2010

Brooklyn Stand Up, 99% Gallery and Art Center Silent Auction

36920_461559474198_691319198_6242782_8289811_nFollowing the success of the inaugural print auction here at 99% Gallery (where almost 500 were in attendance) comes Brooklyn Stand Up, where local Brooklyn artists will get a chance to exhibit their work for a silent auction on Friday, June 25th from 7-11pm.

This show will take place during the same weekend as the L Magazine’s Northside Festival, allowing the maximum exposure for the artists exhibiting their work. The goal of the Northside Festival is to celebrate the community of independent musicians, filmmakers and visual artists in the place where it thrives the most, shining a light on the sheer talent and creativity that Brooklyn cultivates.

Please arrive early to register to bid on items in the auction. Auction starts at 7:30pm and ends roughly at 10:30pm. Bids must increase in increments of $20 after the initial minimum bid has been placed.

ALL MINIMUM BIDS WILL BE $500 OR LESS!

Afterparty starts immediately following the auction (RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER FROM THE GALLERY) at The Counting Room, located at 44 Berry Street (on the corner of North11th).

Particpating artists include:
Adam Collison
Cahbasm
Chris Smith
David Byrd
dickchicken
Eun-Ha Paek
Don Pablo Pedro
Eddie Alfaro
Eulas Pizarro
Jaz Harold
Jessica Angel
Jess Ruliffson
John McGarity
Jordan Awan
Leif low-beer
Lisa Von Enxing
Marissa Olney
Michael DeNicola
Quel Beast
Tiffany Walling-McGarity
Tod Seelie
Vahge
Wil Pagan
Yunmee Kyong

99% Gallery
99 North 10th (between Berry and Wythe)
Brooklyn, NY 11211
www.ninetyninegallery.com
info@ninetyninegallery.com

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Fun Friday 06.25.10 : A Street Art Salute to the King of Pop

Fun-Friday

A Street Artist Tribute to Michael Jackson a Year After His Death

The pain is still fresh for those of us who were shocked last June 25th to hear the talented musician and entertainer we grew up with had died too soon.

We found some comfort in the sincerity and hilarity of this couple of French buddies who like to make giant mural tributes to musicians who have died. Today at one minute past midnight and with much fanfare Shygun and Keflione released photos of their tribute to Michael Jackson.

Pulling together many of the visual elements associated with the 40+ year career of Jackson, the artists inject a dose of cheeky irreverence to keep it light, if verging on disrespectful. Perhaps the most impressive and endearing part of their work is that not only do these guys paint, they also re-enact shots and poses of their honoree in action.

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BSA: Can you tell us about your personal history as artists?

Shygun and Keflione: We are Street artists from Rennes, France, and we started graffiti almost 10 years ago in abandoned factories.

I’m Shygun and I live and work in Rennes, France. I’ve been active as an artist for ten years now, with my bro Keflione since day one. I gradually moved away from graffiti but never let it go completely. Today I use a logotype representing a gun with a bent barrel as a signature, and I’m planning to publish a comic book series by the end of the year.

I’m Keflione, also known as Keflouis Vuitton or Keflouis XIV.  I live and work in Paris as an artist and designer. Even if I don’t do graffiti, I’m a font addict and I still work in the streets.

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BSA: Why did you do this tribute to Michael Jackson?
Shygun and Keflione:
MJ tragically passed out a year ago now, and since we are kids from the 80’s, it was a big loss for us. His music is eternal, and we felt we had to pay him this massive tribute. Since he was an active musician since he was 5, they were many aspects of Michael’s life to represent.  The first anniversary of his death was the right moment to release our masterpiece.
_

BSA: Who dresses in the costumes?
Shygun and Keflione: We both get dressed as MJ look-a-likes. The costumes are as important as the painting itself. It’s not Graffiti anymore; we consider it as a performance with a painting, costumes and a photoshoot. For every artist we paid tribute to, we enjoyed using their dress codes, accessories, and the whole atmosphere of their music. It’s a part of the whole concept, pushing our limits off the wall!

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BSA: What motivates you to pay such strong tributes to the memory of musicians who have passed away?

