All posts tagged: Nick Walker

Chat With “Eloquent Vandals”: Film Debuts Monday at Brooklynite Online

You Chat Online With Martyn Reed Live Monday 1/31

We’re really happy to see that this project is finished and congratulate Martyn Reed for finishing his film “Eloquent Vandals”, made during the NuArt Festival in Stavanger, Norway. You can congratulate Martyn LIVE when you log in to chat with him and see the WORLD DEBUT of the film next Monday the 31st.  Brooklyn-Street-Art-Eloquent-Vandals-Still-Blek_le-rat-sheep

Shot and directed by Martin Hawkes, the film features work and interviews with Street Artists like Blek Le Rat, Graffiti Research Lab, Dface, Herakut, Nick Walker, Know Hope, Jimmy Cauty, Chris Stain, Wordtomother, Sten & Lex, Dotmasters, Zeus (UK) and Dolk & Pøbel.

Win a FREE Copy! To celebrate the World Premier, BSA is hosting a trivia game and giveaway of copies of the film and other NuArt goodies the day after the show — Feb 1.

Brooklyn-Street-Art-Giveaway-BSA-Brooklynite-Nuart

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Street Artist couple Herakut in this film still from “Eloquent Vandals” (© Nuart/Saft films)

Brooklyn-Street-Art-Eloquent-Vandals-Still-Blek_le-rat

French Street Artist and one of the early stencilists Blek Le Rat from “Eloquent Vandals” (© Nuart/Saft films)

Brooklyn-Street-Art-Eloquent-Vandals-Still-know-hope

Street Artist Know Hope shows how to keep warm by the TV in this film still from “Eloquent Vandals” (© Nuart/Saft films)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

* first image of post is a still featuring work by Blek Le Rat in “Eloquent Vandals” courtesy of Nuart/Saft films.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Eloquent Vandals
Running time : 27 mins

Shot on location during Norway’s Nuart Festival in 2008, Eloquent Vandals
features candid interviews and work from some of the worlds leading street
artists including Blek Le Rat, Graffiti Research Lab, Dface, Herakut, Nick
Walker, Know Hope, Jimmy Cauty, Chris Stain, Wordtomother, Sten & Lex,
Dotmasters, Dolk & Pøbel.

Shot and Directed by Martin Hawkes
Produced by Nuart/Saft films

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Happy New Year! BSA Highlights of 2010

Year-in-review-2010-header

As we start a new year, we say thank you for the last one.

And Thank You to the artists who shared their 11 Wishes for 2011 with Brooklyn Street Art; Conor Harrington, Eli Cook, Indigo, Gilf, Todd Mazer, Vasco Mucci, Kimberly Brooks, Rusty Rehl, Tip Toe, Samson, and Ludo. You each contributed a very cool gift to the BSA family, and we’re grateful.

We looked over the last year to take in all the great projects we were in and fascinating people we had the pleasure to work with. It was a helluva year, and please take a look at the highlights to get an idea what a rich cultural explosion we are all a part of at this moment.

The new year already has some amazing new opportunities to celebrate Street Art and artists. We are looking forward to meeting you and playing with you and working with you in 2011.

Specter does “Gentrification Series” © Jaime Rojo
NohJ Coley and Gaia © Jaime Rojo
Jef Aerosol’s tribute to Basquiat © Jaime Rojo
***

January

Imminent Disaster © Steven P. Harrington
Fauxreel (photo courtesy the artist)
Chris Stain at Brooklyn Bowl © Jaime Rojo

February

Various & Gould © Jaime Rojo
Anthony Lister on the street © Jaime Rojo
Trusto Corp was lovin it.

March

Martha Cooper, Shepard Fairey © Jaime Rojo
BSA’s Auction for Free Arts NYC
Crotched objects began appearing on the street this year. © Jaime Rojo

April

BSA gets some walls for ROA © Jaime Rojo
Dolk at Brooklynite © Steven P. Harrington
BSA gets Ludo some action “Pretty Malevolence” © Jaime Rojo

May

The Crest Hardware Art Show © Jaime Rojo
NohJ Coley © Jaime Rojo
The Phun Phactory Reboot in Williamsburg © Steven P. Harrington

June

Sarah Palin by Billi Kid
Nick Walker with BSA in Brooklyn © Jaime Rojo
Judith Supine at “Shred” © Jaime Rojo

