urban art

Don Rimx Paints Huge Mural Honoring Nuyorican Poet Jesús “Tato” Laviera at Taino Towers in East Harlem

November 4, 2017

When Don Rimx began painting his portrait of Nuyorican poet Jesús “Tato” Laviera last month, I had the opportunity to speak to the poet’s sister, Ruth Sanchez Laviera. “Don Rimx represents my spirit and my brother’s spirit,” she said. “As soon as I met him, I knew he was the one to paint a mural honoring my brother.” And last Saturday, Oct. 28th, after the mural was officially unveiled at Taino Towers and 123rd Street was renamed for Jesús “Tato” Laviera, I posed a few questions to Rimx:

Your mural depicting Jesús “Tato” Laviera is wonderful. When were you first offered the opportunity to paint his portrait?

I was contacted about a year ago.

Can you tell us a bit about your process? What steps did you take to make this happen?

I began by reading or watching every interview I could find that had been conducted with Jesús “Tato” Laviera. I spent time at Hunter College’s Centro: The Center for Puerto Rican Studies reading Jesús “Tato” Laviera‘s poetry and whatever literature and criticism I could find by him and about him. I came to understand and appreciate just how important a voice he was in the Nuyorican movement. I even had the opportunity to live in the same apartment in Taino Towers that Jesús “Tato” Laviera lived in and to speak to many folks who knew him.

How about the painting itself? How long did it take you?

I worked 12 hours a day for five days.

And the mural unveiling, along with the renaming of this corner? What was the experience like for you?

It was wonderful! I feel so blessed to have experienced it all. Among the speakers were City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and Maria Cruz, executive director of Taino Towers. There was also a poetry reading, along with reminiscences by family and friends.

Congratulations! We are so happy that this opportunity came your way. It’s great to have your vision and talents shared with us — once again — here in NYC.

Photos: 1 & 2 Lois Stavsky; 3 & 4 courtesy of the artist; featured in the third photo are: Ruth Sanchez Laviera to the left of Don Rimx and Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito to his right

Note: Hailed in a range of media from WideWalls to the Huffington Post to the New York Times, our Street Art NYC App is now available for Android devices here.

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UR New York at Pop International Galleries on the Bowery

October 23, 2017

Few artists capture the soulful grit of NYC as strikingly as Fernando Romero aka Ski and Mike Baca aka 2Esae, collectively known as UR New York. Their most recent exhibit, A New York Story — a captivating ode to NYC — has graced the walls of Pop International Galleries since early October. Pictured above is a work of mixed media on canvas simply titled URNY. What follows are several more artworks that will remain on view through mid-week.

Day Dreaming, Mixed media on canvas

Backstreet, Mixed media on wood panel

Don’t Kill My Vibe, Mixed media on canvas

La Bodega, Mixed media on wood panel

Already Read, Mixed media on wood panel

Pop International Galleries is located at 195 Bowery at Spring Street and is open Mon-Sat 10-7 | Sun 11-6 and by appointment. Opening this coming Saturday night at 7pm is a two-man show featuring Sen2 and Reso. To attend the opening reception, RSVP at rsvp@popinternational.com .

Photos of artworks: 1 – 3, 4 & 6 Lois Stavsky; 5 courtesy of Pop International Galleries

Note: Hailed in a range of media from WideWalls to the Huffington Post to the New York Times, our Street Art NYC App is now available for Android devices here.

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Chor Boogie Paints Expressive New Mural, LOVE CHILD, in Salem, MA

October 17, 2017

Inspired by the MISSOKO BWITI tradition from the MASSANGO and PUNU tribe he joined when in Africa, the wonderfully imaginative West Coast-based Chor Boogie has recently completed a massive mural in Salem, MA. Commissioned by the Punto Urban Art Museum, the intriguing artwork, entitled LOVE CHILD, celebrates the gift of life. The artist describes it as “An Offering of Visual Medicine for the SOUL,” as the LOVE CHILD’s arms are open and ready to embrace you.

Closer up

Chor Boogie with his mural

And in progress

Images courtesy of the artist

Note: Hailed in a range of media from WideWalls to the Huffington Post to the New York Times, our Street Art NYC App is now available for Android devices here.

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In Montreal with Seth Globepainter, Dede Bandaid, Nitzan Mintz, SBuONe, Kevin Ledo & 1010

October 11, 2017

Montreal boasts a wide array of intriguing murals by both local and international artists. The mural pictured above was painted by Julien Malland aka Seth Globepainter for an ongoing mural project organized by MU, whose mission is to transform Montreal into an “open air gallery.” What follows are several more murals we came upon on our recent visit to Montreal:

Tel Aviv-based Dede Bandaid and Nitzan Mintz — who are currently here in NYC

Montreal-based French artist SBuONe for Montreal’s 2017 Mural Festival

Montreal-based Kevin Ledo does Leonard Cohen for Montreal’s 2017 Mural Festival, close-up

Hamburg-based 1010 forMontreal’s 2017 Mural Festival

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

Note: Hailed in a range of media from WideWalls to the Huffington Post to the New York Times, our Street Art NYC App is now available for Android devices here.

