RAE

stinkfish-street-art-pilsen-chicago-1

Located on the West Side of Chicago, Pilsen hosts some of the city’s most alluring street art works alongside its train tracks. Featured above is by Bogota-based artist Stinkfish. Here are several more that we revisited on our recent trip to Chicago:

West Coast-based Victor Reyes

victor-reyes-graffiti-art-pilsen-chicago

Chicago-based Lady Lucx, close-up

lady-lucx-mural-art-pilsen

UK native Jon Burgerman, close-up

jon-burgerman-street-art-chicago

Brooklyn-based RAE

rae-street-art-pilsen-chicago

Nevada-based Erik Burke aka Overunder, close-up

over-under-street-art-pilsen-chicago

Baltimore-based Gaia, close-up

gia-street-art-pilsen-chicago

Photo credits: 1, 5-7 Tara Murray; 2-4 Lois Stavsky

{ 0 comments }

This is the sixth in a series of occasional posts featuring images of New York City’s doors that sport everything from tags and stickers to sophisticated images.

Elbow Toe

Elbow-toe-street-art-door-nyc

RAE

rae-bk-street-art-door-nyc

Dain, Dee Dee and more

dain-and-dee-dee-street-art-nyc

Kenny Scharf

Kenny-scharf-door-midtown-nyc

And seen awhile back, Art Is Trash

art-is-trash-williamsburg-door

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

{ 0 comments }

RAE-This-May-Come-as-a-Shock

On exhibit through April 19 at 34 1/2 Bayard Street in Manhattan’s Chinatown, RAE’s brilliantly idiocyncratic Trunk Work celebrates the retrieval and contents of RAE‘s trunk from his former Brooklyn studio, while chronicling the events related to its loss and rescue. Graphically and conceptually engaging, Trunk Work wittily defines the mood and culture of the Brooklyn environs that housed RAE‘s trunk, as it showcases a range of RAE’s rescued and new works.

For four years, you couldn’t gain access to your trunk. What exactly was inside it?

Various artworks, notebooks, sketches, implements and a range of personal items.

rae-close-up

How did you lose access to it?

I had been maintaining a studio in a Flatlands, Brooklyn apartment building. But as a result of tenant complaints, I was forcibly removed. Barred from entering the building, I had no way to retrieve my trunk.

rae-neighbor-note

rae-audio-system

What kinds of complaints might these tenants have had?

They didn’t like my taste in music; they complained that it was too loud. And the noise from my art practice bothered some. Finally, when a microwave I was using to melt some materials exploded, the landlord decided that he’d had enough of me.

RAE-found-objects

How did you finally retrieve your trunk?

This past August, cracks were discovered in the building’s facade and the entire building was evacuated. Amidst the chaos of it all, I was able to retrieve my trunk from what was once my studio.

We’re so glad you did! What a story! And what an amazing recreation of it all!

In true RAE fashion, Trunk Work is far more than an art exhibit; it is a totally immersive experience. Set in a Chinatown basement at 94 1/2 Bayard Street, right off Mulberry, it continues through April 19, Thursday-Sunday (except for Easter) from 1-6pm.

Photos 1-3 and 5 by Lois Stavsky; 4 by Dani Reyes Mozeson

{ 0 comments }

Curated by Robert Aloia, along with VNA Magazine, Beau, Todd Masters, NY St. Gallery and Suzuki Capital LLC, 21st Precinct opens this evening at the former space of the 21st Precinct at 327 East 22nd Street. Reminiscent of this past winter’s Surplus Candy – although on a much larger scale – dozens of artists have transformed five stories into an expressive, inventive canvas charged with unfettered energy. What follows is a small sampling of close-ups from larger installations:

Esteban Del Valle

:Estevan Del Valle

Sheryo and the Yok

"sheryo and the yok"

N. Carlos Jay

"N Carlos Jay"

Nepo

Nepo

Chris Soria

"Chris Soria"

RAE

RAE

Ghost, GIZ and Duel with a message

"Ghost, Giz and Duel"

Pixote

Pixote

Lorenzo Masnah, APC

APC

Presented by Outlaw Arts, Savior Elmundo and Pesu, the exhibit opens this evening at 6pm. It will be open again tomorrow from 1-6pm and next Saturday and Sunday 1-6pm.

exhibit--outlaw -arts

Photo of Nepo by Lois Stavsky; all others by Sara C. Mozeson

Note: Keep posted to the StreetArtNYC Facebook page for more images from this landmark exhibit.

{ 1 comment }

RAE BK in Africa

Brooklyn-based RAE — whose folksy sculptures, stickers, paste-ups and paintings on NYC streets always delight us — recently returned from Ethiopia.  And we had some questions for him:

What took you to Ethiopia?

I had connected with the non-profit organization H2 Empower Inc that had recently completed construction of the first community library in the town of Hosanna.

"RAE in Ethiopia"

What was your role there?