July

Interview with legend Futura © Jaime Rojo
Os Gemeos and Martha Cooper © Jaime Rojo
Skewville at Electric Windows © Jaime Rojo

August

Specter Spot-Jocks Shepard Fairey © Jaime Rojo
“Bienvenidos” campaign
Faile studio visit © Jaime Rojo

September

BSA participates and sponsors New York’s first “Nuit Blanche” © Jaime Rojo
JC2 © Jaime Rojo
How, Nosm, R. Robots © Jaime Rojo

October

Faile “Bedtime Stories” © Jaime Rojo
Judith Supine © Jaime Rojo
Photo © Roswitha Guillemin courtesy Galerie Itinerrance

November

H. Veng Smith © Jaime Rojo
Sure. Photo courtesy Faust
Kid Zoom © Jaime Rojo

December

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Brooklyn Street Art: 2010 Year In Images (VIDEO)

We’re very grateful for a wildly prolific year of Street Art as it continued to explode all over New York (and a lot of other places too). For one full year we’ve been granted the gift of seeing art on the streets and countless moments of inspiration. Whether you are rich or poor in your pocket, the creative spirit on the street in New York makes you rich in your heart and mind.

To the New York City artists that make this city a lot more alive every day we say thank you.

To the artists from all over world that passed through we say thank you.

To our colleagues and peers for their support and enthusiasm we say thank you.

To the gallery owners and curators for providing the artists a place to show their stuff and for providing all of us a safe place to gather, talk, share art, laugh, enjoy great music and free booze we say thank you.

To our project collaborators for sharing your talents and insights and opinions and for keeping the flame alive we say thank you.

And finally to our friends, readers and fans; Our hearts go out to you for lighting the way and for cheering us on. Thank you.

Each Sunday we featured Images of the Week, and we painfully narrowed that field to about 100 pieces in this quick video. It’s not an encyclopedia, it’s collage of our own. We remember the moment of discovery, the mood, the light and the day when we photographed them. For us it’s inspiration in this whacked out city that is always on the move.

The following artists are featured in the video and  are listed here in alphabetical order:

Aakash Nihalani,Bansky, Barry McGee, Bask ,Bast, Beau, MBW, Bishop ,Boxi, Cake, The Dude Company, Chris RWK, Chris Stain, Dain, Dan Witz ,Dolk ,El Mac, El Sol 25, Elbow Toe, Faile, Feral,  Overunder, Gaia, General Howe, Hellbent, Hush, Imminent Disaster, Jeff Aerosol, Jeff Soto, JMR ,Judith Supine ,K-Guy ,Labrona, Lister, Lucy McLauchlan, Ludo, Armsrock, MCity, Miso, Momo, Nick Walker, Nina Pandolfo, NohjColey, Nosm, Ariz, How, Tats Cru, Os Gemeos, Futura, Pisa 73, Poster Boy, QRST, Remi Rough, Stormie Mills, Retna, Roa, Ron English, Sever, She 155, Shepard Fairey ,Specter, Sten & Lex, Samson, Surge I, Sweet Toof, Swoon, Tes One, Tip Toe, Tristan Eaton, Trusto Corp, Typo, Various and Gould, Veng RWK, ECB, White Cocoa, Wing, WK Interact, Yote.

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Fun Friday 11.05.10

Fun-Friday

Fun Friday 11.05.10

C215 Prepares for “Community Service”: New Show and Book

“Painting in the streets puts limits on you, as far as the number of colours you can bring with you, how much time you have to paint, and even the subject matter since I like to put a link between the stencils I paint and the context around where I paint them.”

C215 speaks about his process, his travels, and his new book that features street images from our own Jaime Rojo and an introduction from our editor.  More from the interview with Ripo on No New Enemies.

Brooklyn-Street-Art-C215-copyright-Ripo-Nov-2010

Aakash Nihilani at Bose Pacia Gallery

Aakash has been riding that tape into the gallery – including this homage to Jeff Koons.  Says the gallery for the “Overlap” show that opened last night, “The common denominator of all works in the exhibition is the overlapping of isometric square shapes to create new forms that move towards figurative representation.”

Bose Pacia Gallery.

Photo courtesy Bose Pacia

Brooklyn-Street-Art-copyright-bose-pacia-gallery-aakash-nihilani

Swoon

The celebrated Street Artist from Brooklyn talks about her approach to her work, and how it continues to evolve.

