February 2010

Chris Stain Staying Warm Inside Right Now

February 10, 2010 , , ,

Keep your feet in your sneakers, and keep reaching for the sky. Chris Stain at Brooklyn Bowl last week (photo ©Jaime Rojo)
Keep your feet in your sneakers, and keep reaching for the sky. Chris Stain at Brooklyn Bowl last week (photo ©Jaime Rojo)

Sure, you may think its a great day to go play in the snow.  But after a few snow angels, a couple slides down the hill on an inflateable mattress, and peeing your name in the white stuff, you will probably head inside to watch Youtube videos of chickens who can make pancakes and that Major Lazer simulated fornication REMIX again. Oh yes you will!

Finger lickin good. Chris Stain in a Soho living room. (image © Jaime Rojo)
Finger lickin good. Chris Stain in a Soho living room. (image © Jaime Rojo)

So don’t get all Sanctified Street-Art Preacher Man when Chris Stain tells you he’s been making his stencil projects under a roof with central heating for the last couple of months instead of painting big pieces outside on the wall like a Street Artist.  We can’t all be Robots Will Kill.

Watch your head on the ceiling fixture! Chris Stain (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Watch your head on the ceiling fixture! Chris Stain (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Chris first did a big mural in an old Soho building that was once probably a factory. And then probably a drug den, then an artist studio, and now a stock photo publishing agency and community space. So, the living room/lounge area had a big wall and he had a blast one afternoon getting up a pretty bumpy bulwark – careful not to bump his head on the ceiling light fixture or tumble into the glass coffee table.

(photo © Jaime Rojo)
An unlikely location, and yet perfect in some way. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Another gig he did was last week in Brooklyn at the Brooklyn Bowl called Rock and Wrap It Up which is an anti poverty organization.  More on that here Win4Hunger.  It was pretty funny seeing him with what amounted to SPOTLIGHTS clearly demarking his place on the wall.

Dramatic shadow FX! Chris Stain, Heather, and Robyn (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Dramatic shadow FX! Chris Stain, Heather, and Robyn (photo © Jaime Rojo)

He had 3 hours before the bands started, so Gracias a Dios he had help from two sisters Heather and Robyn Macionus, who rocked the piece in record time, and added a bit of visual interest of their own – or can’t I say that?  Okay, they are both gorgeous – now it’s all out in the open!

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Bushwick Beat: Stalking the Wild Street Art with Vincent Cornelli

February 9, 2010 , , ,

by photographer Vincent Cornelli

Sure, Jef Aerosol had his show 2 Fridays ago, and he’s now back home in France. But it seems worth revisiting the amount of amazing moments I captured in Bushwick that day as a result of his energy and inspiration while he was in New York; One cannot help but feed off of it.

I want to give you some behind-the-scenes photos of the art and street scene that surrounded the artist at work. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did photographing and capturing them.

Carlito Brigante and C215 in an unlikely collaboration © Vincent Cornelli

Carlito Brigante and C215 in a subtle collaboration © Vincent Cornelli

Te Amo © Vincent Cornelli

Te Amo © Vincent Cornelli

© Vincent Cornelli

C215 on a firebox © Vincent Cornelli

© Vincent Cornelli

© Vincent Cornelli

© Vincent Cornelli

© Vincent Cornelli

Know Hope © Vincent Cornelli

Know Hope © Vincent Cornelli

© Vincent Cornelli

© Vincent Cornelli

Bast and Clown Soldier © Vincent Cornelli

Bast and Clown Soldier © Vincent Cornelli

© Vincent Cornelli

© Vincent Cornelli

© Vincent Cornelli

© Vincent Cornelli

Robots Will Kill © Vincent Cornelli

Robots Will Kill © Vincent Cornelli

Mac and Remed © Vincent Cornelli

© Vincent Cornelli

Eine in the center of the Ad Hoc entrance © Vincent Cornelli

Eine in the center of the Ad Hoc entrance © Vincent Cornelli

See more of Vinny’s work HERE

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Work In Progress: “Robots Will Kill” are Opening Windows In February

February 9, 2010

Veng and Chris brave sub-freezing cold on the “Superior Windows Project” in Williamsburg to create 8 newly painted windows into another world.

