All posts tagged: Deeks

Welling Up a Little? That’s the Street Art “Community” Feeling

May 24, 2010 , ,

Welling Court Mural Project Opens Over the Weekend in a Queens Community; Many Street Artists Contribute

There can be a bit of grand posturing around the word “community” especially by people (or corporations) who spend more time chasing the Gravy Train than climbing on the Love Train. And swimming in an acid-tongued media landscape that keeps saying we’re are a giant polarized society simply bubbling with animosity, you could be forgiven for not leaving your house, let alone breaking bread with your neighbor who is different.

JMR
JMR (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

New York people prove that lie to be wrong every day – we are a hugely diverse lot- our different mother tongues alone could lick a frosting bowl the size of Shea Stadium.  And yet mysteriously all of us weird different kinds of people are all getting along with each other day after day – sometimes we even enjoy each other!

Dan Witz
Dan Witz (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Burning Candy
Sweet Toof from Burning Candy Crew (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Welling Court Murals, a project with Street Artists in a neighborhood in Queens, New York, came to fruition on Saturday and the results were as colorful and eclectic as we are. While the people on the block barbecued and danced and played games, kids chased each other and rode their bikes and took many pictures of Street Artists doing their thing on the walls- spray cans, paint brushes, wheat paste, and markers busy.

Darkcloud, Celso and Ron English
Ron English, Darkcloud, Celso and Deeks (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Saturday was the “show day” for this project that the folks at Ad Hoc Art, with Alison and Garrison Buxton at the helm, have been “community organizing” for a long time.  However, by no means is it the end of the project, as new friendships and alliances were forged and a neighborhood has a new panoply of street art to look at, ponder, and hopefully be inspired by.

Clint
Clint (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

The Welling Court Mural Project was one of the most cohesive “community” events we’ve seen in a long time.  Street Artists plus an engaged neighborhood of very nice people… delicious home-made foods, music from Latin America and India/Pakistan, adults, kids, painting, asking and answering myriad questions, posing for pictures in front of pieces — all proving again that the arts can bring people together.  A sincere “Thank you” to Ad Hoc and Allison and Garrison and all the artists for putting your best out there for others to share.

Gia, PMP, Leon Reid
Gaia, PMP, Leon Reid (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Michael DeFeo
Michael DeFeo doing a little inside joke on that Banksy character (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

M City (detail)
M-City (detail) (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Minetta, Chris Stain
Nineta, Chris Stain (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Overview with Royce Bannon. Matt Siren, Robots, Burning Candy and Too Fly
Overview with Michael DeFeo, Royce Bannon. Matt Siren, Robots, Burning Candy and Too Fly (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Remi Rough and Stormie Mills (detail)
Remi/Rough and Stormie Mills in their first ever New York piece (detail) (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Lady Pink, Cycle
Lady Pink, Cycle (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Swoon
Swoon (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Ron English
Ron English (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Veng RWK
Veng RWK (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Tristan Eaton
Tristan Eaton (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Welling Court Artists include: Alice Mizrachi, Beast, Chris Mendoza, Chris Stain, Celso, Cern, Cey Adams, CR, Cycle, Dan Witz, Darkclouds, Daryll Peirce, Don Leicht, Ellis G, Free5, Gaia, Garrison & Alison Buxton, Greg Lamarche, JMR, John Fekner, Lady Pink, Leon Reid, Matt Siren, M-City, Michael De Feo, Mr. Kiji, Pablo Power, Peripheral Media Projects, R. Nicholas Kuszyk, Remi/Rough, Ron English, Royce Bannon, Sofia Maldonado, Stormie Mills, Sweet Toof, Swoon, TooFly, Tristan Eaton, and Veng RWK.

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Week in Images 03.16.09

March 25, 2009

The Streets are coming alive again after a long bitter winter.  Also here are some sneak peeks at the “Work to Do” show opening on Thursday.

MBW

"Are you sure it isn't time for a 'colourful metaphor'?", asked Spock Monroe (MBW) (photo Jaime Rojo)

Foreshadowing of Souplines (Exyzt)(photo Jaime Rojo)

Foreshadowing of soup lines (Exyzt)(photo Jaime Rojo)

You fly the dirigible, I'll look out for the authorities.(Hotel Venado, Nick Walker) (photo Jaime Rojo)

You fly the dirigible, I'll keep an eye out for the authorities (Venado, Nick Walker) (photo Jaime Rojo)

NohJ works in Color at "Work to Do" (NohJ Coley) (photo Jaime Rojo)

NohJ works in Color at "Work to Do" (NohJ Coley) (photo Jaime Rojo)

Which way? (Chris from Robots Will Kill)(photo Jaime Rojo)

Time's Up! - from "Work to Do" (Chris from Robots Will Kill) (photo Jaime Rojo)

C.Damage gets Up at "Work to Do" (photo Jaime Rojo)

C.Damage gets Up at "Work to Do" (C.Damage) (photo Jaime Rojo)

Deeks and Celso and Infinity from (photo Jaime Rojo)

Deeks and Celso and Infinity from "Work to Do" (photo Jaime Rojo)

Picasso What? from "Work to Do" (photo Jaime Rojo)

Picasso What? installation from "Work to Do" (photo Jaime Rojo)

Royce Seems to be Fine from "Work to Do"(Royce Bannon)(photo Jaime Rojo)

Royce Seems to be handling it well, don't you agree? From "Work to Do" (Royce Bannon) (photo Jaime Rojo)

(Veng from Robots Will Kill) (photo Jaime Rojo)

Wait, I'm still thinking. From "Work to Do" (Veng from Robots Will Kill) (photo Jaime Rojo)

Stikman at "Work to Do" (photo Jaime Rojo)

Stikman at "Work to Do" (photo Jaime Rojo)

I know what YOU are thinking. You men are all the same.(Za) (photo Jaime Rojo)

I know what YOU are thinking. You men are all the same.(Za) (photo Jaime Rojo)

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Year in Images 2008

Year in Images 2008

January 1, 2009 , , ,

Paradigm Shifting and Cave Writings

Looking back at the powerful changes in ’08,

it’s not hard to see their reflection on the Brooklyn streets, which may serve as tea leaves revealing the messages swirling around us and in us. Each individual act of creating is of significance, yet it is the cumulative effect of the groundswell of new participants that seems so powerful, so hopeful in it’s desire.