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Martin Whatson’s Solo Exhibit “Revive” Continues Through This Weekend in Santa Monica, CA

October 7, 2017

Presented by RexRomae Gallery and curated by Street Art News founder Rom Levy, Martin Whatson‘s solo exhibit Revive opened last Friday, September 29th, in Santa Monica. Featured in Revive are paintings, prints and sculptures representative of the Norwegian artist’s vibrant graphic imagery fashioned in juxtaposition to his greyscaled stenciled art and staid backgrounds. Pictured above is Whatson‘s recreation of Salvador Dali’s Figure at the Window — forged with acrylic, spray paint and marker — that originally surfaced on the streets of Norway in 2015 during the Nuart Street Art Festival. What follows are several more images of artworks on exhibit in Revive:

“Behind the Curtain” — which made an appearance in Miami in 2015 as a large scale mural

“Framed” — originally conceived in 2013 for the Sand, Sea and Spray Festival in Blackpool, UK.

The artist’s famed butterfly as sculpture

Martin Whatson‘s iconic astronauts — with butterflies fluttering on their fingertips

The celebrated Martin Whatson with his brightly graffitied rhino

The exhibit continues through this weekend at 328 Santa Monica Blvd. in Los Angeles.

Contents for this post provided by Luna George; photos by Angela Izzo

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In Mexico City with: Curiot, Arty & Chikle, Escif, D*Face, Edgar Saner, Poni and El Mac

October 5, 2017

The following guest post is by Houda Lazrak

While in Mexico City shortly before the devastating earthquake, Roberto Shimizu, Creative Director of The Antique Toy Museum of Mexico (MUJAM) and co-organizer of Mexico City’s street art festival All City Canvas, introduced me to over a dozen murals — mainly in the neighborhoods of Roma Norte, Doctores and downtown. Featured above is by Mexico City – based Curiot who — upon returning to Mexico City after living in the US — painted a center for youth who struggle with difficulties within the traditional school system. What follows is a sampling of several more murals, organized by Roberto Shimizu, that I saw:

Arty & Chikle, the first gay street art couple to come out in Mexico City

Valencia-based Escif — at the Plaza de las Tres Culturas, where the Tlatelolco massacre occurred on October 2, 1968. Students met in this plaza for a peaceful demonstration and reportedly hundreds of them were shot and killed when the military opened fired on them. The image depicts former Interior Secretary Luis Echeverría requesting President Gustavo Díaz Ordaz to order the shooting. Decades later, Echeverría was put on trial for the massacre.

UK-based D*Face

Mexico City-based Edgar Flores aka Saner

Mexico City-based Hilda Palafox aka Poni

LA-based El Mac on his mural: The image I painted is based on photos I took of a social activist and poet named María Guardado, who was tortured and left for dead in 1980 by government forces during the civil war in El Salvador. She was one of thousands of civilian victims of that war, during which the US-backed Salvadoran government employed death squads to kill and terrorize everyone from poor farmers to nuns to students. Maria survived and fled the country for Los Angeles, where today she is still a passionate fighter for social justice.

All photos by Houda Lazrak

Note: Hailed in a range of media from WideWalls to the Huffington Post to the New York Times, our Street Art NYC App is now available for Android devices here.

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At Rooftop Legends on the LES with: Claw Money, Greg Lamarche, Queen Andrea, Cern, BlusterOne, Pure TFP, Cekis and more

October 1, 2017

Presented by New Design High School and Mass Appeal, Rooftop Legends continues to transform the rooftop of the former Seward Park High School into a first-rate open-air gallery. The mural featured above was painted by the legendary Claw Money. The following photos were captured at last Sunday’s celebration of urban art culture and community curated by New Design High School Dean Jesse Pais:

Greg Lamarche aka SP.ONE

Queen Andrea at work

Cern

Bluster One

Pure TFP at work

Cekis at work

Photo credits: 1-4 Tara Murray; 5-7 Lenny Collado

Note: Hailed in a range of media from WideWalls to the Huffington Post to the New York Times, our Street Art NYC App is now available for Android devices here.

