Props to Blek Le Rat, who started doing street art in Paris 3 decades ago -and is pointed to as an inspiration by everyone from Banksy and Fairey to a posse of new stencil artists.

Blek spraying one of Le Rat’s on the facade of White Walls Gallery (photo ©Mike Cuffe)

I remember him telling me how hard it was for him to get anyone’s attention when he first came to New York in 1987 with his portfolio. He even sprayed a stencil on the sidewalk in front of Gagosian Gallery – to no discernible result. Gallerists absent-mindedly thumbed through his portfolio pieces and told him there wasn’t much interest in his work. So, hang in there kids, there is room for everybody, if you are persistent.

Blek is opening tonight with HUSH and ABOVE, two more high quality artists with roots in the street art scene, with the addition of starting in graffiti.

Thanks to Mike Cuffe at Warholian for sharing some of his pictures with us.

Hush uses graff and fine art elements – it’s all fair game – along with Japanese graphic novels.

The artist “Above” is self-referential here, taking his heaven pointing arrows that one typically sees hanging over your head and creating very highly polished reworkings of national flags.

Everybody bring your camera! (Blek Le Rat) (photo © Mike Cuffe)