Photographer Martha Cooper again rules the roost at BSA with her new photos of the 20×21 EUG Festival in Eugene, Oregon. Organized and funded by the City of Eugene’s Cultural Services Public Art Program, the citizenry is invited to be a part of events and symposia – an intimate affair with this years select list of invited artists.
“This year 20×21 organized ‘viewing parties’ at the walls to give the community an official chance to meet and socialize the artists at their walls,” says Ms. Cooper about the 10 day series of events. You could meet Fintan Magee at his wall, or talk to Sidney Waerts aka SIT at Well Balanced (center for integrative care), consort with local muralist Kari Johnson at Lane County’s Dining Room, or see a new show of incredibly framed artworks at Coffee Plant Roaster with painter Adele Renault and photographer Ms. Cooper.
Blending
small family owned businesses, the chamber of commerce and cultural
organizations together with the artists and artworks is a finely balanced
effort, and according to people we spoke with Eugene is careful to get the
balance right. For example the combination of Adele’s mural and Ms. Coopers
photo installation was in a coffee shop owned by Irv Weiner, who is a pigeon
flyer/fancier originally from New York.
“His
coop is on top of the building with the pigeon mural and the coffee shop is
inside,” says Martha of the interconnectedness of programming. Now Mr. Weiner
has added to his list a cannabis growing supplies business; a rather normal development
in this city that has become known for its marijuana-related economy during the
last decade.
Here are exclusive images of the artists at work, as well as some additional interesting details and local color about this mural-centric cultural event in Eugene.
Eugene was first recognized as good mural festival location perhaps because of the work done here by activist, performer, storyteller, and public artist Kari Johnson. Her dedication to her work as social mission and communication inspires her peers and is emblematic of what Eugene is.
“Both of my grandmothers were painters named Ida. They managed to paint landscapes and still lifes in spare moments while raising big families during the Great Depression and WWII. Continuing where they left off I began painting when I was 14 and completed my first mural 10 years later. Other than learning how to make prints with potatoes at a summer fair, I am self-taught.
I feel the most inspired when I’m making public art. Being a public artist is like being an architect of mood, stirring feelings and inspiring connection, helping to anchor and identify a place. In my art I particularly care about promoting social justice, harmony between humans and our plant and animal relations. I want my art to invite individuals to belong to the place, join community, and help shape our human story.”
You got furious at us sometimes this year. Or rather, you were mad at artists whose work pissed you off. Thanks for the emails though bro. We still love you of course sister.
Without a doubt the polarized atmosphere in social/economic/geopolitical matters worldwide in 2018 was increasingly reflected in the graffiti and Street Art pieces and projects that we wrote stories about. Loving it or hating it, often BSA readers were motivated to share the story on social media for discussion and to write directly to us to take issue, or even to chide us for “being political”.
Let’s be clear. Art has always been and will always be “political”. We tend to think that the artwork that we agree with is not political because it is expressing our values, opinions, and worldview.
So that’s why you propelled stories about a clandestine Trump cemetery installation by InDecline onto the list this year. That’s why Winston Tseng’s inflammatory campaign against a certain kind of Trump supporter on NYC trashcans proved to be so provocative and offensive to so many people, while others crowed support.
The topic of free speech under fire also attracted high interest for Fer Acala’s story of artists and rappers who took over a Spanish former prison to protest restrictive recent federal laws aimed at protest in that country.
But BSA readers also love the spectacle, the vast animated murals, the scintillating stories behind the art and the artist; the connection that communities and festivals create with art in the public sphere – or in abandoned factories, as it were. The biggest splash this year was the over-the-top creation of and the fiery destruction of an art sculpture at the Falles de València celebration in Spain by Street Artist Okuda. You loved the tantalizing images by Martha Cooper, and somehow everyone relishes the idea of building and constructing a large, colorful, inspiring piece of art and then lighting it on fire in the public square – propelling that story to the top of the BSA list in Top Stories in 2018
Box trucks are a favorite canvas for many graffiti writers in big cities and have become a right of passage for new artists who want the experience of painting on a smooth rectangular surface that becomes a rolling billboard through the streets advertising your name, making you truly “All City”.