Brooklyn Street Art-work-in-progress

The BSA project, named after the business that occupies the building, is an opportunity for street artists to get their stuff up legally that also gets a lot of foot traffic. The block already has roared with wildlife for a few years with the pack animals of Street Artist Dennis McNett in the recessed “window” spaces above the KCDC skate shop.  Now RWK has conceived of a way to open the bricked window spaces into a world they imagine.

Here is a peek at the wall in progress.

Veng and Chris at work
Veng and Chris at work on their new “Windows” project  (photo © Jaime Rojo)

When Brooklyn Street Art and Robots Will Kill first talked about the guys doing this new windows project, it was sunny and warm and girls were still in their summer shorts. The only “girls” wearing shorts in this neighborhood right now are looking for a ride in your nice big cozy car, and I’m not sure all of them are girls.

“The Patience of Saints, The Industry of Ants” – Veng’s FB status.

Chris and the Cat
Chris and the Cat (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Veng works the paint can and adds his details
It’s all in the can control. If Dutch Master’s had aerosol, Veng would be a guy to get some tips from. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

“I’m German,” says Veng, as a way of explaining why he thought this February engagement was perfectly suitable for standing on aluminum ladders with a metal spray can in your hand for 8 hours while the wind gusts off the East River like sailors rushing to an “Open Bar”.

“I’m freakin’ cold,” shivers Chris as he pulls down his neoprene ski mask to talk. “Careful, my coat has paint on it.”

Would she be mine?
Would she be mine? (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Sure she will...just ask her!
Sure she will…just ask her! (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Let me in!
Let me in!  Or let me out!  (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Clad in their North Pole gear the RWK dudes attempt to defy (conquer) mother nature as they depict windows that don’t just open the bricked building, but out to another world.

Chris’s windows show a childlike pastel world of a friendly cock-eyed boy thinking of his Valentine and a wistful hyper-alert cat on the windowsill, while Veng is taking you to a 16th century Dutch town, or possibly the 1840’s town of Williamsburgh, the industrial seaport that was once here.

Room with a view
Yo! Flash me some petticoat! A room with a view… (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Detail
A Veng icon in the stain glass detail (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Detail
Is that a Schnauzer on the sidewalk (detail ) (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Stay tuned for more progress reports.

RWK in conjunction with BSA.

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“ReMIXED” SKI & 2ESAE of Destroy & Rebuild at Scratch DJ Academy

February 8, 2010 , , ,
“Scratch DJ Academy Presents “ReMIXED” : Art Work by SKI & 2ESAE of Destroy & Rebuild NYC
Curated by Jenna Rosen
Co-Curated by Meredith Charney


Friday February 26th 2010
7pm – 12am
436 6th Avenue (2nd Floor) btwn 9th And 10th st
NY, NY 10011

King of Brooklyn - Biggie

King of Brooklyn - Biggie


Special Guest DJs Will Divide and Honeycutt
Event Filmed by HOTMOP FILMS
Drinks and $5 RAFFLE with chance to win goodie bag ($100) value

Destroy & Rebuild

Destroy & Rebuild

Additional Viewing:
Sunday 2/28 from 12-5
Thru April during hours of operation
M-Thur 10:00am-8:00pm, Fri 10-6, Sat 10-6, Sun 10-8



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Brooklynite Gallery Presents: Rae McGrath “Unconventional Conviction” (Brooklyn, NY)

February 8, 2010 , , , , , ,

Rae McGrath

"ICES QUEEN" RAE Acrylic & Ink on Reclaimed Laundry Detergent Bottles 48 in x 36 in x 2 in Image Courtesy of the gallery

"ICES QUEEN" RAE Acrylic & Ink on Reclaimed Laundry Detergent Bottles 48 in x 36 in x 2 in Image Courtesy of the gallery

