Coney Art Walls : 30 Reasons To Go To Coney Island This Summer

June 24, 2015 Artists

The gates are open to the new public/private art project called Coney Art Walls and today you can have a look at all 30 or so of the new pieces by a respectable range of artists spanning four decades and a helluva lot of New York street culture history. We’ve been lucky to see a lot of the action as it happened over the last five weeks and the range is impressive. These are not casual, incidental choices of players lacking serious resumes or street/gallery cred, but the average observer or unknowing critic may not recognize it.

How & Nosm (photo © Jaime Rojo)

By way of defining terms, none of this is street art. These are murals completed by artists who are street artists, graffiti writers, fine artists, and contemporary artists. In the middle of an amusement park, these are commissioned works that respond in some way to their environment by thirty or so local and international heavy hitters and a few new kids on the block comprising a 40+ year span of expertise.

Open to many strata of the public and fun-seekers who dig Brooklyn’s rich cultural landscape, this outdoor show will surely end up as backgrounds for selfies — while perhaps simultaneously elevating a discourse about the rightful place of graffiti/street art/urban art within the context of contemporary art. Okay, maybe not such loftiness will result, but let’s not rule it out entirely.

How & Nosm (photo © Jaime Rojo)

It should come as no surprise that it is the dealer, curator, perennially risk-taking showman Jeffrey Deitch who is the ringmaster of this circus, or that the genesis of this cultural adventure is perplexing to some who have greeted his newest vision with perplexity and derision. His Deitch Projects and related activities in the 2000s regularly presented and promoted the street-inspired D.I.Y. cultural landscape, having done his due diligence and recognizing that new life springs from the various youth movements always afoot. The Jeffrey-conceived “Art Parade” itself was a street-based all-inclusive annual panoply of eye candy and absurdity; inflicting humor, sex, gore, fire, glitter and possibility into the minds of Manhattan sidewalk observers.

As MOCA Los Angeles director Deitch also flipped the script with his “Art In The Streets,” organizing a vast survey of a half-century of the modern grassroots genres including graffiti/street art/urban art/tattoo/punk/hip-hop/skater culture that far surpassed anyone’s predictions for audience attendance and public engagement. Aside from tripping wires and a public misstep here and there, the show earned critical praise, pinched art-school noses, and pushed skeptical institutions and patrons to question their prejudices. It also gave voice to a lot of people.

Daze (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Notably, that MOCA exhibit drew a little over 200,000 attendees in four months. Coney Island beach and boardwalk gets about 14 million annually. Even if the Smorgasbord pop-up village food trucks feed a fraction of that number, there will be more folks viewing art and interacting with it here than, say, the Four Seasons dining rooms, which also display street artists and contemporary artists in the restaurants’ artistic programming. Side by side comparisons of Smorgasbord/Four Seasons diners ethnic diversity, income, age, education level, museum board membership or real estate investments were not available at press time. But neither can be fairly described as exploitative to artists or audience without sounding patronizing.

Daze (photo © Jaime Rojo)

These multicolored and monochromatic murals illustrate a wide and balanced smorgasborg of their own; examples of myriad styles are at play with some engaging in activism and local politics and Coney Island history. From original train writer Lady Pink to aerosol drone sprayer Katsu, from eL Seed’s lyrical Arabic calligraffiti to Retna’s secret text language to graffitist-now-collagist Greg Lamarche, from Shepard Fairey’s elegant Brooklyn salute to polluters and blasé consumerism to Tatyana Fazlalizadeh’s spotlight on current Coney Island neighbors, from urban naturalist ROA’s monochrome marginalized city animals to How & Nosm’s eye-punching and precise graphic metaphors, you are getting a dizzying example of the deep command Deitch has of this multi-headed contemporary category that is yet to settle on a moniker to call itself.

Crash (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Coney Art Walls assembles world travelers from NYC and LA and Miami and internationally; Belgium, Barcelona, Brazil, Paris, Tunisia, London. Some are 80s Downtown NYC alumni, others were train writers in the 70s or big crew graff heads and taggers from the decades after. Some are considered historical originators of a form and cross-genre risk takers pushing beyond their comfort zone. Take a close look and you’ll find names that are in major collections (private, institutional, corporate) and that go to auction.