When in French Polynesia a few weeks ago with the ONO’U festival, a number of artists were given the significant gift of a large truck or school/commuter bus on which to create a mural, a message, a bubble tag.
Together on the islands of Raiatea and Bora Bora there were about 10 of these long and low autobuses that became sudden celebrities in the sparsely travelled streets, debuted as some of them were in Raitea, when painted live at an all night party for the public.
The Painted Buses of Raiatea and Bora Bora. Continue reading HERE
Ajo Samaritans describe themselves and their mission on their website like this; “Samaritans are people of faith and conscience who are responding directly, practically, and passionately to the crisis at the US/ Mexico border. We are a diverse group of volunteers around Ajo that are united in our desire to relieve suffering among our brothers and sisters and to honor human dignity. Prompted by the mounting deaths among border crossers, we came together to provide food and water, and emergency medical assistance to people crossing the Sonoran Desert.”
Destroying Desert Water Bottles; Chip Thomas New Work in AJO, Arizona. Continue reading HERE
A current survey today from the streets in Copenhagen thanks to a couple of BSA fans and friends who share with readers their recent finds in one of the world’s happiest places, according to the 2018 World Happiness Report. Apparently it is also a good place for gay birds to come out of the closet.
With a storied history of graffiti bombing of the red trains that goes back many years, possibly generations, Copenhagen has long been a treasured destination for graffiti writers.
Now you will also find murals and installations illegally and legally by local and international Street artists – and the iconic full sides of buildings here are subtly transforming the public face of the city.
Copenhagen Diary: A Street Surevey of The Moment. Continue reading HERE
So INDECLINE picked a swell morning to debut their long-planned and complicated site-specific installation at this golf-course in New Jersey.
“INDECLINE felt is necessary to commemorate some of the victims,” they say. “The dates on the headstones correspond to some of the highlights of Trump’s first year in office.” You may remember some of these milestones on the tombstones, you may have to Google others.
The saddest death for us all year has been the civility and respect of Americans toward one another – as those hard working families who are just scraping by are being skillfully manipulated through sophisticated PR / media campaigns into thinking that they are the only real uber-patriots and to hate the wrong people. Most importantly they are fighting and voting against themselves without realizing it.
“Grave New World” Trump Cemetery. Continue reading HERE
Borondo. Utsira. Utsira, Norway. Summer 2018. (photo courtesy of the organizers)
From BSA:
Today we revisit Utsira, the tiny island in Norway that has hosted a few Street Artists over the last couple of years, like Ella & Pitr and Icy & Sot. This year the fine artist and Street Artist Gonzalo Borondo blended into the hills and the forest and the lapping waves, making his spirit dissipate into the community and into a boat.
“There’s a strong sense of community,” he says as he reflects on the metaphor he has chosen to represent his time here on an island of only 420 people, “There is a mutual support among citizens and a common feeling of enjoying the same unique condition.”
Borondo Finds Community on The Island of Utsira in Norway. Continue reading HERE
Equally gifted in the heavier handmade artisanal crafts of porcelain and ceramic as she is with aerosol, Nespoon did installations of both this month during the Emergence Festival in Sicily (Valverde + Catania. The seventh year of this international festival for public art, Nespoon shared the roster with American Gaia and Sicilian Ligama from March 10-26 creating works related to the city and its stories. In many respects these new works appear integral, interventions that belong there, may have been there a long time without you noticing; a sort of netting that holds the skin of the city together.
Nespoon Casts a Lace Net Across a Sicilian Wall. Continue reading HERE
One of the direct actions organized by the platform for fighting against Partido Popular’s civil rights oppression was to film a video clip featuring some of the most renowned lyricists on the scene as Frank T, Elphomega, Los Chikos del Maíz, La Ira, Rapsusklei, and César Strawberry, among others, at the old La Modelo prison. The location is an accurate metaphorical scenario when you are seeing that your liberty is being cut off thanks to laws like ‘Ley Mordaza’.
