2011

Inoperable Gallery Presents: ROA “Decomposition” (Vienna, Austria)

ROA
brooklyn-street-art-roa-inoperable-gallery-vienna

August 26th, as of 19h

The Viennese Art Gallery INOPERAbLE presents works of one of the most highly regarded artists of the street art movement, ROA.

INOPERAbLE gallery will show the latest work of the Belgian artist, including installations, paintings on found objects, and original drawings. ROA will also present his limited edition hand bound book “ROA: An Introduction To Animal Representation” (Mammal Press). A limited number of copies of the books, which include his first ever print, will be available at the opening.

ROAs work indoor is just as fascinating and innovative as those created outdoors in urban and suburban areas. The artists original works have solidified him as an undisputed key figure in the Urban Art movement. Recently a work of ROA was scheduled to be removed by the Hackney city council, however an overwhelming reaction from the local citizens helped save the work. Similarly numerous works by Banksy were “rescued”, again marking ROAs signifigance in the contemporary art scene. Animals are the central theme in ROAs artistic universe. His monumental rabbits, birds, rats or fish, usually in black and white, can be found in cities like New York, London, Paris, Berlin or Mexico. Hefocuses on the fauna of the region, merging them naturally and seamlessly into the environment. Often the decompossing creatures reflect the artists critical view of society around the walls where he works. The bold and large scale murals of ROA confrontハ viewers and provide a break in their hectic everday lifestyle, if only just for a moment.

Over the last half decade, ROAs work has been exhibited internationally in solo and group exhibitions. Most notably ROAs work was shown in the internationally acclaimed exhibition “Art in the Streets” at the Museum of Contemporary Art (Los Angeles) alongside Banksy, Swoon, Barry McGee, Space Invader, Basquiat, JR, Os Gemeos and many more. ROA spends much of his time traveling the world, visiting cities and villages of all sizes. This summer he was invited to Gambia along with a handful of active Street Artists to paint murals in small villages, which are usually ignored by tourists. The project was meant to encourage “whites” to stop in these towns to admire the works and support the local businesses, rather than just throw candy out of the window to the children.

ROA will spend the month of August in Vienna as Artist in Resident at Museums Quartier. With the help of the MQ and INOPERAbLE, ROA will spend much of his time creating awe inspiring works around the city. Keep your eyes open for new works as he hits up the capital of Austria, and prepares for his solo exhibition at INOPERAbLE.

INOPERAbLE

Nathalie Halgand & 401RUSH (aka Nicholas Platzer)

Burggasse 24
1070 Vienna, Austria

Operable Hours: Tu-Fr 13-18h, Sa 13-17h

Read more

Mystery Revealed : Hellbent’s Jaw belonged to Sigmund Freud

The streets are covered with symbols and markings that have meaning to the maker, their peers, and to passersby. Depending on socio-political-geo-historical factors, you may or may not know what certain tags or images are meant to indicate and aside from gang indicia, no one seems particularly alarmed by this fact that street art and graffiti is often a nest of hidden meanings.

brooklyn-street-art-hellbent-jaime-rojo-07-11-web

Hellbent (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

One such symbol that has often appeared on the street is the bottom jaw from Hellbent, rough and jagged, hovering above a bed of psychedelic or pastel floral patterns. If it happened once, you might think “Oh, it’s part of a series and I’ll figure it out when I see the other pieces”. In fact, no. It’s the one symbol that Hellbent repeats most often, and it is perplexing.

Hellbent

Hellbent (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

We finally got an answer from the artist regarding the genesis of the jaw when he was describing his current piece in the LA show “Street Art Saved My Life” and, while it sheds light on the background, somehow it raises more questions. In the story about this Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis, we postulate that the jaw represents our base animal qualities and our similarities to the ruthless animal kingdom, all the while acknowledging the ultimate fragility of a simple bone structure, and be extraction, us. Anyway, before we psychoanalyze it further and bore everybody in the room, here’s what Hellbent says:

“Sigmund Freud at age of 67 appeared in a clinic in Vienna because he had discovered some hard, smooth spots on his jaw. After the doctor examined him it was discovered that they were cancerous and the lesions had to be removed immediately. Since the hospital population at that time was at capacity, Freud was put in a makeshift room that he shared with dwarf. After his operation while his family was out, Freud began to hemorrhage and was unable to call out, while laying bleeding on the floor. If not for the dwarf roommate Freud would have surely died and with this I began thinking of the jawbone.