Crash (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Some are regularly showing in galleries and are invited to street art festivals, exhibited in museums and discussed in academia and print. Others have studio practices spanning three decades, are lecturers, panelists, authors, teachers, community advocates, art stars, reality TV personalities, film actors, product endorsers and art product makers working with global brands. One or two may be considered global brands themselves. A handful have been painting on the streets for 40 years. Monolithic they are not.

One more notable aspect occurred to us as we watched this parade making its peregrination to these summer walls – either because of Deitch or the romance or history of Coney or both; When you are looking at the range of ages and ethnicities and family configurations and listening to the variety of accents and opinions expressed and seeing the friendly but tough-stuff attitudes on display — you might guess you were in Brooklyn. You are.

Futura (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Shepard Fairey (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Jesse Edwards (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Irak (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Lady Pink (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Ben Eine (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Maya Hayuk (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Lady Aiko (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Buff Monster (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Miss Van (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Jason Woodside (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Ron English (photo © Jaime Rojo)

AVAF (photo © Jaime Rojo)

eL Seed (photo © Jaime Rojo)

eL Seed with Martha Cooper (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Kenny Scharf (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Mister Cartoon (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Jane Dickson (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Skewville (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Marie Roberts (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Tatyana Fazlalizadeh (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Greg Lamarche (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Gregg Lamarche (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Katsu (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Retna (photo © Jaime Rojo)

ROA (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Kashink (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Kaves (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Lauren Halsey (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Our previous weekly updates track the installation period of Coney Art Walls:

Coney Art Walls: First 3 Completed and Summer Begins

DEITCH Masters, Coney Art Walls Part 2 : Coney With a Twist

Eine, Hayuk: A Riot of Color at Coney (Update III)

Coney Art Walls: Gypsies, Stallions, Mermaids, and Pop Optics! Update IV

Coney Art Walls Opens for the Mermaids! Update V

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This article is also published on The Huffington Post

Lille Biennale: Update with Jana & JS, Psykoze, Nuria Mora, Baba Jung

June 23, 2015 Artists

The Biennale of Urban Art in Lille, in the north of France continues at a relaxed pace with new pieces including a new window pane reflective moment by the French-Austrian stencil couplt Jana & JS. Also included are new walls by Baba Jung, Nuria Mora, and Psykoze were completed these last two weeks. Here we have new shots for BSA readers courtesy Aline Mairet.

Jana & JS (photo Aline Mairet)

Psykoze (photo © Aline Mairet)

Nuria Mora (photo © Aline Mairet)

Nuria Mora. Detail. (photo © Aline Mairet)

Baba Jung (photo © Aline Mairet)

Hell’o Monster and M-City at the Urban Art Biennale in Lille, France

Fanzara, A Tiny Spanish Town Reinvents Itself With Help From Artists

June 22, 2015 Artists

Coming up during the third weekend of July will be the second installment of MIAU (The Unfinished Museum of Urban Art) in the tiny town of about 325 people named Fanzara, Spain. Begun by local artists and with a tiny budget from the local council, more than 20 Spanish and a handful of Italian street artists took part in the grassroots festival the first time around last summer, transforming homes and buildings in this aging municipality. In advance of the new paintings we bring you images of the current murals as shot by Lluis Olive Bulbena, who offers his personal account of visiting the town and getting a tour from MIAU co-founder Javier López and artist Ana Pez.

By Lluis Olive Bulbena

When I first learned of Fanzara’s Street Art I had no idea where the town was so I had to search on the Internet to locate it. The town is located about 186 miles from my own town of Barcelona in the Province of Castellón, Fanzara is about 55 miles from Valencia on the Iberian Peninsula.

Their local web page told me they had about 30 murals so my wife and I contacted the town’s office of tourism and made arrangements to meet someone there when we arrived.