The song ‘Los Borbones son unos ladrones’, which alludes directly to the Spanish monarchy, includes some excerpts from some of the songs created by rappers serving a prison sentence. The video clip for the song, which you can watch at the end of this article, has become viral and almost all media outlets in the country are speaking about this big shout-out in the name of freedom.
No Callarem. La Modelo Prision. Barcelona. Continue reading HERE
Highlighting collective efforts that advance events during war and the tales of heroism, butchery, resistance, intrigue, and subterfuge that are braided into historical retelling, three Italian Street Artists commemorated citizen resistance and a Nazi massacre in a lengthy mural for the Penneli Ribelli Festival this month in Bologna.
At the center of the story is the resistance by everyday Italians of various ages, genders, and social classes, a movement known as the Italian resistance and the Italian Partisans, or Partigiani. The icon of the festival is a wolf in honor of the Partisan who led the group, Mario Musolesi, whose nickname was “Lupo”, or “Wolf”.
NemO’s, Ericailcane and Andrea Casciu Ride a Tandem Resistance. Continue reading HERE
We knew that these two talented and powerful personalities would compliment each other stunningly and that’s why we encouraged them two years ago to do a doc. A short term one was the original plan. But the two hit it off so well and when you are looking at a five decade career like Ms. Cooper’s and you have the dogged determination to do her story justice, Ms. Miles tells us that even an hour and a half film feels like its just getting started.
Now “Martha” the movie is at a unique juncture in the project and YOU may be able to participate; Selina and the team are looking for any original footage you may want to show them – and it may be used in the documentary.
“Martha” The Movie. Selina Miles Most Ambitious Project To Date. Continue reading HERE
After 25 years writing graffiti, DavidL has found his own way of working. It’s funny because one of the inherent issues about graffiti and street art is visibility. All the trains, the bombing, the tagging…it’s all about being noticed, being every f-ing where. It has been like this since day one (Taki 183, Terror161, 1UP…you know how it works).
But for David it’s not like that anymore.
Maybe it’s a sign of the days that we are living with social media, communication 2.0, etcetera. It’s obvious that if you have certain skills managing all this and a little bit of talent, plus a pinch of good taste, you can reach a global audience and show your work to the entire world even when you are concentrating the majority of your creations in a secret location.
DavidL, Through The Lens of Fer Alcala. Continue reading HERE
This week we have a selection of the UPEART festivals’ two previous editions of murals – which we were lucky to see this week after driving across the country in an old VW Bora.
We hit 8 cities and drove along the border with Russia through some of the most picturesque forests and farmlands that you’ll likely see just to collect images of the murals that this Finnish mural festival has produced with close consultation with Fins in these neighborhoods. A logistical challenge to accomplish, we marvel at how this widespread program is achieved – undoubtedly due to the passion of director Jorgos Fanaris and his insatiable curiosity for discovering talents and giving them a platform for expression.
When I was asked how to name the exhibition few weeks ago, I merged the words “vandalism“ and “Wandel“ (the German word for “Change“). That’s how Wandelism (or Changeism) was born and how it started transforming itself into an exhibition, which is truly accepting, embracing and living CHANGE.
On the grounds of a former car repair shop that is soon to be demolished, one can literally feel the constant movement and transformation of the urban fabric we all live in. Everything changes. Constantly. Change is evolution. Change is progress. Change is also the DNA of the art represented in the Wandelism show.
“Wandelism” Brings Wild Change For One Week in Berlin. Continue reading HERE
The city of Eugene in Oregon is preparing for the 2021 IAAF World Athletics Championships and like many cities these days it is transforming itself with murals.
