― Martin Luther King Jr. , April 4, 1967, Riverside Church, New York
Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. New York World-Telegram and the Sun Newspaper Photograph Collection.
As we remember Dr. Martin Luther king and his legacy, we are reminded that each of us has to consider seriously our individual and collective roles as a part of the equation and to fight for what is right, and good, and just, and fair for every man and woman. May his words above inspire us to keep the fight alive and to seize this moment to disempower oppression and tyranny at their first steps, not their 10th or 20th steps.
Here are some pieces of Street Art that honor the words and deeds of Dr. King.
New Wall Celebrates Audrey Hepburn for her May 4 birthday in the Brussells district she was born in. Liz Taylor is her special guest.
There are many references to pop culture, movies, fashion, and celebrity that have appeared in Street Art in the last decade or so, thanks to our full immersion in the National Entertainment State. We always say that the street reflects us back to ourselves, and apparently we are fixated on poised prettitude, at least in some cities. From Street Artists like DAIN to Judith Supine to Faile to The Dude Company, Tian, Aiko, TooFly and myriad anonymous stencillists, you are bound to see depictions of glamorous women and in a variety of archetypes popping up on walls and doorways no matter the year.
Parisian Street Artist FKDL reliably returns to his wheelhouse of the 1950s and 60s when he looks for images of idealized females. Even his silhouettes of graceful and lithe dancing figures will remind you of the 2-D animations of opening credits of Hollywood movies from the golden age, the hip early years of television, beatniks in tight turtleneck sweaters reading poems, and swinging chicks on the cover art from long-playing jazz albums. As a “fill” to his forms, he often pastes in an actual collage of vintage commercial illustrations that he cut from magazines and dress making pattern envelopes. Clearly his is a romance with an image of female beauty from an earlier time and he reliably visits it again and again in his work on the streets of Europe and New York.
So it is no surprise that last week when FKDL was in the Ixelles district in Brussels he found a lone façade wall on an empty lot that faces the street and was compelled to paint a tribute to the cinema icon Audrey Hepburn, born there 84 years ago this Saturday. “Breakfast at Ixelles” refers to the location and her most famous movie, set in New York, Breakfast at Tiffany’s. While doing the wall he decided to also pay tribute to another screen grand dame Elizabeth Taylor. The 30 foot wall uses his distinctive collage style and the paint colors are associated with the flag of Belgium.
Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives. C. S. Lewis
The individual wheat-paster or tagger on the streets may not intend it, but they’re writing an open diary, an invitation to conversation, to tell a story. As we continue to record and examine the stories that are written on the street, we get some powerful insights regularly. How Street Artists express the topic of love is as individual as it is universal.
This is a love letter to the BSA readers who have shown real support to us along the way and with it comes our continued promise to love you more every day.
Happy Friday Peepuls. Now before we all set our sights on Friday art parties and dancing and getting crazy and writing on people’s foreheads with markers, it’s time for us to get Debatified so we are all ready to vote. Obama is ahead in New York by like a hundred and five percent but apparently there are some states in the imperfect union where it is still a toss-up and people are just not sure who’s better. Moderator Candy Crowley scoured all of New York’s Long Island Tuesday and came up with only 82 people who still don’t know who they’re voting for – 12 of them polled just before airtime were also not sure who is on the one dollar bill, so there’s a clue for ya right there. Here’s a capsulized version of what went down.
1. Becca and Philip Lumbang (LA)
2. “Purple”, a Female Group Show in Williamsburg (BKLN)
3. Fairey’s “Sound and Vision” (London)
4. Gregory Siff is “A Matter of Time” in LA
5. Shark Toof Takes a Bite out of LA
6. Meanwhile, Back in Haunted Brooklyn…Get Out Your Knife
7. “The Art of Basketball” at the Pop International Galleries (NYC)
8. Gallery For The People at Stonebook Court Estate (Los Altos)
9. “It’s Alive 2” at Urban Folk Art Gallery (BKLN)
10. “Art on the Seam” Documentary teaser (VIDEO)
11. Vermibus – The Sting (VIDEO)
12. ROA in the Boneyard (VIDEO)
Becca and Philip Lumbang (LA)
Becca and Philip Lumbang, two of LA’s Street Art scene, are teaming at Lab Art Gallery in Los Angeles, CA with their show titled “Babes & Bears” now open.
For further information regarding this show click here.
“Purple”, a Female Group Show in Williamsburg (BKLN)
“Purple” is the new color for this season as envisioned by a strong group of female Street Artists in a group exhibition in Brooklyn, NY at Causey Contemporary. This show opens tonight.
PURPLE includes Alice Mizrachi, Diana McClure, Gilf, Lady Pink, Lichiban, Miss Van, Olek, Priscila De Carvalho, Queen Andrea, Ritzy Periwinkle, and Sofia Maldonado
For further information regarding this show click here.
Fairey’s “Sound and Vision” (London)
Shepard Fairey’s solo exhibition “Sound & Vision” opens tonight in London at the Stolen Space Gallery. His first London exhibition in 5 years, Fairey brings along friend and collaborator Z-Trip to supply the soundtrack to the artwork.
For further information regarding this show click here.
Gregory Siff is “A Matter of Time” in LA
A “Matter of Time” is the title of Street Artist Gregory Siff’s new show at Gallery Brown in Los Angeles, CA opening tomorrow night.
For further information regarding this show click here.
Shark Toof Takes a Bite out of LA
If you have never seen a shark playing ping pong you’ll have your chance at C.A.V.E. Gallery in Venice Beach, CA where Shark Toof’s new show “Ping Pong Show” opens tomorrow.
