All posts tagged: Elbow-Toe
C.Damage & the Bear Dude on the Brooklyn Block
You’ve seen him, sometimes in a vest and tie, sometimes with polkadot pajamas, a fireman’s uniform, or a formal tuxedo;
The bear dude is on stickers all over the place. At first C.Damage was pretty quiet and maybe a little reserved, like the bear, but with time and practice the style quotient has evolved and now the real style is taking off.
Coming up this Friday at Ad Hoc you can see a new wood block of this bear at the Brooklyn Block Party, a strong show concentrating on one specific technique really popular among many Brooklyn street artists right now.
Brooklyn Street Art: When was this little bear Dude born?
C.Damage: He was born in Chicago, around 2004. He went through many transformations in his process to becoming the bear you see today. For a long time, he didn’t have feet! I couldn’t figure out what his lower half looked like, so he was a waist-up character. But he’s finally comfortable with himself.
Brooklyn Street Art: What is this bear saying?
C.Damage: The conversations he has with other people are usually private. Every once in a while, I’ll overhear someone say positive things (about the bear) – that is, that it makes them feel good. I am more concerned with eliciting a response than the type of response. Some people like him, some people might not like him. But on the whole I think he’s a pretty likable character. He’s a jokester – he doesn’t take himself too seriously.
Brooklyn Street Art: One time in Williamsburg I saw one of your bears in Hasidic garb. Does Mr. Bear like costumes?
C.Damage: Now that he’s comfortable with himself, he’s been playing around with different personas. I think the first costume he ever put on was a viking hat and giant clock chain as Flava Flav. He also likes to wear t-shirts – the “I love NY” one is his favorite – and suits. And there are usually holiday versions – Santa, a pilgrim, a mummy, Uncle Sam, the Easter Bunny. There are a lot of variations. Some of them last longer than others. There’s some one-of-a-kinds up out there too.
Brooklyn Street Art: Now that cold weather is settling in over Brooklyn, will he be hibernating or looking for warmer climates?
C.Damage: He’ll still be around to face the New York winter, but he is also taking a trip to Los Angeles to spend January 9 to February 6 at the From The Streets of Brooklyn show at thinkspace gallery. The show is curated by Ad Hoc Art in Brooklyn. It’s a pretty amazing way to start the new year, after wrapping up 2008 with the Brooklyn Block Party at Ad Hoc Art.
Brooklyn Street Art: The work that you are showing at Ad Hoc is definitely your style, but it’s different from the stickers and paintings that people know you for. Have you made blocks much in the past?
C.Damage: Yeah, I’ve done small block cuts for stickers in the past, which is how I got into this show, but doing a larger print was definitely new. This was a completely different scale for me, which is funny because if you look at the show, the size of the other artists work blows my piece away. I’m not known for my print work, or for doing giant prints for wheat pastes, so people might not be expecting to see me in this show. But when people see it, they’ll make the connection to my stickers and paintings. I think it’s a good new direction for my work, but not too far from where I was before.
Brooklyn Street Art: How did you get to this point and how does it fit your artistic style?
C.Damage: I have been putting up work for a few years, mostly unnoticed, but somewhat consistently. I think I got to this point by just doing my thing, regardless of other people’s opinions or popular trends. I have a long way to go until I get to where I want to be, with solo shows and a more complete body of work. But I think I’ll get there through persistence. There’s no time limit for me to get there, so I’m just enjoying the ride.
Brooklyn Street Art: Hmmm. Beary interesting. What’s up for 2009 for C. Damage?
C.Damage: Well, 2009 starts with the From the Streets of Brooklyn show in L.A. and a cool show I’m in around Valentine’s Day that is still coming together. I think some of my work will be published in the near future too; not too long ago, I had the pleasure of talking with Martha Cooper, and she took some great photos of some of my stickers that will be shown in her next book, released soon. I’m doing a few more blocks for prints to work on my style, so maybe you’ll see some prints up in the street at some point. Beyond that, I’m not sure what’s next, but I’ll take it as it comes.
C.Damage’s Flickr Site
Check out C.Damage’s new block print as well as those of many others at the Brooklyn Block Party this Friday at Ad Hoc.
“Brooklyn Block Party”
Richard Mock, Swoon, David Ellis, Mike Houston, Martin Mazorra, Dennis McNett,
Judith Supine, Elbowtoe, Gaia, c.damage & Imminent Disaster
December 12th – January 4th 2009
Opening Reception: Friday, December 12th, 7-10pm
An exhibition of original hand cut blocks, both wood and lino, along with the prints pulled from each block.
