All posts tagged: 14 From 2014

Street Cats in Tel Aviv With Natalie Kates: 14 From 2014

December 31, 2014 Artists

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Happy Holidays to all of you charming and sparkling BSA readers!
It’s been a raucous sleigh ride with you and we thank everyone most sincerely for your support and participation this year. A sort of tradition for us at the end of this December we are marking the year with “14 from 2014”. We asked photographers and curators from various perspectives of street culture to share a gem with all of us that means something to them. Join us as we collectively say goodbye and thank you to ’14.

Curator Natalie Kates has organized and presented site specific art exhibitions as well as represented Street Artists and collected their work as well. She also has a great sense of style and some incredible shoes. Ms. Kates’ familiarity with the street art and contemporary art scene is only superceded by her unbowed enthusiasm for the work she presents and her commitment to a sense of community and collaboration. For the last day of 2014, Natalie shows us an image she shot on its very first.

“I have been all over the world documenting, producing and collecting art. For a holiday gift my husband took me to Israel.

To my surprise Tel Aviv has a thriving street art community, with artists creating beautiful works in all forms from wheat-pasting to stencils. This photo was taken on New Year’s Day 2014 as I was making my way to breakfast in the charming Neve Tzedek neighborhood and saw this street cat having his breakfast too, with the stencil work by DeDe as a perfect backdrop!”

~ Natalie Kates

DeDe. Tel Aviv, Israel in the Neve Tzedek neighborhood. (photo © Natalie Kates)

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Please note: All content including images and text are © BrooklynStreetArt.com, unless otherwise noted. We like sharing BSA content for non-commercial purposes as long as you credit the photographer(s) and BSA, include a link to the original article URL and do not remove the photographer’s name from the .jpg file. Otherwise, please refrain from re-posting. Thanks!

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Pierre Terdjman and the ShopKeeper Chasing Looters : 14 From 2014

December 29, 2014 Artists

A primarily French collective of photojournalists named DYSTURB have opened a rather category within the Street Art oeuvre this year; wheat-pasting large reproductions of their photographs on selected streets as a way to bring the news of the world directly to passersby. “We believe in photography to express the words, distinguish the emotions and elevate the voice of people,” says the group. Today DYSTURB co-director Pierre Terjman, who photographed the Arab Spring, covered both the fall of Ben Ali in Tunisia, Mubarak in Egypt and the struggle against Gaddafi in Libya, shares with us his favorite shot from 2014 while he was covering uprisings of violence in Central Africa.

“This photo was taken in the Central African Republic a few months ago. It is a Muslim shop owner who is defending his shop from looters. I hope you will like it!”

~ Pierre Terjman

Central African Republic. (photo © Pierre Terdjman)

Read more about DYSTURB in our article on the Huffington Post this October “Photojournalists Are ‘Dysturbing’ Passersby On NYC Streets”

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Alexis Masurelle and a Bombed Train in Paris : 14 From 2014

December 28, 2014 Artists

Urban explorer and Street Art photographer Alexis Masurelle caught our eye this year with his style that doesn’t heroicize, but poetically documents the underbelly, the decay, the left traces of our human folly and industry. We didn’t know what to think when we first saw his image from 2014 of a train bombed (in both senses of the word) but then we realized that it is a perfect marriage of his styles and interests in some way. The icon of a train painted (or bombed) is burned into the minds of generations of graffiti writers thanks to images of NYC trains from the 1970s and 80s, but because of an act of terrorism, this particular train has a far sadder memory in the minds of many Parisians.

“This image was shot in a train depot in September this year, nineteen years after it was bombed in Paris. The practice of street art is for most players an illegal activity punished by law. For graffiti artists the train is one of the most sought after, often guarded and difficult to access.

This historic RER (Réseau Express Régional (regional express train)) was the subject of an attack at the Saint Michel station. The historical significance is mainly owed to the fact that this train is the trace – the proof – of this. Besides being a vestige of history, this model is nearly no longer in circulation, and so it is rare to see one.”