Invader Accused of Stealing Cow

Brooklyn-Street-Art-invader-id-iom-copyright-graffart-eu

This courtesy of graffart.eu, apparently Street Artist Invader has a sidebuster called Id-iom. Invader’s iconic digital spaceship had a rather close encounter of the bovine kind on the street recently.

Read more HERE.

Image courtesy graffart.eu

Nick Walker “In Gods We Trust”

This new video from Nick Walker in an interview at the opening of his current show at Art Sensus Gallery contains two of the pieces he did first with us this summer on a some walls BSA secured for him in The People’s Republic of Brooklyn.  The pieces also look great in the gallery, but the time hanging out with this talented and down-to-earth Street Artist was stellar and a really nice memory for summer 2010.

Nick Walker
Nick Walker in Brooklyn with BSA (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Nick Walker. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)
Nick Walker in front of “Amerikarma” in Brooklyn. Summer 2010. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

The BSA Banner when Nick was here. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
The BSA Banner when Nick was here. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Our 3 postings on Nick that week

http://www.brooklynstreetart.com/theblog/?p=12522

http://www.brooklynstreetart.com/theblog/?p=12566

http://www.brooklynstreetart.com/theblog/?p=12579

“Yes on 19”

An earnest text-based approach to Street Art, this duo treats their work more like Public Service Announcement than Street Art.  The messages posted are in support of Proposition 19, a referendum to legalize use of marijuana this past Tuesday in California, which was voted against by 53.9% of the populace.

Interestingly, the first part of the video is a primer on how to make fresh wheat paste in your kitchen. Suddenly BSA is the cooking channel!

Saber, Shepard Fairey and American Pride

Brooklyn-Street-Art-Fairy-SABER-Flags_Photo-copyright_Todd_Mazer

From the West Coast, where smoking pot is still illegal without a doctor’s prescription, Shepard Fairey posted excellent photos by Todd Mazer of a big mural he and Saber recently completed for a project with a name that sounds kind of familiar.

“Saber and I have been friends for over 10 years and previously collaborated on the Brooklyn Projects wall on Sunset in Echo Park. We also both recently coincidentally made art inspired by the American flag,” says Fairey.

Read more on the Obey Giant site

Love Letters- Marriage Proposal in Philly

Street Artist Stephen Powers aka ESPO sends this video of an amorous train trip along the same elevated line that affords riders a birds-eye view of his “Love Letters” project in Philadelphia. On the way, the Beatles get involved, and we all start to cry.

Here’s the new video for the next chapter in adoration; Love Letters Syracuse, in a mid-sized city in the center of New York State.

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Addict Galerie Presents: ” L’ART URBAIN …du mur a l’atelier…” A Group Show (Paris, France)

Vernissage Samedi 16 Octobre à partir de 18H

Opening Saturday October 16 from 18H
Addict Galerie
brooklyn-street-art-addict-galerie

Exposition Collective du 16 Octobre au 4 Décembre Mardi – Samedi 11 :00 – 19 :00

Group Show from October 16th to December 4th Tuesday – Saturday 11 :00 – 19 :00

La rue, laboratoire d’un nouveau mode d’expression

Un art est né dans la rue parce que ses auteurs ne se définissaient pas comme des artistes. C’était là, la révolution. Des jeunes aux doigts errants, voulaient simplement rappeler leur existence en prenant à partie un paysage urbain, prison de briques et de pierres, souvent délabrée, qui servait de décor à leur vie. Depuis maintenant plus d’un demi-siècle, l’esthétique des cités s’en est trouvée modifiée.

On a souvent dénoncé le spontanéisme immature de ces peintres clandestins qui n’obéissaient en réalité qu’à un besoin instinctif d’expression visant à déconstruire un certain académisme des formes. D’abord terrain d’expérimentation de jeunes “amateurs”, la rue est devenue le lieu d’exposition d’artistes issus des meilleures écoles allant à la rencontre d’un public, souvent absent des musées.

A rebours de l’individualisme traditionnel du créateur, ces artistes ont su développer générosité et sens du partage pour élaborer des projets collectifs. Ils ont également renouvelé les outils traditionnels de la peinture en explorant toutes les techniques et tous les types de supports. Certains d’entre eux en revisitent l’aspect figuratif avec l’ironie d’un langage métaphorique. D’autres s’approprient aussi le multimédia pour nous sensibiliser aux dangers du monde virtuel.