Brother Can You Spare a Wheat-Paste Virtuoso?
Or Two?
Okay, sorry to gush. Armsrock pounced into ThinkSpace a few days ago and immediately started flowing with the free hand and the human condition, deftly rendering an apprehended chap in handcuffs.
After a dust-bowl migration in his old jalopy across the obamanation, Elbow-Toe has arrived with his bended cast of curious paper friends.
One of the ThinkSpace founders, Andrew Hosner, is a bit bowled over; “Get ready to be in awe. Both ARMSROCK and ELBOW-TOE have taken their work to another level, both in terms of size and presentation, and skill and vision. A visual overload awaits.”
The show opens this Friday. More details HERE.
Piece Process at Anonymous Gallery
The Piece Process
Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Richard Hambleton, Robert Indiana, Dennis Oppenheim, Ray Johnson, Todd James, Eric Haze, Bast, Elbow Toe, AIKO, Kenji Hirata, Greg Lamarche, Aakash Nihalani, Erik Foss, Deven Marriner, Michael De Feo, Logan Hicks, Judith Supine, Dan Witz, Maya Hayuk, Daniel Joseph, Ripo, Skewville, Brandon Friend, Dark Cloud, MOMO, Dan Funderburgh, Ellis Gallagher, Matt Siren, The Clayton Brothers, and MORE!
Gallery Exhibition:
December 17 – January 24
opening reception:
December 17th, 7 – 10PM
Exhibition Description
Anonymous Gallery is proud to combine three generations of prolific artists whose work has been influenced by, or has directly influenced popular culture, design, and the urban environment. The Piece Process will unite relevant artists with their contemporary counterparts through artwork that serves as a reference or an impetus to something larger or more complete. Anonymous Gallery will exhibit unique pieces of art in the form of sketchbook drawings and original works on paper or found objects from over 30 established and emerging artists exhibiting in New York. The exhibition intends to create discourse in regard to artists who have not only influenced one another, but society through their use of iconography, collage, pen, paint, and print.
In conjunction with the exhibition, Anonymous Gallery, will also be hosting weekly workshops for children. Artists Todd James, Leon Reid, Michael De Feo, Maya Hayuk, Ellis Gallagher, among others, will teach the workshops.
In the spirit of giving, portions of the proceeds raised will go to benefit Public Art for Public Schools http://schools.nyc.gov/Offices/SCA/Programs/PAPS/default.htm. For additional information, workshop schedules, or to make a reservation, please contact – events[at]anonymousgallery[dot]com
Armsrock and Elbowtoe at ThinkSpace
Two of the most soulful composers of the street. This collaboration, born of the drawing tradition, may well be perfection.
Gallerie Pulaski de Celso et Infinity
POST NO BILLS @Gallerie Pulaski
curated by Celso & Infinity
Just north of the People’s Republic of Brooklyn, across the Pulaski Bridge, lies a nice patch of pavement called Long Island City, Queens. Art fans always make sure to hit the Sculpture Center, PS1, and 5 Pointz – which is famous to taggers and street artists alike; a protected haven and prized pantheon of the creative spirit. If you were to throw a molotov cocktail from 5 Pointz and PS1 had the wind at your back you might smash into a marriage of both right now: an outside street gallery show called POST NO BILLS, featuring the work of about 25 intrepid explorers installed thoughtfully on a block long stretch of construction site walls.
One of the curators of this show, Celso, put down his hammer and nails for a minute to talk about his latest project, as well as his own recent solo and collaborative work:
BrooklynStreetArt: So you and your co-curator Infinity have put together a sizeable outdoor show called POST NO BILLS. Even with two people, it looks like it was a lot of work.
Celso: It wasn’t too bad. infinity and I have been working together for some time, so we can get things done quickly and easily. We both tend to be in agreement on what works and what doesn’t and that makes things easier. Plus, we both love the color orange.
BSA: How long have you two been working together?
Celso: It’s been three to four years, mostly through Endless Love Crew shenanigans, but in the last year or so, the two of us have done a lot of collaborative pieces (paintings, smaller murals, etc.), and now we’re also working together at a more massive level. infinity has lots of evil plans brewing…
BSA: Is Infinity trustworthy and reliable?
