All posts tagged: Cake

Street Artists Give to NYC KIDS: A gift of Art and Self-Confidence

With 60 artists, 73 artworks, over 500 guests, and a happy vibe created by the mad-scientists Sifunk & Garmunkle at music mission control, the Street Art New York Silent Auction Benefit for Free Arts NYC was a huge success. At the end of the night most of the walls were bare, and most of the pieces remaining had been purchased by absentee bidders. With animated conversations, excited bidding, and occasionally rambunctious dancing (Andrew), the night was really an excellent example of how the street art community is alive and well, and how the work of street artists is in demand.

Thank you to Ali and Ad at Factory Fresh for co-hosting the event, thank you to all the volunteers from Free Arts NYC who helped to hang it, pack it, and execute the auction, and special thanks to all the artists who so generously donated their pieces to the event.  Also special thanks to all the blog friends (so many!) who wrote about this event and all the people who Tweeted it continuously, as well as the print publications who helped get the word out.  We hope to thank you all personally some time, if not via email. Because of your help, the gallery and back yard were jammed with more people than anyone could remember.

Thank you to Reid Harris Cooper for sending us these pictures he took at the crowded party (we threw in a couple crowd shots from the cellphone). Reid actually scored the Blanco piece in the auction.  If anyone else has pics from that night we would love to see them.

[flagallery gid=2 name=”Gallery”]

For more images by Reid Harris Cooper see his Flickr page HERE

See images and details of the pieces at our Flickr – which will be updated by the end of the day

Participating artists were: Abe Lincoln Jr., Alex Diamond, Anera, Avoid Pi, Billi Kid, Bishop 203, Blanco, BortusK Leer, Broken Crow, C Damage, C215, Cake, Celso, Chris RWK, Chris Stain, Creepy, Dain, Damon Ginandes, Dan Witz, Dark Clouds, Dennis McNett, Elbow Toe, EllisG, FKDL, Gaia, General Howe, GoreB, Hargo, Hellbent, Imminent Disaster, Infinity, Jef Aerosol, Jim Avignon, JMR, Joe Iurato, Jon Burgerman, Keely, Know Hope, Logan Hicks, Mark Carvalho, Matt Siren, Mint and Serf, Miss Bugs, NohJColey, Nomadé, Peru Ana Ana Peru, PMP/Peripheral Media Projects, Poster Boy, Pufferella, Rene Gagnon, Roa, Royce Bannon, Skewville, Specter, Stikman, Swoon, The Dude Company, Tristan Eaton, UR New York (2esae & Ski), Veng RWK

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STREET ART NEW YORK BENEFIT AT FACTORY FRESH FOR FREE ARTS NYC

Street Art New York at Factory Fresh
SANY-BENEFIT-Header-PR

“Street Art New York” Silent Auction Benefit for Free Arts NYC

For more information please contact:
Email: info@StreetArtNewYork.com; Web: www.StreetArtNewYork.com

“Street Art New York” Silent Auction Benefit for Free Arts NYC
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Event Time: 7-11 pm

Auction Time: Promptly 7 pm to 9:30 pm EST
Absentee bidders please register with Bernadette DeAngelis at bernadette@freeartsnyc.org or call 212.974.9092.

Location: Factory Fresh Gallery
1053 Flushing Avenue
Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York 11237
between Morgan and Knickerbocker, off the L train Morgan Stop


SILENT AUCTION BENEFIT BY STREET ARTISTS FOR “FREE ARTS NYC” AND A PARTY TO MARK THE RELEASE OF NEW BOOK
“STREET ART NEW YORK”.

To celebrate the release of the new book “Street Art New York” and to benefit the programs of Free Arts NYC, original artworks by a stellar array of today’s Street Artists from New York and beyond will be featured in a silent auction to take place on April 24, 2010, from 7 pm to 9:30 pm at Factory Fresh Gallery in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

The Benefit and the Artists

The Benefit, to be held at one of New York’s epicenters for the thriving new Street Art scene, Factory Fresh Gallery, will feature an incredibly strong selection of today’s Street Artists joining together for one night as a community to benefit NYC kids from disadvantaged backgrounds as the numbers of poor and low-income children in New York continues to rise. Representing a renaissance in modern urban art at the dawn of a new decade, this artists will very likely be the largest collection of 2010’s street artists in one location.