Brooklyn-Street-Art-Street-Art-Saved-My-Life-copyright-Carlos-Gonzalez-Hellbent-IMG_3082

Hellbent currently on view at C.A.V.E. Gallery in the show “Street Art Saved My Life : 39 New York Stories” (Photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

The earliest images I was influenced by as a kid were the graphics on skateboards and punk albums. The image of the human skull was a constant in a lot of these images. It was a sign of rebellion and it seemed the embrace death, where society was much more concentrated on living. But as I grew up I noticed that a lot of people who where similarly influenced by these images began to bring the skull into the mainstream. Now you see cute skulls on Paul Frank baby clothes and such.
So to get away from this trend I began to concentrate on just the jaw bone as an image. The jawbone is what is used to communicate and form words with and the way we consume food to sustain life, an important part of the human experience. I have come back to the skull and separated it from the jaw; making it two unique images that are connected through this separation. I also use a lot of animal imagery on the streets, so the jaw bone represents the human element of this world…
Hellbent (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Hellbent (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

I have been calling the new use of multiple floral stencils “Quilting”. I like the idea of taking all these used “scraps” to form something more tangible, something other than its self. Sometimes it makes up the border around the image and other times it is used inside of the image, giving it a cubist like quality. The colors in each of the patterns also play off one another, giving them a natural 3D quality (which is actually intensified with 3D glasses, as was discovered at my last gallery show at Mighty Tanaka) that further emphasizes this cubist element. The shapes seem to pull and push of the surface, but the image is still readily available to the viewer.”
Read more

Fun Friday 08.26.11

Fun-Friday

Here’s your Fun Friday Menu (all entrees come with a slice of pepperoni pizza)

1. New Film Opening About Toynbee Tiles – Ticket Giveaway
2. CYCLE Crew : “We Never Die”
3. Street Art Saved My Life: 39 New York Stories
4. That Was FUN! “The Grassy Lot” Opening
5. 8 Hours in Brooklyn – VERY COOL SLO MO, BRO
6. There’s a Sucker Born Every Minute: Re-creating the Cardiff Giant by Ty Marshal
7. Narcelio Grud “Sonic Spray” By Yeah

New Film Opening About Toynbee Tiles – Ticket Giveaway

brooklyn-street-art-WEB-resurrect-dead-toynbee-tile-jon-foy

“Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles”

Opening in NYC at the IFC Center on Friday 09/02,.the film is about the Toynbee Tiles and an unlikely team that tracks down the mystery’s source for the better part of a decade. It won Best Documentary Directing award at this years’ Sundance Film Festival so it’s got cred.

Win Tickets To Opening Night! First person to send an email to info@argotpictures.com with BSA in the subject line gets a pair of tickets for opening night this film by Jon Foy. Second person will get tickets to any night during the run.

CYCLE Crew : “We Never Die”

brooklyn-street-art-WEB-cyrcle-carlos-gonzalez-desing-matters-9-web

Photo © Carlos Gonzalez

This is about reincarnation, right? Check out Design Matters, which opened a show by CYCLE crew last night to find out.

CYRCLE "We Never Die" by Adolfo J Lara

For more information about this show click on the link below:

http://www.brooklynstreetart.com/theblog/?p=23806

Street Art Saved My Life: 39 New York Stories

Now in it’s 3rd smashing week, this show in Venice has been getting lots of great visitors and conversations, mostly because the participating artists put so much of themselves into this densely layered show.

Names you know, and others you don’t – but you may hear more about in the future, all telling their New York Stories.

brooklyn-street-art-cave-street-art-saved-my-life-jaime-rojo-08-11-3From left to right: Clown Soldier, EMA, Sweet Toof, Kid Acne, Nick Walker and Skewville. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-cave-street-art-saved-my-life-jaime-rojo-08-11-2-web

From left to right: Creepy, How & Nosm, White Cocoa and Know Hope. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

For more information about this show click on the link below:

http://www.brooklynstreetart.com/theblog/?p=22943

That Was FUN! “The Grassy Lot” Opening

Congratulations to Joe Franquinha and Liza and Crest Arts for putting together a very successful community-feeling event on the grassy lot last night. A LOT of people, a LOT of art, a LOT of fun conversations. And it didn’t rain! (Even though Joe was prepared for that too) Thanks to Keith Schweitzer of MaNY and all the artists who participated. Best guest we met? Joe’s mom, who raised her boy right.

Here’s a fun video Keith made:

8 Hours in Brooklyn – VERY COOL SLO MO, BRO

Can you spot the big portrait by a street artist that has been featured on BSA in this video?

There’s a Sucker Born Every Minute: Re-creating the Cardiff Giant by Ty Marshal

Narcelio Grud “Sonic Spray” By Yeah

Read more

More Shots from “The Grassy Lot”

More artists stopped by to put up pieces for “The Grassy Lot” show, an impromptu little get-together of 15 artists in a little bit of heaven on the Lower East Side. Jaime Rojo gives us some more shots of the lot.

