BROOKLYN STREET ART LOVES YOU MORE EVERY DAYHappy New Year! BSA Highlights of 2010
December 31, 2010
Artists
All posts tagged: Jenna Duffy
Crotched objects began appearing on the street this year. © Jaime Rojo
Hugh Leeman & Faber at Living Walls
September 29, 2010
Artists, Atlanta, Events, On the Street
The Living Walls Conference in Atlanta ended weeks ago and the organizers still think of all the artists who helped in their first ever event; the art, the conversations, the animated debates, the camaraderie.
The pieces and murals left behind mostly are still untouched and naturally some have been tagged, destroyed, gone over. The life cycle for art on the streets, it would appear, is getting shorter – like 3-week TV pilots, 18-hour news cycles, and the average texting teen attention span, the pace of change is a quickening. Few artists can say that their pieces stay untouched, or “ride”, for very long periods of time.
One artist at Living Walls, Hugh Leeman, saw his portrait of an American civil rights icon actually precipitate the removal of an alcohol ad, due to local community sentiments – although no-one has said who brought it down. Street Artist Faber, takes a less literal, more intuitive approach to creating pieces specific to their location and his inner dialogue.
Hugh Leeman’s first stage (photo © Jenna Duffy)
Following are observations from Jayne McGinn along with photos from Jenna Duffy, who both covered the conference extensively:
Hugh Leeman
Hugh Leeman is easily one of the most inspiring people I met during Living Walls, if not my lifetime. His drive, passion and sincerity shone throughout his short stay in Atlanta.
After losing his wall on the side of Sound Table in the Old Fourth Ward due to a conflict with an Old English ad, Hugh ventured to the establishment at 1 a.m to convinced the owners to let him use the wall. He was allowed to create his piece with the stipulation that he would cut his mural in half and not cover the malt liquor add. Using only the Martin Luther King Jr side of the mural, Hugh pasted up his mural quickly, and before Leeman had left Atlanta the next day- the malt liquor add was down.
Leeman’s mural of MLK is adjacent to the MLK historic district, including his birth house and church. The brief time that the OE advertisement and the MLK wheat paste shared the wall together, it caused controversy within the community, igniting anger and confusion. Leeman and Living Walls posted a sign saying they did not support the advertisement.
Leeman’s mural changed the way OFW looks and represents the people and the neighborhood in an honest and uplifting way.
The completed portrait by Hugh Leeman (photo © Jenna Duffy)
Faber
Faber takes only a basic idea of a mural and his paint to his wall with him. He lets his murals evolve in a stream of consciousness as they adapt and respect the walls they coexist with. 
Faber (photo © Jenna Duffy)
Faber is careful not to break the aura of the structure and to maintain the feeling, form and character of the building.
Faber (photo © Jenna Duffy)
Faber’s interest in graffiti inspired him to study fine arts in school and further influences his work today. His artwork is personal, and appears on the street for the people who don’t have access to an art gallery, thus he creates a “public gallery” with his work. He sees his artwork as alive because of it interacts with the public.
Faber (photo © Jenna Duffy)
Natural Devolution in the “Swampy” Southland
Brooklyn Street Artist Swampy Pounds a Path in Atlanta Wilderness
by Jayne McGinn
images by Jenna Duffy
Swampy’s signature characters form a narrative, a new dimension slowly being built inside our own. The skull and tusks are representative of a feral human; a person who, after being released into the wild, changes like an emancipated domestic pig transforms back into a boar by growing tusks and long hair.
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Swampy (© Jenna Duffy)
Swampy (© Jenna Duffy)
The trademark crystals in Swampy’s paintings function on different levels. Not only are the crystals aesthetically pleasing, but also representative of the untainted minerals that make up animals forming into a shapes so beautiful, it’s astonishing that they could occur naturally in this world.
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Swampy (© Jenna Duffy)
Swampy (© Jenna Duffy)
In person, Swampy seems less like someone who paints characters representing purity and extraordinary beauty and more like one of these characters, someone whose exceptional integrity is so remarkable that a natural existence is almost unfathomable.
