I’m expanding, and not always in a good way, truth be told.
Too much time spent slaving over a hot keyboard and mindlessly eating is part of it. Besides that, BSA has been really inundated with fun and your new ideas and we’ve decided we are going to make a ‘lil more room for everybody over the next few months. We need more room! There’s more stuff to see and do!
Already you can see that the space for pictures is bigger, right? GIGANTO! And as we move forward, we’ll be a little lighter on on our paws, with more options for you to participate with us and each other and with the biggest growing street art scene this side of the oil spill. And in the interest of transparency (and because we’re clueless about how to do it behind the scenes), we’ll be making the improvements to the site right in front of you, like open heart surgery on your coffee table. NICE. So sometimes it may get a little messy, there will be blood spattering about.
It may look like HOLY HELL once in a while, but stick with us, kid, and you’ll have potatoes as big as diamonds.
One of New York’s Visiting Photographers Shows His Collection of Sticker Pics
New York is blessed with thousands, maybe millions of visitors every year. Some come for Broadway, The Naked Cowboy and Nathan’s hotdogs. Others come for the street art. Richard Skinner from Ireland shows us the cool stickers he shot while here.
~with images and text by Richard Skinner
When I arrived in New York, although I already knew how big street art was, it still amazed me and made me happy to see it in person.
As I looked at all the art I noticed the mass amount of stickers covering the posts and traffic lights all over the city, and I had not really seen it documented properly before, so I started. Walking the city for hours capturing the stickers that a lot of people in one of America’s biggest city’s fail to notice.
A lot of these stickers are very well designed graphically, and I try to capture them in a way that the background compliments this. Some are just plain funny. Sometimes they can be in awkward places so to document them I took a close up. I find it interesting to spot these stickers all over the city and see the length some artists go to have themselves recognized.
I have much respect for all the artists involved and it’s a pleasure to document it. I hope my photographs can make these pieces of art last longer than they might normally.
Artist and photographer Salome Oggenfuss recently took a trip from Bushwick, Brooklyn to visit the town of Braddock, Pennsylvania. She invites us to take a look at the beautiful work she found on the streets there, and to consider moving.
Braddock is a small town about a half hour drive outside of Pittsburgh in the Pennsylvania “Rust Belt”. In its heyday in the 1970s, the town used to boast about 20,000 residents, but when the steel industry started collapsing soon after, people moved away. The crack epidemic in the 80s further diminished the town’s population, and nowadays only about 3,000 people are left in Braddock and almost half of the town’s buildings are unoccupied.
When you look after what is happening in the street art field, I realize that much of the news revolves around the one who became an indisputable yet often contested star: Banksy. How surprised I was today when I realized that I had not given any “Stencil Of The Week” to the king of stencil art! Everyone talks about Banksy everywhere, both on the street, in museums, in auction houses or cinemas… all over the world. The phenomenon continues to be fascinating and for a good reason: genius.
Let’s look closely at one of his latest pieces in New York. We talk about British humor in general when we think Banksy, Monty Python and so forth.. but consider for a moment that Banksy could be one of the foremost theoreticians of street art to date? Making use of metaphor, he has already addressed many issues related to street art, such as branding through the rental of advertising space walls, the ongoing conflict between stencil/street art on one side and graffiti on the other, the concept of mimetic art. I can see how Banksy can be analytical at this point in his career. With his U.S. tour these past few weeks he has been able to show us that his analytical skills are sharp. Each piece is thought of in terms of its geographical location, Detroit differing from LA, etc.
Here in New York City : a doctor, his satchel in hand, is listening with his stethoscope placed in the heart of the famous logo created by Milton Glazer examining the love existing for the city of New York. This city, famous for its intellectuals, its writers, artists, filmmakers, is considered by some to be the European capital of the United States. Banksy plays with ambiguity; is the heart of the city of NYC sick or is the love we have for her wilting? In any case, Banksy reminds us how much the city continues to be a central concern of street artists.
Welling Court Mural Project Opens Over the Weekend in a Queens Community; Many Street Artists Contribute
There can be a bit of grand posturing around the word “community” especially by people (or corporations) who spend more time chasing the Gravy Train than climbing on the Love Train.And swimming in an acid-tongued media landscape that keeps saying we’re are a giant polarized society simply bubbling with animosity, you could be forgiven for not leaving your house, let alone breaking bread with your neighbor who is different.