Read more about the project and opening HERE.

brooklyn-street-art-xam-veng-rwk-overunder-laura-meyers-quel-beast-gaia-nanook-creepy-yok-general-howe-bishop-203-jake-klotz-shandor-hassan-travis-simon-jaime-rojo-08-11-web-12XAM’s Feeder Unit near YOK’s Traveling Man Foot (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-xam-veng-rwk-overunder-laura-meyers-quel-beast-gaia-nanook-creepy-yok-general-howe-bishop-203-jake-klotz-shandor-hassan-travis-simon-jaime-rojo-08-11-web-11

XAM’s Feeder Unit near YOK’s Traveling Man Foot (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-xam-veng-rwk-overunder-laura-meyers-quel-beast-gaia-nanook-creepy-yok-general-howe-bishop-203-jake-klotz-shandor-hassan-travis-simon-joe-franquinha-08-11-web-15

QRST installing his piece  (photo © Joe Franquinha)

brooklyn-street-art-xam-veng-rwk-overunder-laura-meyers-quel-beast-gaia-nanook-creepy-yok-general-howe-bishop-203-jake-klotz-shandor-hassan-travis-simon-jaime-rojo-08-11-web-2

QRST Rat Tea Party  (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Joe Franquinha, life long New Yorker, told us how he assisted Street Artist QRST with his decision of subject matter for this installation: “I told QRST – Rats have lived in this lot for years so rats should be represented here. Because we have the best f*cking rats and no one is going to take that away from us.”

brooklyn-street-art-xam-veng-rwk-overunder-laura-meyers-quel-beast-gaia-nanook-creepy-yok-general-howe-bishop-203-jake-klotz-shandor-hassan-travis-simon-jaime-rojo-08-11-web-3

QRST Rat Tea Party  (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-xam-veng-rwk-overunder-laura-meyers-quel-beast-gaia-nanook-creepy-yok-general-howe-bishop-203-jake-klotz-shandor-hassan-travis-simon-jaime-rojo-08-11-web-5

Veng from RWK and Overunder on the back wall (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-xam-veng-rwk-overunder-laura-meyers-quel-beast-gaia-nanook-creepy-yok-general-howe-bishop-203-jake-klotz-shandor-hassan-travis-simon-jaime-rojo-08-11-web-4

Veng from RWK and Overunder on the back wall (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-xam-veng-rwk-overunder-laura-meyers-quel-beast-gaia-nanook-creepy-yok-general-howe-bishop-203-jake-klotz-shandor-hassan-travis-simon-joe-franquinha-08-11-web-13

Veng and Overunder working on their collaboration (photo © Joe Franquinha)

brooklyn-street-art-xam-veng-rwk-overunder-laura-meyers-quel-beast-gaia-nanook-creepy-yok-general-howe-bishop-203-jake-klotz-shandor-hassan-travis-simon-joe-franquinha-08-11-web-14

Night shot of Veng and Overunder piece. (photo © Joe Franquinha)

brooklyn-street-art-xam-veng-rwk-overunder-laura-meyers-quel-beast-gaia-nanook-creepy-yok-general-howe-bishop-203-jake-klotz-shandor-hassan-travis-simon-joe-franquinha-08-11-web-16

Jake Klotz installing his piece. (photo © Joe Franquinha)

brooklyn-street-art-xam-veng-rwk-overunder-laura-meyers-quel-beast-gaia-nanook-creepy-yok-general-howe-bishop-203-jake-klotz-shandor-hassan-travis-simon-jaime-rojo-08-11-web-8

Jake Klotz shares a wall with Gaia and Nanook (photo © Jaime Rojo)

For more information about this event please click on the link below:

http://www.brooklynstreetart.com/theblog/?p=23784

To view images from The Grassy Lot Part I click on the link below:

http://www.brooklynstreetart.com/theblog/?p=23726

Read more

Crest Arts in Collaboration with BSA and MaNY Present: The Grassy Lot Show (Manhattan, NY)

Grassy Lot
Grassy-Lot-Show-WEB-Aug-2011

We’re proud to announce the “Grassy Lot Show” coming this Thursday presented by Crest Arts at the Timeshare Backyard. It’s been a little whirlwind of activity with 15 artists putting up brand new work on the walls of this oasis on the Lower East Side for you to come visit. With Keith Schwietzer and us helping Crest out here and there, and of course with Franklin doing lawn roomba duties, it is a bit of a community event. All it is missing is you! What are you doing Thursday?