Almost.
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Swampy (© Jenna Duffy)
Swampy (© Jenna Duffy)
Kofke: “Everything Will Be Okay”. That’s a Relief!
September 2, 2010
Artists, Atlanta, Events, On the Street
“I don’t know how I ended up a street artist,” says Kofke. “I really don’t.”
by Jayne McGinn
images by Jenna Duffy
- Kokfe (© Jenna Duffy)
Jason Kofke started bringing his weird brand of optimism to the streets by writing “Everything Will Be Ok” on condom machines and toilets before it adorned depictions of tragedies such as plane crashes. The phrase is polarizing, igniting anger or catharsis in most of its viewers, both of which Kofke sees as a misinterpretation.
“I see it more of a question. Will everything be ok?”
- Kokfe (© Jenna Duffy)
- Kokfe (© Jenna Duffy)
- Kokfe (© Jenna Duffy)
- Kokfe (© Jenna Duffy)
Sweet Sueño and a Photographic Memory-Merging in Black and White
August 30, 2010
Artists
by Jayne McGinn
images by Jenna Duffy
One of the More Stirring examples of Street Art during the “Living Walls” Event
“It’s like the jungle,” was the first thing that Marco Sueno said to me as we walked through the thick, hot Atlanta air. Marco is from the jungle. His sense of humor and passion transcend the language barriers the Peruvian artist and I endured as I struggled to remember the Spanish classes I took (and failed) in college and he polished his English. Most of the time I spent with Marco was fun, including watching a game of “Marco Sueno”, as apposed to Marco Polo, in the pool with the other artists and teasing him that he looked like a sniper lying in the grass to take pictures of the people congregating outside Eyedrum, but Marco is serious about his artwork.
© Jenna Duffy
Marco evolved from a photographer to a Street Artist two years ago, yet his murals carry the weight of a seasoned veteran. As he put up his wheat paste on the entrance to the Krog Tunnel, a graffiti filled landmark in Atlanta, traffic slowed, and dog walkers and joggers came to a standstill.
© Jenna Duffy
Marco combines anthropological studies, photography and street art to force social and political discussion. Seeing his photography and street art as equals, Sueno makes it his job to tell the history of his people, express their culture, and elevate them while in a state of emergency. His enormous murals reflect and reinforce his people’s way of life while they endure displacement and culture clash.
© Jenna Duffy
Marco combines anthropological studies, photography and street art to force social and political discussion. Seeing his photography and street art as equals, Sueno makes it his job to tell the history of his people, express their culture, and elevate them while in a state of emergency. His enormous murals reflect and reinforce his people’s way of life while they endure displacement and culture clash.
© Jenna Duffy
© Jenna Duffy
© Jenna Duffy
© Jenna Duffy
© Jenna Duffy
Ripo and Remed: “Poem Rider” Living Walls Update 08.19.10
August 19, 2010
Artists, Atlanta, Events, On the Street
by Jayne McGinn
images by Jenna Duffy
Ripo and Remed finished their mural for Living Walls on Dekalb Ave Tuesday night.
Working sunburned through the unforgiving Georgia heat and rain, the two international artists unified the wall by using the same vibrant colors; Ripo and Remed hand painted alternating letters in the two artists’ styles to spell out “Poem Rider,” an anagram of their two names.
© Jenna Duffy
It was amazing to watch them work, how they could eyeball off sections of the wall to make the letters even and create a wall with so much movement and depth by hand; they are both have amazing attention to detail and were able to see things that I was blind to. The artists utilized the entire wall, even manipulating an expired White Brothers Auto Parts sign for their signature. Ripo and Remed then continued to flow their artwork on to the adjacent wall, completely transforming the neglected area.
FERAL CHILD: Living Walls Update 08.19.10
August 19, 2010
Artists, Atlanta, On the Street
by Jayne McGinn
images by Jenna Duffy
When I arrived at Feral Child’s mural for The Living Walls Conference on the side of Homegrown, a local Atlanta restaurant, the last rays of the Georgia sun were pounding down on him. 