With exciting new work by 60 of today’s Street Artists

Abe Lincoln Jr., Alex Diamond, Anera, Avoid Pi, Billi Kid, Bishop 203, Blanco, BortusK Leer, Broken Crow, C Damage, C215, Cake, Celso, Chris RWK, Chris Stain, Creepy, Dain, Damon Ginandes, Dan Witz, Dark Clouds, Dennis McNett, Elbow Toe, EllisG, FKDL, Gaia, General Howe, GoreB, Hargo, Hellbent, Imminent Disaster, Infinity, Jef Aerosol, Jim Avignon, JMR, Joe Iurato, Jon Burgerman, Keely, Know Hope, Logan Hicks, Mark Carvalho, Matt Siren, Mint and Serf, Miss Bugs, NohJColey, Nomadé, Peru Ana Ana Peru, PMP/Peripheral Media Projects, Poster Boy, Pufferella, Rene Gagnon, Roa, Royce Bannon, Skewville, Specter, Stikman, Swoon, The Dude Company, Tristan Eaton, UR New York (2esae & Ski), Veng RWK

About the Book

Street Art New York, by Steven P. Harrington and Jaime Rojo, with a foreword by Carolina A. Miranda, published in April 2010 by Prestel Publishing (Random House).

The authors of the successful Brooklyn Street Art book (and founders of BrooklynStreetArt.com) expand their scope and take readers on a fast-paced run through the streets of New York, along the waterways, on the rooftops, and up the walls of today’s ever-morphing vibrant Street Art scene as only NYC can tell it.

With an introduction by noted cultural journalist Carolina A. Miranda (C-Monster.net) putting Street Art in the context of the personal experience of a New Yorker, readers will be taken aback by this compelling portrait of the state of urban art featuring work on the streets of New York from 102 artists from around the world. With a collection of aproximately 200 images by exciting new comers as well as beloved “old masters” such as New Yorkers Swoon, Judith Supine, Dan Witz, Faile, Skewville, WK Interact, LA’s Sphepard Fairey, Brazil’s Os Gemeos, Ethos, Denmark’s Armsrock, France’s Space Invader, C215, Mr. Brainwash, Germany’s Herakut, Belgium’s ROA, London’s Nick Walker, Connor Harrington, and the infamous Banksy.

About the Publisher, Prestel Publishing (Random House):

With its impressive list of titles in English and German, Prestel Publishing is one of the world’s leading publishers in the fields of art, architecture, photography, design, cultural history, and ethnography. The company, founded in 1924, has its headquarters in Munich, offices in New York and London, and an international sales network.

The Silent Auction

Commencing at 7 p.m. and ending at 9:30 p.m., the silent auction will be administered by Free Arts NYC, and all proceeds from the auction go directly to the non-profit. Highest bidder wins!

SANY-BENEFIT-Footer-PR

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CAKE Rises from MarketPlace Gallery’s Ashes in Albany

This past weekend a new show at MarketPlace Gallery opened – which is remarkable in itself since an electrical fire badly damaged it last summer.
New York Street Artist CAKE
, Brooklyn illustrator Travis W. Simon, and Albany’s RADICAL! took over the expansive space, run by brothers Samson, Alex and Max Contompasis.

The CAKE sign at the entrance of Market Place
The CAKE sign at the entrance of Marketplace

The gallery, one of the capitol city’s few that support emerging and street artists from New York City and around the world, was also home to the brothers, who lost a lot of art, personal belongings, memories – and most importantly, Max’s bulldog, Xena.

CAKE installation at Marketplace Gallery (photo ©Lia Smaka)
CAKE installation at Marketplace Gallery (photo ©Lia Smaka)

CAKE, known for one of a kind illustrations and paintings wheat-pasted around town, created an abstract backdrop for a small collection of realistic line-drawn portraits .

Installation of CAKE wall.
Installation of CAKE wall.

A framed CAKE illustration.
A framed CAKE illustration.

This Is CAKE’s Flickr

Travis W. Simon’s Website

RADICAL! Flickr

Marketplace Gallery

flyer by RADICAL!

flyer by RADICAL!

