Street Art in the Community, Creating Community. Again.
John Ahearn (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Ad Hoc Art “brought it” for the second year to Queens and at Welling Court with a collection of Street Artists and local families hanging out and painting the neighborhood. The tireless Alison and Garrison Buxton invited 40 or 50 of their closest friends with aerosol to take part over a two day period to transform the atmosphere in this neighborhood which doesn’t get much attention. The lineup includes artists who are pioneers in the graffiti and Street Art game who create alongside emerging talent. The styles vary, but the sentiments of connectedness and community are consistent throughout.
John Ahearn with his assistant Kevin with his friend and model Karlee, daughter of his good friend Otto. Karlee and Otto posed for the sculpture to the right. John had planned a live casting with Karlee later in the day but we couldn’t stay to witness it. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Leon Reid installing his sculpture (photo © Jaime Rojo)
In this extensive collection of photos BSA gives you artists hard at work and hard at play with a little help from their friends. A traditional community mural format where everyone has their own slab to cover in their own style, Welling Court also engages the kids in the neighborhood, who frequently get to try their hand at painting or otherwise assisting the artists.
Leon Reid (photo © Jaime Rojo)
The day’s proceedings are part plastic art and part performance art as the artists often stop painting to interact with fans, inquisitors, Street Art aficionados and their fellow artists. Its part summer camp and part family reunion with the neighbors getting out the BBQ grill and setting up tables in the street while artists from around the globe are reconnecting and telling long tales and kids on scooters and skateboards weave in and out of the clusters of cans everywhere. With the abundance of homemade food and a variety of music playing at high volume the streets are alive and there’s nothing else you’d want to do on day like this.
Debuting a new secret doorway, Mr. Dan Witz (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Dan Witz (photo © Jaime Rojo)
John Ahearn is a pioneer in the area of public art known for making sculptures with local people posing as models. His technique of live casting requires the model to sit while John creates a cast of them in plaster. As far back as the mid 1970s Mr. Ahearn’s tributes to his neighbors have been seen affixed to many walls throughout the Bronx. Sited as an important part of the development of the Street Art scene Ahearn’s work has also traveled to private collections of prominent and noted art collectors and art institutions.
Brooklyn Street Art spoke with Mr. Ahearn and asked him about participating in this open venue and how he felt doing his live casting in Queens. He responded with excitement about the word “live”.
“You used the word very properly. I feel alive today. I feel alive and I just turned 60 two weeks ago and I feel this is where my roots are. Right in the sidewalk, doing casting, particularly aimed at little children. We are going to do a piece that involves a child. She is a friend of mine from way back and we are expecting to have a crowd of kids here and it is going to be fun,” said Ahearn.
Ezra Li Eismont and Bunnie Reiss bring a fanstastical and folksy humor to this very urban setting. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Hmmmm, wonder who lives here. Ezra Li Eismont and Bunnie Reiss. Detail (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Ezra Li Eismont and Bunnie Reiss (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Deeks and El Celso sing a stunning duet. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
El Kamino and Alice Mizrachi murals in process (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Alice Mizrachi at work (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Always good to get a new view; El Kamino listens to a live critique of his work by local observers. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
El Kamino at work (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Cern at work (photo © Jaime Rojo)
ROA in a tight spot. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Fumero at work (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Fumero at work (photo © Jaime Rojo)
JMR on the left and The Wretched Rapture Crew: Dave Loewenstein, Ashley Jane Laird and Cecilia Ross-Gotta (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Too Fly almost completed mural with Chor Boogie to the right (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Too Fly’s original sketch. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Ani, Too Fly’s friend helping out with a little pink. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Zam at work on a very large roach. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Zam (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Zam’s roach doesn’t make Too Fly too happy. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Chris Stain and Billy Mode mural in process (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Chris Stain and Billy Mode detail shot (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Jesse Jones to the left and Sinned to the right at work (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Joe Iurato at work (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Joe Iurato at work (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Jordan Seiler at work (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Katie Yamasaki and Caleb Neelon (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Lady Pink at work (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Overunder at work (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Pablo Power at work (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Pablo Power at work (photo © Jaime Rojo)
R. Robots and Victor collaborating on a piece on Victor’s house. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
The original inspiration for R.Robots and Victor. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
R. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Ron English (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Royce Bannon and Matt Siren collab in process (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Royce Bannon and Russell King (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Veng RWK mural in process (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Veng RWK (photo © Jaime Rojo)
BROOKLYN STREET ART LOVES YOU MORE EVERY DAY
Veng of RWK and Overunder collaborated on this year’s Welling Court 2 with this piece and integrated it on an existing ROA from last year’s Welling Court. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