Unable to access the wall directly, Feral was hidden behind a barbwire fence, surrounded by a cluster of damaged cars in the parking lot of an adjacent body shop.
photo © Jenna Duffy
I heard I wouldn’t be able to get back there unless I wanted to be the lunch of a “junkyard” dog. I felt like I was in a Jim Croce song in this strange setting for Feral Child, whose first impression is so peaceful.
The dog wasn’t the only hurdle that Feral had to jump; the Georgia heat cooks like a convection oven, the blistering heat comes from all sides. After half a day outside baking, Feral’s cans were too hot to touch and risked explosion. He was forced to bring them indoors and chill them in a refrigerator before taking them back to his wall in a cooler.
photo © Jenna Duffy
photo © Jenna Duffy
Gaia in Atlanta For Living Walls As Captured By Jenna And Jayne
Jenna and Jayne spent the whole weekend working their phones, chasing after artists, getting soaked in the rain, dancing and taking in the Hotlanta air – which was filled with laughter, art, spray fumes and joy. They couldn’t resist the charms and the energy of New York native street artist Gaia. Here Jayne explains, in her own words how she was inspired by watching Gaia enjoy the festivities and by seeing him busy at work. Jenna captured with her lens the product of all that creativity.
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Gaia (© Jenna Duffy)
Gaia (© Jenna Duffy)
When I first met Gaia he was tearing the dance floor a new one. With all the charisma and energy of the three Beastie Boys wrapped into one, Gaia is a force of nature. He is a captivating story teller and has my vote for “best person to get locked up with”.
Equally as brilliant, but on the other side of the spectrum, is Gaia’s artwork. Where he is a lightning bolt of spontaneity, his artwork is thoughtful and serious. His mural for Living Walls is a beautiful homage to Atlanta and the people who once lived here and to the Indian land this once was. Jayne McGinn
- Gaia (© Jenna Duffy)
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The Crowd at Living Walls (© Jenna Duffy)
The Crowd at Living Walls (© Jenna Duffy)
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Gaia (© Jenna Duffy)
Gaia (© Jenna Duffy)
To see more of Jenna Duffy’s work go HERE:
The Living Walls Blog
Living Walls are Alive! : BSA Update from Atlanta
Living Walls
Jenna Duffy and Jayne McGinn have been chasing Street Art in Atlanta and taking in the whole carnival of art that is The Living Walls Conference. Jenna is an experienced fashion photographer and she has been capturing the amazing vibe with her camera while Jayne tell us in her own words what’s the mood for Saturday nights’ Eyedrum Opening. Here is their first dispatch exclusively for BSA:
Currently, Eyedrum, home of the Living Wall’s Gallery Show, and the adjacent loft where the artists are staying, has transformed into what one artist called “a summer camp meets a wedding, meets a reality show”. Street artists from around the world blew up air mattresses and slept slumber party style, painting, working, and hanging out into dawn with a collective of volunteers.
Eyedrum Hallway (© Jenna Duffy)
The long white hallway in Eyedrum became the artists’ free-for-all, each given pick and creative freedom to stake claim on any spot not taken. The enormity of Living Walls is evident here; once an eyesore, it is now almost completely covered with pieces large and small. Gaia, Greg Mike, Chris Bakay, Marcos Sueno, Never, Nasdaq, Hugh Leeman and other artists have thrown up murals and wheat pastes. The ultimate goal to cover the hallway is awe-inducing, but when executed the collage of local and international street artists will be an ocular feast.
Gaia in Action (© Jenna Duffy)
Eyedrum Hallway (© Jenna Duffy)
Fresh+I+Am takes a smack at environmental polluters at the head of the hallway (© Jenna Duffy)
Gaia (© Jenna Duffy)
To see more of Jenna Duffy’s work go HERE:
The Living Walls Blog
To learn more about Living Walls go HERE:
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