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El Celso Presents: “ART SHRED” at The Winkleman Gallery

El Celso Presents

Bring your art to Shred with Celso and Friends

Bring your art to Shred with Celso and Friends

NEW YORK, NY (February 24, 2010) – El Celso is pleased to present ART SHRED, a group exhibition/shredding of new original works on paper, photographs, letters and other priceless works.

ART SHRED is an on-site shredding service that will help artists and other participants liberate themselves of important works of art, meaningful love letters and one-of-a-kind photographs – and other significant material created, printed, or written on paper. After being sliced and diced, all works will be scattered on the gallery floor. If you have something of consequence that you would like to have shredded, e-mail celso@elcelso.com. Walk-ins welcome.

ART SHRED will showcase the shredded works of:

El Celso, C-Monster, Jennifer Dalton, William Powhida, Paul Kostabi, Jennifer Dziura, Darkcloud, infinity, Martha Cooper, ski, James & Karla Murray, 2esae, Keely, avone, Leonardo Furtado, Man Bartlett, Morgan Thomas, Buildmore Shrines, Abe Lincoln Jr., LA II, Pufferella, Skewville, Royce Bannon, Destroy & Rebuild, James Willis, Rednose, Luna Park, Robots Will Kill, The Endless Love Crew, Veng, Elisha Cook Jr., Felix Morelo, Reid Harris Cooper, Dean Radinovsky, Cake, Depoe, Stikman and many more to be announced!

ART SHRED will be held on March 3rd, 2010 between 2pm-4pm

@ The WINKLEMAN Gallery

621 W. 27th Street

(between 11th & 12th Avenues)

ART SHRED a proud member of and is brought to you by #class

Organized by Jennifer Dalton and William Powhida

February 21- March 20, 2010

For more information please contact celso@elcelso.com or visit:

http://elcelso.com

http://hashtagclass.blogspot.com/

http://www.winkleman.com/

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Fun Friday 02.12.10

Fun-Friday

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FOR all you Valentines:

Copulation Dancing MEETS Extreme Sports

And AMAZING Art & Vector Insanity …MAJOR LAZER

Directed by Eric Wareheim

Edited and Animation by Zachary Johnson & Jeffery Max fatalfarm.com

Art and Vector Insanity by Kevin O’Neill & Karisa Senavitis willworkforgood.org

Produced by Clark Reinking

Says Will Work For Good, “We worked with Eric Wareheim on the aesthetic direction for his video for Major Lazer’s “Pon De Floor” featuring some of NY’s raddest dagga dancers. We wanted to take them off the typical club floor and put them on more mundane floors in an imaginary neighborhood where they could go about their business in private. All of the home environments were created as large paintings which were then photographed and transformed into a bizarre real estate fly-through by the dudes at Fatal Farm. Additionally we created a series of vector patterns used for the “otherworlds” featured throughout the video. All in all a sick mix of low/high tech and Eric’s always awesome visions.”

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FOR all you Would Be Valentines:

I’m sure you kids don’t remember this but WAAAYYYY BACK in the day before Virtual Lovemaking Suits, we had to Hook Up using CHAT and our imaginations

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Local Salsa Orchestra covers TV On the Radio

Hear their version while viewing this slideshow that features street art in Brooklyn

Not sure if we caught all of the street artists but I saw Gaia, FKDL, C215, Katsu, Poster Boy, Dude Co, Mark Cavalho… who else?

The Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra, based in Brooklyn NY, plays “Wolf Like Me” by TV On The Radio. Produced and arranged by percussionist Gianni Mano from forthcoming album, “Keys To The City”. Slideshow of local pics and street art are by Miss Heather at newyorkshitty.com.

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Hand-made Animation and Stop Action Camera Work

Early Animators used this same technique for experimenting with new stories (I just made that up. I’ve never seen this stuff before)

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“The Dirty Show” in Detroit for Valentines

s

courtesy Arrested Motion

“The Red Light Exhibit” is comprised of tantalizing talent including Shawn Barber, Paul Booth, Scott G. Brooks, Vincent Castiglia, Colin Christian, Molly Crabapple, Camilla D’Errico, Ewelina Ferusso, Michael Hussar, Michael Mararian, Dan Quintana, Celeste Rapone, David Stoupakis, The Dirty Fabulous, Brian Viveros, Tony Ward, & Jasmine Wort. Curated by Genevive Zacconi, in association with Last Rites Gallery, the show will be held at The Dirty Show in Detroit.