New York people prove that lie to be wrong every day – we are a hugely diverse lot- our different mother tongues alone could lick a frosting bowl the size of Shea Stadium. And yet mysteriously all of us weird different kinds of people are all getting along with each other day after day – sometimes we even enjoy each other!
Welling Court Murals, a project with Street Artists in a neighborhood in Queens, New York, came to fruition on Saturday and the results were as colorful and eclectic as we are. While the people on the block barbecued and danced and played games, kids chased each other and rode their bikes and took many pictures of Street Artists doing their thing on the walls- spray cans, paint brushes, wheat paste, and markers busy.
Saturday was the “show day” for this project that the folks at Ad Hoc Art, with Alison and Garrison Buxton at the helm, have been “community organizing” for a long time. However, by no means is it the end of the project, as new friendships and alliances were forged and a neighborhood has a new panoply of street art to look at, ponder, and hopefully be inspired by.
The Welling Court Mural Project was one of the most cohesive “community” events we’ve seen in a long time. Street Artists plus an engaged neighborhood of very nice people… delicious home-made foods, music from Latin America and India/Pakistan, adults, kids, painting, asking and answering myriad questions, posing for pictures in front of pieces — all proving again that the arts can bring people together. A sincere “Thank you” to Ad Hoc and Allison and Garrison and all the artists for putting your best out there for others to share.
Welling Court Artists include: Alice Mizrachi, Beast, Chris Mendoza, Chris Stain, Celso, Cern, Cey Adams, CR, Cycle, Dan Witz, Darkclouds, Daryll Peirce, Don Leicht, Ellis G, Free5, Gaia, Garrison & Alison Buxton, Greg Lamarche, JMR, John Fekner, Lady Pink, Leon Reid, Matt Siren, M-City, Michael De Feo, Mr. Kiji, Pablo Power, Peripheral Media Projects, R. Nicholas Kuszyk, Remi/Rough, Ron English, Royce Bannon, Sofia Maldonado, Stormie Mills, Sweet Toof, Swoon, TooFly, Tristan Eaton, and Veng RWK.
After the posting about prints from earlier today, a little bird has told us to keep an eye out for a very cool and unusual Logan Hicks print release pretty soon, but it’s not official yet.
Hot off the presses...
His current show at Opera Gallery in Soho has been open since last Wednesday and he is currently putting together a show for Paris next month at Galerie Itinerance. Apparently the limited print run is going to be one of the pieces from this show that features his new technique of stencil-making that makes the pieces look like liquid.
From the picture above, it looks like it is of the same design as this pic from the show at Opera.
Picture of a Logan Hicks stencil piece at the Opera Gallery last week.
Many artists are finding it a smart move these days to create short runs of prints. Sometimes they are quite affordable and sometimes quite remarkable in their splendor. Here are a few that are recently released in case you have some extra cash.
Imminent Disaster
Ms. Disaster has just released a new limited run silkscreen edition. It’s a detail from the recent installation “Refuge” at ThinkSpace gallery in Los Angeles in March.
English painter Charming Baker is in New York for his first solo show “Stupid Has A New Hero”. These edition prints were printed at Modern Multiples and published by Carmichael Gallery.
“Stupid Has A New Hero – New Paintings by Charming Baker” takes place at the NY Studio Gallery, 154 Stanton St in New York. The show runs until May 30th.
Senior Gaia, a NYC-Baltimore street artist is hunting and pecking and scratching around the industrial farmyard with this animal-human hybrid. This print release from last month references a story of betrayal from the Bible.
This past week New York experienced a deluge of Street Artists getting up on the city’s famed walls. We are very lucky to live here and to capture the bounty before it disappears.
While in town for his first solo show in NYC at Factory Fresh Gallery ROA has been busy getting up in Brooklyn. His new piece is nothing short of magic.In an unusual twist on a street art act usually considered a dis, ROAactually goes over himself — and transforms his gigantic hog into a dead rabbit..
Here is the original swine portrait, which ran for more than a year solidly without interruption (with some help from Noah Sparkes in the colorful background).
And here is the brand new rabbit pulled out of his imaginary animal kingdom. Following one of his themes, ROA reveals the inner skeletal structure of the animal – it’s bit educational for those who may be taxidermically inclined.