Celso: Not with money or women.
BSA: What was the main challenge getting the stuff up?
Celso: Some of the Post No Bills artists had never put work on the street before like James Willis and Inga Huld Tryggvadottir. James is an established gallery artist and he works in charcoal. This means that his works are incredibly easy to smudge. Now, add wheatpaste to the mix and it can get pretty ugly.
Likewise, Inga is an incredible cutter. She makes these fantastic works that are made out of layers upon layers of paper. This may work in a gallery, but on the street, it was a challenge to secure it to a wall. We used a ton of wood glue as well as a few screws to keep everything up. Despite the challenges of installation, the pieces really rock on the street.
BSA: So, really, it is a gallery. Damn, I missed the opening! Were there white wine and cheese cubes?
Celso: This Friday June 27th is the opening. We’ll have a cooler and a cheese tray. Maybe some showgirls too.
BSA: How did you hook up that space? I notice you have ceilings to conveniently shield your gallery visitors from the sun and rain.
Celso: I got the space through chashama, an arts organization based here in the city. They’re a non-profit that provides artists with subsidized studio and gallery spaces. They hooked me up with this spot. And yeah, what attracted me to it was the second level roof. It allowed us to put up two floors worth of art which are open 24/7. Next time we’ll try and add a penthouse….
BSA: Whose idea was it to take the gallery approach to the street?
Celso: This is something I’ve been thinking about for some time. I’ve curated a number of shows in galleries and I’ve worked on the street. And this seemed like a logical extension of both: an art exhibit on the street. When I saw the spot, I knew it would work. Plus, you can’t beat the traffic. It’s right next to the Pulaski Bridge and the Midtown tunnel.
BSA: In a way, the huge mural you did recently (very close to this one) was an outdoor gallery too. But this one seems more formalized, with a gallery/museum presentation.
Celso: Yeah, I would say that “Standing at the Crossroads” (which we did with Deeker and Royce Bannon) is a more traditional mural. It’s so bright and over the top that it needed an unobstructed wall to work.
Celso: When I first saw the site where the Galerie Pulaski is installed, it looked pretty crappy. The construction walls were battered and painted blue and the area was surrounded in scaffolding. I knew that if we painted it gallery-white, the art would really pop. Now, people who’ve never set foot in a gallery or museum are forced to do it as they run out to catch a bus or train. Force feeding art every once in a while is a good thing.
BSA: Have you seen the gallery that was posted on a worksite in Williamsburg on S.5th and Berry this spring? Think that one was sponsored by an energy drink.
Celso: No, I missed it.
BSA: While you have a lot of singular pieces all over the city, I notice that a lot of your work has been collaborative – Endless Love Crew is built on that model. What appeals to you about collaborative shows?
Celso: It’s fun to work as a crew. There’s the partying and jams, but I also feel as if you learn a lot just hanging out with other artists. It’s art school without the blowhards and can be really energizing. _
But I do like to do a mix of solo and group stuff. I’ve worked on a lot of ELC stuff, but I’ve also done my own projects. I’ve worked a lot independently here in New York, doing posters, firebox shrines and the painted Plexiglas pieces, and I did a series of painted political signs in L.A. and in upstate New York. __The reason my independent work may not always be easy to find is because each piece I lay out on the street is an original. No Kinko’s bulls**t. Nothing is mass. Every piece is a hand-drawn and hand-painted. It’s a lot more work, but it keeps things more interesting. Plus, there’s something to be said for keeping pieces special.
SHRINES by Celso
PLEXI by Celso
BSA: There are a huge number of construction sites in Brooklyn right now. Do you think you’ll do another gallery show soon?
Celso: Yeah, I’m already working on another one but the location is secret for now 😉
POST NO BILLS
curated by Celso & Infinity
with Abe Lincoln Jr., Celso, Ceito, Creeper, Darkcloud, DAVe, Elbow-Toe, Endless Love Crew, F.Trainer, Gaia, Gore-B, Jenny Holzer, infinity, Danny Licul, Evelyn Metzger, Milquetoast, Momo, Dean Radinovsky, Abigail Rothberg, Royce Bannon, Tefsukaz, Inga Huld Tryggvadottir, James Willis and friends
Gallerie Pulaski
48-15 11th St. @ Jackson Avenue
By Subway
Take the G to 21st Street Station
Take the 7 to Vernon Blvd – Jackson Ave Station