“UNCONVENTIONAL CONVICTION”
RAE
November 20 – December 18
OPENING RECEPTION: November 20, 6-9PM
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Long before the emergence of Brooklynite Gallery, owner and curator Rae McGrath was constructing artwork of his own in many forms. Schooled in fine arts, raised immersed in the graffiti/breakdance culture of the 80’s and holding down a diverse range of blue collar jobs, has allowed RAE to create an eclectic range of visuals for an exhibition aptly titled “Unconventional Conviction”.
Over the years RAE has spent countless hours on the streets of New York City and other parts of the world, engaging then photographing the everyday person. Usually drawn to the elderly or youth— because of their experiences or lack thereof, RAE often finds similarities to his own life, connecting the dots through his grainy black and white photos which are then hand-painted or silk-screened into pieces that include block text and hand-drawn areas. The second part to RAE’s work involves the gathering and transformation of found objects— namely hundreds of brightly colored plastic laundry detergent bottles. Spending ample time in and around laundromat dumpsters throughout Brooklyn, RAE has amassed quite a collection of these bottles which he then dissects, using cutting techniques once learned while working as a deli worker and butcher. His tales are told on top of mosaic patterns full of vibrant colors and textual information.
For RAE, the vivid and hopeful Pop Art color schemes and graphic detail of the laundry bottles prove to be the perfect juxtaposition to his own urban Brooklyn upbringing and the countless cast of characters of his youthful working class existence. In the end, RAE uses these dynamic combinations to his advantage creating rich and strange alternate realities.

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Brooklynite Gallery Presents: Sten & Lex and Gaia “Portraits” (Brooklyn, NY)

February 8, 2010 , , , , , ,

MORE INFORMATION REGARDING THIS SHOW TO BE UPDATED

brooklyn-street-art-gaia-sten-lex-brooklynite-gallery

“PORTRAITS”

STEN & LEX • GAIA

October 16 – November 6, 2010

ART OPENING: October 16th, from 7:00pm- 10:00pm

Brooklynite Gallery
334 Malcolm X Blvd.
Brooklyn, NY 11233
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The world’s oldest known “Portrait” is believe to be created over 27,000 year ago. So why after all this time is it still the most often used subject of creation? A portrait often speaks much less about the physical features we are viewing, then it does about what’s behind the gaze in ones eyes or the telling angles of their mouth. This fascination continues to intrigue us through the work of three street artists who use traditional and non-traditional techniques to create their own brand of “PORTRAITS”.

Just because street art tandem, STEN & LEX are widely considered to be the pioneers of “stencil graffiti” in their Italian homeland, doesn’t necessarily mean they are content with resting on the title. Best known for introducing their “halftone stencil” technique, these two self-proclamined “Hole School” artists spend ample time hand-cutting pixel dots and lines to compose their imagery which is best viewed from a distance. Choosing to forgo the common pop culture imagery often associated with street art, STEN & LEX’s subject matter pulls no punches. Saints, Popes and the Italian Christian Church were primarily referenced early on –minus the often added social commentary. However, most recently and for their upcoming exhibition here, the subjects of choice comes from the historic Italian archives they’ve rescued. The 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s portraits from all walks of life are the focus this time around, as they are put through the rigorous transformation of stencil cutting style that is trademark STEN & LEX. The final appearance of these portraits appear to have been fed halfway through a paper shredder then pulled back at the last minute leaving the shreds left to dangle. The images are for the most part of common folk—young and old. People who have lived lives and have stories to tell. Just read their faces.
Seems as if the young, hard charging NYC street artist GAIA has been showcasing his bold imagery to the masses since before he could walk. Well maybe it hasn’t been quite that long but over the past few years he’s managed to garner a lot of attention by using more traditional techniques to create his wildlife animals and distinguishing human portraits. Taking a more intelligent, reflective approach to his work, this “old sole” uses wood block carvings and hand-drawn methods to achieve the fur textures of bears, tigers and rabbits as well as the worn lines in the faces of his latest portrait series entitled, “Legacy.” At it’s core, “Legacy” raises the question of infrastructure design and how we are forced to live with the decisions, good or bad, created by figures such as Robert Moses, James Wilson Rouse & Mies van der Rehoboth, all of whom have shaped parts of the American landscape. GAIA also plans on featuring a series of faded self portraits called “Sunsets”. Sunsets are a portrait of the nature of the street artist as an identity. It’s a pseudonym, to the person behind the work and the conflict between the secret, the collective and the fame of the individual. Some of the work is directly painted onto reclaimed street posters and found materials.