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Green Villain To Celebrate Launch of “Vol. II: Mural Program,” with: Victor Ving, Zimer, Rime, Dmote, Clarence Rich, Eelco, Nychos & more

September 23, 2017

Deeply passionate about street art and graffiti, Green Villain has curated dozens of walls in a range of styles in Jersey City and beyond, including many in NYC. On September 29th, the public is invited to celebrate the launch of Green Villain‘s second volume in an ongoing book series documenting various projects. Vol. II: Mural Program is a 124 page time capsule of the past four years of productions. The mural pictured above was painted in Jersey City by Victor Ving of Greetings Tour in 2015. What follows are several more images of street art and graffiti — featured in the new book — that have surfaced in Jersey City. Specific locations of the artworks are provided in Vol. II: Mural Program.

Zimer, Jersey City, 2016

Rime, Jersey City, 2015

Dmote aka Shank, Jersey City, 2015

Clarence Rich, Jersey City, 2017

Rotterdam-based Eelco, Jersey City, 2014

Austrian artist Nychos, Jersey City, 2016

All are invited to join the Limited Edition Photo Book Launch —

Date: September 29th
Time: 6PM – 10PM
Address: 218 Central Ave, Floor 2, Jersey City
Music: Soul/Funk Vinyl Selections by Open Crates
Catered Food and Beverages by River Horse

The following photographers contributed to Vol. II: Mural Program: Charles A Boyce, Vincent Marchetto, Marek Pagoda, Gregory D. Edgel, Billy Schon, Andrea Riot, Jayne Freeman and William Benzon.

Note: Hailed in a range of media from WideWalls to the Huffington Post to the New York Times, our Street Art NYC App is now available for Android devices here.

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D*Face Takes on Modern Romance, Consumerism and More in “Happy Never Ending,” His Upcoming Solo Exhibit at Corey Helford Gallery

September 19, 2017

Opening this coming Saturday, September 23, at Los Angeles’ Corey Helford Gallery is D*Face’s only U.S. solo show this year. The legendary UK-based artist — who has recently shared his talents with us New Yorkers in Downtown Manhattan with the Lisa Project NYC, at Coney Art Walls and at the Bushwick Collective — set out to resurrect romance in the contemporary era. Aptly titled Happy Never Ending, D*Face creates a family of dysfunctional characters, as he takes on such issues as illusive intimacy and conspicuous consumerism.

Regarding his new works, D*Face states: “For me this work is about the tragedy of losing someone you love. Not just in the physical sense of death but also in the metaphorical way that romance has become such an artificial thing in recent years. Courtship used to be a craft, something careful and considered; marriage was an everlasting bond of trust and commitment. Today, though, romance is comparable to a shop bought commodity – instantly attainable at the touch of a button or swipe of a screen. In a constant search for someone or something better, people treat others as if they were mere objects – infinitely attainable and instantly disposable.”

He continues: “With this new series of work I wanted to re-kindle the lost romance of a bygone era, back when, even in death, the memory of a loved one could last an eternity and a marriage went beyond just a symbolic gesture. For the show I want to construct a mini chapel where we can actually hold a real ceremony and a graveyard in which I want people to leave momentos to the people they have lost. If romance is truly dead, then I want to resurrect it for the modern age.”

By rethinking, editing and subverting imagery — such as currency, advertising and comic books — drawn from decades of materialistic consumption, D*Face transforms these now iconic motifs, figures and genres in order to gain new insight into today’s values.

Happy Never Ending‘s opening reception will be held this Saturday from 7-11pm in Gallery 1 at Corey Helford Gallery. The exhibit remains on view and is open to the public through October 21st.

Photo credit: Spraying Bricks, in-process shots from D*Face’s studio

Note: Hailed in a range of media from WideWalls to the Huffington Post to the New York Times, our Street Art NYC App is now available for Android devices here.

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San Francisco’s Surreal Street Art: BiP, Nychos, Mars 1, Damon Soule, NoMe Edonna, David Choong Lee & Oliver Vernon, Lango Oliveira, Jonathan Matas and Hyde1

September 16, 2017

While combing the streets of San Francisco, I was struck by the dozens of intriguing surreal images that grace the city’s visual landscape. Pictured above is the work of the anonymous street painter known simply as BiP. I captured it on my last day in San Francisco, as it was near completion. What follows are several more images — marked by a surreal sensibility — that gripped me:

San Francisco-based Austrian artist Nychos

Also by Nychos

Bay Area-artists: Mars 1 with Damon Soule, NoMe Edonna, David Choong Lee & Oliver Vernon; segment of large mural as seen at dusk

San Francisco-based Lango Oliveira

New Delhi-based Seattle native Jonathan Matas, close-up

San Francisco-based Hyde1 with his distinct Aztec aesthetic

Photos by Lois Stavsky

Note: Hailed in a range of media from WideWalls to the Huffington Post to the New York Times, our Street Art NYC App is now available for Android devices here.

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