Crest Arts invites you to the TimeShare Backyard for
“The Grassy Lot Show”

Thursday August 25, from 6-8 pm
145 Ludlow Street between Stanton and Rivington

Admission is free.

Take off your shoes and walk in the grass and do a cartwheel while looking at brand new outside work on the walls by Bishop 203, Creepy, Gaia, General Howe, Jake Klotz, Laura Meyers, Nanook, Over Under, QRST, Quel Beast, Shandor Hassan, Travis Simon, Veng, XAM, and Yok.

Check the event out on Facebook

The project is made possible with the help and support of partners Brooklyn Street Art and the MaNY Project.


Read more

Cyrcle Crew : A Sneak Peek at “We Never Die” Show (LA)

Davey, Devin and Rabi Ponder Life Eternal At Design Matters

Life is a mystery, we all know that. In fact, that may be the only thing we know.

In preparation for their new show “We Never Die” at Design Matters, the art collective Cyrcle Crew is letting you get the essence of their take on life and death and the continuum of experiences. With a little levity and a less than heavy heart, sometimes it’s possible to revisit this stuff we all are affected by.

Photographer and BSA contributor Carlos Gonzalez took a peak to their installation and offers some tantalizing views of the preparations for this unusual show with the CYRCLE crew.

brooklyn-street-art-cyrcle-carlos-gonzalez-desing-matters-10-webCyrcle (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

brooklyn-street-art-cyrcle-carlos-gonzalez-desing-matters-8-web

Cyrcle (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

brooklyn-street-art-cyrcle-carlos-gonzalez-desing-matters-12-web

Cyrcle (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

brooklyn-street-art-cyrcle-carlos-gonzalez-desing-matters-9-web

Cyrcle (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

brooklyn-street-art-cyrcle-carlos-gonzalez-desing-matters-2-web

Cyrcle (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

brooklyn-street-art-cyrcle-carlos-gonzalez-desing-matters-5-web

Cyrcle (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

brooklyn-street-art-cyrcle-carlos-gonzalez-desing-matters-1-web

Cyrcle (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

brooklyn-street-art-cyrcle-carlos-gonzalez-desing-matters-4-web

Cyrcle (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

brooklyn-street-art-cyrcle-carlos-gonzalez-desing-matters-6-web

Cyrcle (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

brooklyn-street-art-cyrcle-carlos-gonzalez-desing-matters-7-web

Cyrcle (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

brooklyn-street-art-cyrcle-carlos-gonzalez-desing-matters-3-web

Cyrcle (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

brooklyn-street-art-cyrcle-carlos-gonzalez-desing-matters-11-web

Cyrcle (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

The reception for this show is open to the public on Thursday from 7:00pm – 11:00pm. The show continues through October 8th, 2011 @ Design Matters – 10590.5 West Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA. You will need to  RSVP .

Please visit the CYRCLE site for more information:

http://www.cyrclebrand.com/

Read more

“Grassy Lot Show” Announcement : This Thursday

We’re proud to announce the “Grassy Lot Show” coming this Thursday presented by Crest Arts at the Timeshare Backyard. It’s been a little whirlwind of activity with 15 artists putting up brand new work on the walls of this oasis on the Lower East Side for you to come visit. With Keith Schwietzer and us helping Crest out here and there, and of course with Franklin doing lawn roomba duties, it is a bit of a community event. All it is missing is you! What are you doing Thursday?

Grassy-Lot-Show-WEB-Aug-2011

Crest Arts invites you to the TimeShare Backyard for
“The Grassy Lot Show”

Thursday August 25, from 6-8 pm
145 Ludlow Street between Stanton and Rivington

Admission is free.

Take off your shoes and walk in the grass and do a cartwheel while looking at brand new outside work on the walls by Bishop 203, Creepy, Gaia, General Howe, Jake Klotz, Laura Meyers, Nanook, Over Under, QRST, Quel Beast, Shandor Hassan, Travis Simon, Veng, XAM, and Yok.

Check the event out on Facebook

The project is made possible with the help and support of partners Brooklyn Street Art and the MaNY Project.


Read more

Chris Stain Talks About Giving Them Hell

It’s always cool to learn about an artist’s process and the story behind his or her work. Street Artist Chris Stain shares with you here where he gained inspiration for his gallery piece called “Give ‘Em Hell”.

Brooklyn-Street-Art-WEB-cropped-Street-Art-Saved-My-Life-copyright-Carlos-Gonzalez-Chris-Stain-IMG_3055

Give ‘Em Hell, by Chris Stain, currently on view at “Street Art Saved My Life : 39 New York Stories”. (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

“When I was a kid growing up in Baltimore we always played baseball and pretended we were Eddie Murray or Rick Dempsey when stepping up to bat. It wasn’t until later that I realized that a baseball bat could be used as an equalizer when the bigger kids thought it was a good idea to kick my ass for the fun of it.