~ Alexis Masurelle

“Terrorism”. Train Depot, Vitry-sur-Seine, France. September 2014. (photo © Alexis Masurelle)

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Maximiliano Ruiz Peels Back Layers : 14 From 2014

December 26, 2014 Artists

Author and editor of Graffiti Argentina, Nuevo Mundo: Latin American Street Art, and Walls & Frames: Fine Art from the Streets, Maximiliano Ruiz can tell you about the intersection of the street with the gallery and fine art collections with a great deal of acumen. This year he shared with BSA readers a story that intersected Street Artist Pejac, a ship, and the exact time Monet completed a painting. Here he takes a step back to share with us the profane and profound: the elements involved in the Street Art scene wherever you are – in this case Moscow.

“Urban art can take endless forms and is constantly bringing surprises with its evolution.

But no matter what, it has always been and will always be just a very thin layer of paint on a wall.”

~ Maximiliano Ruiz

Layers in Moscow, Russia. (photo © @ches_ches)

See Maximiliano’s photos in our posting >>Monet Rising: Spanish Street Artist Pejac Impressionist Tribute on Ship

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Jetsonorama in Hotchkiss : 14 From 2014

December 25, 2014 Artists

Jetsonorama is a regular contributor to BSA and a cultural curator in the desert of Arizona and on the Navajo Reservation with his “Painted Desert Project”. For a few consecutive years he has been inviting Street Artists to create contextual pieces that relate to the culture and history of the community, and fostering an exchange – a few of his many talents. Additionally, he is a photography-based street artist himself, using his portraits in unconventional ways to bring a dynamism to cityscapes and rural settings with local personalities in a way that has earned him respect from both artists and the community. We asked Jetsonorama to share his favorite shot of 2014 and, no surprise, it combines and celebrates those constituencies as well.

“This photo is by Nellie Higgenbotham of a performance by Illumicirque in front of an installation I did on Friday, June 13^th on an old church now converted into a church of art in Hotchkiss, Colorado (population 923). It’s the friendliest town on the western slope!”

~ Jetsonorama

Illumicirque and Jetsonorama. Hotchkiss, CO. (photo © Nelly Higginbotham)

Labrona and Troy Lovegates Join Season 3 of “Painted Desert Project”

Mae Jean & Mary Reese Grace The Arizona Desert with Jetsonorama

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Marek Szymanski and dalEAST : 14 From 2014

December 24, 2014 Artists

Łódź, Poland has metamorphosed in the last couple of years to become a destination for large scale murals of high quality by some of the best names on (what has become) an international circuit of Street Art festivals. Today we ask a talented photographer from Łódź, Marek Szymanski, to share his favorite image from the many he shot this year at Urban Forms. Marek chose this piece by DALeast (born in China, lives in Capetown) to share with BSA readers, and gives an idea of what he was thinking when framing the shot.

“A deer in the city, on the empty, concrete wall, it seems to miss it’s natural surrounding, in which it at its best. That’s why I chose to hide the deer in the branches, which give the impression of the forest, creating a place where the animal can hide and feel safety in a more natural environment”.

” Jeleniowi w mieście, na pustej betonowej, surowej ścianie, wydaje się brakować jego naturalnego środowiska, w którym prezentuje się najlepiej. Stąd próba schowania go w gałęziach drzewa, które dają poczucie lasu, które tworzą miejsce w którym zwierze może się schować, w którym czuje się bezpiecznie, tworząc atmosferę naturalności”

~ Marek Szymanski

daL East. Lodz, Poland. (photo © Marek Szymanski)

See more images of this installation from our posting in October: Flora Turns to Fauna as dalEAST is in Łódź, Poland

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14 From 2014: Rosanna Bach

December 23, 2014 Artists

Rosanna Bach is a photographer, writer and storyteller – who has told a story or two here on BSA. Originally from Switzerland and just out of school at Parsons in New York, the bohemian wanderer has been discovering her shooting and storytelling style while traveling across the US. As her favorite image of 2014, Rosanna sends this self-portrait taken in Zion, Utah this past summer, along with some things she says she has learned.