Shygun and Keflione: It’s a kind of tradition in the Hip-Hop culture.  As street artists, we never did such a thing. Here we wanted to give it a try with something more creative and fun. Biggie and Tupac are Hip Hop icons who are often painted in the streets. Our goal was to go further, and represent other main artists. As Graffiti is sometimes still considered as vandalism, we choose to ironicaly use celebrities to conquer a larger public. We had so much fun doing the first one (Bob Marley) so we choose to go for a series.Brooklyn-Street-Art-copyright-Shygun-and-Keflione-michael-jackson-thriller

To see more photos of the Michael Jackson Wall and their other tributes to musicians who have passed including Bob Marley, Biggie Smalls, Jimi Hendrix, Freddie Mercury, and Elvis, go to http://www.keflione.com/prevolution.html

At the moment, Keflione is putting an exhibition together about a year when he travelled in Asia in 2008-2009 (India, Brunei, Singapour, Thailand, Cambodia). The first “Call ME His Majesty” show will presented at the Traffic-Art-Gallery in Brussels, Belgium, in February 2011.

Check out Keflione’s work on : www.keflione.com or his blog : http://keflione.ekosystem.org/

All images courtesy and copyright of Shygun and Keflione.

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Pop Surrealism? Aisle 2. French Realism? – Check the Shovels

As the lines continue to blur between HI/LOW Art, Outsider Art, Public Art, Fine Art, and Street Art, a stunning show hides in the garden hoses.

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space

As we wandered the aisles at the new show at a Brooklyn hardware store (and garden center) that is thick in the migration of hipness between post-cool Williamsburg and wild untamed Bushwick, a lightbulb went on. BA-ZING! This show is not mere novelty! This is where we are in 2010. The walls are being torn down before our eyes.

Dave Tree "Peasants on Shovels" (Photo © Jaime Rojo)
Dave Tree “Peasants on Shovels” (Photo Jaime Rojo)

The massive democratization of arts and culture, with tools ever cheaper and more accessible to any artist with the inclination, is handily jack-hammering the pillars of hallowed art institutions and clipping the locks on the traditional art clubby gates and their keepers.  Call it American anti-intellectualism but when you feel no sense of irony or discomfort stalled out and contemplating a tire rubber ram sculpture while next to you a couple is looking at a lawn chair and a greasy handed guy is talking to a salesman about re-wiring a lamp, we’re pierced a veil.  While meandering past two young women I overheard them discussing rather deeply their feelings about an illustrated book they had discovered on the shelf and what kind of memories it evoked.

Ji Young Ho "For.Elk 1" (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

“For.Elk 1”

Ji Young Ho  (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Deatail (Photo © Jaime Rojo)
Ji Young Ho (detail) (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

The 198 pieces by more than 140 artists are each hardware themed or inspired. Some are “crafty”, true, and others are merely clever. But a number of pieces utilize their space so well, submerging themselves in their surroundings so completely, or bending your expectations so far, that you’ll have to admit that there may be a genius in the geraniums.

Darkcloud
Darkcloud (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

It was the same color of lightbulb that illuminated the day in the early 2000’s when I had attended a conceptual/sculptural/animation show at the now defunct Roebling Hall in Williamsburg and, in a dizzy haze I hit the street and looked at the sky. Overhead the jet stream to JFK and the planes rhythmically appearing in line every 2 minutes across the sky so closely mimicked the installation I had just seen indoors that the transition from art to artful reality was completely seamless. And no mushrooms were involved. Suddenly Street Art, this new explosion we had been documenting and exploring, seemed of the same cloth as any other art that was entrapped behind closed doors.

Chris Collicot "Manny" (Photo © Jaime Rojo)
Chris Collicot “Manny” (trying looking at this with your cellphone camera) (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

If you are not too suspicious or jaded, this may be one of the best shows of the season – one that feels equal parts installation and performance, one that challenges common conceptions without an accompanying 4 page exegesis on the inner workings of the mind of the curator.  Joe Franquinha is a bright gentleman of course, and it is because of his vision and wanderlust that these artists gladly participate in this show. But as you walk the aisles with your artwork guide in hand you’ll find yourself slipping seamlessly back and forth through worlds you once considered distinct, at times questioning which one you are in at the moment.  For my money, it’s a priceless view.

