Dariel MTZ on Bushwick’s New York Street Gallery

November 9, 2013

The founder of New York Street Gallery, a collective of international artists working together in NYC, Dariel MTZ is committed to providing outdoor canvases to a global network of street art and graffiti artists.

Tell us a bit about New York Street Gallery.

I started this project with my girlfriend, Daniela Croci aka Zoe, in January, 2013. We wanted to provide a platform for street artists to collaborate with those artists who may have never used the streets as a canvas.

How did it all begin?

We started by painting the exterior walls of my father’s tire shop in Bushwick. The response was so positive that we expanded to other walls, including some in Williamsburg.

Who are some of the artists involved in your project?

Among the many talents are: Nepo, Don Rimx, Iena Cruz, Vato, Alex Seel, Pixel Pancho, LNY, Guillermo Perez III, David Rothman and Kike Seba.

How has this project impacted you personally?

This project was an invitation to the culture. It has given me the opportunity to learn first-hand about street art and graffiti.

What about Zoe? What is her role?

She is the official filmmaker of this project. She has documented all that has happened so far.

What’s ahead?

This coming Friday, November 15, we will be showcasing the works of a group of extraordinarily talented artists at The Well on 272 Meserole Street in Bushwick.

Where would you like to see your project in five years?

I’d like to see us manage a gallery space, organize festivals and provide opportunities for artists to do big productions. It’s all about creating opportunities for the artists. You can follow us on Intagram @nystgallery.

Good luck! It all sounds great.

Interview by Lenny Collado; photos of Nepo, Pixel Pancho and LNY by Tara Murray

Editor’s note: Our blog will be on vacation through Monday, November 25. You can follow us on Facebook and on Google+. And be sure to keep posted to The Aqueduct Murals. Organized by the always-wonderful Joe Iurato, this meeting of street art and horse racing features an amazing array of artists including Logan Hicks, Chris Stain, Zed1, Faith47 and Rubin 415. It opens to the public at noon on Saturday, November 23 followed by a reception from 6-10pm, with an opportunity to meet the artists, along with the jockeys and trainers of New York racing. Lois Stavsky

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Speaking with NEPO

November 7, 2013

We are thrilled that Puerto Rican native Nepo has brought his superb skills to us here in NYC, delighting us with his wondrous characters, sensuous styles and bold colors. He’s been busy in Bushwick these days, where he will be painting live and exhibiting his work with New York Street Gallery next Friday, November 15th.

When and where did you first get up?

I began bombing and tagging my name back in 1996 in Puerto Rico. I was 16.

What inspired you to start writing?

At first I didn’t write. I used to help my friend Ensa with his fills when he did pieces. I also served as his look out. Eventually I started tagging. And Ensa was the one who gave me the name Nepo. It was kind of a joke, but it stuck.

Had you any preferred surfaces back then?

No. It was location that mattered. We focused on getting a spot where as many people as possible would see the work. Surface didn’t matter. Although, I’ll say, I do love shutters. They present a challenge I enjoy.

Do you paint with any crews? Or do you paint alone?

Both. I get up by myself and I also paint with El Coro and NST – both here and in Puerto Rico.

Have you exhibited your work?

I have. In Puerto Rico, I contributed to Carry On, a collective that went on to tour in Boston and in Oakland. I had two solo shows back home, and I’m working on an upcoming one here. I’m also now preparing for a group show with Bushwick’s New York Street Gallery.

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

Artists need to make money. In Puerto Rico, there are underground art galleries that support graffiti and really show love for it. I haven’t felt that here in NYC.

How does your family feel about what you do?

My mother and father didn’t get it for a long time. They thought it was crazy that I was spending so much time and money without getting paid. But then after they attended some of my shows and read about me in the news, they knew that I was progressing as an artist. And they grew to appreciate it.

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

I’m almost always working on a canvas, flyer, T-shirt, print, painting or wall. It may not yet be 100%, but I hope it will soon be.

Have you earned any money from your artwork?

I have. I designed a sign for the Well Project that brought me some money. And I will soon begin working for the Roberto Clemente Center, painting outdoors with five other artists.

Any thoughts on the graffiti/street art divide?

I have tremendous respect for graffiti and I identify with it. But these days I’m more of a street artist or muralist. I like doing legal walls because I can take my time. There is a divide, though, even though many street artists started as graffiti writers.