See more images and learn more at Arrested Motion

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The Sexy “Street Crush” Show from Brooklyn Street Art a year ago.

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Very Sad to Hear the News of the Passing of Alexander McQueen

What the heck does this have to do with street art and graffiti art? Hang out till the second part of this video. We won’t likely forget his famous robotic spray-painting of a white dress in ’99.

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Fun Friday! 01.15.10: “Street Crush” on Video, Jerkville, Available Men, Greenscreen Grannies, Local Banking

Fun-Friday

“Street Crush” on Video

Brooklyn Filmmaker Collective “Cinema Set Free” produced this great video about the celebration of Street Art in New York called “Street Crush”. Thank you Antonio, Lawrence, Melissa, and Demitri of “Cinema Set Free” for your talents.

BrooklynStreetArt.com and AlphaBeta Art Space hosted a fun street art show with 43 street artists, 4 burlesque performers, and a kissing booth.  Working around themes of “Love, Sex, and the Street”, well-known street artists alongside relative whipper-snappers dug deep for fresh takes on gritty street ardor.

Artists included Aakash Nihalani, Abe Lincoln Jr., Aiko, Anera, Bortusk Leer, Broken Crow, C. Damage, Cake, Celso, Charm, Chris Uphues, Creepy, DirQuo, Ellis Gallagher A.K.A. (C)ELLIS G., Eternal Love, FauxReel, FKDL, General Howe, GoreB, Imminent Disaster, Hellbent, Infinity, Nobody, Jef Aerosol, Jon Burgerman, Matt Siren, Mimi the Clown, NohJColey, Pagan, PMP, Poster Boy, Pufferella, Pushkin, Chris from Robots Will Kill, Col from Robots Will Kill, Veng from Robots Will Kill, Royce Bannon, Skewville, Stikman, The Dude Company, Titi from Paris, and U.L.M.

See the Street Crush Artists Here

THE PERFORMERS Nasty Canasta, Clams Casino, Harvest Moon, and your MC, Tigger!

THE KISSING BOOTH A funky loveshack built by artist and set-designer J. Mikal Davis and lorded over by Madame Voulez-Vous. Kissing Booth Volunteers: Ashley, Jeremy, Jess, Justin, Natasha, Ryan, and Val.

THE NON-PROFIT: Art Ready mentoring program for New York City high school students considering careers in the arts, please visit: http://www.smackmellon.org/education.html

MUSIC The DJ was Jesse Mann streaming live on DailySession.com

POST PARTY Brooklyn projection artists, SeeJ and SuperDraw performed at Coco66 .

SPECIAL THANK YOU TO “CINEMA SET FREE” and
Producer/Cameraman – Lawrence Whiteside
Producer/Cameraman – Antonio Bonilla
Editor – Melissa Figueroa
Voice Over Recordist – Dimitri Tisseryre

The original “Street Crush” Press Release

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It’s a New Dance KRAZE Born in Jerkville!


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And Speaking of Jerkville: Dashing Men Available for Dating

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Too Cold For Coney Island? Not Virtually!

Forget Avatar – Put Grandma in front of a Green Screen!

(The image you see behind them is the image they’re looking at)

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Bill Maher on Keeping Your Money Local

You don’t have to stay in a loveless, abusive relationship with your Big Bank.

Here’s a list of Brooklyn Community Banks
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Year In Images 2009 from Jaime Rojo

Street Art photographer Jaime Rojo captured a few thousand images in 2009 to help document the wildly growing Street Art scene in New York.

A veteran of 10 years shooting the streets of New York, Rojo has amassed a collection of images that capture the scene with the appreciation of an artist. To celebrate the creative spirit that is alive and well on the streets of New York, this slide video gives a taste of what happened in ‘09, without pretending to present the whole scene or all the artists, known and anonymous, who add to the ongoing conversation.