General Howe

Installation by General Howe (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Joel Adas (Photo © Jaime Rojo)
Joel Adas (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Mark Houston "Every Job;s a Nightmare" (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

“Every Job’s a Nightmare”

Mark Houston  (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Julian Zee "Marulin Marley Will Kill Pop Art" (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

“Marylin Marley Will Kill Pop Art”

Julian Zee  (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Nomade "Bust with Burgundy" (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Nomade “Bust with Burgundy” (Photo © Jaime Rojo) (Silent auction piece benefiting the programs at Free Arts NYC)

Skewville
Skewville (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Subtexture "Loggin Saw Sunset" (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

“Loggin Saw Sunset”

Subtexture  (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

CREST HARDWARE ART SHOW

(Through July 30)

558 Metropolitan Ave
(between Union Ave & Lorimer St)
Brooklyn, NY 11211
(718) 388-9521

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Perry Rubenstein Gallery Presents: “Shred” A Collage Based Group Show

Perry Rubenstein Gallery

Brian Douglas "Bears" Photo Courtesy of the Artist

Brian Douglas "Bears" Photo Courtesy of the Artist

PERRY RUBENSTEIN GALLERY
527 WEST 23 STREET
ANNOUNCES
SHRED
Curated by Carlo McCormick
July 1st – August 27th, 2010
Opening reception: Thursday July 1st, 2010 6-8pm
Perry Rubenstein Gallery is pleased to announce SHRED, curated by Carlo McCormick, senior editor of Paper magazine, opening on Thursday, July 1st from 6:00-8:00pm and on view through Friday, August 27th, 2010. A small catalogue brochure with an essay by McCormick will accompany the exhibition.
SHRED will feature collage-based works from a diverse group of artists, some who have pioneered collage as fine art and others who are expanding upon the subversive flavor inherent to the medium. Featured are works in myriad media—from simple collages of newsprint on paper to lively video animations made from cutout paper silhouettes.
The exhibition will include historic works by Robert Rauschenberg (1925-2008);Bruce  Conner (1933-2008); a prominent member of the Beat community recognized for his innovative assemblages; California-native, Jess (1923 – 2004) whose oeuvre includes collages based on alchemy, religion and comic strips; Dash Snow (1981-2009) whose work on paper appears deceptively simple; Gee Vaucher whose surrealist tendencies are tied to punk; and Jack Walls whose self-portraits incorporate photographic imagery taken by his long-time partner Robert Mapplethorpe.
Provocative new works were specifically produced for the exhibition. The collective Faile will show a ripped painting featuring brand new iconography. Shepard Fairey, Leo Fitzpatrick, Mark Flood, Erik Foss, Swoon, Judith Supine will all debut their latest works. Finely cut paper collage by Brian Douglas (Elbow-Toe) resembles intricate painting and Shelter Serra will present three-dimensional work: cast roses in white silicone. Video works by Martha Colburn, Tessa Hughes-Freeland and Bec Stupac will be featured, with Stupac premiering a new piece.
PRG is thrilled to welcome Carlo McCormick as guest curator for this extraordinary summer exhibition. McCormick is a prominent New York City-based author, curator, critic and champion of the downtown art scene. He has authored numerous books, monographs and catalogues on contemporary art and culture, including The Downtown Book: The New York Art Scene 1974-1984 published by Princeton University Press which he coauthored. He has lectured and taught extensively at universities and colleges around the United States. His writing has appeared in Aperture, Art in America, Art News, Artforum, Camera Austria, High Times, Spin, Tokion, Vice and countless other magazines. He has curated exhibitions for the Bronx Museum of Art, New York University, the Queens Museum of Art and the Woodstock Center for Photography.
Perry Rubenstein Gallery
527 West 23rd Street
New York, NY 10011
T 212.627.8000
F 212.627.6336
Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00 AM to 6:00pm
Summer Hours from July 2nd to September 3rd: Monday – Friday, 10:00am to 5:00pm

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NEW JMR Piece Departs From His Pretty Women to Consterned Men

Street Artist JMR has been talking about a new series called “White Man’s Consternation” and here’s a picture of one that is surely from this series.  I instantly think of Dick Cheney, especially with the armed vigilante/private security figure by Primo in the doorway. Apparently the series is meant to reflect the troubled image of the white men who still comprise most of the dominant roles in Western society.

