Welcome to BSA Images of the Week!
Be it ever so! The long summer days, the walls awash with fresh paint, the overspray and splatter a Greek chorus to cheer our hero/shero. Oh!
Here’s our weekly interview with the street, this week featuring: Jason Naylor, Lexi Bella, Homesick, David Puck, Calicho Art, Atom, Hops Art, Caty Wooley, DLove, Stem and Thorn, Minvske, Jappy Agoncillo, KMS Crew, Vargas, Nicky Doll, Kanoy Muse, Bipolar, Nataniel Marreo, Voice, Mista, Carli Tops, and Pamela Rosenkranz.
Street Artist Combo says he was beaten for his street art advocating religious tolerance and naturally there has been a series of Je Suis Charlie variants appearing in the streets of Paris since we last checked in with this hot spot on the Street Art scene, so you know that many newly appearing works are charged with socio-political relevance. In these new images you will also see some fresh ideas from new names as well as long-term players, so those are encouraging signs of a vibrant scene as well.
You may also note an increase in the professional/commercial quality of some of these pieces and murals and begin to question how long a free-wheeling organic Street Art scene can last before low level opportunists cash in on it and turn it into a sad strip mall selling tchotchkes or derivative works by anonymous artists like a machine. Ah, capitalism, of thee we all sing.
The London scene has elements of this, so do New York and Melbourne, but we didn’t see it so obviously until photographer Geoff Hargadon returned from Paris with these excellent photos for BSA readers and gave us his account of a store he wandered into. Enjoy his account further along in this posting.
In the mean time, long live Paris and it’s many players on the street!
Geoff’s account of his discovery in a heavily trafficked area known for Street Art in Paris recently. “Rue Déyonez is an active street for street art, with de facto legal walls on each side showing work from the most prolific Parisian artists. So I was walking up Rue Déyonez and this door was half open. I would not say it was exactly inviting but somehow I wiggled my way in. This guy named Pedro was in there with a friend, drinking tea.”
“I looked around and saw that the room was completely filled with stenciled paintings of (mostly) American figures such as Warhol, Obama, Hendrix, Marilyn Monroe, and lots of Jimi Hendrix. The smell of aerosol was intense, and I quickly concluded my host had never worn a protective mask in his working life. Pedro probably set up camp to capitalize on the flow of visitors to this concentrated display of street art. I didn’t quite catch where he was from originally and I don’t think it was France. He was certainly cordial. I poked around his rooms full of literally hundreds of stencils while he allowed me to ignore the PAS DE PHOTOS sign on the pole. I left with a (overpriced) stencil on a Paris map.”
Our sincere thanks to Geoff Hargadon for his contributions and for sharing with BSA readers his unique perspective and talent.
Paris Street Art : Spencer Elzey in Europe
Towering Gallery Full of Art to Be Demolished : “La Tour Paris 13″
Paris: A Mid-Summer Mural Art Dispatch
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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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Tragedy is grabbing world headlines again and we can’t help but be swayed by it as the downed passenger aircraft in Ukraine smells of a lawless future and the international community seems rather helpless to address it meaningfully. Simultaneously the Israeli / Palestinian crises flares for the seemingly millionth time along with international opinion, a fire now fed with large helpings of social media oxygen, buffeted by various marches in the actual streets around the world and here in NYC.
Our banner today is a relatively new collage/painting currently on view in the Italian Cultural Institute of New York by the Street Artist BR1, who depicts the strife in somewhat cartoonish exaggerated simplicity, flattening the complexity of history with two dimensional caricature. Comments some made when we ran it a couple of weeks ago for the opening of the show (before the current events had begun) made it clear that even art about the conflict seems radioactive.
Our top image this week is an actual street piece from Icy & Sot and it brought more comments on Instagram than most other photos, so strong are people’s reactions to it. As far as the Ukraine/Russia news, we haven’t seen any Street Art about that – except maybe for that Billi Kid caricature of Putin as a cowboy earlier in the year but you couldn’t really say it is directly related.
With this pall of strife filling screens and streets right now its no wonder the one image below of Ewok’s wall full of discontented people was shared so many times on our FB Fan Page this week. “Hey these grumpy faces make me happy,” said one commenter.
So anyway, here’s our weekly interview with the street, this week featuring Art is Trash, Atom, BustArt, Cold World, E.L.K., Ewok, False, GG, Gualicho, Icy & Sot, Kuma, Myth, Osch, Otto Schade, Post No Selfie, QRST, Sean9Lugo, Sebs, Sexer, Topaz, UFO907, Unvale, Wing, and Zaria.
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So Summer is officially here and with it comes Bushwick Open Studios (BOS) – in fact close to 600 venues are opening their doors for the next 3 days and you are encouraged to just wander the streets or to be strategic about it.
As always, the arts and culture festival is hosted by the volunteer organization Arts in Bushwick (AiB) and as always BSA has an eclectic collection of a few highlights we think you’ll like. They are not in any particular order and they are not all related to Street Art, but yo, isn’t everything related to Schtreet Aht in Bushwick?
1. Maps N Mimosas at Norte Maar
2. Art Brooklyn
3. Bushwick Smushwick
4. blokactivity: A People’s History
5. Exit Room Group Show and Art Battles
6. Meg Hitchcock
7. Secret Project Robot Renaissance Faire
8. “Vacancy” with Pufferella in the Factory Fresh Penthouse
9. The Bushwick Collective Block Party and Art Show
Yes, there’s the launch party on Friday but the place to get your bearings will be Maps-N-Mimosas on Saturday morning with Norte Maar, who we want to shout out.