Pol Barban (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Sure enough, Javi and Ana were there waiting for us and they gave us an extensive tour of the town. It was a very hot day, bathed with sun light and I had enormous problems shooting pictures because of the light. But our hosts couldn’t have been more gracious.

After our tour a drink was in order and we got a table at a bar called “Abajo” (meaning “below”). 50 meters up the street there used to be a bar called “Arriba” (above) but the owners changed the name.

Hombre Lopez .Rafa Gascó. Detail. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Fanzara’s love for Street Art began when a group of youths began thinking of new ways to revitalize the town and Street Art was mentioned as a possibility.

They posed themselves a couple of questions to the town: Would local people want Street Art on their home’s walls? The answers came back; the majority said yes. Some said no. Many of the naysayers have now changed their minds to the yes column.

The second question: Who would they invite and under what criteria? This problem was swiftly solved as Javi was friends with a graphic designer located in Madrid named Pincho Lopez. Because of his familiarity with the mural art scene Pincho was put in charge of curating the artists who would be invited to paint.

The first group of artists included: Escif, Julieta Xlf, Deih, Laguna, Cere, Ruina, Chylo, Sabek, Xabier Xtrm, Pincho, Susie Hammer, Lolo, La Foix, Hombrelopez, Joan Tarragó, Yes, Pol Marban, Ana Pez, Rafa Gascó, Natzo, y Acció Poètica La Plana Castelló.

Once in town the artists worked tirelessly to complete the murals, big and small in just three days in September of 2014. Since the small budget did not allow for much more than paint and ladders, the town folks banded together to provide accommodations and food to the artists. In mid-January of 2015 three Italian Street Artists, Collettivo FX, Nemo’s, and Bibito, were invited to paint three additional murals.

Hombre Lopez .Rafa Gascó (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena) “For me the piece that impressed me the most was the installation by Hombre Lopez and Rafa Gascó. Their piece consisted of photographs/portraits of the locals transferred on to stones and installed on a wall. The photographs are of people who lived there and are long gone as well as of current inhabitants of the town. This installation creates a relation between space and time among the town’s inhabitants and their relatives through several decades” -Lluis Olive Bulbena.

Collettivo FX (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Nemo’S (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Xabier XTRM (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Ana Pez (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Sabek (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Julieta XLF (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Julieta XLF and Pincho (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Escif (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Chylo (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Costi (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Lolo (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Deih (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Chylo (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Cere (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

BSA Images Of The Week: 06.21.15

June 21, 2015 Artists, BSA Images Of The Week

Summertiiiiiiiiiiimmme, and the living is eaaaaassssssyyyyy. Yessir, today is the first day of Summer here in New York and the longest day of the year – which means you can take a nap under a tree in the park or on your towel at the beach and still have plenty of time to play when you wake up. There are abandoned buildings to explore, murals to paint, wheat-pastes to stick, interventions to engineer, stencils to cut, selfies to snapchat, potato chips to eat, beer to swig. That couch by the window is calling me even now, the big temptress, as she does so often on these languorous days, induced by the heat. But I will not heed her siren song.

Here’s our weekly interview with the street, this week featuring Bezt, Buff Monster, Dain, Dee Dee, Faile, Fra. Biancoshock, Free Humanity, Gold Loxe, Li-Hill, Natalia Rak, Okuda, Old Broads, Phoebe, Sophia Hirsch and Johannes Mundinger, and Simon Vazquez and Sebastien Waknine.

Top image above >>> Okuda (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Li-Hill for The Bushwick Collective. Detail. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Bezt (from Etam Cru) in Providence, Rhode Island for Avenue Concept/Inoperable Gallery (photo © Bezt)

Dee Dee and Dain are BFF’s on the streets. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Gold Loxe (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Faile (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Faile with a remnant of El Sol 25. Detail. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Faile. Detail. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Phoebe New York (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Natalia Rak in Providence, Rhode Island for Avenue Concept/Inoperable Gallery (photo © Natalia Rak)

Fra Biancoshock’s new installation in Vilnius, Lithuania features a speed checking camera refashioned in the fashion of an Instagram camera. He calls it #picoftheday (photo © Fra Biancoshock)