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JMR (photo © Bryan Raughton)

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Brand New Piece From Dain: “Born Again” Solo Show in Paris at Lebenson Gallery

JUST RELEASED

An image of a brand new piece by Brooklyn’s Own DAIN for his new solo show tomorrow in Paris.

DAIN’s new show is opening Thursday at Lebenson Gallery


“Dain: I don’t call myself a ‘street artist’ or this or that type of artist, too many people are looking for a title. I respect all art, whatever that may be.”

Click here for the rest of an interview with DAIN published today on Elle’s website

Image courtesy the artist.

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Phun Phactory 10 Years Later, a Reunion on The Street

Last weekend the Phun Phactory returned to New York’s streets for an aerosol infused celebration of Old Tymers – and a promise for the future.

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The original graff spot of the same name was founded in 1993 by Pat DiLillo and the pioneering aerosol artist Michael “Iz The Wiz” Martin, who recently passed away. Created as a safe place to promote legal aerosol art in New York City, the Phun Phactory allowed many a newcomer to practice and perfect their skills in a supportive environment, frequently working side by side with veterans. The Queens factory building in Long Island City across from MoMA/PS1 became a free public outdoor art exhibit and is considered a landmark. The original site, now known as 5 Pointz, passed from their hands by the end of the decade.

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Saturday a large corrugated metal wall, 3 sides of a block in an industrial site in North Brooklyn, feted newbies and old skoolers to “Old Tymer’s Day”, a gathering of aerosol artists who began riding trains and spraying tags during a time in the city’s recent history when the hand-lettered graffiti style defined the urban environment and spawned an international youth culture infatuated with all things New York City.Brooklyn-Street-Art-WEB-Phun_Factory-June-2010-copyright-Steven-P_Harrington-L1090275

Because of we’re kind of ignorant about graffiti at BSA, rather than concentrate on too many individual pieces and artists, we wandered the scene meeting people and listening to the DJ beats, soaking in the sun, and feeling a little bit of the magic.  It was a hot and humid day and most people moved slowly to endure the heat, enjoying  hanging out, trading stories, talking about technique, walking over to the barbecue, and taking a seat behind the wheel of a classic convertible.  The vibe was nice and the feeling of community and creativity was in the air.

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Jeremy Vega, the Director of the Phun Phactory, says that very soon a new Phun Phactory will headquarter itself in Williamsburg and will make available more than 500,000 square feet of public space for artists of all mediums to showcase their artwork legally.  Judging from the number of young people we saw hanging out Saturday, the new generation will be in attendance.

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This crew of stylish people spontaneously jumped together for a photo as soon as they saw the tripod. In front of this piece by CANO were Boltism, KCONE, Atom, CANO, Vic, and Chino.

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Sitting on a loading dock, these two stayed cool and did tags in a black book.  They said their names are Mary Kate and Ashley.

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The barbecue was open and working, and one guy was making mixed fruity drinks in a blender! Sharp knife too.

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Had a really nice conversation with this guy, who was waiting for his 18 year old son to bring by his paint so he could start his piece.  His name is Zord AKA ZD, G+F, TDT, Tns, R+W, MPC.  He  said he was the king of the BMT, J and M lines circa 1985-1990. We discussed his Kiss action figure collection that got thrown away, Satanism, addiction, opinions on the differences between graffiti and street art, film school, and peace and love.

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This was an impromptu (and shaded) area for blackbooks, which people brought to be signed and traded back and forth discussing.

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Nothing like a robot dance and some heavy metal air guitar for fun on a Saturday.

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(all images © Steven P. Harrington)

The Phun Phactory

Phun Phactory on Facebook

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Dan Witz Will be Signing Copies of His New Book “In Plain View” at Spoonbill and Sugartown in Williamsburg.

