Topaz

Celebrating NYC’s iconic Hip Hop landmarks – with live painting, artworks, DJ’s, performers and more — the Landmark Festival make its mark this past weekend in East Harlem. A sequel to the hugely popular Landmark exhibit that debuted in January, it was spearheaded and curated by Kate Storch.

Featured above is Japanese native artist Shiro One at work. Several more images — focusing largely on the artworks — captured when I visited on Sunday afternoon follow:

Queens-based Jerms and Topaz 

Brooklyn-based “Miniature Artist” Danny Cortes recreates “Disco Fever,” a dance club that operated from 1976-1986 in the South Bronx and featured legendary hip-hop artists such as Lovebug Starski, Grandmaster Flash, Kurtis Blow & Run-DMC

Manhattan-based Doves and Bluster, Title mural  and backdrop for MC’s

Bronx-based artist and activist KayLove with black book in hand — in which she has made her mark

The legendary hip-hop rapper, producer and DJ Large Professor to the left of Landmark curator Kate Storch

Photos 1-3, 5 & 6: Lois Stavsky; 4 courtesy Landmark Festival

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Yesterday afternoon, James Top Productions brought live painting, art vendors and a host of performances to Jackie Robinson Park in West Harlem. Despite the intermittent rain, the infectious positive energy was palatable from blocks away. Featured above is Queens-based writer and illustrator Topaz, standing alongside his iconic character.

Veteran graffiti artist and painter Wore One alongside his masterly-fashioned hip-hop character

Moving solo to the beats in front of King Bee’s iconic bee

The prolific, gifted New Jersey-based artist Will Power and his portrait of the late “King of Style” Case 2 aka Kase2

And just hanging–as the day wraps up: Vision, Will Power, Eric Orr and Jerry Maze

Photos: Lois Stavsky

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All-City Express, a hugely impressive interactive art exhibitionmade its world premiere last weekend at Randall’s Island’s Panorama. Under the curatorial direction of 5Pointz Creates leaders Meres One and Marie Flageul, Lady Pink, Tkid 170Toofly, Meres One, Jerms, Topaz, and See tf painted live, covering digital subway cars with original artwork. Fusing graffiti’s underground roots with innovative video technology, the project was developed by Brooklyn-based AST Studios with Tangible Interaction. Here are a few images captured in the course of this three-day cutting-edge homage to traditional graffiti art.

Five of the 5Pointz Creates crew with Marie Flageul in foreground — on green screen

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Lady Pink and Toofly at work on green screen

lady-pink-and-toofly-graffiti

And with completed piece as viewed on virtual subway train

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See tf and Python with completed piece on green screen

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Jerms and Topaz  as a mix of technologies brings them at work onto a NYC train in real time

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T-Kid with completed piece on green screen

T-Kid-graffiti

And as viewed on virtual train

T-Kid-Randalls

Meres One at work on green screen

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Digital tagging by AST Studios; graffiti software by Tangible Interaction & advanced motion capture by PhaseSpace

5-pointz-tags

And the trains roll by throughout NYC with AST Studios‘ life-like visual effects and editorial content by Possible Productions

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Photo credits: 1, 3-10 Nic Lyte and 2 Rachel Fawn; videos produced by AST Studios

Note: This blog will be on vacation through Sunday, August 7. You can follow us on Facebook and on Instagram.

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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With its vibrantly seductive murals, the exterior of Brooklyn Reclaimed — curated by Meres One — has become an oasis of color and style.  Here are a few more graffiti murals that have recently surfaced — all by artists who’d frequented the former 5Pointz:

Demer

demer-graffiti-brooklyn-reclaimed

Topaz and Jerms

topaz-Jerms-graffiti-brooklyn

Zimad

zimad-graffiti-brooklyn-reclaimed

Bishop 203 aka Jats

Jats-graffiti-Bushwick

Photos by City-as-School intern Sol Raxlen

Keep posted to our Facebook page and Instagram for more graffiti and street art on the grounds of Brooklyn Reclaimed.

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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Meres, Jerms, Topaz, See TF, Python and Demer made their way — several weeks back — to First Street Green, where they painted an ode to the historic East Village/Lower East Side neighborhood. Here are a few more images:

Python aka Kenji

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Meres One

meres-one-graffiti-nyc

Python, DemerMeres One

python-demer-Meres-graffiti-street-art-nyc

Jerms

Jerms-graffiti-NYC

The huge mural was painted in collaboration with the Centrefuge Public Art Project and First Street Green. The art park is located at 33 East First Street on the site of — what was once — a derelict building.

Note: First image features TopazMeres One and See TF

Photos: 1 & 2 Tara Murray; 3 Dani Reyes Mozeson and 4 & 5 Lois Stavsky

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Vers-graffiti-mural-Brooklyn-nyc

Directly off the Broadway-Junction subway station — on the borderline between East New York and Brownsville — are some of NYC’s most exhilarating graffiti walls. Here are a few more images captured this past week of the murals fashioned by both locals and out-of-towners.