I worked with kids building sculptures out of found objects and painting the walls outside.

"RAE street art"

Those of us who follow you on Instagram had the opportunity to witness an exhibit, as well – with goats in attendance!

Yes, we staged an exhibit in the living room of the home of a local family we met in town.

"RAE in Ethiopia"

How did it all culminate?

We successfully raised funds to furnish an empty, unused wing of the Alemu Woldehanna Community Library with tables, chairs and a computer station.  That financial goal has been met, and the furniture making will soon be in production.

" RAE street art in Ethiopia"

Who will be involved in the next step?

The students at the nearby School For The Deaf in Hosanna, Ethiopia will be making the furniture.

"RAE stickers in Ethiopia"

It all sounds great! Welcome home!

Photos courtesy of the artist

{ 1 comment }

"Royce Bannon"

Do you ever wonder what music your favorite street artists listen to?   Well, Bomarr has the answer!  And in addition to presenting first-rate podcasts that share this music with us, the Bomarr Blog also features brief interviews with these artists and selections from their artworks. We love what Matt is doing and recently posed some questions to him:

Tell us something about yourself – your background.  

I grew up in a small town in New Hampshire.  When I was 21, I moved to Oakland to put out records and tour with my friends on a label called Anticon.  We were a very art-focused group of creative and inspiring people. After spending 10 years in the Bay Area, I moved with my now-wife back to the East Coast and have been in NYC ever since.

What spurred this project?

The Background Noise project grew out of my interest in the New York art world. Initially, it was going to solely focus on NYC-based street artists. The NYC art scene in particular has a completely different energy and feel than the Bay Area one, and I sensed it as soon as I landed here. Don’t get me wrong!  There’s some great art out there in galleries and on the streets, but again, just a completely different feel.  I had seen a few ASVP wheatpastes in San Francisco before I moved, but when I got here, I saw them all over the place, and they seemed to make more sense here. Soon after, I discovered Jim Joe and started, with two friends, a Jim Joe-dedicated site called Cult of Joe, which is now just an Instagram account that I maintain (@cultofjoe) .  It was this general interest in what was going on, and a curiosity I had about what sort of music gets the creative juices flowing for artists whose work I enjoy that really started the project.

RAE

How do you decide which artists to interview? 

It pretty much comes down to people whose work I personally am drawn to and have some sort of respect for. Whether it’s a legend like Futura or the guy who writes Spring Break everywhere, it’s all stuff that I like. It can be mindblowing art, political, or humor-based. It’s all art to me, and if it’s something that sparks my curiousity, I will try to reach out to them to see if they’re interested.

How have the artists responded to this project?

Everyone has responded with great enthusiasm so far. I think what helps is that I’m providing yet another way for these artists to express themselves, which is what artists do.  So when given another avenue to do this, they often jump on it right away.  Some take longer than others, but they always come through. It’s also great for the artists who have maintained anonymity for quite some time. This still allows them to remain anonymous. I’m not meeting up with them in person, talking to them on the phone, or anything like that. It stays strictly through email, so I think the feeling of safety has really allowed people to be willing to participate. I’ve met quite a few of these people since starting the project because I think it’s built a bit of trust, which is great.  But if I never meet some of these people, I’m completely fine with that.

Enzo-Nio

 Have any particular responses to your questions surprised you?

I think the only response that has surprised me so far is one from last week’s Futura episode, where I asked him how important he thinks music is to his creative process.  I was surprised when he, a legend — who has appeared on a Clash song, recorded music himself, and worked with musical artists such as UNKLE — replied, “Not that important.”  But, we all get inspiration in different ways. He has great taste in music, regardless.

Who are some of the other artists you’d like to interview?

I have a laundry list. There are a few I’m actively trying to get, to the point where I might be annoying them. And some of them are long shots, but my wishlist in no particular order: Judith Supine, Jim Joe, ASVP, Paul Insect, Ron English, Neckface, Erik Yahnker, How & Nosm, Icy and Sot,  Sheryo + The Yok, Adam Wallacavage, Skullphone, Raymond Pettibon, Cameron Gray, Asger Carlsen, ElSol25, Douglas Kolk, Swampy, David Shrigley, Stinkfish, Theo Rosenblum, Maurizio Cattelan, Trustocorp, Olek, Jean-Paul Malozzi, Faile.  If anyone can help me out with any of these, please message me!

OverUnder

What kind of music do you like to listen to?

I literally listen to it all. I’m a bit fan of 80’s synths, whether it’s synth pop or obscure minimal synth music — Gary Numan/Tubeway Army, all that stuff.  I love 60s psych rock, hip hop, metal, John Fahey, Fennesz….I’m all over the map.

What do you think of New York City’s current street art scene? 