Dan Witz

Dan Witz "In Plain View"

Dan Witz "In Plain View"

Wednesday June 30th 7:00 pm

Spoonbill and Sugartown

218 Bedford Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211
718/387-7322
www.spoonbillbooks.com


Dan Witz: “In Plain View” — 30 Years of Artworks Illegal
and Otherwise is the first and long overdue monograph
on the work of Dan Witz. A benefit of having one of the
most sustained careers in street art, if such a thing exists, is the degree of growth, freedom and experimentation that such an extended period allows. Another advantage would be the influence of the aesthetic environs within the changing cultural landscape, especially if you happen to work in New York City.
From the no-wave and DIY movements of New York’s Lower East Side of the 70’s, through the Reaganomics of the 80’s to the flourishing of graffiti art in the new millennium. Whether stickers or paste-up silk-screened posters, conceptual pranks and interventions, or beautiful tromp l’oeil paintings, the medium is inspired as much by the nature and subject of his art as by the mutating urban conditions in which the piece is executed.
– Hide quoted text –
Besides obvious craftsmanship, the artwork of Dan Witz evinces a rigorous conceptual framework. This framework not only opens up a dialogue with graffiti and street art which dominate the urban environment, but also allows for the retention of clear and open lines with the canon of art history.

Dan Witz, born 1957, Chicago, IL, attended Cooper Union in New York City’s East Village. In 1982 he received a NEA grant and in 1992 and 2000 fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts. His first book, “The Birds of Manhattan” was published in 1983 by Skinny Books. Solo exhibitions include Semaphore Gallery NY (1985,1986), Clementine Gallery (1996), StolenSpace, London (2007); DFN Gallery NY (2003-5, 6, 7, 8, 10) and Carmichael Gallery, LA (2009). Group exhibitions include: Buying Time: Nourishing Excellence, Sotheby’s NY(2001); and Fifteen, NYFA Fellows at Deutsche Bank, NY (1999). Submission (curated by Juxtapoz) Fuse Gallery NY (2005); From The Streets of Brooklyn, Think space Art Gallery, LA (2009) and Beach Blanket Bingo, Jonathan Levine Gallery NY(2009). Dan lives and works in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

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Lebenson Gallery Presents: Dain “Born Again” (Paris)

Dain “Born Again”

Dain (Image Courtesy of the Gallery)

Dain (Image Courtesy of the Gallery)

Opening June 24

6 to 9 pm

After two very successful New York shows, Brooklyn born artist DAIN, makes his first solo show in europe at the Lebenson Gallery in Paris. His love for old Hollywood glam is evident in all his work. This, along with his roots in graffiti, create a gritty yet classy street art style . ” BORN AGAIN” will bring back to life an era long gone..”

http://www.lebensongallery.com/

director@lebensongallery.com

56 rue Chapon
75003 Paris
Tel :

+33 (0)9 81 88 75 61

Ouverture Du mardi au Samedi de 11h à 19h
Tuesday to Saturday 11 am to 7 pm

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NohJColey Advances The New Guard of Street Art

Street Artist NohJColey keeps bringing it, even if you don’t know what “it” is.

The quality of line and rendering continues in this 12′ x 8′ large metaphor that incorporates a human figure with other symbols of explosives in some sort of race against time.  If the missing fingers are any indication of this guy’s safety record, you may want to run.

NohJColey "Kleptomaniac" (Photo © Jaime Rojo)
NohJColey (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

An entirely hand painted wheat-paste of this size is fairly rare in a street art vernacular that looks increasingly mass produced, but a small number of the new generation are distinguishing themselves from the pack in this way – QRST, Gaia, Cake, Over Under, and others come to mind. This is not simply a linotype that’s been inked and printed – there is only one of these and yet a strong rainstorm could crumple it.  It’s fragility in a hostile street environment makes it even more curious, and makes the viewer feel like they have experienced something individual, impermanent, irreplicable.

Detail
NohJColey (Detail) (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Thematically, this Street Artist never makes it easy for you. His pieces can feel like a frustrating riddle, but the level of industry shows that he’s not simply doodling; there is a message or two or five – maybe intended only for the artist.  But in the street art world messages are often shrouded and left for you to determine. Even one of Street Art’s older relatives, graffiti, can be so stylized that only the writers’ peers can decode it.  Ah, well. When it comes to the work of NohJColey, we’ll keep listening.

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