With a goal of 20 new murals by ’21 (20x21EUG), the city began in 2016 to invite a slew of international Street Artists, some locally known ones, and a famous graffiti/Street Art photographer to participate in their ongoing visual festival.
A lively city that is bustling with the newly blooming marijuana industry and finding an endless array of ways to celebrate it, Eugene has been so welcoming that many artists will report that feeling quite at home painting in this permissively bohemian and chill atmosphere.
“At the end of the day when one is towing the line of being provocative, you may cross that line in some people’s mind but I think if one is not trying to find that line then the work is not going to make any impact”.
Winston Tseng has probably been crossing that line, pissing off some people and making others laugh for a few years now. He appears to consider it an honor, and possibly a responsibility. Relatively new on the Street Art scene the commercial artist and art director has also created his 2-D characters on canvasses and skate decks that depict the abridged characteristics of a typecast to play with the emotions and opinions of passersby.
Winston Tseng: Street Provocatour Brings “Trash” Campaing to NYC. Continue reading HERE
Yes, Street Art is ephemeral, but OKUDA San Miguel just set it on fire!
During the annual Falles de València celebration, it’s normal for artworks to be destroyed publicly in about 500 locations throughout the city and in surrounding towns. Part of a spring tradition for València, Spain monuments (falles) are burned in a celebration that includes parades, brass bands, costumes, dinners, and the traditional paella dish.
This year the first Street Artist to make a sculpture in the traditional commemoration of Saint Joseph is the un-traditional OKUDA, creating his multi-color multi-planed optic centerpiece.
Okuda Sculpture Engulfed in Flames in Valéncia. Continue reading HERE
We wish to express our most heartfelt gratitude to the writers and photographers who contributed to BSA and collaborated with us throughout the year. We are most grateful for your trust in us and for your continued support.
The city of Eugene in Oregon is preparing for the 2021 IAAF World Athletics Championships and like many cities these days it is transforming itself with murals.
With a goal of 20 new murals by ’21 (20x21EUG), the city began in 2016 to invite a slew of international Street Artists, some locally known ones, and a famous graffiti/Street Art photographer to participate in their ongoing visual festival.
A lively city that is bustling with the newly blooming marijuana industry and finding an endless array of ways to celebrate it, Eugene has been so welcoming that many artists will report that feeling quite at home painting in this permissively bohemian and chill atmosphere.
With a goal of global diversity a selection artists have included a variety of Street Art names from around the world including Blek le Rat, AIKO, Dan Witz, HUSH, Martha Cooper, WK Interact, Hyuro, Jaz, Alexis Diaz, Telmo Miel, Hua Tunan, Beau Stanton, Matt Small and local talents like Bayne Gardner and Ila Rose. With some luck organizers say they hope this year to also include artists H11235 from Nepal and Shamsia Hassani from Afghanistan.
Today you can see a lot of the painting action thanks to 2018 “20x21EUG” participant and famed photographer Martha Cooper, who had an opportunity to meet the artists this year and catch up on some of the work from previous years. We’re proud to be able to show these new images with BSA readers and we thank Ms. Cooper for sharing them.
We spoke with two important pillars of 20x21EUG, Debbie Williamson-Smith, Director of Communications and Paul Godin, Director of Artist Relations, to get a little background on the festival and to see what makes it unique.
BSA:Can you speak about the genesis of 20x21EUG? Why did you decide to start an Urban Art Festival? Debbie Williamson-Smith: The concept of a large-scale public art project such came from Isaac Marquez, Cultural Services Director for the City of Eugene, and is rooted in Eugene’s rich history of public art, dating back to the Oregon International Sculpture Symposium in 1974. Mr. Marquez gathered a committee of arts organizations and community members passionate about the project and street art to bring the concept to fruition.
Paul Godin: We wanted to invite the very best street artists from around the country and around the globe, to create a living outdoor art gallery in Eugene for the world to see when they came. We have curated a mix of street art legends, rising stars and local heroes, all with very different artistic styles and strong voices. Street art is a global movement, of increasingly high profile, and it was a shared passion that united our committee members.