L’art urbain est désormais un art de vivre pour beaucoup de ses adeptes, artistes authentiques à l’inspiration variée qui entendent créer en toute légalité, sur des supports autorisés.

Surgit alors un paradoxe : comment ces innovateurs nomades, ayant élu la rue comme terrain d’expérimentation, habitués à y exposer des travaux destinés à disparaître, comment ces acteurs du provisoire peuvent-ils se laisser enfermer dans un musée ou une galerie ?

Une chose est sûre : en investissant « l’intérieur », en renonçant à leur clandestinité, ces artistes ne perdent rien de leur authenticité. Ils revendiquent simplement une inspiration différente mais fidèle à leur démarche créatrice. Tous se promettent également de retourner s’exprimer dans la rue. Cette tendance n’est pas nouvelle. Le passage du mur et du wagon au support léger, mobile et collectionnable se produit déjà à New York dès la fin des années 70, avec Crash, Lady Pink…!

Face à ces tentatives qui se mondialisent que pense le citadin de ces « œuvres » qu’on lui met sous le nez ? Il demeure sceptique, parfois choqué, souvent dérouté. Institutions et critiques en ont tiré prétexte pour tenir à l’écart ces fabricants de signes indéchiffrables, ravalés au rang de propagateurs d’une sous culture de ghetto aux slogans parfois subversifs.

La presse, de son côté, a fait preuve d’une étonnante absence de curiosité à l’égard de ce mouvement quand elle ne l’a pas fustigé allant jusqu’à le traiter « d’art dégénéré ».

Les musées l’ont largement ignoré. Les collectionneurs, mal informés, ne pouvaient que se montrer frileux à son endroit.

Un tel contexte assigne à l’art urbain une place singulière dans l’histoire et ne facilite pas sa reconnaissance comme mouvement artistique à part entière. Même si la situation évolue lentement, à ce jour en France, très peu d’expositions lui ont été consacrées. Elles ont notamment peu pris en compte la variété des techniques qu’il met en œuvre, ni la richesse de son inspiration, passant même à côté de certains de ses grands acteurs.

Il n’était que temps de témoigner de l’importance d’un des élans créatifs les plus révolutionnaires du Vingtième siècle car inscrit dans une époque condamnée à l’entassement humain dont il réinvente les formes d’art pictural.

Pour rendre compte de son ampleur, Addict Galerie lui consacre deux expositions, la première débutera le 16 Octobre 2010. Ce panorama voudrait témoigner du foisonnement des talents qui l’irradie. Seront entre autres rassemblées les œuvres de plus de quarante artistes internationaux, des pionniers tels Gérard Zlotykamien, John Crash Matos, Doze Green, Lady Pink, John Fekner et Don Leicht, Jean Faucheur, Toxic… jusqu’aux jeunes talents tels Imminent Disaster, Jazi, Alexandros Vasmoulakis, 36RECYCLAB, Mambo…Partageront aussi ses murs Jaybo, Marco Pho Grassi, Victor Ash, Herakut, Andrew Mc Attee, Nick Walker, Kofie, Boris Hoppek, Thomas Fiebig, L’ATLAS, Mist, TRYONE, Smash 137, Eelus, Dtagno, 108 …

Ce projet unique en son genre suppose une subjectivité dans les choix dont Addict Galerie a conscience et qu’elle assume librement. Il s’agit pour nous de révéler, loin des sentiers battus, la cohérence d’un mode d’expression qui, à travers sa multiplicité, s’affirme comme imaginatif, inspirant et novateur.

La scénographie proposée scande en deux temps le parcours de ce panorama sans en briser l’unité même si la première étape comporte une dominante plus abstraite et la seconde plus figurative. Cette approche conforte au contraire une vision globale qui voudrait souligner la réussite du passage de cet art en galerie.

Par cette initiative hors norme, Addict Galerie souhaite rendre justice à l’art urbain et l’aider à asseoir sa légitimité artistique.