Old Broads (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Buff Monster for The Bushwick Collective (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Sophia Hirsch and Johannes Mundinger installation at the former prison ‘JVA Magdeburg’ in Magdeburg, Germany. (photo © Johannes Mundinger)

Free Humanity (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Simon Vazquez and Sebastien Waknine interventions in an abandoned hotel someplace in Northern Spain. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Simon Vazquez and Sebastien Waknine interventions in an abandoned hotel somewhere in Northern Spain. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Untitled. Coney Island, NY. Summer 2015 (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Coney Art Walls Opens for the Mermaids! Update V

June 20, 2015 Artists

Dude/Dudette, it’s Mermaid Parade Day – part of Coney’s modern pop-carney cultural heritage. Rolling up Surf Avenue, turning right and coming back down the boardwalk, the three decade old event is both a well organized and entirely rag-tag D.I.Y. affair simultaneously. It’s the enthusiasm of the participants and their street performances and costumery that pull in the equally enthusiastic fans, but it is the bedazzled breasts and free-flowing beer that make them seek that illusive and effervescent feeling of abandon.

Skewville at work on their piece…while some folks go against gravity above…(photo © Jaime Rojo)

Meanwhile more walls were being painted at Coney Art Walls this week by another impressive cross section of talents from points local and international. The Skewville twins completed their free-standing monster boom box, El Seed brought his lyrical Arabic inspired calligraffiti, fine artist Jane Dickson applies her eye to the symbols of the carnival footprint and turns amusements into colorful cakes, Katsu spreads wider with his investigations into drone painting that are looking impressionistic, Mr. Cartoon enlivens a Vandal/Copper chase with a grim reaper and a selfie-snapping angel, former graffiti outlaw Gregg LaMarche slams his collaged font explosion with color, Coney-Island artist icon Marie Roberts invokes ghosts and her own family’s deep roots in this place’s history, Miami’s Rage Johnson of Inkheads Crew brings crisp psychadeliac forms with AVAF (Assume Vivid Astro Focus), Sheryo and The Yok use a new palette to depict a beach inspired hotdog caper, and Tatiana Fazlalizadeh creates warm black and white portraits of local current neighbors who live in these environs here year round.

The Twins Skewville at work on their piece…yes the other one showed up for photo op… (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Briefly, a snafu in the proceedings popped up when Cope2 suddenly did one of his eponymous bubble tags smack on the center of a freshly finished Retna wall Friday. Shortly thereafter Retna’s assistant was seen buffing the tag. Sources tell us that Cope’s participation in the project wasn’t originally scheduled and while some permissions had been secured, not all parties were in agreement before work commenced. The affair spurred speculation about who gave permission and who denied it in a flurry of social media postings, but the matter has been resolved. No doubt rumors on the street and online will be profligate – it is the nature of these aerosol Olympic games. Let’s see how the buffed section of Retna’s wall is addressed now that fin-fested visitors are schooling through the concrete complex chomping on cotton candy and sausages.

Skewville at work with the help of an assistant. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

But don’t let this petit drama overshadow the talent and effort and storied history of the two dozen other artists whose work is on display. A more diverse collection of artists from the past four decades from across this spectrum is rarely assembled in one location – a mini reprise of Mr. Deitch’s Art in the Streets, minus the ceiling. It’s not street art, urban art, or graffiti so none of those labels rightly apply to this amusement park exhibit. To the visiting crowds this is primarily background for selfies but fans of these artists will attach a much greater significance to some of these brand new works, as they should. Stay tuned for our final roundup of all the walls next Wednesday on a screen near you.

