School is out, unemployment is higher than they’re reporting, and your younger sister is driving you crazy. Time to take off with some friends to the local abandoned building for some summer spray-cation!
Maybe you’ll finally do that masterpiece, maybe you’ll just spray some genitalia or extremely large breasts. Since they are on your mind anyway, why not? These are the last days of July, you might as well carry on what has become a modern tradition for many urban youths over the years.
It comes as no surprise that the explosion of new graffiti in New York is evident across the river in Jersey City, where we have been hanging out the last few day for the Jersey City Mural Festival. And for those who know their history, it will also come as no surprise that we always dig the illegal unapproved organic graffiti and street art as much as that which has received official approval from our city fathers and mothers.
So here’s new pieces and tags from under the bridges, passageways, and inside the abandoned buildings in JC. The looseness of line and exuberance of color combinations tell us that graff kids are feeling at liberty to get up wherever necessary to get out their name. In the oceanic metaphor of ebbs and flows – this wave is flowing, bro.
Here’s our weekly interview with the street, this week featuring Acro, Amore, Carbo, Chaos, Chees, Dzel, Gear, Hugo Girl, Jinx, Loser, Manik, MES, Nate Paints, Pesco, Reato, Rozr, Sean 9 Lugo, Serbo, Short, Sophie Xeon, Sugar, and Visit.
Curbs and Stoops in Bushwick for “Beat Nite” Tonight
The Grand Opening of Curbs and Stoops Active Space! A proud New York tradition for artists and collectives – the opening of a big welcoming space in which to explore and celebrate the creative spirit. This is where you find the wild seeds of what will grow tomorrow. Big Ups to courageous peeps like Ashley Zelinskie and Jeffrey Pena and all the friends that are putting their skills into action.
Sebastian Vallejo Detail. Image courtesy of Curbs & Stoops
The goal is to create a progressive cultural center designed to promote community through art; a 6,000 square foot space will host new works by Angel Otero, Ashley Zelinskie, Brian Maller, Brian Matthew, Christopher Rivera, Hector Arce, Hector Hernandez, Jason Mones, Jeffrey Pena, Jonathan Chapline, Korakrit Arunanondchai, Pep Williams, Rachel LaBine, Sebastian Vallejo, Lapiztola Collective, UR New York Collective and Super Pop Collective
566 Johnson Street 2nd Floor Friday, February 18, 6-10PM Morgan L Stop
Opening night party with DJ Grimmace.
Sponsor: DogFish Head
For more information on this show click on Curbs & Stoops site:
Check out the artists collaboration show at Art Bazaar in Chelsea to see new work by a number of artists, including some you have seen on the street like painters Mario Pena and Fumero.
Hellbent and Slept did some fun in the backyard at Factory Fresh for the “Grand Champions” Show tonight. We made it into our own special sign, it doesn’t really look like this exactly.
Friday is traditionally a day to look really busy first thing in the morning, up until, say, NOON, and then start to think about what the hell you are going to wear to go out tonight to see street/graff/public art in Brooklyn. Hookin up a LOOK for tonight ma!
You might like this one – fine artist and graff writer John Breiner presents the third installment of this group of grand champions since 2003, and it’s incredible to see how young artists mature in their work over time. Many in the show are known on the street as graff/street artists and naturally have continued to refine and explore their artistic abilities, now including what can roundly be described as fine art in a multitude of disciplines. The labels don’t really matter of course, the talent does. No doubt this happy reunion at Factory Fresh is going to be pumping with energy and excitement tonight.
Tonight at Factory Fresh, curated by John Breiner
Saturday Night Bushwick Open Late “This Beat is Sick” features 9 spaces
including the Opening of new gallery “Famous Accountants”
Bushwick is still wildly alive with people who create – and it hasn’t been blanded yet; still too dicey, too ethnic, and like, there isn’t even bottle service. Unless you bring it in a paper bag.
New spaceFamous Accountantsstraddles the edge of Bushwick in Ridgewood, as if poised to run for it. Saturday they open with “Twenty-Three”. A shared work/gallery space run by artists Ellen Letcher and Kevin Regan who were part of the now-closed Pocket Utopia on Flushing Ave, the new space is not looking for a hook to be cool, which is so cool.
They’re also planning TV Parties! – inspired by the lampooning of apathetic consumer culture expressed in the classic Black Flag song:
In conjunction with Norte Maar, a Bushwick cornerstone in-home gallery run by Jason Andrew that’s been pushing the envelope for a few years with in-window performance that you can see from the sidewalk, and art classes for local kids and BushwickImpact.org.
Armand Van Heldon’s new mix comes out October 26 – and this is a funkalicious throwback to a 70’s groove and suave men puttin on the smooove mooooves
and from the BSA DIY Corner…
If you have any cardboard laying around you can also begin making your own CARDBOARD ANIMATION
Student Graduation Animation by Sjors Vervoort. http://www.sjorsvervoort.nl Animation and design by Sjors Vervoort. Sound and SFX by Steven Aerts. The Netherlands 2009.
Elfo is a graffiti writer and social commentator whose work intentionally sidesteps traditional notions of style or technical lettering. This …Read More »
In her latest mural, Faring Purth delivers a powerful reflection on connection, continuity, and the complexity of evolving relationships—a true …Read More »
BROOKLYN STREET ART LOVES YOU MORE EVERY DAY