Laetitia Hecht et René Bonnell

Pour toutes demandes – Contactez la galerie : +33 (0)1 48 87 05 04 / info@addictgalerie.com

Information available upon request – Contact the gallery: +33(0)1 48 87 05 04 / info@addictgalerie.com

ADDICT GALERIE
Laetitia Hecht
14/16 rue de Thorigny
75003 Paris – France.
T: +33(0)1 48 87 05 04
info@addictgalerie.com

www.addictgalerie.com

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Fun Friday 09.17.10

Fun-Friday

Fun Friday 09.17.10

Brooklyn-Street-Art-Faile-WEB-Fans-Orchard-Sept-2010

Faile Introduces Book to Celebrate First 10 Years

Ducking flying branches from the sudden tornado that ripped through Brooklyn late yesterday afternoon, the Faile dudes made their way to a small brightly lit spot on the Lower East Side that featured a dazzling and rich assault on the senses. The colorful graphic overview of the first ten years working together is expressed in large prints that check off all the Faile vocabulary that has come into existence since their beginnings as students and then on the street – where the impact on their creativity was most heavily evident.

The book is similarly dense and a treat beyond belief. You can see it all, and buy one if you like, at 151 Orchard Street today and tomorrow.

Brooklyn-Street-Art-Faile-Orchard-Sept-2010

Nick Walker Commemorates Pope’s Visit to the Queen

From The Londonist, this picture by Zara Shirwan of Mr. Walker in front of a brand new piece he’s done of the current head of the Catholic Church.

Only bit of confusion is the 2009 date next to the piece…but maybe that was intentional?

More here:

Brooklyn-Street-aRt-Nick-Walker-copyright-shirway

Wiiiillllllld Horses Couldn’t Drag Me Awaaayyyyyy – Minnesota Road Art!

From Brooklyn artist Luisa Caldwell comes this galloping roadside image for drivers along the intersection of US-8 & I-95 in Franconia Sculpture Park in Minnesota.

Brooklyn-Street-Art-Luisa-Caldwell-Horses

Running Fence: Scenic Route is a 10ft x 44ft free-standing sculpture installation of a wood wall with four spliced together commercially manufactured wall murals by Luisa Caldwell.

B oris Hoppek Street Performance at the FAME Festival

You ever notice those people who seem to carry the weight of the world on their shoulders? Poor Boris…



Wiiiillllllld Horses

Come on Mick, sing us a song

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Images of the Week 07.18.10

Brooklyn-Street-Art-IMAGES-OF-THE-WEEK_05-2010

Our weekly interview with the street; this week featuring 907, Bast, Faro, Goya, Hellbent, Nick Walker, Nutterfly, Pan Am, Sadue, Shin Shin, Specter, Swamp Donkey, TWA, UFO, and Conor Harrington.

Bast. Detail (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Mashing up childhood memories. Bast. Detail (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Double Bast. Kiss of Death (Vader) (Photo © Jaime Rojo)
Double Bast. Kiss of Death (Vader) (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Hellbent

Hellbent (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

UFO, 907(detail), Sadue (detail) (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

A very colorful nearly block long installation appeared almost overnight in Brooklyn.  Here are a couple of the artists UFO, 907 (detail), Sadue (detail) (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Nick Walker "Nutterfly". Connor Harrington (detail) (Photo © Jaime Rojo) Editors Note: The placement of the Nick Walker was over a crappy piece of advertisement that had covered part of the Connor Harrington piece.

Nick Walker traveled to Manhattan after his first stops with BSA in Brooklyn. This one is called “Nutterfly” . Conor Harrington (detail) (Photo © Jaime Rojo) Editors Note: The placement of the Nick Walker was over a crappy piece of advertisement that had covered part of the Conor Harrington piece. Nick Walker did not go over Conor.

Nick Walker. Detail. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Nick Walker. Detail. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Faro (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Faro (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Bast Pan Am (Photo © Jaime Rojo)
One of Bast’s older pieces, a camera, next to a new Fly Bast Air Pan Am (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Shin Shin (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

A 3-D perspective on one of summers’ most cherished sights.  Shin Shin (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Hellbent

Hellbent (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Goya (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Goya (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Specter (Photo © Jaime Rojo)
Using what has become a signature image in his work, the orange shopping cart stacked high with returnable bottles, Specter flips realism into abstract by turning it on its side and submerging it in this sculpture. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Specter (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Specter (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Bast TWA (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Bast TWA (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Swampy and Goya (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Swampy and Goya (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Specter (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