Included in this collection of images (in no particular order) are pieces by Skewville, Specter, The Dude Company, Judith Supine, C215, WK Interact, Anthony Lister, Miss Bugs, Bast, Chris from Robots Will Kill (RWK), Os Gemeos, Cake, Celso, Imminent Disaster, Mark Cavalho, NohJ Coley, Elbow Toe, Feral, Poster Boy, Bishop203, Jon Burgerman, Royce Bannon, Damon Ginandes, Conor Harrington, Gaia, JC2, Logan Hicks, Chris Stain, Armsrock, Veng from Robots Will Kill (RWK), Noah Sparkes, Robots Will Kill, Heracut, Billy Mode, Revs, Skullphone, Spazmat, Mint and Serf, Roa, Aakash Nihilani, Broken Crow, Peru Ana Ana Peru, & Cern

All images © Jaime Rojo

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BSA’s Wish for 2010

As we start a new year, we say thank you for the last one.

And Thank You to the artists who shared their 10 Wishes for 2010 with Brooklyn Street Art; Logan Hicks, Chris Stain, FKDL, CAKE, Specter, Hellbent, Jef Aerosol, Broken Crow, Elbow Toe, and Martha Cooper.

Brooklyn-Street-Art-2010Our wish for 2010 is an endless supply of paints, paper, glue, scissors, found objects, photos, markers, pizza boxes, pizza, poetry, tape, thumb-tacs, oak tag, foamcore, ladders, scissor lifts, extension cords, brushes, exacto blades, clamp lights, legal spots, abandoned lots, generous landlords, chalk, tacos, blue tape, pencils, charcoal, wheat-paste, acrylics, projection lights, comfortable sneakers, sketch books, black books, fabric, grease paint, rollers, and community.

Absent these things, we hope to see more and more people who can access the transformative powers of the creative spirit.  That’s the beauty that lies smack in the middle of today’s exploding Street Art scene and that’s why we love you.


TOMORROW : OUR FAVORITE IMAGES OF THE YEAR.

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Wish #4: Cake

10-Wishes-for-10No 4Names_cake

10 Wishes for 2010, #4, Cake

For ten days we’re presenting ten artists and their wishes for the new year, 2010, in no particular order.  Together, they are a tiny snapshot of the people who are part of the giant explosion of street art in New York.  Individually, each has added their expression of the creative spirit to the decade now ending.

Today’s wish comes from Cake, who makes one-of-a-kind portraits with color washes.
“I wish for a series of good days; I wish for my niece to always be healthy and warm; I wish to be clean for one more day; I wish my dentist would lay off and lastly, I wish everyone a loving holiday.

© Cake

© Cake

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It’s Getting Hot Down There: ART BURN MIAMI

Eartburner-mpresario and street artist Celso has a sense of humor about most things, and street art in particular.

Without reading too much into it, it’s easy to understand how some of the hype surrounding the humongus Art Basel in Miami this week does tend to turn off the hot-headed anti-capitalist anti-consumerist anti-consumption anti-homogenization-of-everything-in-our culture-types in our midst.

Not that any of these artists are in that category, but it is pretty funny to learn that this one-day only art show ends with all the art being burned, and none of it added to your burgeoning street-art collection.

But Marge, what are they trying to say? While we prefer to create original content and not simply copy-and-paste, sometimes it just makes sense to take it directly from the press release >>

ART BURN: The Most Combustible Art Show in the World
International Contemporary Art Expo & Immolation

**To be held at LAS TIAS, 2834 N. Miami Ave., in Miami’s Wynwood District at sunset on Thursday, December 3rd, 2009***

(Miami, FL) — ART BURN, the most combustible art show in the world, will combine an international selection of original art with fire. Original works on canvas, wood and paper by a selection of more than three dozen international artists will be displayed and then flambeed in Miami on the evening of Thursday, December 3, 2009 at sunset. The exhibition/grilling, curated by NYC artist El Celso, will take place in the Wynwood Arts District, within walking distance of Miami’s lesser contemporary art fairs.

An exclusive selection of more than three dozen exceptional pieces by the hottest renowned artists and sizzling, cutting-edge newcomers will be displayed from 1pm until sundown. After the brief exhibition, all of these original works will be burned for the public’s viewing pleasure. Nothing is for sale.