Is there anyone you would like to collaborate with?

I’d like to do something with Os Gemeos. And if they were still alive, I’d work with Diego Rivera and Basquiat. Ha-ha!

Do you have a formal arts education?

Yes. I studied art with a focus on traditional graphics, silkscreen, etching and printing.

Are there any particular cultures you would say have influenced your aesthetics?

The many bright colors that I use and the animals I reference are influenced by Puerto Rican culture.

Do you work with a sketch in hand or do you work free hand?

For murals, yes, I use sketches, especially for proportions.

Are you generally satisfied with a completed work?

Yes. When I have given my all to a particular project, the quality is there.

When you look back at what you’ve done in the last two years, is there anything you would have done differently?

I’d have done bigger work, larger scale murals and more of them. Here in NYC, I’ve done four and that’s not enough.

How has your art evolved throughout the years?

Initially, I began with paint brushes. But because I love to learn and expand, I moved on to spray paint and became obsessed. I continue to enjoy learning new spray paint techniques.

What was the riskiest thing you’ve done as a graffiti writer?

Ha-ha! I actually tagged the door of a Senator’s house in Puerto Rico. My friends and I were drunk, and we decided to tag it at four in the morning. Since we didn’t have our cameras with us, we ran home to get them. But by the time we returned, someone was already power-washing the tags off the building.

How do you feel about the photographers and bloggers on the scene?

We need them. Their job takes time and love. It’s not just about the artists; it’s also about the people who share their love for what we do with others.

What’s ahead?

I’m part of the first New York Street Gallery group exhibit that will take place next Friday, November 15, at 272 Messerole Street on Bushwick Place.

Interview by Lenny Collado; Photo 1 in Bushwick by Tara Murray; photo 2 at 5Pointz by Dani Reyes Mozeson; all others courtesy of Nepo

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RAE on Grocery Stores, the RAE BK Food Center and “Word of Mouth”

November 6, 2013

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.

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.

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 12^th Street. It’s a must-see!

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

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Girls on Walls, Part XI: Cern, Judith Supine, Cake, Djalouz and Doudou, Bunny M, Groundswell Mural Project and Kimyon Huggins

November 5, 2013

This is the eleventh in a series of posts featuring images of girls — and women — who grace New York City’s public spaces:

Cern in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Judith Supine in Greenpoint, Brooklyn

Cake in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Parisian artists Djalouz and Doudou at 5Pointz in Long Island City, Queens

Bunny M in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

A Groundswell Mural Project with Crystal Clarity as lead artist in Hunts Point, the Bronx

Kimyon Huggins in Manhattan

Photos of Cern, Bunny M and Kimyon Huggins by Dani Reyes Mozeson; of Judith Supine, Cake, Djalouz and Doudou, Groundswell Mural Project and Kimyon Huggins by Lois Stavsky

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Speaking with Miles Wickham aka RESKEW

November 3, 2013

Based in Gowanus, Brooklyn, Miles Wickham aka RESKEW surfaced on the NYC graffiti scene in 2000. These days, he is best-known for his outstanding graffiti tutorials, his community outreach and the abstract graffiti-infused works that he creates on a range of surfaces from canvases to sanctioned public spaces.

When and where did you first get up?

It was back in 1999 in Brooklyn. I was a 15 year-old high school student when I noticed one of my classmates tagging a gym mat. It looked like a cool thing to do, and we — ZIP ONE and I — became friends. That was the beginning.

Have you any earlier graffiti-related memories that stand out?

As a young child growing up in Italy, I could see the main train station from my fifth floor window. I was fascinated by what seemed like shifting colors in motion. I didn’t even know at the time that it was graffiti.

Here in the States, did you represent any crews or did you paint alone?

Both. I’m part of All City Crew, an old school NYC graffiti crew, and MBK, a west-coast graffiti crew that started in El Paso, Texas.

What is the riskiest thing you did?

Hitting tunnels while trains were whizzing by and climbing heights without knowing how I’d get down from them.

Why were you willing to take these risks?

I liked the tremendous sense of freedom it offered. And it was fun.

Have you ever been arrested?