The oppressive heat has really started to fry Specter’s mind, and most New Yorker’s for that matter. All elements are being cut and pasted back into place. This appears to appropriate graffitied metal wall segments.  (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Bast La Sinistra (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Bast La Sinistra (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Images of the Week 07.11.10

Brooklyn-Street-Art-IMAGES-OF-THE-WEEK_05-2010

Our weekly interview with the street; this week featuring Aahus, Bortusk Leer, Brett Amory, Chris Stain, Don John, Elle, and Nick Walker

Nick Walker Mariachi Behind Bars (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Nick Walker Mariachi Behind Bars (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Brett Amory in San Francisco (Photo © Julianne Yates)

Brett Amory in San Francisco (Photo © Julianne Yates)

Morning Coffee. Street Art. Music. Cigarrettes. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Morning Coffee. Street Art. Music. Cigarettes. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Bortusk Leer (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

“Me likes ice cream in summertime.” Also you’ll notice that someone has helpfully begun labeling pieces on the street as “Street Art”, which is a valuable service to the artists and the community.  Bortusk Leer (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

On a recent visit to Albany we visited and old historic mill building where Chris Stain had put this stencil a year ago. Still looking great. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

On a recent visit to Albany we visited an old historic mill building where Chris Stain put up this stencil a year ago. Still looking great. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Brett Amory in San Francisco (Photo © Jualianne Yates)

Brett Amory in San Francisco (Photo © Julianne Yates)

Elle (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Tickled pink by this new pig from Elle (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

A very small stencil of a cupula and sun set. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

A very small stencil of a cupula and sun set. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Don John stencil in Aarhus, Denmark. (Photo © Don John)

A new Don John stencil in Aarhus, Denmark.

Nick Walker playful street doodle. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

An unusual Nick Walker street doodle. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Nick Walker Part III: Process of “Amerikarma”

The finished piece, and the route to it. Both are completely intertwined.

During yesterday’s creation of Nick Walker’s brand new stencil entitled, “Amerikarma” we met so many people on the sidewalk as we continually shifted our stance under the trees while the sun scorched the Brooklyn sky. The events of the day (as well as the prep for the day) all somehow infuse the artists’ final piece in your mind.

Nick Walker. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Nick Walker. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

As much advance planning as you make, you’re going to run out of supplies (masking tape). And water. And then you have to have to pee. The natural and man-made elements can aid or complicate (bright light, blasting heat, dripping air conditioners). Visitors stop by to say hello and take pictures and catch up a little or comment, Kathleen from the Front Room brings you the third pitcher of iced tea with cups, and Tanley from Arrested Motion arrives with Thai food for everybody’s lunch.

Nick Walker. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Nick Walker. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Nick Walker. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)
Nick Walker. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

All the while Nick is calculating and measuring and problem-solving as he executes this new stencil for the first time – discovering what works and what needs to be adjusted. It’s all very ALIVE – the honking horns, the beautiful young  women and men in their summer clothes, the 60-ish father from Virginia who stops to ask 3 of us to help him lift a clothes rack into his daughters’ apartment, the musicians going in and out of the downstairs next to us, and Stuart borrowing a kids bike for a spin or another one’s baseball glove for a game of catch across Roebling Street traffic.

Nick Walker. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Nick Walker. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Nick Walker. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Nick Walker. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

By the time Nick is putting the Mickey Pistol portion across the bottom of the bullets and stripes flag, all the conversations have been had, the popsicles eaten, and cell phones have little warnings about low power on their screens.  A few finishing details sharpen the image and accentuate the impact before final pictures are taken and chairs are returned to Daniel and Kathleen, along with the orange extension chord.

Nick Walker. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Nick Walker. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Nick Walker. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Nick Walker. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Nick Walker. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Nick Walker. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Nick Walker

Nick Walker

Nick Walker. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Nick Walker. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

People now slow down to look at the piece, and the kids start splitting because dinner is ready back home. Nick decides to do a full signature instead of his typical symbol with the date. He likes it so much that he announces he may begin signing all of his stencils like that. The process of making the piece is intrinsically woven into the street environment, and the art is the only only reminder that remains.

BSA………….BSA…………BSA………….BSA…………BSA………….BSA…………

Nick Walker Part I: Mariachi Mona Lisa & The Snake Handler

Nick Walker: “Amerikarma” in Brooklyn

Special thanks to Daniel Aycock and Kathleen Vance at the Front Room.