This piece represents for me standing up for yourself and the things you believe in. The boy in the picture was originally photographed by Boogie. The background photos were taken by me during a trip to Baltimore. I hand cut the image out of rubylith and screen printed it onto an old table I used to work on. Then I hand colored it with thinned out spray paint and wood stain.”

<<><><><><><>>><

From our interview with Chris for Juxtapoz:

“Born in 1972 and raised in East Baltimore, Chris Stain is a New York-based, self taught stencil artist and print maker influenced by social realism, the plight of working people, and skateboarder culture. His straight-forward portraits in urban or industrial settings harken back to the Depression, when bankers and masters of industry declared war on the blue collar and poor. With blunt realism and everyday protagonists, Stain encourages passersby on the street to draw direct connections between social and economic conditions of then and today.”

Read Chris’s answers to the Back Talk questions on Juxtapoz here:

Read more

Crest Has a Posse in an Empty Lot on L.E.S.

Joe Franquinha and his executive personal manager Liza brought their pet pig Franklin to check out the abandoned lot on Ludlow Street on Manhattan’s Lower East side. Franklin surveyed the new sod while Yok put up a new piece.

Brooklyn-Street-Art-Yok-Franklyn-copyright-Mike_Pearce

Yok and Franklin (photo © Mike Pearce)

Invited by a couple of entrepreneurs who have rented the open space for two months to make the outdoor location a little more welcoming, Joe looked at the ground, then up at the walls. Decaying, unfinished, rough, full of New York character, the walls immediately brought his mind to the many Street Artists busy in the city right now.

brooklyn-street-art-ludlow-walls-crest-art-gaia-nanook-general-howe-creepy-yok-laura-mayers-quel-beast-travos-w-simon-jaime-rojo-08-11-1-webNanook working on his collaboration with Gaia (photo © Jaime Rojo)

With help from Keith Schweitzer, Joe has mobilized a handful of Street Art talent to convert the lot into an impromptu outdoor gallery installation – calling it Timeshare Backyard. With an NYC theme honoring his favorite city, the artists have been getting up here for a week. In Gotham, no story surprises you, so it’s unclear what the fate of this lot will be; New York is always knocking down and building up, the cycle of destruction and renewal never stops. By next spring this could be a new glass and steel condo, who knows. In this brief interlude in this grassy lot, why not mount a momentary show, a commentary on life here right now?

brooklyn-street-art-ludlow-walls-crest-art-gaia-nanook-general-howe-creepy-yok-laura-mayers-quel-beast-travos-w-simon-bishop-jaime-rojo-08-11-13-web

Gaia working on his collaboration with Nanook (photo © Jaime Rojo)

As the owner of Crest Hardware in Brooklyn with his dad, stylishly moustachioed Joe celebrates the local community of artists that has boomed in BK and he’s known for opening the doors to any number of creative types – providing materials, suggestions, conversation, and great opportunities like these to show their stuff. As summer’s long days melt into the firey New York autumn these (mainly) street artists relished the opportunity to paste or paint just one more wall, at their leisure, while Joe and Liza put down giant garden plants and a wood-chip perimeter. If you get invited to some barbecue or bar or fashion show or something on the LES in the next 60 days, keep your eyes up above the gate to see these pieces peeking at you.

brooklyn-street-art-ludlow-walls-crest-art-gaia-nanook-general-howe-creepy-yok-laura-mayers-quel-beast-travos-w-simon-jaime-rojo-08-11-15-web

Upper East Side represents in the Lower East Side. Gaia working on his collaboration with Nanook (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-ludlow-walls-crest-art-gaia-nanook-general-howe-creepy-yok-laura-mayers-quel-beast-travos-w-simon-jaime-rojo-08-11-4-web

Gaia, Nanook (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-ludlow-walls-crest-art-gaia-nanook-general-howe-creepy-yok-laura-mayers-quel-beast-travos-w-simon-jaime-rojo-08-11-7-web

Gaia, Nanook (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-ludlow-walls-crest-art-gaia-nanook-general-howe-creepy-yok-laura-mayers-quel-beast-travos-w-simon-bishop-jaime-rojo-08-11-14-web

Gaia in the background (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-ludlow-walls-crest-art-gaia-nanook-general-howe-creepy-yok-laura-mayers-quel-beast-travos-w-simon-jaime-rojo-08-11-23-web