About six times. A number of years back, I faced a year in prison for bombing a subway tunnel. But as there wasn’t enough evidence to support the charges against me, I was given community service instead. And that’s what led to my tutorials. I knew that I had to stop getting up illegally, and I wanted to help others avoid some of the frustrations I felt.

Can you tell us something about the tutorials?

In January 2010, I created my first instructional graffiti and art tutorial to teach basic graffiti techniques and to encourage beginners to take their skills to a higher level. I personally answer all questions via email or through comments. It’s been extraordinarily successful with my You Tube channel gaining subscribers daily.

That sounds great! Getting back to your work — do you work with a sketch-in-hand or do you just let it flow?

I let it flow. I hate plans.

Are you generally satisfied with your finished piece?

It’s not finished until I’m satisfied with it.

Do you have a formal art education?

No. But I’ve always been drawing.

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

Anywhere between 50 -70%. I also act, practice martial arts and cater. Catering helps pay the bills.

How do your parents feel about what you are doing?

They’re supportive.

Are there any particular cultures that have influenced your aesthetic?

I’m influenced by ancient scripts.

Any thoughts about the graffiti/street art divide?

Street artists and graffiti artists need to learn how to get along and respect one another. Graffiti writers generally take far more risks than street artists. And street artists need to respect that and stop going over graffiti.

Any favorite arists?

Van Gogh.

How has your work evolved in the past few years?

My flow and general skills have improved. I express myself better through line movement.

Have you any thoughts about the movement of graffiti into galleries?

It’s great.

Your work’s been exhibited at Park Slope’s Ground Floor Gallery, and it graces its gate, as well. Where else have you exhibited?

I’ve shown in a range of exhibits and spaces. Among them: the Writers Strike exhibit at the Lott Gallery in Chelsea; a solo show at the Sapphire Lounge on the Lower East Side and the Brooklyn Workshop Gallery, where I also worked as a teaching artist.

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

It’s a good thing. It makes art more accessible to many more viewers. It also serves as the platform for my tutorials.

Have you any feelings about the photographers/bloggers in the scene?

Most don’t know as much as they should. Their scope is, generally, limited.

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

To remind us that creative expression exists and to inspire us get in touch with our own.

What’s ahead?

Painting more and continuing to inspire the masses to discover and express more of who they really are.

Interview and photos by Lois Stavsky.

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Faces in NYC Public Spaces, Part VI: Rimx, Axel Void, Danielle Mastrion, Ever, Andre Trenier and Nicer

October 31, 2013

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

Rimx in Bushwick, Brooklyn

Axel Void in Bushwick, Brooklyn

Danielle Mastrion painting young Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai at the Bushwick Collective

Ever in Bushwick, Brooklyn

Andre Trenier in Inwood, Manhattan

Nicer, Tats Cru at Hunts Point in the Bronx

Photos of Rimx and Axel Void by Tara Murray; of Danielle Mastrion and Ever by Dani Reyes Mozeson and of Andre Trenier and Nicer by Lois Stavsky

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Hani and FIT Students: 60 Artists-60 Pieces-#Chalk FIT

October 30, 2013

This past Saturday, the masterful chalk artist Hani Shihada — known for his stunning images that have surfaced on NYC’s pavement for decades — brought his skills to FIT on 27th Street and 7th Avenue. On Monday, it was the students’ turn. Here are a few images captured on Monday afternoon from the project: 60 Artists/60 Pieces/#Chalk FIT:

Students at work in a range of styles and themes

From the whimsical

To the gory — in the spirit of Halloween

Photos by FIT graduate Dani Reyes Mozeson

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Speaking with Zed1

October 29, 2013

With his wondrous skills, Italian artist Zed1 has been enhancing the walls of our city. His signature characters have recently surfaced in Brooklyn and at Welling Court in Astoria, Queens. Earlier this month, we stopped by Williamsburg’s Bottleneck Gallery, where he was painting, and had the chance to speak to him.

When and where did you first get up?

Back in ’93 in Tuscany. I was 16. I started the way just about every graffiti artists does – with tags and letters.

What inspired you?

A friend showed me photos of graffiti walls in the U.S. that he had discovered in a book store. And then when I began hitting walls, it seemed like the perfect way for me to express myself.

What is the riskiest thing you did?

Painting on moving trains.

Why were you willing to that that risk?

