Photographer Vincent Cornelli was out on a legal wall tour with international stencil artist Jef Aerosol this Saturday; With a name like Aerosol, you don’t invite photographers to watch you work otherwise. The sunny January afternoon pretty much blew Vinny’s mind, and he writes here about how he got such rockingly cool pictures:
On Saturday, I had the privilege of showing Jef Aerosol around the streets of Bushwick, Brooklyn. I think the day was the perfect example as to why the Street Art Movement is so special…and it is deserving of capital letters. Encounters such as these are not only incredibly rewarding and inspiring, but they foster an intimate connection between you and a city that is changing right in front of you. It was one of the greatest of days
When I met Jef, I was photographing the front door of Eastern District/Ad Hoc Gallery. It was a warm greeting, with instant recognition of the other before exchanging “hellos.”
Everything from start to finish breed this notion of connectedness – from Eric of Eastern District giving us a ride to Veng’s wall; to catching up with Ali and Garrison of Ad Hoc, listening to their exploits up and down the eastern side of the US; to Veng offering up a nice piece of real estate on a wall he often works with.
It was also quite nice to have company from Stephan Missier and Becki Fuller, two great street art photographers who were around for a better part of the day. It was a day where everyone just seemed to fit so well with one another.
Jef and I spoke briefly of this sense of community, and family. He mentioned what a great feeling it is to be able to travel the world, always having another artist, gallery, blog or photographer willing to show you their city.
I felt so comfortable with Jef that I even asked him for some thoughts on a couple larger life-changing decisions in my own life. I thought the perspective he offered was quite spot on. He is a warm, witty and well-spoken man, confident in his outlook and mindset. It shows in his detailed and carefully placed stencils, and in his smile.
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“All Shook Up”, the debut solo New York show by Jef Aerosol will open this Friday at Ad Hoc/Eastern District in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Read more about the show HERE.
See Jef’s BASQUIAT STENCIL from last week HERE.
See how he made his 5-layer JAY-Z STENCIL for the show HERE.
See more of Vincent Cornelli’s photography and artistry HERE.