“Bodies are powerful, minds stronger.

To seek but not to look, faith not hope, love fear not.

Play, for the heart must eat. Sometimes, small moments of clarity leek through the repetitive machine that we have built and feed and run on.

When the skeleton of everyday life is stripped bare only one thing remains at its core; Intuition.”

~ Rosanna Bach

A Song to the Self, August 2014 Zion, Utah. (photo © Rosanna Bach)

Read Rosanna Bach’s piece on BSA from last year >> Studio Visit with MRKA : Graffiti and Branding

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Sandra Hoj Spots Kashink in Paris : 14 from 2014

December 22, 2014 Artists

Copenhagen blogger, writer, and photographer Sandra Hoj is the right person to give you a healthy overview of a city, and an eye for detail. A natural preservationist, Hoj feels protective of sculptures and edifices and fights to keep trees in the cityscape – and loves to visit and re-visit her favorite Street Art pieces. All tolled she estimates that she has over 40,000 images of Street Art and architectural details archived. Today she shares with BSA readers one her favorite shots of Street Art from a trip to Paris in 2014.

“This was a big moment in Paris: my first Kashink spotting. She blew my mind, that one.”

~ Sandra Hoj

Kashink and Izo. Paris, France. (Photo © Sandra Hoj)

See Sandra’s piece on Brooklyn Street Art from April 2014 Finding Peace In Copenhagen with Sculpting Street Artist Tejn

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Benjamin Girette and Dysturb : 14 From 2014

December 21, 2014 Artists

A new Street Art team is hitting cities around the globe this year and they have disturbed some while delighting others. The mostly French collective of photojournalists named DYSTURB are wheat-pasting large reproductions of their photographs on selected streets as a way to bring the news of the world directly to passersby. “We are photojournalists who have taken onto the walls of your city to highlight stories under-covered by mainstream media,” says the group. Today DYSTURB co-director Benjamin Girette, who shot images during the Arab Spring and made a name for himself with his Instagram images of the Kiev uprising, shares with us his favorite shot of the year from the streets of his hometown.

“I took this image this summer on July 19th, 2014 in Paris. It is a demonstration for Gaza that quickly turned in to clashes with the police forces. I have a strong memory of this moment because four of my friends and colleagues were hurt during these protests. They were wounded by angry protesters, not by the police. This is something that is on the rise with many of todays protests – media correspondents are more and more often targeted for doing their work.”

~Benjamin Girette

Paris, France. July 2014. (photo © Benjamin Girette)

See our story on DYSTURB from this October:

Photo Journalists Dysturbing Passersby on NYC Streets

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Lord Jim and “The Zurich Sprayer” : 14 From 2014

December 20, 2014 Artists

We feel lucky to present Lord Jim to you because he knows how to tell a tale and turn a phrase. He also knows a little bit about Street Art and graffiti history and has a razor sharp ability to detect false posers on the scene, so no frontin’. Aside from those street skillz the Los Angeles based photographer intrepidly tracks down his intended and gets his shot. This year he had the great fortune of finding an art world near-legend. Okay, maybe a legend. True story.

“My shot of the year is not a very flashy one. It’s not even a good photo but a simple shot of a great and rather profound personal find that threw me back about 30 years:

This is one of a few pieces by Harald Naegeli, AKA the “Zurich Sprayer”, that I found in Duesseldorf , Germany a couple of weeks ago.

It was the first that I’ve ever seen in the wild too, even though I knew all about him and his style since, well…about 1980.

This find seemed completely implausible, but these were his fast, lanky stick figures; the crude curvy lines, sparsely added simple geometric shapes hinting torsos, heads, eyes, boobs, etc. They were all sprayed in one swig from the bottle that I had discovered and that were, at least in my mind, completely out of time and out of place there.

Naegeli had disappeared from the public eye in the late 1980s and I had all but relegated him to a footnote, granted – a seminal one, in the graffiti time line. You may call him the Cornbread of Germany.