I love making people happy by bringing trains to life. I also like the adrenalin rush that comes with painting trains.

Have you ever been arrested?

I was stopped only once. But the police liked what I was doing and let it go. The whole attitude towards graffiti is different back home and the police are different. They are more relaxed.

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

I like the freedom that comes with working without a sketch. But if the wall that I’m doing is especially challenging, I usually bring a sketch with me.

Are you generally satisfied with your finished piece?

No. It always seems incomplete to me. It never feels finished.

How has your work evolved through the years?

It has evolved tremendously. I started off as a graffiti writer, but now I am more of a muralist. Also, I am much more concerned with the concept behind the work than I used to be. And I’m intent on communicating with the public.

Could you tell us something about your second-skin work – the pieces you create that evolve into something different with time?

I came up with the idea about two years ago when I created an animal with the head of a man that peels away to reveal another face. I love giving folks the opportunity to interact with my work and play with my art. And there’s a message here: We all see things differently. We each have our own perspective. And if you want to understand another person’s way of perceiving the world, you must change heads.

That certainly makes sense! Do you prefer working legally or illegally?

I like both. Working illegally give me more freedom, but working in a sanctioned space gives me more time.

Have you exhibited your work in a gallery setting?

I much prefer to paint on the streets. It is far more democratic. I don’t like most galleries, and I don’t paint to get the attention of gallerists. I’d rather paint on a public wall than on a canvas. That way I can share my work with everyone, not just the elite. But I am beginning to show my work in galleries that respect my vision.

Have you a formal art education?

No. I studied graphic design, but I was never a good student.

How do your parents feel about what you do?

They don’t understand. My mother tries to, but my father has an entirely different notion of “success” that’s tied in with material things.

Do you make money from your art? What is the main source of your income?

I earn money by doing commissions and I sell art. Art is my life.

Is there much of a graffiti/street art divide back home?

Not as much as here, and the lines continue to blur. Festivals invite both graffiti writers and street artists, and many writers include characters in their pieces. But there is some tension, as far fewer people understand graffiti. Street art is far more accessible to most folks.

Have you painted in other countries – besides Italy and the US?

I’ve painted in Denmark, Romania, Norway, Spain, the UK and Brazil.

Have you any favorite places to paint?

I especially like to paint in poor, run-down neighborhoods. I like interacting with the people who live in them, and I like enhancing their spaces.

Any favorite arists?

Particular favorites include: Blu, Banksy and Os Gemeos.

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

It is very important. It has given birth to many careers.

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

I can’t speak for other artists. But my role is to communicate with people by bringing beauty into their lives and raising issues they might not – on their own — think about.

What’s ahead?

More travel. I love painting in different countries. And more artworks and videos illustrating my second skin concept.

Interview by Lois Stavsky; photos 1,2, & 3 Zed1 in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn by Tara Murray; photo 4 at Welling Court and photo 5 at Bottleneck Gallery by Lois Stavsky; photo 6 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn by Dani Reyes Mozeson, and final photo in Greenpoint, Brooklyn by Tara Murray

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Swoon and Groundwell Youth Grace Famed Bowery Wall with Elegant Hurricane Sandy-Themed Mural

October 28, 2013

Working together with Groundswell teens who had been affected by Hurricane Sandy, Swoon has been busy gracing the famed wall at Bowery and Houston with an elegant Sandy-themed mural. The mural’s official unveiling takes place tomorrow, Tuesday, October 29^th. Here are some images of the work in progress:

Neenee

Another close-up

Groundswell youth at work

The mural as seen on Thursday

Photos 4 and 5 by Tara Murray; all others by Dani Reyes Mozeson

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Curious Characters on NYC Streets, Part II: Buff Monster, Nathan Mellott, Nepo, Craig Anthony Miller, KingBee and more

October 25, 2013

A range of curious characters have found a home on the streets of NYC. This is the second of our occasional series:

Buff Monster in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Nathan Mellott in the East Village

Nepo in Bushwick, Brooklyn

Craig Anthony Miller aka CAM in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

KingBee in the East Village

One of the 13 Portals in the East Village

Photos of Buff Monster and Nepo by Tara Murray; of Nathan Mellott and KingBee by Daniel Reyes Mozeson; of Craig Anthony Miller and Portal by Lois Stavsky

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