Gaia sortin’ out (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-ludlow-walls-crest-art-gaia-nanook-general-howe-creepy-yok-laura-mayers-quel-beast-travos-w-simon-jaime-rojo-08-11-27-web

Gaia, Nanook (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-ludlow-walls-crest-art-gaia-nanook-general-howe-creepy-yok-laura-mayers-quel-beast-travos-w-simon-jaime-rojo-08-11-3-web

Nanook (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Brooklyn-Street-Art-Franklyn-copyright-Mike_Pearce

“Too much art. Not enough grass,” thinks Franklin as he surveys his lunch options on the Lower East Side. (photo © Mike Pearce)

brooklyn-street-art-ludlow-walls-crest-art-gaia-nanook-general-howe-creepy-yok-laura-mayers-quel-beast-travos-w-simon-jaime-rojo-08-11-30-web

Gaia (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-ludlow-walls-crest-art-gaia-nanook-general-howe-creepy-yok-laura-mayers-quel-beast-travos-w-simon-jaime-rojo-08-11-28-web

Nanook (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-ludlow-walls-crest-art-gaia-nanook-general-howe-creepy-yok-laura-mayers-quel-beast-travos-w-simon-jaime-rojo-08-11-18-web

Creepy was invited by Gaia and Nanook to add some of his organic patterns to their collab (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-ludlow-walls-crest-art-gaia-nanook-general-howe-creepy-yok-laura-mayers-quel-beast-travos-w-simon-jaime-rojo-08-11-21-web

Gaia, Nanook with Creepy’s subtle additions to the finish wall (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-ludlow-walls-crest-art-gaia-nanook-general-howe-creepy-yok-laura-mayers-quel-beast-travos-w-simon-bishop-jaime-rojo-08-11-10-web

Bishop 203 (photo © Jaime Rojo)

“You have many ways to look at New York back here – love, anger, faith in the city,” remarks Joe while looking at the wheatpastes in the back of the lot.

brooklyn-street-art-ludlow-walls-crest-art-gaia-nanook-general-howe-creepy-yok-laura-mayers-quel-beast-travos-w-simon-bishop-jaime-rojo-08-11-12-web

General Howe (photo © Jaime Rojo)

This is a very unusual wheatpaste by Street Artist General Howe, who is making some important decisions in life.  “General Howe is physically coming up on a crossroads, and looking at this kid who may be a younger him,” says Joe.

brooklyn-street-art-ludlow-walls-crest-art-gaia-nanook-general-howe-creepy-yok-laura-mayers-quel-beast-travos-w-simon-jaime-rojo-08-11-6-web

General Howe (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-ludlow-walls-crest-art-gaia-nanook-general-howe-creepy-yok-laura-mayers-quel-beast-travos-w-simon-jaime-rojo-08-11-29-web

General Howe (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-ludlow-walls-crest-art-gaia-nanook-general-howe-creepy-yok-laura-mayers-quel-beast-travos-w-simon-jaime-rojo-08-11-25-web

Creepy (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-ludlow-walls-crest-art-gaia-nanook-general-howe-creepy-yok-laura-mayers-quel-beast-travos-w-simon-jaime-rojo-08-11-5-web

Creepy (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Brooklyn-Street-Art-Creepy-copyright-Mike_Pearce

Looking skyward at Creepy’s integrated installation (photo © Mike Pearce)

brooklyn-street-art-ludlow-walls-crest-art-gaia-nanook-general-howe-creepy-yok-laura-mayers-quel-beast-travos-w-simon-jaime-rojo-08-11-2-web

Creepy (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Brooklyn-Street-Art-Creepy-sketch-copyright-Mike_Pearce

Creepy checking the sketch (photo © Mike Pearce)

brooklyn-street-art-ludlow-walls-crest-art-gaia-nanook-general-howe-creepy-yok-laura-mayers-quel-beast-travos-w-simon-jaime-rojo-08-11-8-web

Creepy (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-ludlow-walls-crest-art-gaia-nanook-general-howe-creepy-yok-laura-mayers-quel-beast-travos-w-simon-jaime-rojo-08-11-11-web

Laura Mayers (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Joe explains, “Laura Myers said she started sketching it and she started seeing the sacred heart, like the picture her grandmother used to have in her house. I love it! I love the way the heart is the apple, with the city coming out. “

brooklyn-street-art-ludlow-walls-crest-art-gaia-nanook-general-howe-creepy-yok-laura-mayers-quel-beast-travos-w-simon-jaime-rojo-08-11-16-web

Yok (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-ludlow-walls-crest-art-gaia-nanook-general-howe-creepy-yok-laura-mayers-quel-beast-travos-w-simon-jaime-rojo-08-11-17-web