Werd and Kesta aka Kes

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Chicago-based Amuse 126

amuse-graffiti-east-new-york

NME and Ceos

nme-one-ceos-graffiti-NYC

Jerms

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Reyes and Topaz

reyes-and-topaz-graffiti-character-east-new-york

Rez

Rez-graffiti-brooklyn-nyc

Note: First image features Vers 

Photos by Tara Murray

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5Pointz lives! Its spirit has been revived on the grounds of Brooklyn Reclaimed, a Bushwick-based company that specializes in the design and construction of handcrafted furniture fashioned from reclaimed wood. On our visit to Brooklyn Reclaimed earlier this week, we caught a glimpse of some completed works and many in progress. Here is a sampling:

Meres-One-5PointzCreates-at-Brooklyn-Reclaimed

Ben Angotti at work

Ben-Angotti-street-art-5Pointzcreates-at-Brooklyn-Reclaimed-NYC

Toofly

toofly-5pointzcreates-streetart-Brooklyn-Reclaimed-NYC

Sloke One

sloke-graffiti-5Pointz-creates-Bushwick-nyc

Amuze, Topaz and Poet

amuze-topaz-poet-graffiti-5Pointzcreates-brooklyn-Reclaimed

Demer and Kenji

demer-graffiti-5pointz-creates

And to celebrate the launch of the Brooklyn Reclaimed yard curated by 5 Pointzcreates, an exhibit will take place this Saturday featuring a range of new original artwork on reclaimed wood and much more.

Reclaimed-Group-Art-Show

Photos: 1 courtesy of Tim Spence of Brooklyn Reclaimed; 2 & 3 Lois Stavsky; 4-6 Tara Murray

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"The X-Spot"

Topaz – one of the most active members of the hip-hop and 5Pointz communities – began customizing T-shirts when he was in junior high school. His most recent venture is the X-Spot, a unique space at 2 East 116th Street in East Harlem. We recently visited him and had the opportunity to speak to both Topaz and Jay, the manager of Production X.

Topaz

How did you guys come up with the idea to open such a space?

We grew up together in Rego Park, Queens, and we’ve been working together for years. We’ve actually had two stores before – one in Paterson, New Jersey and the other in South Carolina. We wanted to do something different from what we’d done in the past.

Jerms

In what ways is this venture different?

Our emphasis here is on providing services and maintaining a gallery.  It is production-based. Although we sell graffiti art on canvases, select magazines — like the latest issue of Flashbacks — and CD’s, our space here is not primarily a store or shop.

Jerms-Topaz-and-Blone-graffiti-on-canvas

What are some of the services that you provide?

We provide clients with all forms of graphic design — customized murals, logos, portraits, canvases, T-shirts and more.

Jay-ProductionX-with-street-treat-graffiti

It sounds – and looks – great! Whom do you see as your principal clientele?

At this point, it is largely the hip-hop community – rappers and entertainers. But, ideally, the general public, especially as graffiti continues to gain respect and recognition as an art form.

Treat Street-graffiti-on-canvas

This is such a great location! It’s right off 5th Avenue in East Harlem and down the block from the 2 and 5 subway lines. How did you guys come up with such a great locale?

A lucky set of circumstances – as Jay’s cousin had previously worked at this location.

Poet-Pace-Jerms-Sav-Ice-graffiti-on-canvas-gallery

The artwork on display here is primarily by you, TopazJerms and Treat Street NY. Are you open to other artists participating in your projects?

Absolutely.  Talented and committed artists can stop by our space or drop us an email at ProductionX@aol.com or LordRoccolypse@aol.com.

Photo credits: 1. and 2. Topaz by City-as-School intern Tyler Dean Flores; 3. Jerms by Lois Stavsky; 4. Jerms, Topaz & Blone by Lois Stavsky; 5. Treat Street with Jay (X-Productions) by Lois Stavsky; 6. Treat Street, as commissioned by Derek Jeter’s nephew, by Lois Stavsky and 7. PoetPaceJermsSav, Ice and more by Dani Reyes Mozeson

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Just one block off the MTA Broadway-Junction station in East New York, Brooklyn are some of NYC’s most intriguing walls. Here’s a sampling of what I captured earlier this week in the bright sun:

Nicole Palapoli and Bugn

Nicole-Palapoli-and-Bugn-graffiti-NYC

Rez

Rez

Meres One

Meres

Sek3

Sek3

Topaz

Pazroc

Lites 

Lites

Jerms

Jerms

Adam Fu

"Adam Fu"

Note: The image of Lites’s piece features the fashion model Tabitha Annette Miller, whom I met along with her stylist Sheryl Roberts during a photoshoot by RedHanded Imagery.

Photos by Lois Stavsky; keep posted to the Street Art NYC Facebook page for more images of recent walls in that location.

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Topaz

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:

Topaz

Topaz

Scratch

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Ligisd

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Hops

Hops

Bver

Bver

Wiz Art

"Wiz Ar"t

Queen Andrea

"Queen Andrea"

 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:

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"Tats Cru"

Tats Cru

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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