BROOKLYN STREET ART LOVES YOU MORE EVERY DAY
Plus NohJ’s remarks on his
Personal Primary Flight in Miami last week.
NYC street artist NohJColey has been steadfast and focused in his determination to do his homework, refine his skills, and challenge himself artistically. In turn his art and the ideas behind them continue to surprise, perplex, and provide brain candy to the viewer. NYC video artist and director Lou Auguste started documenting art on the streets of New York in 2004, and this fall he approached NohJColey to capture the young artist’s new series, “Sprayed N Stone”, a wheat-pasted trio of graff writers who have passed.
Here’s the gorgeous and lyrical result that captures the influences and tempo of NohJ’s approach in only two minutes. The Thelonius Monk tune not only nails it, that’s exactly what you’ll hear in NohJ’s studio all day. Special Thanks to Lou for sharing it with BSA readers first.
Lou remembers the experience, “NohJ had been calling me all week, he kept reminding me we had to go film. I told him I’d be there no matter what on Friday, but it rained. So instead we met up around 6AM on Sunday morning to make this video. The light in his apartment was quite yellow I remember.”
“I started focusing on the small things; a pack of cigarettes, discarded paper, details of the work lying there on the table waiting. All of it was telling the story of the artist and his new Sprayed N Stone without words. Hope you enjoy it.”
Auguste has been documenting with video regularly since releasing his first work Open Air in 2006, which gave viewers an inside-look at studio life and the creative spirit while profiling Brooklyn street artists Faile, Dan Witz, and Skewville, as well as Espo, Mike DeFeo and Tiki Jay One. The artistic process is what drives the narrative for this life-long devotee of art and Lou broadened his scope to shoot his first feature length documentary, Day in the Life released two years later in November 2008. In addition to developing an “evolving canvas” project known as Concious Cycle, Auguste currently spends his time between London and New York, where he is gearing up to produce his first feature film.
Mere days after the installation, the owner decided he didn’t like the new mural and it was being literally torched by a couple of guys. They paused momentarily while photographer Jaime Rojo got some shots. (photo ©Jaime Rojo)
That may look like a hair dryer, which could be why he aimed it at their heads first? (NohJColey) (photo ©Jaime Rojo)
NohJColey (Detail) (photo ©Jaime Rojo)
Hand cut gates and chains (NohJColey) (detail) (photo ©Jaime Rojo)
Just last week NohJ reprised the Sprayed N Stone series inside a gallery setting for the BKMIA show in Miami Beach (part of Art Basel). In the full wall installation, NohJ very nearly re-created the New York City disarray that accompanies blighted parts of the city with found wood, metal, and disgarded street signs.
A more literal example of the street coming inside than one may usually expect from an Ad Hoc curated show, and that’ saying a lot! (photo ©Jim Kiernan)
In addition to the BKMIA show indoors he managed to pull off 3 murals outside too. In the artist’s tradition, street art veteran Logan Hicks reached out to the promising new dude and hooked him up with a very cool Primary Flight location surrounded by overgrowth and vines. NohJ killed it with portrait of a reflective musician holding her violin.
“Logan referred me to Slow and Slow gave me and amazing spot,” says NohJ. The piece is called “Th3 Violinist annd h3r Window of Opportunity” (NohJColey)
“Then Gaia gave me a call (with an offer) while I was working on an installation. I really wanted to paint this picture I had read an article about, so I dropped eveything and went to paint! ”
When you work on the street, you can expect to meet just about anybody. This guy insisted that NohJ take his portrait. ” He was just walking around and noticed the camera and became adamant about being in the shot,” says NohJ. This painting for the “Art Whino” show is called “3y3’ll l3ad you”, by NohJColey
Finally, a guy named Max, owner of AE District, approached NohJ to do a mural for him, so of course the hungry artist obliged by doing this piece of an older lady and a church.
The contrast between more formal subject matter and the dripping graff-inspired running of paint somehow makes my head hurt with hard thoughts. Where are the damn academics when I need them?? This one is called “o!p!p!”, which does not help matters, in all honesty.
Finally when he got back to NYC 7 lbs. slimmer (I told you he was hungry), NohJ told Brooklyn Street Art a little more about his Miami experience;
Brooklyn Street Art: These images – are they people you have known, or just people in your imagination?
NohJColey: These images are not of anyone I have known in this lifetime. All the murals I painted in Miami are all images that visually grab me.
Brooklyn Street Art: How many days did you spend painting these?
NohJColey: I did a little bit of each mural over the course of three days.
Brooklyn Street Art: Did people come up and talk to you, and what did they say?
NohJColey: For the most part everyone wanted to know where I was from. Some people actually want to know what the piece is about or who is the person that I was painting.
Brooklyn Street Art: How would you describe the vibe on the street in that part of Miami?
NohJColey: Miami in general is a great place to work. Everyone is pretty much supportive of the whole beautifying public space idea.