Gallery hours: Thursday – Saturday from 1pm – 7pm or by appointment.

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Brooklynite Gallery Presents: C215 & Eelus “Paradise Lost”

February 8, 2010 , , , , ,

Image Courtesy of the Gallery
Image Courtesy of the Gallery

BROOKLYNITE GALLERY proudly presents the work of stencil artists C215 and EELUS with “PARADISE LOST“

“PARADISE LOST”

C215 • EELUS

September 4 – October 2, 2010

Opening Night – September 4th, 7-10pm


Never is there more an exciting time for a gallery and it’s curators than when they are in a position to be able to present work from artists who are on the cusp of breaking out and distancing themselves from the pack.  As we at Brooklynite Gallery proudly present, “Paradise Lost” a two-man exhibition by stencil-based artists C215 and Eelus —this is clearly the case. Loosely exploring themes of innocence, wonder and the imagination we experience as kids, both artists approach these themes from unique perspectives in both subject matter and stencil technique —clearly at the top of their games.

No other artist working in the public space today connects with the streets like C215. With striking murals in varying size and scope all over the globe, he not only paints pictures of everyday people and society’s “outcasts” —he connects with them.  Portraits of the elderly, middle-aged and children are carefully chosen; often reflecting the past, present and future in the gaze of their expressions.  At times his subjects gain your attention with grittiness and distress —and his stencils are cut that way; short, sharp and of the two-color variety.  Other times his subjects are radiant and fantastical —and again, his stencils are cut that way; graceful, curved and full movement.  Now, as C215 begins to evenly balance the time between doing ‘street work’ and having a gallery presence, we’re beginning to see this well-rounded artist can no longer be put into one single ‘category’.  Highly regarded by his peers as one of the top stencil artists working today, more than ever C215′s work exudes confidence.  Continually transforming and perfecting his stencil techniques, experimenting with various surfaces and color theories, C215 doesn’t have to speak a word about the range of emotions he channels through his work…   We can easily see and feel it for ourselves.

On the heels of his high impact solo exhibition in London last February, UK artist Eelus has officially arrived on the scene with an unusual set of tricks up his sleeve.  Toying with the future expectations of adolescence, while juxtaposing sci-fi, sexual tension and poignant text, his imagery is reminiscent of a bizarre dream you wake up from and struggle to find it’s meaning.  Eelus’ work often feels like a still frame from a complex film that points us in the right direction, yet still manages to give us only enough information to draw our own conclusions.   Depending on which strings he wants to tug, his often three-color palette is used to strike just the right emotion when applied to surfaces ranging from canvas and wood to vintage metal signage.  It all seems to be coming together as Eelus‘ work continues to stir conversation amongst his early fans as well new ones, both of whom anticipate his next print release and debate on which image it should contain.

Join us at Brooklynite during the un-official, last weekend of summer for an Opening Night Party and new work from both C215 and Eelus, including outside murals that is sure leave viewers wanting more.  For further information or photos, kindly contact Hope McGrath at pr@brooklynitegallery.com.

Hope McGrath
Brooklynite Gallery
334 Malcolm X Blvd.
Brooklyn, NY 11233
ph. 347-405-5976
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Brooklynite Gallery Presents: Guy Denning and David Walker “Surface Tension”

February 8, 2010 , ,

Brooklynite Gallery

Guy Denning and David Walker

Guy Denning and David Walker

“SURFACE TENSION”

GUY DENNING • DAVID WALKER

June 12 – July 10

Opening: June 12, 7-10pm

Musical Guest: DJ REKHA

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Who knew some artists’ equated painting a picture on a surface with a bare-fisted street brawl? A tension-filled, back and forth struggle between their medium and tools all while producing visual ideas with an often far different meaning from what your eyes are actually seeing.