Yok, Travis W. Simon (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-ludlow-walls-crest-art-gaia-nanook-general-howe-creepy-yok-laura-mayers-quel-beast-travos-w-simon-jaime-rojo-08-11-19-web

Yok (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-ludlow-walls-crest-art-gaia-nanook-general-howe-creepy-yok-laura-mayers-quel-beast-travos-w-simon-jaime-rojo-08-11-20-web

Yok (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-ludlow-walls-crest-art-gaia-nanook-general-howe-creepy-yok-laura-mayers-quel-beast-travos-w-simon-jaime-rojo-08-11-24-web

Yok, Travis W. Simon (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-ludlow-walls-crest-art-gaia-nanook-general-howe-creepy-yok-laura-mayers-quel-beast-travos-w-simon-jaime-rojo-08-11-22-web

Creepy, Yok (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-ludlow-walls-crest-art-gaia-nanook-general-howe-creepy-yok-laura-mayers-quel-beast-travos-w-simon-jaime-rojo-08-11-9-web

Quel Beast (photo © Jaime Rojo)

<<<><><>><>>><>><><

Special thanks to photographer Mike Pearce for his contributions to this piece. See Mikes photos on Flickr at Pearce_Pics

Read more

Images of the Week 08.21.11

Street Art is alive and well in Chicago and LA, two cities we’ve recently had the pleasure of touring with local expert guides. At our panel discussion at LA MOCA an audience member proffered the opinion that Street Art has peaked and is dead. Just like New York City itself, people have been pronouncing urban art and graff and Street Art as “over” ever since we got here – yet it all has a maddening and thrilling capacity for reinvention.  It takes new forms and serves new purposes even as it thrives, distinguishing itself from what came before, as every new generation is bound to do by the laws of nature.  We’ll let you know if it dies, promise. It’s like talking about the day music died. Ha!

So here’s our weekly interview with the street, this week featuring Anthony Lister, Banksy, Herakut, Jetsonorama, Kid Zoom, KWT Crew, No Teef, Shepard Fairey, Skewville, Snacki, and Swoon.

Thank you to Nick from Pawn Works Gallery and Brock in Chicago for their hospitality and again thank you to all the people in Los Angeles who made us feel at home with welcoming smiles and generous hearts.

Stay tuned this week for a LUDO special and a ROA special – these cats both hit LA and Chi-Town and the results are hot. brooklyn-street-art-banksy-jaime-rojo-Chicago-08-08-17-web Banksy in Chicago (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-artist-unknown-jaime-rojo-Chicago-08-08-17-web

Artist Unknown. Chicago (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-banksy-unknown-jaime-rojo-Chicago-08-08-17-web

Chicago (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-no-teef-snacki-kwt-cru-jaime-rojo-Chicago-08-08-17-web

No Teef and Snacki of KWT Crew. Chicago (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-skewville-jaime-rojo-Chicago-08-08-11-1-web

Skewville wants you to call this number. He was in Chicago for his solo show “Not My Type” currently on view at Pawn Works Gallery. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-skewville-jaime-rojo-Chicago-08-08-11-2-web

Skewville in Chicago (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-skewville-jaime-rojo-Chicago-08-08-11-3-web

Skewville in Chicago (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Skewville also contributed a piece to “Street Art Saved my Life: 39 New York Stories” currently on view at C.A.V.E. Gallery in Venice Beach, Los Angeles.

brooklyn-street-art-anthony-lister-jaime-rojo-street-art-los-angeles-08-11-web

Anthony Lister in Venice Beach, LA (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Lister contributed a 3 mask installation to “Street Art Saved my Life: 39 New York Stories” Currently on view at C.A.V.E. Gallery in Venice Beach, Los Angeles.

brooklyn-street-art-herakut-jaime-rojo-street-art-los-angeles-08-11-1-web

Herakut in Culver City, LA (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-herakut-jaime-rojo-street-art-los-angeles-08-11-2-web

Herakut in Culver City, LA (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-herakut-jaime-rojo-street-art-los-angeles-08-11-3-web

Herakut in Culver City, LA (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-reverend-jaime-rojo-street-art-los-angeles-08-11-web

Amen! Reverend in Downtown, LA (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-swoon-jaime-rojo-street-art-los-angeles-08-11-3-web

Swoon in the Arts District in Downtown, LA as part of the LA Freewalls Project. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-swoon-jaime-rojo-street-art-los-angeles-08-11-4-web

Swoon in the Arts District in Downtown, LA as part of the LA Freewalls Project. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-swoon-jaime-rojo-street-art-los-angeles-08-11-5-web

Swoon in the Arts District in Downtown, LA as part of the LA Freewalls Project. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-swoon-jaime-rojo-street-art-los-angeles-08-11-6-web