In their seventh year at BOS, Norte Maar has been a unique and steady force in the evolution of the arts scene in Bushwick. Free of the posturing characterized by round-tables and panels, Norte Maar dove into its programming by involving the public and the neighbors, showing leadership and piquing curiosity thanks to co-founder/ Director Jason Andrew. A myriad of cultural programs have unfolded, each with a strong commitment to collaboration and inclusiveness.
For BOS 2014 Norte Maar is giving you a chance to explore your voyeuristic side by opening his private collection of art comprised of local Bushwick artists, including drawing, mixed media, painting, photography, and sculpture. And yes, Jason will likely welcome you at the door with a mimosa. GO!
Norte Maar
83 Wyckoff Ave., 1B
Brooklyn, NY 11237
Mighty Tanaka Gallery owner Alex Emmart will be in residence for this pop-up and a handful of the names associated with Street Art in the late 00s and some new friends too. Guest artists include JM Rizzi, Chris RWK (Robots Will Kill), Rubin415, Reginald Pean with Kristin Maher and Karina Herrera, Brandon from Greatest Hits Gallery. The event will have free refreshments.
2 St. Nicholas Ave., 2nd floor
Brooklyn, NY 11221
Friday May 30, 12-6pm
Saturday May 31, 12pm-6pm
Sunday June 1, 12pm-6pm
A collection of drawing, mixed media, painting, photography, sculpture, and some street artists thrown in for spice with Skewville, Jon Burgerman, Allison Sommers, Vahge, QRST, Rachel O’Donnell, Lev Sloujitel, Caroline Harrison, Alden Stover, Megan Watters, Daniel Mitchell, Peter Striffolino, Herm, Ariel Hellwitz, Alex Feld, Sasha Braginsky, Dane LaChiusa, Glenn Friedel, Chip Moeser, Hsin Wang, Ben Ripley, Ryan Ford, and Ronit Zvi.
Bob Jefferson
308 Jefferson St.
Brooklyn, NY 11237
blokactivity: A People’s History is an art event that limits itself to just one block in Bushwick and the change that it has undergone in the last two decades. Curated by Clare Stack and photographer Brenda Kenneally, this is the story of their neighborhood, their culture, their love for their home, and they have created this show with other local artists to bring the block and it’s history to life for BOS 2014. The photos alone are a rare eye-opening opportunity to appreciate life in Bushwick and to provide insight into how things have changed.
“There will be a display of personal photographs and stories belonging to people who are either long time residents/grew up in the area or those who have made it their home more recently. Some of these images will be displayed on a wall-sized map of the block, drawn especially for the show by Victor Llanos and Hannah Lichtenstein. There is an interactive component for those who want to share their own stories. This show also includes many original works by local artists including video pieces by Kevin Little and C. Stack, collage by Zak Vreeland, photography by Oriana Fine.”
rare form studio/ pop-up gallery
1102 Broadway, 3rd Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11221
Friday May 30, 4p.m.- 7p.m. (event at none)
Saturday May 31, 12pm-7pm (event at tba)
Sunday June 1, 12pm-6pm (event at none)
This experimental show space that has provided opportunity to Street Artists in the last year will host Art Battles, a group show of about 20 artists, live painting and video projects.
270 Meserole St., Ground Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11206
Artist Meg Hitchcock has been building her text-based practice for a while in Bushwick and her astounding works on paper using letters cut from sacred texts will be on display as well as some older pieces. By separating the text from its original moorings, she finds that these spiritually infused symbols are set free to rearrange themselves across walls and re-present rather decoratively, rhythmically, organically. Formerly evangelical, now she is simply angelical.
698 Hart St., Ground Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11221
Saturday May 31, 12pm-7pm
A not-for-profit artist run art space that moved from Williamsburg to Bushwick a few years ago, Secret Project Robot is celebrating its 10 year of introducing new artists to new opportunity and new audiences. For Bushwick Open Studios they are converting the outdoor garden into an artist’s made installation of a Renaissance Faire. It will be “Fully equipped with outdoor stage, artist made goods, beautiful masks and decorations that have come to define both the aesthetic of a renaissance faire and the hand-made feel of Secret Project Robot.”
Secret Project Robot
389 Melrose St.
Brooklyn, NY 11237
Friday May 30, 7pm-11pm
Saturday May 31, 12pm-9pm
Sunday June 1, 12pm-9pm
Not part of the BOS 2014 slate of events, Street Artist/fine artist Pufferella nonetheless belongs in Bushwick. One half of the duo that brought Factory Fresh to Flushing Ave in the late 00s, Pufferella invites you to the Penthouse, where you have always secretly wanted to go. Her most recent hand sewn artworks will be on display.
Factory Fresh Penthouse,
1053 Flushing Avenue, 1 Flight Up
Brooklyn, NY 11237
Saturday, May 31st & Sunday, June 1st, noon-6pm
After all the darting in and out of studios for three days you are invited to stay outside in the more democratically available Street Art environs of The Bushwick Collective Block Party on Sunday. Not really a BOS event and not really a collective, Joe Ficalora is really Bushwick, so get your facts straight knucklehead.
There will be live Street Art, food trucks, a beer tent, bands, DJ’s, giveaways and raffles. In addition there is an art show featuring Bleck Le Rat, Solus, Rubin415, Chris Stain, Dan Witz, Zimad, Jerk Face, Joe Iurato, Sexer, Beau Stanton, Atom and FKDL.
Sunday June 1st 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
Troutman Street between Wyckoff and St. Nicholas
Brooklyn, NYC
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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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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The barbecue was open and working, and one guy was making mixed fruity drinks in a blender! Sharp knife too.
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.
This was an impromptu (and shaded) area for blackbooks, which people brought to be signed and traded back and forth discussing.
Nothing like a robot dance and some heavy metal air guitar for fun on a Saturday.
(all images © Steven P. Harrington)
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