If you want to take it way back, the origin may well have been a trip to the east end of London ten years ago, on a failed quest in search of a Banksy that led instead to the discovery of the wonders of Brick Lane.
BSA:How is a project of such quality as this funded? Debbie Williamson-Smith: Funding for the project comes from the City of Eugene Cultural Services transient room tax revenue, sponsorship with City of Eugene Parking Services and contributions from wall owners and local businesses through donations of goods and services. We have had over 50 businesses support this project since it started and volunteers have donated hundreds of hours of time. It takes a village to make a mural and a full list of partners can be found on our website.
BSA:Is it difficult to get landlords’ permission to paint on their properties in Eugene? Paul Godin: Heck no. We have found many landlords very open to the idea of putting street art murals on their walls. Civic pride in our project, and the high quality of the work here has made it very easy to sell more wall owners on involvement. Now they are coming to us. Our biggest problem in Eugene with walls is that we do not have as many big blank walls as larger cities do. Our kingdom for a blank 12 story wall!
Eugenians are generally thrilled by the transformation that 20x21EUG has wrought. Just last week, a city police officer brought a woman to her favorite piece, a group of elderly women were seen admiring Matt Small’s piece and chatting.
Debbie Williamson-Smith: It is so electric that we have coined the phrase “mural magic”. This project has ignited the civic pride in our community and has already inspired another mural project, Urban Canvas. This initiative of the City of Eugene’s Cultural Services department matches local walls with local artists and three murals have been added to the cultural landscape since it launched in 2018. People are making mural watching a regular activity, taking children to watch artists in action and bringing visitors to see the murals.
BSA:What are you personal observations regarding the experience as a whole? What would you do different for next year? Paul Godin: One thing that became clear about our festival this year is that we have created a family, uniting our committee, our volunteers, our artists in a unique and inspiring way. We have bonded through our shared experience, the long nights, the controlled chaos days, the communal dinners, and the stains of primer on all of our clothes.
Debbie Williamson-Smith: This has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. As an arts advocate, I am so inspired by the changes art is making in my community and this is one of the reasons why public art and street art are so important. It gives immediate access to art for the public. We are also in a time of political upheaval and for some people, including myself, this has been a difficult time for our country. To welcome people to my part of the world is my form of resistance. We can unite each other through art and as anyone who has studied art history knows, the arts have gotten us through some dark times.
If I could do anything differently, it would be to make certain all the artists travel here at the same time. When we had Dan Witz here last summer, he talked about what he called artist equity, meaning that festivals for him provide an opportunity to work with artists that he has not worked together before and that always influences his decision to attend. One of my highlights from last summer was watching him and Blek le Rat work on separate installations on the same building.
I was almost as giddy as Dan was. Almost.
Martha Cooper standing with windows full of her images at the Rising Moon makers store. 20x21EUG Mural Project / 2018 Edition. Eugene, Oregon.
Traditional letterforms are melting and straightening and refracting and layering and abstracting and slicing into geometric forms tonight in Portland Oregon as “Three The Hard Way” opens with men who came up through graffiti and embraced a new enthusiasm for this modern visual vocabulary.
Hard in this case doesn’t refer to their individual dispositions but it may refer to the amount of effort and skill they each have put into building a body of work, and a point of view. Naturally it also name-checks Hard-Edge painting and the surety and confidence you have to have to make choices in your art.
So here you are, some fresh images of some of the new works on display tonight by Augustine Kofie, Jerry Joker Inscoe, Christopher Derek Bruno, three artists whose large scale works on the street have taken different directions over the last decades but now all have led to this one place.
Lucky folk in Portland will meet all three if they go tonight. Congratulations to the curator who possesses an architectural sensibility, Sven Davis, for creating this sharp focus on dimension, form, composition, and space. This trio smartly soars.