I think it’s great! It’s really starting to gain some momentum too lately. Maybe I wasn’t as in tune with it a couple of years ago, but it seems like there’s a lot going on right now. It’s great seeing things like Hanksy’s Surplus Candy show, another Jim Joe solo show at the Hole, all these shows that Royce Bannon is curating, the Yoav Litvin Outdoor Gallery book. The New York City current street art scene is really bustling, and I think people are going to start to notice even more very soon.

Tony DePew

What’s ahead for you?

I’m having a baby girl in a few weeks, so that’s first and foremost on my mind right now.  But outside that, I just want to keep this project going for as long as I can. I have a lot of great artists lined up: Jilly Ballistic, Elle, Left Handed Wave, Don Pablo Pedro, C215, Beau, Cash 4, Hellbent, Joseph Meloy, Hanksy, N’DA….all very exciting. Stay tuned!

Congratulations! It all sounds great!

Images with links to their podcasts

1. Roycer  2. RAE  3. Enzo & Nio  4. OverUnder & 5. Tony Depew

Questions for Bomarr by City-as-School intern, Annie Loucka; interview edited by Lois Stavsky. 

{ 0 comments }

This is the fourth in a series of occasional posts showcasing sticker art that surfaces on an array of NYC public surfaces:

Screwtape’s homage to Army of One

Screwtape

Skullphone goes small

Skullphone

One of Kosby‘s many musings

Kosby

Fling’s curious creature

Fling

RAE’s lovable, zany character

RAE

Faust‘s calligraphic handstyle

Faust

Milwaukee-based RealAbstract‘s magnetic sticker

"Real Abstract"

CB 23’s now-iconic character in the rain

"CB 23"

Zato’s much-loved fellow

Zato

And for those stickerheads who’d like to participate in the upcoming Sticker Nerds 3, organized by the inimitable Skam Sticker, the deadline to get your slaps in is this Friday, March, 14th.  Send them to Sticker Nerds 3, Post Office Box 13492, Portland, Oregon 97213.

sticker-nerds-3

Photos of NYC sticker art by Lenny Collado, Dani Reyes Mozeson and Lois Stavsky

{ 0 comments }

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

Reka at the Bushwick Collective

Reka

RAE in Bedford-Stuyvesant

RAE

JMR in Williamsburg

JMR

Raquel Eschinique in Bushwick

Raquel Echanique -street-art-NYC

Royce Bannon in Midtown West

Royce Bannon

Russell King in Bushwick

Russell-King-street-art-NYC

Photos of Reka and JMR by Lois Stavsky; of RAE, Raquel Eschinique and Russell King by Tara Murray; of Royce Bannon by Dani Reyes Mozeson

{ 1 comment }

RAE

Brooklyn-based artist RAE recently transformed an abandoned East Village bodega into an extraordinary pop-up show. Word of Mouth, features dozens of his works on a range of media, alongside items one would expect to find in a bodega. We visited last week.

This is amazing! How did you come up with the idea?

I started working in grocery stores when I was seven. First just stocking milk; people bought a lot of milk back then. Later I became a delivery boy and deli worker. Some of the spaces I worked in were not always on the up and up… if you know what I mean. They were pretty colorful, and I never forgot that. To me they seemed to have art everywhere — from the neon sale labels on the packagings to the misspelled graphics on the signs. Everything was more interesting to me than maybe it should have been.

RAE

How did you find this space? It’s ideal.

Through a series of connections with life-long East Village folks, this place opened up for me. It was closed down just before Hurricane Sandy hit, and after the flood, it never reopened. All that was left behind was two shelves and two inches of dust.

There’s so much of your art here. What a treat! Everything from stickers to huge sculptures. When did you begin preparing for this exhibit?

About two years ago. And for the month before the opening, I was here day and night. We wanted to get the store just right for our grand opening.

RAE installation

How has the response been?

My store worker tells me people are really enjoying the products and sale specials we put on. This week there is a sale on lima beans and sugar wafer cookies. Please spread the word.

Word of Mouth remains open through November 16, Thursday through Saturday, 2-7pm on the corner of Avenue C and 12th Street. It’s a must-see!

RAE interviewed by Lois Stavsky with Tara Murray; photos by Dani Reyes Mozeson. 

{ 0 comments }

A range of faces surface daily on NYC’s public spaces — from RAE’s offbeat, endearing characters to JR’s remarkable Inside Out NYC project. Here are a few:

RAE in Manhattan

RAE

Youth Waste in Brooklyn (with Werds on top left)

Youth Waste

Veng at Welling Court in Astoria, Queens

Veng

The Yok in Brooklyn

The Yok

Ewok in Bushwick

Ewok-street-art-in-Bushwick-Brooklyn-NYC

Joseph Meloy in Manhattan

Joseph Meloy in Manhattan

Aimee Cavazzi in Manhattan

Aimee Cavazzi

JR’s Inside Out NYC Project in Times Square

JR

JR

 Photos by Dani Mozeson, Tara Murray and Lois Stavsky

{ 0 comments }