Joe Ficalora and the Bushwick Collective crew took over the streets of Bushwick again this year to entertain the locals, the visitors, and everybody else with his annual block party. When you look at the variety and quality of murals produced on these streets regularly, you realize that it’s a splendid fusion that you rarely find in organized festivals.
Maybe it’s just us talking, but these artists are not usually hamstrung by organizers’ dictates or those of advertisers – they just let their imaginations go. Yes, there are still beefs, and there are battles between styles and histories and all the baggage that writers and artists carry. But in general, this is a somewhat mediated part of street culture, with an opportunity for you to shine if you have the skillz.
We published a handful of the completed walls on BSA HERE; now we bring you the rest…
A great beginning to summer with the Bushwick Collective Block Party this weekend – an enduring event that features ever larger hip hop names performing right on the street amidst a sea of street art and graffiti that still characterizes this Brooklyn neighborhood. Long gone are the naysayers and those who thought this international democratic people’s art movement was in the purview of a few tastemakers and gatekeepers. Joe showed that this form of creative expression was meant by the people to be for the people, and every year thousands traipse through to enjoy it.
Here’s our weekly interview with the street, this week featuring: Cycle, Faile, Lexi Bella, HOACS, Roachi, Duel, Trace, Zaone, Ligama, Carrasco, Minus, Foursome Crew, Feroz, Gerik Duenas, Rich Vagos, Loste, and HEFS.