Turns out Naegeli still lives in Duesseldorf, just celebrated his 75th birthday and…he gets up. Again. This piece was actually his and it was fresh!

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Naegeli is one of those characters of graff legend and lore who has really seen things through.

His graffiti in Zurich created a massive controversy in the art world in the late 70s; “vandalism is not art”, “private vs communal property”… nothing you have not heard before. This was probably the first art discourse that I could relate to and among my earliest flirts with graffiti and public uncommissioned art.

In his prime his wiry figures were everywhere in Zurich, tallying up to a thousand. Naegeli was a wanted man but he managed to stay up and anonymous, known only as “The Zurich Sprayer” until he was arrested there in ’79.

Neageli did the sensible thing; he fled to Germany and in 1981 he was sentenced to 9 month jail and a hefty fine in absentia.

This only fueled the conversation about the value of his art and set the stage for a spectacle in which the Swiss had issued an international warrant and demanded that Germany would extradite him. Art world heavyweights like Joseph Beuys and Klaus Staeck rallied to his defense but, alas, in 1984 Naegeli turned himself in and served the sentence that hundreds of artists and authors had petitioned the Swiss Supreme Court to commute.

That’s were I had left him standing. This was a time when Graffiti in Germany was mostly just daft slogans, when it was fresh only in America, when Street Art meant dreadful mimes, musicians and someone doodling old masters in chalk on the sidewalk.

Naegeli forced the hand of the art establishment at a time when the public was considered safe and exempt from art, when art was reserved for the academies, temples and ivory-tower collections. We were commanded to take sides in that great controversy about the sprayer, the vandal, the artist, his rage, revolt and work. I ran with the underdog and never looked back.

30 years later these few sprayed lines reminded me of that, and not just as an afterthought but in paint, there on the wall, here and now. Hard to beat.

Glad I found these, glad you’re still out and about, Harald Naegeli!”

~Lord Jim

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Alexandra Parrish : 14 From 2014

December 19, 2014 Artists

Writer and curator Alexandra Parrish has contributed her personal accounts and observations on BSA with her experiences in organizing Atlanta’s Living Walls festival and her various travels abroad. BSA was very fortunate this year when Alex wrote directly from Kiev during the democratic uprising there, where she explained a new sculpture installed amidst the crowds in Independence Square. Not surprisingly, it remains her favorite installation of the year.

“Members of the Euromaidan movement in Kiev face the sculpture titled “New Ukraine,” illegally installed in solidarity with the on-going civil unrest in Ukraine by French artist Roti. This photo was taken on the 16th of January, 2014, the day President Yanukovych attempted to thwart opposition by passing a series of anti-protest laws, and just a few days before a conflict with deadly consequences between protestors and riot police. While the area has been wiped clean following Yanukovych’s resignation, “New Ukraine” remains to this day a monument to the many months of struggle and lives lost, but more importantly, a symbol of renewal and hope.”

~ Alexandra Parrish

Read Alexandra’s original piece, A ‘New Ukraine’ Sculpture In Kiev By Street Artist Roti

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Fernando Alcala : 14 From 2014

December 18, 2014 Artists

Barcelona based photographer Fernando Alcala was featured on BSA in November with his shots for Open Walls and we liked his work so well that we invited him back to tell us about his experience and to share with BSA readers about his favorite shot of the year.

“The Open Walls Conference has been the Street Art & Graffiti event of the year in Barcelona – an event done with passion, love and respect for art and artists. This is the way I try to take pictures too.

This piece from local artist Roc Blackblock is one of the last works done during the event and I find some powerful meaning in it, as it took a lot of talking with the local authorities and patience to open new walls in the city. Most of the times, these words and promises were gone with the wind, the same way as the letters you are looking at in that wall.

I hope there will be more events like this in a near future in BCN and that some new free walls spread all over the town despite of the fact that Street Art & Graffiti is forbidden in Barcelona.

Thanks to everyone at Open Walls, Roc Blackblock and Brooklyn Street Art”

~ Fernando Alcalá

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