Haig Aivazian, Jayson Musson, Trenton Doyle Hancock and Dave McKenzie.

What about those who work in public spaces?

Os Gemeos and Poser aka Pose MSK are among my favorites.

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

To challenge and to contribute to the collective thought.

What’s ahead?

More art. More income from art. More traveling and, generally, doing what I want to do.

Interview by Lois Stavsky. All photos courtesy of the artist, except the first one at 5Pointz by Lois Stavsky

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Centre-Fuge Public Art Project — Cycle 9 with: Cern, Damien, QRST, Cassie Lynn O’Neal, Cake, Caroline Caldwell, Royce Bannon & Korn

July 30, 2013

The once-abandoned trailer on East 1st Street off 1st Avenue in Manhattan’s East Village has once again been transformed into an intriguing canvas of urban art. Here are a few images we captured these past few days from Cycle 9 of the Centre-Fuge Public Art Project.

Cern at work

Cern, close-up

Damien Miksza at work

QRST at work

Cassie Lynn O’Neal at work

Cake — close-up

Caroline Caldwell at work

Royce Bannon at work on collaborative piece with Korn

The curatorial vision of Pebbles Russell and Jonathan Neville, the Centre-Fuge Public Art Project was conceived in 2011 in memory of Mike Hamm. Submissions to Cycle 10 — due by August 26th — can be sent to centrefuge@gmail.com. Keep posted to our Facebook page for more images from Cycle 9

All photos by Tara Murray, except for final photo by Lois Stavsky.

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