Skewville… for a dollar we’ll show you the rest… (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Skewville practicing an abundance of caution while at work … (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Skewville (photo © Jaime Rojo)

El Seed (photo © Jaime Rojo)

El Seed with Martha Cooper. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

El Seed (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Jane Dickson’s work in progress. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Jane Dickson at work. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Jane Dickson work in progress. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Jane Dickson (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Katsu tried his hand at Impressionism with a drone. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Mr. Cartoon (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Gregg Lamarche at work. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Gregg Lamarche (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Marie Roberts at work. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Marie Roberts (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Rage Johnson of Inkheads Crew working on the piece designed by Brazilian AVAF (Assume Vivid Astro Focus). (photo © Jaime Rojo)

AVAF executed by Rage Johnson of Inkheads Crew. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Sheryo and The Yok (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Tatiana Fazlalizadeh at work. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Tatiana Fazlalizadeh…”The Day Before Easter And The Day After Labor Day – People Still Live Here. People Die Here. People Love Here” (photo © Jaime Rojo)

BSA Film Friday: 06.19.15

June 19, 2015 Artists

Rubble Kings. © Perry Kretz

Our weekly focus on the moving image and art in the streets. And other oddities.

Now screening :

1. “Rubble Kings” : Gangs, Graffiti, Hip-Hop in 1970s NYC
2. INDECLINE: “This Land Was Our Land” (Largest Illegal Graffiti Piece In The World)
3. Al Karama: Boa Mistura Reverse Paints the Message in Casbah
4. Mutiny Of Colours: (Trailer) “Peace A Message From Iran”

BSA Special Feature: Rubble Kings

“Rubble Kings” Opens Today: Gangs, Graffiti, Hip-Hop in 1970s NYC

An outstanding recounting of the fierce gang culture born of despair and “white flight” that blighted New York City, Rubble Kings helps put in perspective the evolution of a people being pushed out of the American Dream grabbing it by the balls and reclaiming it as their own, remaking it in their image.

That may be the overly romantic view of an unjust and needlessly brutal time full of violence and murder, with innocent everyday people caught in the middle as victims. And certainly as oppressed as these former gang members were, the thought may cross your mind that the heroic roles depicted in this story are reserved for one gender almost exclusively. That said, props to the director Shan Nicholson that Rubble Kings presents a meaningful and compelling context for the unwinding of the social, political, institutional constructs that shook folks to the bone; an economic violence that decimated neighborhoods and communities.

Rubble Kings. © Perry Kretz

Well edited storytelling with actual footage, pertinent interviews, and invented animated scenarios, the story traces the evolution of the Black and Latino experience following the killing of the Kennedy brothers, Dr. King, and Malcolm X, and the death of hope for a people who were just starting to see a chance at sitting at the table of equality, an opportunity at a middle class existence – even as the Vietnam War started claiming many young lives. Defenseless against unresponsive politicians, obtuse bull-headed urban planning, corrupt real estate owners who burned their buildings and contemptible landlords ignoring their responsibilities, high unemployment, a booming drug economy, and a general perception that the police were working against them, these street gangs became a new force of order and disorder; the kings of the rubble.

Rubble Kings. © Stephen Salmieri

Aside from the lawlessness in the face of abandonment, the John Leguziamo narrated documentary features a well arched story that presents some crucial insight into origins of the birth of the Hip Hop movement: a grassroots-based all-city community reconciliation that enabled new coalitions and drew directly upon what became Hip Hop’s central tenets including Emceeing (MCing), DJing, Breaking, and Graffiti. With emotional and riveting accounts from gang members like leaders of the 2,500-strong Bronx based gang Ghetto Brothers, Benjamin Melendez and Carlos Suarez, you are able to see the dynamic tension between neighborhoods and philosophies, the depth of turmoil on the streets, and the weight of responsibility leaders assumed.

Rubble Kings. © Alejandro Olivera

Musically a direct connection is drawn to the Afro-Cuban and Latin funk of the late 60s/early 70s blending with rock, eventually incorporating disco and electronic influences; a true melting pot worthy of a New York cultural movement. Also interviewed are musical pioneers like DJ Kool Herc, credited with originating hip hop music in the early 1970s in The Bronx, and Afrika Bambaataa, whose ZULU Nation is credited for integrating the needs of the community with inspiration and positive aspirations, weaving it with the creative spirit and a desire for an inclusive common culture celebrating style, strength, and power.

