Just in time New York’s Pride Month events, Street Artist Buff Monster unveils a wash of color and melty characters in lower Manhattan to commemorate the 50 anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in Greenwich Village.
Over the next month a number of artists will be painting murals across the city as part of World Pride and we hope that in some way this campaign will reach those across the world who still long to be free but who are restricted by laws, even threatened, persecuted, and killed for being gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, or otherwise queer.
We talked to Buff to see what he was thinking when he was painting this mural over 6 days.
“It’s nice to see that NYC is getting involved in what looks to be the biggest pride celebration ever, but there still so many places around the US that are super conservative and unwilling to be inclusive after all these years,” he tells us. “It’s a shame that equality for all is still an issue in 2019, when we have so many other serious issues in the world that need to be addressed. It seems like there are news articles every day about this administrations’ efforts to undermine the progress we’ve made; so there is no better time to paint this mural.”
BSA: What are the thematic elements that correspond to Pride and the rights of LGBTQ people?
Buff Monster: The characters have a bunch of mixed emotions, which mirrors the long journey for equality of the LGBTQ community. Putting together a diverse set of my cartoony ice cream characters, filled with the iconic rainbow, seemed like a good way to bring a bit of levity to a very serious issue.
All in all though, I think the colors and the characters create a positive and optimistic image, in line with this year’s Pride celebration and the future of equality. I’m really happy with how it turned out and I think it’s a really nice addition to the neighborhood.
With our thanks to Wayne and Rey at The LISA Project for organizing the artists for this event.
This installation is part of the World Pride Mural Project Initiative. For more information please click here.
For More about Buff Monster and his World Pride Mural please click here.
Other Articles You May Like from BSA:
If you pay close attention, you will always see something new on the street in Brooklyn. Thanks to the imagination and efforts of General Howe, a street artist who has been laboring carefully in smal...
Springtime in New York! Crocuses, tulips, fire extinguisher tags! Ahh the joy of life! Happy Purim to the Jewish neighbors. Saal-e-no mobaarak (سال نو مبارک) Happy New Year to the Iranian neighbo...
What are you celebrating this season? We’re celebrating BSA readers and fans with a holiday assorted chocolate box of 15 of the smartest and tastiest people we know. Each day until the new year we...
Ludo is on the street right now in New York putting up his combinations of pretty and violent work, and he’s happy to be here. Thursday he will be ready to welcome you at his show at Jonathan Levine G...
As an artist you can sometimes address, even resolve, emotional and intellectual conflicts with your creative practice, at least that it how it appears in this new “Unbound” campaign begun by Faith XL...