For further information regarding this show click here.
Meanwhile, Back in Haunted Brooklyn…Get Out Your Knife
Fall is here, leaves are turning, the sweet smell of burning fires permeates many residential neighborhoods of the city, ACs are off and windows are open and you can hear the sounds of the streets are night. And now you get to stab a pumpkin and carve a face out of it at Crest Hardware. MWAH HAH HAH HAWWWW. Joe invites you and the whole family to come out and enjoy the 3rd Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest, Saturday.
For entry rules, times and more details on this event click here.
Also happening this week:
“The Art of Basketball” is a group exhibition curated by Billi Kid at the Pop International Galleries in Manhattan featuring Mr. Brainwash, URNY, The Dude Company, Skewville, Shiro, Rene Gagnon, Joe Iurato, Ewok, One 5MH, Jack Aguire, David Cooper, Cope2, Chris Stain, Cern and Billi Kid. This show is now open to the general public and you can click here for more details.
Gallery For The People Fall Pop-Up show with Sage Vaughn, Deedee Cheriel, and Curtis Kulig is now open for the general public at The Stonebook Court Estate in Los Altos Hill, CA. Click here for more details on this show.
“It’s Alive 2” showcasing the art of Mark Bode, Dr.Revolt, and Stan 153 opens tonight at the Urban Folk Art Gallery in Brooklyn. Click here for more details on this show.
“Art on the Seam” Documentary teaser (VIDEO)
An upcoming documentary by David Freid about the art work on the wall in the West Bank.
Vermibus – The Sting (VIDEO)
ROA in the Boneyard (VIDEO)
A new video from Jason Wawro for the Boneyard Project features ROA.
The Art of Basketball is a collection of original artworks
under license from the NBA. The collection currently
features unique works on official NBA backboards and
sections of the 2011 NBA All-Star Game floor boards.
This collection taps a select group of leading graffiti
and street artists to re-imagine the most iconic symbols
of this beloved game.
October 16 – October 28, 2012
Opening reception: October 16, 7-9pm
RSVP Required: popart@popinternational.com
Featuring Mr. Brainwash, URNY, The Dude Company, Skewville, Shiro, Rene Gagnon, Joe Iurato, Ewok One 5MH, Jack Aguire, David Cooper, Cope2, Chris Stain, Cern and Billi Kid
POP International Galleries
473 West Broadway
New York, NY 10012
Street Art is ephemeral. That, for the most part is true. Unless we consider the role that the Internet plays in the way most people experience it. Then it doesn’t seem ephemeral at all.
From the moment a piece of Street Art appears, its evolution begins. Transformed by the elements; rain, sun, the rusting and oxidation of metal, the fading of paper. If you become familiar with a piece on the street, you might see it daily on your way to work or school or the laundromat. Over time it matures, evolves, takes on new characteristics, and eventually disappears.
Today we look at metal and it’s collaborative behavior as art material, its personality, its natural qualities. Industrial lots, garbage bins, heavy old gates secured with chains and locks, scrap yards, untreated wood facades – they all provide a myriad of surfaces, textures, shapes that serve as canvas and collaborator. Over time you observe the aging process of a stencil on a metal plate, or a decaying wheat paste peeling off of it or rusting into it, masking it’s shape onto it. The collaboration of materials and elements can be one of the most beautiful experiences one encounters on the streets, even an enduring one.
Our weekly interview the streets, this week including Clown Soldier, Connie, Enomeks, Enzo e Nio, Eve Ensler, Klaus Nomi, Lover, Obey, Over Under, PYR, The Dude Company, and Victor of the Sea
“There were a few things that went into creating this photo and I will try to sum up my meanings and reasoning behind it.
I first off wanted to capture the sort of sideshow spectacle that goes along with a rat being stenciled on a building. Blek Le Rat probably would have been a lot more famous had the full boom of internet media been around during his stencil height.
Most people these days know of a stenciled rat as being a Banksy thing, that too could be blamed on the media in general. I too am a fan of Banksy’s work, back before you had to either stand in a line to get a print or pray you win the lottery that goes into acquiring one these days. The reason for all the people taking pictures is the hype that surrounds his pieces, most of these “photographers” would not even look twice at other graffiti that could accompany the wall, that could very well be a known graffiti legend. I tend to look at some of the photographers taking shots to say they have actually seen a piece in person and the other half are going to upload photos to create a new set of coffee mugs and mouse pads to be sold on Ebay. The “Guess Who?” on the wall was a comment on various headlines and such you constantly see. For every 10 articles of “OMG new Banksy on wall in such and such”, turns out only about 1 is real. Almost anything stenciled on a wall these days will have some amateur journalist drumming up web hits by just putting Banksy’s name in a title. That is my personal opinion and reason for the piece.” ~ Enomeks
Our weekly interview with the street, this week featuring Elle, Googly Eyes, Julia Langhof, Karat, Kid Zoom, Money Population, Sweet Toof, The Dude Company and scenes on the street from photographer Jaime Rojo.
Whether it’s a stencil, a wheat-pasted drawing, or even a framed photo glue-gunned to a wall, Street Artists show us that it is all about love, as you know. Here are a number of different takes on the theme from Street Artists around New York. It’s our Valentine to you, because you are beautiful.
From Bishop 203 and Dirty Bandits a Special Valentines Wish to the BSA family. They also made an animated version you can send to friends. Click here to see it.
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.
BROOKLYN STREET ART LOVES YOU MORE EVERY DAY
Crotched objects began appearing on the street this year. © Jaime Rojo