Rubble Kings. © Joe Conzo

Rubble Kings opens today in New York at AMC Empire 25, in Los Angeles at AMC Burbank 8, and Chicago at AMC Country Club Hills 16. A wider national release will follow. It is also available on iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, GooglePlay, Sony Entertainment Network and VHX.

INDECLINE: “This Land Was Our Land” (Largest Illegal Graffiti Piece In The World)

Saying they have just completed the largest illegal graffiti in the world, the anonymous INDECLINE took six days in April to complete this half mile wide statement on a disused military site in the California’s Mojave Desert.

Impressive as hell of course, and Woody Guthrie is an American hero and yes this land belonged to other people before it was claimed by the US and it has been severely damaged by the war machine. But outstanding questions here are: which eight graffiti heads can afford 6 days, 250 gallons of paint, sprayers, power leaf blowers, range rovers, and a $20K budget to pull this off? Also is the name related to the Adobe Creative Suite at all?

Read a good interview with them on VICE.

Al Karama: Boa Mistura Reverse Paints the Message in Casbah

This old town in Algiers called Casbah has been a World Heritage Site, as declared by UNESCO in 1992 but it has fallen into disrepair. The Mediterranean port is known for its white painted facades and features, something Boa Mistura says they found quite poetic. In their customary fashion the collective finds a way to write inspiring messages while preserving the history and character of the town.

Mutiny Of Colours: (Trailer) “Peace A Message From Iran”

Coming next week the Kickstarter for the filmmakers who are creating Mutiny of Colours. They have run out of money to finish their documentary and are reaching out to ask for support. The film follows Iranian street artists who are targeted for attention by the authorities for “promoting Satanism” among other accusations. Their fundraising starts June 28th, and we’ll tell you about it again when we get closer. In the mean time here is a teaser for the unfinished project from the directors, Zeinab & Paliz.

Modern Myths Keep Popping Up On Brooklyn Streets

June 18, 2015 Artists

MYTH is a perfect name for a street artist, right?

The practice can allow one to be the subject of mythology, or to make stories about other mythological creatures or super/anti heroes. You may wish to deconstruct, critique and parody socio-political or religious mythology and mythological figures. You also get to wear a full body spandex costume and a mask and prance around in alleyways waiting for the plum opportunity to wheat-paste your art, further perpetuating your own myth.

In this case if your name is Myth you actually get to lay down some heavy truths – as delivered by well established names like Spiderman, the Care Bears, Wonder Woman, Elmer Fudd, and Captain America. Lord knows you can probably trust Captain America more than Bank of America. Using the Wu-Tang logo as inspiration for his own, Myth also lets the kids know that he’s probably dope.

And humorous. And absurdist.

Myth (photo © Jaime Rojo)

“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion,” comes from the speech bubble over top the head of Elektra, her victorious arms spread wide, her thunder thighs charging across the wall. French philosopher Albert Camus may not have envisioned his inspirational words to the downtrodden proletariat to have appeared from this superheroine’s mouth, and neither did you.

A socialist revolutionary perverting imagery to sell an idea? Oh, relax, everyone is doing it. In the hands of the state you may call it propaganda. In the hands of industry you might call it something that sounds harmless like advertising. In the hands of the corporate class or the Koch brothers it’s called subverting democracy – or democratic speech.

In a small way his modest interventions are radicalizing this little corner of the street, making synapses fire. The truth is with these unusual pairings of image and text this humorist made you look, and possibly to think about the myths that we have learned, internalized, accepted.

Myth (photo © Jaime Rojo)

“A nation will not survive morally and economically when so few have so much while so many have so little.” Myth may have provided us with the first street art piece directly advocating for a presidential candidate in the 2016 election courtesy of this Care Bear quoting Bernie Sanders. Check out the tiny hammer and sickle tattoo on his hip.

Myth (photo © Jaime Rojo)

“Eating animals has ruined my life. I’m 31 years old!” – is a paraphrase from a character on The Simpsons named Hans Moleman, a mole-like man with plenty of bad luck. Veganism is a recurring theme from Myth.