Naturally, at the beginning of this selection of images from 2008, we are featuring the most visible street art piece of the year by Shepard Fairey, which appeared here on the streets of Brooklyn and transcended mediums to reach millions of people. Shepard’s graphic design style and his images of the man who would be president helped many to quickly glimpse the character and message of Barack Obama.

A Winning Campaign (Shepard Fairey) (photo Jaime Rojo)

A Winning Campaign (Shepard Fairey) (photo Jaime Rojo)

The image was replicated, adopted, adapted, transformed, re-formed, lampooned even. It became an icon that belonged to everyone who cared to own it, and a symbol of the change the man on the street was looking for. Like street art, Obama’s message was taken directly to the people, and they responded powerfully in a way that brought a historic shift; one that continues to unfold.

Elsewhere on the street we saw themes from topical to fantastical; crazy disjointed cultural mash-ups, celebrity worship or destruction, Big Brother, icons, symbols, death, war, economic stress, protest, dancing, robots and monsters and clowns and angels, and an incredible pathos for humanity and it’s sorry state… with many reminders of those marginalized and disaffected. We never forget the incredible power of the artist to speak to our deepest needs and fears.

The movement of young and middle-aged artists off the isle of pricey mall-ish Manhattan and into Brooklyn is not quite an exodus, but boy, sometimes it feels that way. The air sometimes is thick with it; the creative spirit. The visual dialogue on the street tells you that there is vibrant life behind doors – studios, galleries, practice rooms, loft parties, rooftops.

Even as a debate about street art’s appropriate placement on public/private walls continues, it continues. From pop art to fine art, painterly to projected, one-offs to mass repetition, Brooklyn street art continues to grow beyond our expectations, and our daily lives are largely enriched by it.

This collection is not an exhaustive survey – the archival approach isn’t particularly stimulating and we’re not academics, Madge. The street museum is always by chance, and is always about your two eyes. Here’s a smattering, a highly personal trip through favorites that were caught during the year.

[svgallery name=”Images of Year 2008″]

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Brooklyn Street Art Auction Benefit

April 2, 2008 , , ,

Brooklyn Street Art Auction Benefit
benefiting Free Arts NYC
celebrating the book release “Brooklyn Street Art”

April 25th, 2008
7-10 p.m. (press preview 6-7)

Ad Hoc Art
49 Bogart Street
Bushwick, Brooklyn
www.adhocart.org
718.366.2466

Confirmed Street Artists include; Anera, Armsrock, Borf, Celso, C.Damage, DAIN, Dark Clouds, Deeks, DiRQuo, Elbowtoe, ELC, Fauxreel, Flower Face Killah, Gaia, GoreB, Haculla, 
Infinity, Judith Supine, 
Jp, McMutt, MOMO, Noah Sparkes, Royce Bannon, 
 Skewville, Swoon, Dan Witz, and WK Interact

A silent auction to benefit the youth and family creative arts and mentoring programs of Free Arts NYC is being generously hosted by Ad Hoc Art on Friday, April 25th to celebrate the launch of “Brooklyn Street Art,” followed by a booty shakin after-party.

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B.S.A. Benefit Auction for FreeArtsNYC at Ad Hoc Art

April 2, 2008 , , ,

Brooklyn Street Art Auction Benefit
benefiting Free Arts NYC
celebrating the book release “Brooklyn Street Art”

April 25th, 2008
7-10 p.m. (press preview 6-7)

Ad Hoc Art
49 Bogart Street
Bushwick, Brooklyn
www.adhocart.org
718.366.2466

Confirmed Street Artists include; Anera, Armsrock, Borf, Celso, C.Damage, DAIN, Dark Clouds, Deeks, DiRQuo, Elbowtoe, ELC, Fauxreel, Flower Face Killah, Gaia, GoreB, Haculla, 
Infinity, Judith Supine, 
Jp, McMutt, MOMO, Noah Sparkes, Royce Bannon, 
 Skewville, Swoon, Dan Witz, and WK Interact

A silent auction to benefit the youth and family creative arts and mentoring programs of Free Arts NYC is being generously hosted by Ad Hoc Art on Friday, April 25th to celebrate the launch of “Brooklyn Street Art,” followed by a booty shakin after-party.

BROOKLYN, NY—Ad Hoc Art is thrilled to be hosting and supporting a special silent auction benefit Free Arts NYC and to celebrate the launch of Brooklyn Street Art, a new book of photographs by Jaime Rojo, designed by Steven P. Harrington, and published by Prestel.

Ad Hoc Art is generously donating their gallery space for the celebration and silent auction of approximately 25 works by well-known, emerging, and yet to be discovered artists who know no boundaries and follow no rules—their artistic turf is the public gallery of the Brooklyn streets.  The artists, whose work animates the pages of this new full-color book, are donating their original or editioned works to be bid up and auctioned off, with all proceeds from the winning sales going directly to benefit Free Arts NYC’s creative arts and mentoring programs for at-risk children and families in New York.

Some of the artists have participated in Free Arts NYC’s programs prior to this event and are creating original work to donate to this benefit event to generate significant support for Free Arts NYC.

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