Street/Gallery artist and curator “Mad One” will present and team up with The Screaming Sky Gallery in Portland,OR to host this one of a kind exhibit “Printed Matters”, a showcase of local and international artists, graphic designers, graffiti artists and of course avid print makers. The show will feature unique prints available in limited editions as well as in an array of print making mediums. During the opening reception we will have a handful of surprises like plenty of sticker giveaways, free handouts throughout the night provided by our sponsors like energy drinks, clothes, magazines, dvds and limited edition items produced by showcasing artists and much more….
So both you and I know these types of shows are on the rise and there have been several Graffiti/Urban art themed shows throughout the city the last few years and this is one of a kind for sure “Mad One”, a Portland based street/gallery artist and curator, had the opportunity to lock down a variety of talented artists here locally,throughout the states as well as internationally for this group show.We have artists ranging from New York to California,Canada, the U.K. and beyond.
“Printed Matters” is primarily designed around supporting the urban art movement and bringing awareness to the artists involved and how they have gone from the streets to modern figures being displayed in today’s galleries and museums. Also the curator really wanted to shed light on the different mediums/methods used in printmaking and at the same time expose these rare pieces for all to see and or possibly take home. “Mad One”, a street art advocate, has taken on the duty of curating this one of a kind show as well as putting together some great line-ups in years past throughout different galleries in the U.S.
“Bonita bonita” is taken from the catcall olive47 would hear from the local men and the also the compliments heard from the local ladies about her work when painting a series of murals in Mexico earlier this year. bonita bonita is a visual Garden of Eden, a place of beauty within a world of turmoil. Drawing on the power of myth for a significant element of its subject matter, bonita bonita applies symbolism and a visual discourse of spirituality in its presentation of a collective narrative of nature and morality in an environment where temptation is ever present. olive47’s bold use of color operates at a visceral level and activates an emotional response to the saturation throughout the body of work as a cerebral communication device. bonita bonita will contain paintings on wood panels presented individually, as assemblages and also combined within mixed media installations.
The exhibition opens Thursday 2nd May 2013 6pm, with a preview evening on Wednesday 1st May 2013 6pm alongside the group exhibition Wider than a postcard. The artist will be in attendance.
The show is curated by Sven Davis and includes postcard-sized works by: Aaron De La Cruz
Aaron Nagel
Adam Wallacavage
Adam Weir
Alex Brown
Alex Lukas
Alex Roulette
Alexey Luka
Alicia Dubnyckyj
Alvaro Ilizarbe
Amy Casey
Andreas Englund
Andres Guerrero
Andrew Hem
Andrew Mackenzie
Andrew McAttee
Andrew Schoultz
Andy Council
Anthony Sneed
Anthony Zinonos
Augustine Kofie
Bill McRight
Blaine Fontana
Bob 2
Brendan Monroe
Brian Donnelly
Brin Levinson
Britta Geisler
Bryce Kanights
Bwana Spoons
Caleb Neelon
Candice Tripp
Carl Cashman
Casey Gray
Chelsea Grolla
Cheryl Dunn
China Mike
Chris Blackstock
Chris Scarborough
Chris Valkov
Christian Mendoza
Christopher Derek Bruno
Clark Goolsby
Clayton Brothers
Coco 144
Cody Hudson
Conrad Crespin
Corey Arnold
Cranio
Craww