We will be exhibiting and burning new works by:

Stikman
El Celso
Aurora Robson
infinity
Nick Fortunato
Skewville
Jayne Surrena
Darkcloud
Fabian Pena
Elbow-Toe
Rex Dingler
LA II
Royce Bannon
Leonardo Furtado (Brazil)
Rednose
Gore-B
Buildmore
Abe Lincoln Jr.
Cake
Paul Kostabi
Ellis-G
Jeannete Vidalia
2esae
Avoid Pi
Stefano Pasquini (Italy)
Keely
Destroy & Rebuild
Veng
F. Trainer
Ski
Joanne Mattera
Deeker
Sam Horine
Avone
Die Dose (Germany)
Billi Kid
Evelyn Metzger
Robots Will Kill
Adam Vincentz
Garrison Buxton (Peripheral Media Projects)
Michael DeFeo
James A. Willis
Dalva
Kristina Maria Lopez
Hargo
Ray Bradbury & very special guests TBA

You can even follow the events on Twitter at @elcelso and @cmonstah.

SPONSORS
C-MONSTER.NET
The official media sponsor of the ART BURN VIP Lounge

HYPERALLERGIC
The official blogazine, critic and beer sponsor of ART BURN

BROOKLYN STREET ART
The official street art and corporate snack sponsor of ART BURN

KINGSFORD Charcoal
The unofficial grilling partner of ART BURN

We’ve been assured that all local laws and safety precautions will be observed.  At least Miami is a coastal town so they are near water.

Enjoy this hunk o burnin’ luv….

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Vinny Cornelli shoots Crosby Street in NYC

Bold street splashes and Hacullean mayhem from Manhattan.

Photo by Vinny Cornelly

Photo © Vinny Cornelli

This week photographer Vinny Cornelli shows us a few images from one spot in Gotham that gets hit with some regularity, and then destroyed and re-hit – and always visited by street art followers.

It’s entertaining how abandoned places on the street turn into a “venue” over time. Then, like Elton John taking residency at Ceasars Palace, one or two street artists seem to gravitate to the same spot again and again, nonplussed by the destruction of their last piece.

Photo by Vinny Cornelly

Photo © Vinny Cornelli

This spot on Crosby street has been a regular showcase for Haculla, a tripped out pop culture commentator and comedian who weaves criticism with private stories in bold splashes of fluorescence, black and white photos of celebs re-doctored, and thick marker freehand characters.

Of course it all gets piled on by others as part of the “conversation of the street”, and in these layers you can see Matt Siren, Cake, Feral, among others.

Cornelli pumps up the saturation to give the chaos a campy quality and lets the decrepitude dazzle.

Photo by Vinny Cornelly

Photo © Vinny Cornelli

Photo by Vinny Cornelli

Photo by Vinny Cornelli

Photo by Vinny Cornelli

Cake and Haculla - Photo © Vinny Cornelli

Photo by Vinny Cornelli

Photo © Vinny Cornelli

Photo by Vinny Cornelli

A Feral wheatpaste here - Photo © Vinny Cornelli

Click here for more street layers by Vinny Cornelli

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Inside the “ShineBox” With Rae McGrath from Brooklynite

Inside the “ShineBox” With Rae McGrath from Brooklynite

A truly original and dynamic group show draws attention to what it means to survive in a shrinking economy. Shoe- shiners and Artists to the rescue!

Man in Curitiba - Brazil
Creative Commons License photo credit: Adam Jones, Ph.D.

While you are waiting for Obama to do something Rooseveltian to replace the jobs our economy has been hemorrhaging for years, Rae and Hope McGrath at Brooklynite Gallery suggest you pick up a shoe-shine box and get to work.

I can’t even tell you how many artists I know who are out of work, and consequently how many are working harder than ever on the stuff that makes them happy and gives their life meaning – their art.

Like many New Yorkers watching their options dwindling, The Bushinomic Bank-zaster of ’08-’09-’10 has given many artistic types a lot of time to sharpen their skills, decide what needs to be done to survive, and to work together.  One possible result, BSA is predicting, is an even bigger All-City BOOM in street art right around the corner.  As jobs continue to evaporate and gallery doors close, the gallery of the street beckons a little louder each day to those who have a creative voice but no where to speak it.