Myth (photo © Jaime Rojo)

A lyric from “Protect Your Neck” by Staten Island’s Wu-Tang Clan is a perfect blending of Myth’s favorite influencers.

Myth (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Wonder Woman may have been inspired by the scholar and atheist Meslier, Diderot, or the radical students of the Sorbonne Occupation Committee when she says “HUMANITY WON’T BE HAPPY TILL THE LAST CAPITALIST IS HUNG WITH THE GUTS OF THE LAST BUREAUCRAT.” The helmet at her feet may be a clue.

Myth (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Who knew Chairman Mao Zedong could be so poetic when giving props to women? From that day forward second class citizenship ended, thanks to Storm from the X-Men.

Myth (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Myth being trolled by SheWolf…street fun and games… (photo © Jaime Rojo)

A Community Mural Festival in NYC, Highlights From Welling Court 2015

June 17, 2015 Artists

An annual mural tradition of non-pretense, New York hosted the 6th Annual Welling Court mural festival this weekend in a working class neighborhood in Queens, thanks to a grassroots couple who hustle to match artists with walls and opportunity. More than a hundred artists, whose styles span the graffiti-urban art-street art spectrum, participate every year in this community event that eschews the creeping fingers of commercial interests and the pontificating tongues of the art critics.

That is not the point here. That’s not why you fell in love with Street Art and the unvarnished expression of the creative spirit.

LMNOPI. Process shot. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Thanks to hearty and big-hearted organizers Alison and Garrison Buxton, the selection is as varied as the participants and the neighbors who come out to share home made dishes, music, and personal stories. Invariably the kids are racing around on their bikes and skates, people are meeting artists and posing for selfies, and some of the kids get to try their hand at painting.

So if you want to see what some of the organic art work is on the scene at the moment, walk through this unassuming Queens neighborhood with us and enjoy the real beat of New York. It’s a small selection, but you can get the flavor.

LMNOPI. Process shot. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

LMNOPI (photo © Jaime Rojo)

John Fekner (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Amanda Marie (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Icy & Sot. Process shot. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Icy & Sot (photo © Jaime Rojo)

XO. Detail. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Rubin415 . Joe Iurato (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Too Fly. Process shot. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Too Fly (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Peace (photo © Jaime Rojo)

WANE (photo © Jaime Rojo)

C. Cardinale. Process shot. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Olek Patiently Awaits to Erect Rainbow Obelisk in Santiago, Chile

June 16, 2015 Artists

“I surprised myself with the patience I had,” Olek tells us about the arduous bureaucratic game of waiting and preparing that she and her team played to get this big phallus up in Santiago de Chile for Hecho En Casa . The Street Artist has taken on ever-larger structures, sculptures, and monuments to transform with crocheted camouflage over the last decade and she specifically chose this one she says because of its shape.

“I decided to support and draw attention to gay rights by crocheting the obelisk in Santiago de Chile, a gigantic phallic object, covered in my signature rainbow crochet, meant to encourage dialog about human rights and convey the sense of urgency that I feel is needed to help gay people to not feel persecuted.” It’s unclear how much of this storyline the Chilean hosts knew in advance but the skyward pointing obelisk and rainbow sheath was approved before Olek boarded the plane in New York. She learned that permission had been rescinded when she arrived.

Days of drama followed.

Olek delivers a Polish folk axiom: “nie mow ‘hop’ zanim nie przeskoczysz,” which loosely translates as “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch” and that is how she describes the continuous uncertainty she felt concealing the bad news from her small group of assistants who were feverishly preparing for a project. “I was truly sad and devastated but I didn’t want to share the news and my emotions with my crochet team,” about this project.

“Hecho En Casa is an event created by a group of independent artists,” says organizer Felipe Zegers, and because the artists have gained support of government and business to promote cultural tourism, they usually can be persuasive with their track record of more than 50 successful artist installations throughout the city.

It is unclear what exactly stalled the permission for this project that Olek had first conceived of in 2012, but it didn’t help that their trip had begun with a strike by customs workers that held her mountain of crocheted material and yarn hostage.