Thanks to everybody for the shout-outs about Fun Friday. We love you too.
Style Curator Natalie Kates Went to the “Street Art New York” Auction with her Video Camera
I saw her at the party/auction/fundraiser on April 24th at Factory Fresh but I didn’t know she was shooting a video! So cool because she captured the fun crowd and the funnier DJ mixologists Sifunk and Garmunkle, who really rocked our already over stimulated brains with a rhythmic cut-copy-paste blend of funkiness. (get Paul’s New Mix FREE here) Anyway, thanks Natalie!
Free Arts NYC
And on that note, thank you to all of the street artists who generously donated their time and work and creativity to the auction, which raised $16,000 for the programs at Free Arts NYC. Thank you also to the staff and many volunteers who helped make that show work – BSA recommends these people and these programs that provide valuable services to our neighbors and to NYC kids. A number of Street Artist already know about their programs and have volunteered as Big Brother/Sister mentors and worked with kids and families in the programs. Here, Cynthia and Alexis talk about their experience:
This year again, Free Arts NYC has committed to serving an additional 1,000 children to meet the high demand in New York for their programs. We hope you will consider donating today by clicking here to help them reach this important milestone and close the remaining $25,000 gap needed to expand their programs.
“UR New York” Shows You How They Do It
UR New York, true born and raised New Yorkers, not transplants like most of us, are taking their street art game another step forward in a positive way. You see their cool canvasses, but do you have any idea how many steps are involved in making a print?
Here’s a studio stop-action video that shows how the New York Duo 2Easae and Ski just churned out their first print called “Arsenic” with Art Asylum Boston. They only made 10, but it looks like a lot of effort. Using cans and brushes, these brothers are combining the best of their experience into their work.
Ron English Hits the Welling Court Walls Early
UR New York, Street Artist Ron English has put up a bunch of new wheat paste posters on theWelling Court Mural Project in Queens, NY. The festival starts tomorrow and already the stuff that is up is worth the trip for this community event. English is taking the opportunity to lambaste Consumerism, Greed, Militarism, Religious Hypocrisy, Romanticizing Guns, and Advertising Hammerlocks on your Head — you know, all the lite topics – with a variety of graphic lampoons a la Mad Magazine in the 70’s.ee
Ron English's new work at Welling Court Mural Project this weekend (image courtesy Ron English)
You may have missed this, and I’m so happy with it – so that’s two really good reasons to post this new NEW YORKY video we made with ROA this week. Have a great weekend!
Artists that were part of the “Street Art New York” Auction Benefit for Free Arts NYC were Abe Lincoln Jr., Alex Diamond, Anera, Avoid Pi, Billi Kid, Bishop 203, Blanco, BortusK Leer, Broken Crow, C Damage, C215, Cake, Celso, Chris RWK, Chris Stain, Creepy, Dain, Damon Ginandes, Dan Witz, Dark Clouds, Dennis McNett, Elbow Toe, EllisG, FKDL, Gaia, General Howe, GoreB, Hargo, Hellbent, Imminent Disaster, Infinity, Jef Aerosol, Jim Avignon, JMR, Joe Iurato, Jon Burgerman, Keely, Know Hope, Logan Hicks, Mark Carvalho, Matt Siren, Mint and Serf, Miss Bugs, NohJColey, Nomadé, Peru Ana Ana Peru, PMP/Peripheral Media Projects, Poster Boy, Pufferella, Rene Gagnon, Roa, Royce Bannon, Skewville, Specter, Stikman, Swoon, The Dude Company, Tristan Eaton, UR New York (2esae & Ski), Veng RWK
New images you haven’t seen of Specters’ pieces in Russia. He also has a new friend in St. Petersburg – Incubus Project (on the left), who seems to be making a play for Specter’s lady on the right, who is less than enthused.
It’s all about love, people. Even when it’s not.
” Dobry den. So, uh, come to here often?” Incubus Project and Specter.
Incubus Project in St. Petersburg.
Incubus Project, who recently had a show in Berlin, favors 3-d renderings and cross-sectional views of machinery, robots, and imaginary living spaces – sometimes with dotted lines and explicative labels, as if from an instruction manual.
Waiting for my real love, far far away. New view of a Specter piece.
BROOKLYN STREET ART LOVES YOU MORE EVERY DAY