Destroy & Rebuild stock their box with the essentials...

Destroy & Rebuild stock their box with the essentials…

What does it mean for an artist to “survive” in a tough economic climate? – That’s the question Brooklynite Gallery in Bed Stuy posed to 100 artists when putting this show together. Focusing on the box of supplies that a shoe-shiner uses, Rae and Hope asked a very diverse group of street/graff artists to create a box of their own to express their approach to work and survival.

Anu Schwartz takes readings of the mind and heart globally.

Anu Schwartz takes readings of the mind and heart globally.

The truly eclectic results reveal not just entrepreneurial aspirations, but psychological profiles expressing values and dreams and inner-workings of the artistic process.  Symbolism abounds, and because of the limitations imposed, meanings densely packed alongside personal aspiration.  To appreciate the intensity, plan your calendar to see the show twice.

Various and Gould created a beat box.

Shinebox goes beatbox, literally. “VARIOUS & GOULD (with KUUK)’s box is stunning.  Drop a coin in and make some beats.  Completely captures the essence of this exhibition,” says Rae McGrath, owner of Brooklynite.

With the global economic downturn and the hardship it has caused, this show is clearly a tribute to, and an attempt to give voice to, the hard-working people who labor to make a living.  By asking artists and fans to meditate on these realities, Brooklynite is pushing us to think outside our own drama and consider the meaning of work, and to see the shoeshine box as survival box.

CAKE

Street artist Cake intimates a psycho-sexual-medical realm.

Brooklynite owner/curator/visionary/artist Rae McGrath took a break from installing the show to talk about his original inspiration for the show, and how it has evolved:

Brooklyn Street Art: Didn’t the shinebox go out with the icebox? What was the impetus for the theme of this show?
Rae McGrath:
Last time I heard the term “icebox” I was well into my 11 hour of The Honeymooners Marathon they run on New Years Day.  BUT -shinebox’s never go out of style.  Everyone enjoys compartmentalizing things don’t they?  Mostly for the wrong reasons but they do…  However this exhibition goes beyond shine boxes and shinning shoes.  It deals with working in the most stripped down, basic sense of the term.

 

Paper Monster adapted an actual shinebox.

Paper Monster adapted an actual shinebox.

The project stems from my love for shoeshine boxes.  Traveling through Ecuador, Brazil, Costa Rica, etc., I was always impressed with how these things were built, mostly by kids.  Any materials they could find held together with rusted nails and recycled bottles for dyes and you’re good to go.  So out of that, combined with this f&*ked up economy I wanted to take it one step further and ask artists from around the world–  “If you had to take to the streets to survive in this economy, what would you do?”  I asked that each keep the “survival object” inside a square foot.  It could be found, bought, modified, etc. We wanted to try and unify graffiti artists with street and contemporary

FRANK DUVAL

FKDL uses a collage of yesteryear imagery.

FRANK DUVAL (CONTENTS)

FKDL created part art supply, part sewing box (contents)

Brooklyn Street Art: How does the current financial crisis in the country play in the psychology of this show?
Rae McGrath:
A lot of artists we approached with the concept said it really resonated with them.  Some live off their work and lost studios, commissions, etc. It sucks.  Art is considered a luxury item to most– but we don’t necessarily see it that way.  Art inspires and motivates.  Makes people think and study.  To us that’s no luxury.  It should be the norm.

JEFF AREOSOL

Iconic stencilling from one of the Paris originators, Jef Aerosol

JEFF AEROSOL

With an eye toward total transparency, Jef Aerosol tells us what it takes.

Brooklyn Street Art: Logistically, getting a hundred artists to create and deliver their pieces must have been like herding cats…
Rae McGrath:
The logistics of this show have been pretty hectic.  I also think that most people in my neighborhood believe I am a drug dealer at this point.  Everyday another small package showing up.  Strange and cool at the same time.  But what makes it worthwhile is when you open a package and a true gem comes out.

I think the biggest feat when doing a show of this magnitude is making sure each artist get their work seen– Hence the video we just put out.  We are not very fond of your run of the mill group show that focuses on a key word or something.  We tried to keep the guidelines here a bit more rigid.