Swoon in the Arts District in Downtown, LA as part of the LA Freewalls Project. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-swoon-jaime-rojo-street-art-los-angeles-08-11-2-web

Swoon in the Arts District in Downtown, LA as part of the LA Freewalls Project. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-swoon-jaime-rojo-street-art-los-angeles-08-11-1-web

Swoon in the Arts District in Downtown, LA as part of the LA Freewalls Project. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Swoon contributed a piece to “Street Art Saved my Life: 39 New York Stories” Currently on view at C.A.V.E. Gallery in Venice Beach, Los Angeles.

brooklyn-street-art-shepard-fairey-non-toxic-revolution-la-freewalls-jaime-rojo-street-art-los-angeles-08-11-2-web

Shepard Fairey with The Non Toxic Revolution Campaign in the Arts District in Downtown, LA as part of the LA Freewalls Project. The project is meant to raise awareness about the level of possibly harmful toxic ingredients we interact with and use in personal and household items and their deleterious effect on health of people and the planet.  (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-shepard-fairey-non-toxic-revolution-la-freewalls-jaime-rojo-street-art-los-angeles-08-11-1-web

Shepard Fairey with The Non Toxic Revolution Campaing in the Arts District in Downtown, LA as part of the LA Freewalls Project. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-kid-zoom-jaime-rojo-street-art-los-angeles-08-11-2-web

Kid Zoom in the Arts District in Downtown, LA as part of the LA Freewalls Project. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-kid-zoom-jaime-rojo-street-art-los-angeles-08-11-1-web

Kid Zoom in the Arts District in Downtown, LA as part of the LA Freewalls Project. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Jetsonorama is a contributing guest this week with images of work he just recently put up in the desert. He sent along a brief but funny intro to the images:

“I installed this piece and shot these images this morning at Cameron, near the south rim of the Grand Canyon.  Chris is a local.  He and his wife had been up all night gambling at Cliff Castle Casino. He said they lost about $400.00. His wife was pissed because she lost the money.  Chris needed some space from her anger and his response was to get an 18-pack, trusting better times will come soon”  ~  Jetsonorama

brooklyn-street-art-jetsonorama-grand-canyon-cameron-08-08-11-3-web

Jetsonorama (photo © Jetsonorama)

brooklyn-street-art-jetsonorama-grand-canyon-cameron-08-08-11-2-web

Jetsonorama (photo © Jetsonorama)

brooklyn-street-art-jaime-rojo-08-11-web

Deluge (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Read more

FUTURA Does a Piece Called “Brooklyn Street Art”

One of the many cool things about this LA experience is that artists took the charge of “Stories” in a variety of directions. The observation that we have had for a few years now, and the one we talked about to whomever we met last week, is that many of today’s street artists are telling personal or political or socially relevant stories with their work.

brooklyn-street-art-futura-cave-street-art-saved-my-life-jaime-rojo-08-11-1-web

You’re looking at it! Futura’s piece called “Brooklyn Street Art” in the show “Street Art Saved My Life : 39 New York Stories” (photo © Jaime Rojo)

No stranger to experimentation and stretching his own creative boundaries, our most storied participant in the show of course is the graffiti writer and fine artist Futura. With a well documented career dating back to the late 60s and early 70s, the Brooklyn artist could easily be disinterested in whatever is happening on the street today, and no one would blame him. But rather than complacently re-telling stories about the past, you’ll find that Futura is just as engaged and inquisitive about others and about what is happening as ever.

brooklyn-street-art-futura-cave-street-art-saved-my-life-jaime-rojo-08-11-2-web

Detail from “Brooklyn Street Art”, by Futura (photo ©  Jaime Rojo)

Futura’s mind is too alive, his wanderlust unsatiated, his sense of humor too sly to just lay back on his laurels.  In fact he pulled a fast one on us by creating a collage of stuff he pulled off of walls in Brooklyn! By peeling off stickers from other artists and pieces of  ads from walls in Brooklyn he re-created a piece of a wall or a door from 2011 and signed the back with his own tag.

A pretty edgy approach, and yet it couldn’t have been more appropriate – and timely as more of the scene than ever is pushed with stickers. One of the slaps he included actually is by another artist in “Street Art Saved My Life”! Can you identify it?

<<<><><>>>>>>><<>>>>><<<><><>>>>>>><<>>>>><<<><><>>>>>>><<>>>>><<<><><>>>>>>><<>>>>>

See the description of “Street Art Saved My Life : 39 New York Stories” here.

See all of the pieces from “Street Art Saved My Life” in Los Angeles

Read more