One could argue that, “Surface Tension”, the new exhibition from Guy Denning and David Walker, two artists, who through the human form, explore two different concepts, using two entirely different techniques, should be aptly billed as “Guy Denning vs. David Walker”. “Surface Tension” aims to explore the stress that festers behind the processes of creation and the battles won and lost between an artist and his medium.  The show also revisits that old cliché about how painting is all about the external expression of the inner processes of art and the artist.

Wielding brushes and knives, Guy Denning battles a myriad of ideas that stir around in ones head in the hope that the visual translation might become the remedy. These disparate thoughts that don’t connect to anyone or anything in particular, yet continue to reoccur, are expressed through precarious self-portraits and female figures who at times are featured in crude, semi-abandoned locations. Behind layers of oil paint and turpentine, it would appear upon near completion, Denning’s work was then forcefully blasted in one direction with a fire-hose. His work has all the makings of a piece by a classically trained painter, yet the added angst of a back street fist-fight. According to a past journal entry, Denning states, “Any narrative is at best buried beneath the layers of fragmented visual metaphor and allegory”.  One can then only assume that Denning’s subjects, such as soldiers pointing Browning heavy machine-guns in a sub-basement, women struggling with sexuality and self-portraits that appear to be anything but, are in part speaking possibly about… “unattainable goals”? In the end, as Denning puts it… “It all seems to go round in circles”.

For David Walker, much of this “Surface Tension” is self-inflicted. The gestural approach Walker uses when creating his alluring female portraits can only be achieved using a self-imposed rule of “no brushes, only spray-paint” techniques.  Up until this exhibition, Walker also abstained from using a color palette other than black, white and pink.  For now he’s trashed that rule and instead explores a diverse and at times clashing range of hues and metallics, giving a nod to the days of ‘acquiring’ spray paint from wherever you could and using what you had on hand, which results in refreshing and off-key color combinations. There is also further exploration into abstract tagging and photo-realism, all executed in layer upon layer of spray paint.  For Walker, the subject of his work inherently lies in the facial expression– just the right one that is.  Using found imagery pillaged from peoples photo albums, snapshots and old magazines, Walker is in constant search of a precise emotion or tilt of the head that evokes a visceral response and can expand the distance between his work and that of an intelligible portrait artist.

Both artists will continue to travel on different paths leading up to their joint exhibition here, where they will finally come together to not only display work on canvases, but also in mural form on the walls of our outdoor space and elsewhere.

If you would like more photos of the art or have any other questions about this show kindly contact me.  Thank you.

Hope McGrath

Brooklynite Gallery

334 Malcolm X Blvd.

Brooklyn, NY 11233

ph. 347-405-5976

hope@brooklynitegallery.com

www.brooklynitegallery.com

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BROOKLYNITE GALLERY PRESENTS: DOLK • M-CITY “EUROTRASH”

February 8, 2010

BROOKLYNITE GALLERY PRESENTS
brooklyn-street-art-dolk-mcity-brooklynite-gallery

Two titans of the street art world collide when DOLK and M-CITY invade
Brooklynite Gallery for what is sure to be a show for the ages.

Reclusive, Norwegian stencil artist DOLK, emerges from the shadows to
showcase a new collection of cutting imagery. Often monochromatic with
one precisely placed color, DOLK crafts strangely beautiful story-lines
into his work, infusing a wry sense of humor into such wide ranging
topics as celebrity, religion and societal pressures. As a whole, DOLK’s
new body of work conveys a bit more cynicism than the past, with
most figures displaying enigmatic expressions as well as the inclusion
of one key prop that at times will leave you scratching your head.
However, what does remain consistent within the history of DOLK’s work
is the intrigue he manages to garner with simple, clean black lines and
spot-on subjects.