 

KNOW HOPE

KNOW HOPE adorns the box with a storyline

Brooklyn Street Art: Did every artist take a shine to your idea?
Rae McGrath:
Yes. EXCEPT for the ones that were afraid of working in 3 dimension.

 

A rather suggestive joy-stick tops this "Peep Show" by 3TTman

A rather suggestive joy-stick tops this “Peep Show” by 3TTman

Brooklyn Street Art: What box is blowing your mind?
Rae McGrath:
There are several boxes blowing my mind for different reasons…  Some because of the design, others the concept and some for both.  VARIOUS & GOULD (with KUUK)’s box is stunning.  Drop a coin in and make some beats.  Completely captures the essence of this exhibition.  They also did the hand-made flyer for the show and limited edition prints.  3TTMAN’s peep show is a thing of beauty.  KOSBE, TEN13ONE.  I know I’m leaving some killer ones but– wait this isn’t print— Not trying to save trees— BEN FROST has a clever piece, Destroy & Rebuild …  Look man just get over here and see them.

LISTER

Anthony Lister goes 360

LISTER

Smile and the blockheads smile with you. (Anthony Lister)

Brooklyn Street Art: Are any of them functional, practical, usable?
Rae McGrath:
Some are functional in a practical sense others in a spiritual one–  That part of the theme was open to interpretation and heavily expanded upon.

SKEWVILLE

A strong stylization of the theme, Skewville keeps it real Brooklyn.

Brooklyn Street Art: The title sounds like an exhortation; “Go Get your Shine Box” are you telling us roll up our sleeves and get to work?
Rae McGrath:
Hell yeah.  Maybe the name should be “GO GET YOU ASS TO WORK”.  Seriously I think we all know where that title came from….  Or should at least.

Brooklyn Street Art: BTW, I usually wear size 10.5 black wingtips.  Can I drop them off anytime after Nov. 21? I’ll need them for Thanksgiving.
Rae McGrath:
Oh sounds nice. We actually have the same size shoe…  Drop them off .

"GO GET YOUR SHINE BOX" SILK SCREEN POSTER

“GO GET YOUR SHINE BOX” silk screen posterby Various and Gould

Opening Reception: November 21 7-10 p.m.

Brooklynite Gallery HERE

gallerypage

Artists in the show include:

MISS BUGS, JEF AEROSOL, SWEET TOOF, PURE EVIL, BEN EINE, DAIN, INKIE, BEN FROST, STEN, LEX, JACE, LUKE INSECT, VARIOUS & GOULD,KUUK, CEPT, WILL BARRAS, 5003, DDOCK, PHIL ASHCROFT ,JOE BLACK ,THUNDERCUT, K-GUY,ANTHONY LISTER, AIKO,GAIA,DAVID WALKER,RYCA,SKEWVILLE,PENNY,BILLI KID,SADDO,PAPER MONSTER,DANIEL LUMBINI,3TTMAN,OZMO,PERU ANA ANA PERU,REMED,FEFE TALAVERA, EVOL, SPECTER, ZBIOK, MYMO, LUDO, ELICSER, KNOW HOPE, BROKEN CROW, GAETANE MICHAUX, AUGUSTUS THOMPSON, COLLIN VAN DER SLUJIS, KOSBE, SPQR, M8, HUSH, DEREK SHUMATE, ZOOT, FUMAKAKA, JORGE GALVAO, MEDO, EL MATO, AJAMU WALKER, PRESTO, RODRIGO LEVEL, EMA, NONOSE, MIKE FALES, IVICA CAPAN, PLIMSOUL, JO PEEL, THE KRAH, RAFAEL SLIKS, BLO, DESTROY & REBUILD, JAW, KAN, LIME, OSIK, ANU SCHWARTZ, JACE RIVERA, SOWAT, ROSTONE, TIKA, RICHARD DIX, JOAQUIM STEVENSON-RODRIGUEZ, CELSO, CAKE, AME72, BRUSK, GEOMETRIC BANG, DARKCLOUD
, MARVIN CRUSHLER, LEAST WANTED, MANO DE PAPEL, TEN13ONE, KLONE, KNOX, FKDL, ROBOTS WILL KILL, RAE

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