Crystal Wagner
D*Face
Dale Grimshaw
Dana Brown
Dana Louise Kirkpatrick
David Bray
David MacDowell
David O’Brien
David Shillinglaw
Deedee Cheriel
Derm
Deth P Sun
Dmitri Fedosseev
Drew Tyndell
Dscreet
Duncan Jago
Edwin Ushiro
Ellannah Sadkin
Ema
Emma Tooth
Eric Shaw
Erik Foss
Erik Mark Sandberg
Evah Fan
Francesco Igory Deiana
Frank Gonzales
Gary Taxali
Gen Duarte
ghostpatrol
Graphic Surgery
Greg Eason
Gregory Euclide
Hamishi
Henry Gunderson
Hilary Pecis
How & Nosm
Hush
Ian Francis
Ian Stevenson
Insane
Jacob Magraw Mickelson
Jacob Whibley
James Benjamin Franklin
Jason Thielke
Jaybo
Jeff Depner
Jeff Gillette
Jen Corace
Jenny Odell
Jerry Inscoe
Jessica Hess
Jocelyn Duke
Joe Ryckebosch
John Casey
John Petricciani
Jon Burgerman
Jordin Isip
Josh Agle
Josh Keyes
Joshua Krause
Joshua Petker
Jud Bergeron
Judith Supine
Kai & Sunny
Karin Krommes
Katrin Fridriks
KEMA
Kenji Hirata
Kevin Cyr
Kevin Earl Taylor
Kevin McQuaid
Kevin Peterson
KMNDZ
Know Hope
Kozyndan
Kyle Jorgensen
Laura Bifano
Lee Baker
Lex Thomas
Lola
Louis Reith
LX One
Marilena Staudenmaier
Mario Wagner
Marissa Textor
Mark Dean Veca
Mark Schoening
Mark Warren Jacques
Mary Iverson
Matt Haber
Matthew Craven
Matthew Curry
Matthew Feyld
Melinda Beck
Michael De Feo
Michael Hsiung
Michael Murphy
Michael Peck
Mike Ballard
Mike Egan
Mike Maxwell
Mike Stilkey
Miso
Moneyless/Teo Pirsi
Morgan Blair
Mr Penfold
Mysterious Al
Nate Frizzell
Nawer
O.Two
olive47
Part2ism
Paul Barnes
Pedro Matos
Pete Fowler
Pete Watts
Poesia
RamblinWorker
Reginald S. Aloysius
Rey Parla
Rich Jacobs
Richard Colman
Robert Hardgrave
Robert Phoenix
Rone
Rowdy
Russell Leng
Ryan Bubnis
Ryan de la Hoz
Ryan Dineen
Ryan Jacob Smith
Saelee Oh
Samahra Little
Scott Listfield
Scott Malbaurn
Shie Moreno
Sidney Pink
Simon Monk
Sloan White
St. Monci
Stephanie Buer
Steve More
Sweet Toof
Sylvia Ji
Teresa Duck
Tilt
Tim Karpinski
Titi Freak
Tofer Chin
Tom French
Tripper Dungan
William Sager
Winston Smith
Zach Johnsen
YEEE HAAAAWWWW! Brooklyn Street Artist JMR has been exploring the dusty detritus of Dallas for a spell and has found that some of the BIG D’s outlying areas remind him of the wildness of abandoned spots in Brooklyn that provided succor and inspiration to artists and performers and poets and wise guys at the turn of the century. But he has no illusions about the future for a lively hipster art scene here. For one thing, there are no redheads from Portland with 36 stringed home-made musical instruments connected to a projector here yet. Naturally while exploring, JMR brought some paint with him. Here’s what he’s been seeing…
“The wall was offered to me in collaboration with a Dallas graff legend named Ozone. The building is a live-work space for two local guys starting a longboard company/music studio. They also repair motorcycles while watching documentaries in their make-shift living room; it’s a very early 90s Williamsburg ‘Frontier Land’ vibe, sans the imminent real estate surge. That’s never coming here and it’s refreshing. In the midst of this industrial lower class neighborhood at night you can light a fire and sit around it and talk about politics or whatever, while drinking beer and smoking.
There’s a bunch of hardcore graff writers out here as well, who I met through this painting. Although the city is oddly devoid of any tags, throw-ups, or fill-ins, there is a major freight yard where trains lay up for days and people are getting busy. The trains are bombed well and it’s inspiring to watch them pass, and frustrating to try and snag flix with my iPhone, fumbling to keep up with the motion.”
BROOKLYN STREET ART LOVES YOU MORE EVERY DAY