Look closely at a satellite picture of the earth and you just might see
an M-CITY mural. Listen to the echoing sounds of metal forging, pistons
firing, and air compression as M-CITY, Poland’s most prolific artist
working in the public space, erects yet another large scale mural on any
number of continents. Using his graphic brand of stencil artillery that
includes images of smoke-stack factories, cogs and gears, steam ships,
and repetitive city blocks, M-CITY redefines the Industrial Revolution.
That same crushing imagery is transferred seamlessly to his deliberate,
grey-scale canvases which could easily be passed off as Cold War
propaganda.

Thank heavens half the space at Brooklynite Gallery is outdoors —quite
conducive for these two addicts of outdoor activity who also plan on leaving
many gifts to the people of NYC.

DJ SCRATCH PODCAST

Brooklynite Gallery
334 Malcolm X Blvd.
Brooklyn, NY 11233
ph. 347-405-5976

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THE BLDG GALLERY PRESENTS: “THE LONDON POLICE RIDE AGAIN”

February 8, 2010

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Image Courtesy The BLDG Gallery

Image Courtesy The BLDG Gallery

The BLDG Gallery: 30 West Pike Covington, Kentucky

The London Police
“The London Police Ride Again”
Opening Reception: Friday March 19, 2010 8-11 PM
Exhibition Dates: March 19, 2010 – April 30, 2010

The BLDG Gallery is pleased to announce the opening exhibition of British art collective The London Police (TLP), March 19, 7 pm to 10 pm at 30 West Pike Street Covington, Kentucky. This show is the first of four international exhibitions planned by TLP for 2010 and will present new original works of Cincinnati and Kentucky themed paintings and videography.

Born in Chelmsford, Essex, The London Police founders, Chaz and Bob, moved to Amsterdam in 1998. Recognized for their iconic LADS characters and precision marking, TLP is universally renowned as “pivotal voices in the history of street art.” Their acclaimed works include: murals of titanic proportion, (The largest can be found in Kreuzberg, Berlin a mere 6 story outdoor installation.) coveted original canvases, short films and even shorter music quips of high regard.

TLP generates an ever growing network of loyal fans spanning Europe, Asia, North America and South America. TLP works have graced the walls of the Stolenspace Gallery, London, GO Gallery in Amsterdam, Carmichael Gallery of Contemporary Art in LA, Fresh Factory in NYC gaining resounding praise and selling out most of their original works. The artists were recently spotted in Miami, South Beach, executing an install in conjunction with the Primary Flight Collaborative.

So what caused TLP, international institutions of the art world to put down on Kentucky soil? Perhaps it was the not so by chance encounter with proprietors of the BLDG, who with deliberate and shameless intent ignited the insatiable wanderlust of the boys of Britain. According to Mike Amann, BLDG co-founder, “the self proclaimed “geezers” can court and spark in the best of venues, we aggressively pursued them for our 2010 schedule.”

Those who have not yet experienced The London Police once engaged will be mesmerized by the deliberate and distinct style developed by the artists over the past 10 years. The “LADS” continue to come to life in the form of perfect circular characters drawn by Chaz, meticulously positioned in a complex world of architectural illustration created by Bob.

As a collective, TLP balances the talents and creative technique of the two artists. With unbridled humor and a familiarity generally reserved for best friends Chaz and Bob spread the love, gifting their host cities with abundant good will, leaving behind a vibe guaranteed to energize and entertain constituents even as they struggle daily with economic uncertainty and global security.

“It is a privilege to bring TLP to the Tristate and to share the experience with our neighbors north, south, east and west.” notes Roman Titus BLDG co-founder. The BLDG has sent ahead images and the flavor of our region to TLP, anxiously anticipating the exhibition and the arrival of the “LADS”. Patrons can expect to encounter black and white canvases and screen prints in this classic TLP style featuring local influences and architecture. BLDG Gallery visitors will additionally be treated to the TLP Cinema, an intimate movie-going experience highlighting short films by this pair of British gents.

brooklyn-street-art-the-BLDG-Gallery-logo

30 W. Pike St. Covington, KY 41011 // 859.491.4228 // www.BLDGrefuge.com

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