.

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Nick Walker: “Amerikarma” in Brooklyn

Nick Walker braved the punishing heat today, and conquered it, to work on the streets of Brooklyn for the second day in a row. BSA was with him all day. Here is the final product called “Amerikarma”. Not much of a talker, Nick prefers to let you determine the meaning of the piece. BSA will bring you tomorrow a documentation of the process Nick used to create this loaded stencil.

Nick Walker "Amerikarma"

Nick Walker "Amerikarma"

Nick Walker. Detail. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Nick Walker. Detail. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Nick Walker. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Nick Walker. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Nick Walker Part I: Mariachi Mona Lisa & The Snake Handler

The Bristol Kid Hits Brooklyn With the First 2 of a Slew for NYC

British stencil artist Nick Walker has brought a thick wooden crate of fresh new stencils with him, and after pacing and eyeing the tubular entrance to an old Brooklyn horse stable, he decides on just the right stencil to be placed near the street entrance to welcome travelers– a pudgy Mariachi player with a Mona Lisa face.

Nick Walker (Photo © Jaime Rojo)
Nick Walker. Place Holder (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

In New York for one week, the world class street artist provokes and beguiles right from the start. No surprise from a man who has just caused a bit of a stir in Paris streets with his Le Curancan, a high-kicking line-dancing gaggle of Moulin Rouge girls showing their panties and hiding their faces behind burkas.

Nick Walker. First Layer (Photo © Jaime Rojo)
The ominous silhouette is placed. Nick Walker. First Layer (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

In his trademark style, the new stencil is photographic, raw, and funny.  People poking their heads in to peruse the bootlegged mashup crack a smile, some shaking their heads slowly.  A quiet  unassuming Mariachi has a sudden impact.

Nick Walker. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)
Nick Walker. Colors and Details Layer (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Nick Walker Mr. Mariachi (Photo © Jaime Rojo)
Nick Walker, Mariachi Mona Lisa (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Nick’s carefully spraying the layers of the Mariachi Mona Lisa with his trusty mate Stuart, who, in between maniacally checking messages on his two iPhones (one for each continent), holds the layers steady and proffers suggestions or jokes. Just a couple of blokes wisecracking and eyeballing the sidewalk scene as the hot dirty breeze rolls down Metropolitan Avenue, coating every creature in a thick sweaty glaze.

Nick Walker. Detail. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)
Nick Walker. Detail. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Mariachi Mona Lisa completed, pictures taken, we slog through the burning streets 4 blocks away to the entrance of a metal fabrication warehouse. For this piece to be framed by two doors, Nick selects the newly minted snake handler.

Nick Walker. Fine Detail. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)
Nick Walker. Fine Detail on the snake handler. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

With his smooth undetectable merging of sources, the image combines elements from a snake handler photo, a posing assistant in a lab coat, and the artist himself wearing a towel over his face and a familiar looking hat.  Familiarity of elements and attention to detail also enable a moment of escapism as you wonder who this figure is and what they’re doing. Is it pictoral? Metaphorical?

Nick Walker (Photo © Jaime Rojo)
Nick Walker (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

As each stencil layer is unpacked and unfolded onto the sidewalk, an amused audience of metal workers, motor cycle enthusiasts, and photocopier salespeople stop to discuss and ask questions.  Once again, the street feels alive with creativity and activity, folding chairs are offered, and bottles of water.

Nick Walker. Detail. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)
Nick Walker. Detail. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Nick Walker

Nick Walker (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Incredibly the story does not end there, as only blocks later a snake handler appears on the sidewalk before us and drapes Nick with the reptile so he can finally try his hand. This is his first time actually handling a snake. He said the spotted serpent was smoother than he thought, and strong, and he felt at one moment like it was tightening around his throat.

Nick Walker (Photo © Jaime Rojo)
Nick Walker (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Tomorrow Nick will hit New York streets again. The clock is ticking after all, and there are more fresh unseen stencils to be unveiled.  We’ll be there to catch his sly grin and wonder what he’ll pull out next.

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Special thanks to Stuart, Joe Franquinha, his mom and pop, David Markusen-Weiss, Brian Dencklau, Isaac Zal Sprachman, Tim Mellema, Hannah, Mehdi, Moshe, and Joe for the assistance, hospitality, and conversation.

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