“When the materials for Olek were arriving the Chilean Aduna (border) patrol had entered into an indefinite strike and it delayed our project,” says Zegers. “This lead to last minute problems where we had to once again get many people to agree on logistics and dates and to re-coordinate everything days before installation was to begin.”

Four days of cold weather and working on a cold cement floor, and some of Olek’s folks started to feel ill but production continued – as did behind the scenes negotiations. “I kept visualizing how to install this monster piece,” she says with customary gusto – and freely admits she was nervous about whether she could pull it off.

But she says she kept herself thinking positively, “I knew that when I was ready, the permission would come.” Yet, days passed with foggy answers about whether her piece would be re-approved for installation. Some talk about doing it guerrilla-style even began.

Suitably diplomatic, Mr. Zegers describes the even-handed appeal he uses in smoothing communications. “The best course of action is to try not to step over anyone. As always we take everyone’s position involved into consideration when trying to resolve any issues.”

“Olek also helped by handing over a bottle of Polish Vodka.”

Of course she did!

And by ‘hand over’ he means ‘hand over to the mayor in public while cameras were rolling.’

We weren’t surprised to learn that the enterprising dynamo positioned herself along the route of a publicized tour that the Mayor Claudio Orrego was taking. Mr. Orrego was reviewing some of the first installed artworks of the festival and then suddenly there appeared the colorful artist with a bottle of Polish vodka to present to him. It was no plain gift, says Zegers, “It was crocheted of course, and she gave it over to the mayor in a gesture that was well received by everyone – including the press.”

“We traded stories and we laughed,” Olek says, adding, “The press also took pictures.”

Within a relatively short time the installation was re-approved. “We moved quickly, as the whole project had begun to crumble, and we regained the full cooperation of the National Monuments Council, who unlocked the permits and gave us a letter of support for the project.”

Olek and the team happily agreed to begin it at night. Yes, at night. “We learned that we could do it after midnight,” she says, “as we had to wait until a student strike was over that started in Plaza Italia where the obelisk stands.”

Eventually installation began at 1:30 in the morning and continued past dawn. “I really had an amazing team,” she says. “We all worked really hard and every person added to the success of this installation.”

“At dawn it was amazing to see the city sky so clean and sunny,” says Mr. Zegers, “the colors shone brightly and, while it was still cold, the monument looked cozy and warm. Many people got off the bus to admire it and people started to come at all hours to see the project.

Lost in the drama may have been the original message Olek had about LGBT rights in society, but the artist prefers to say that it took on an additional meaning for her as a story of perseverance. “With every piece I create I try to bring awareness to various issues around the world, issues that are important to me,” she says. “It’s disturbing that we still have to fight for fundamental human rights today, specifically women’s and gay rights.”

In her reading of works by the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda she took additional inspiration and now thinks of these words when she reflects on the arduous nature of that project and the long path for equality that LGBT people continue to walk along worldwide.

“Podrán cortar todas las flores pero nunca detendrán la primavera.” (They can cut all the flowers, but they never stop the spring.) – Pablo Neruda

Personal Touch: Kera in Kardiff Renders 125 Piece Abstract Mural

June 15, 2015 Artists

Berlin’s Kera just finished this 125 piece mural in Cardiff, Wales as a commercial gig for a sports and leisure center building called Stadium Plaza. What is interesting about the project aside from its scale and the repetitive grid of bent iron sheets floating like a fragmented epidermal layer just outside the contiguous surface of the building is Kera’s thought process for creating and executing the job.

An artist whose work in graphic design contributes to an affection for crisp geometry as it translates into biomorphic shapes, Kera has been studying color, various printing techniques and façade design for a decade and a half. With these curved surfaces he could imagine a greater connection with technology inspired by his study of haptics and the interaction of touch with computer applications, a field that has been pioneered at M.I.T. since the early 1990s.

“The playground can never be big enough,” he says when talking about this series of screens that he touched with 200 cans of color over 6 14-hour days of work, constantly adjusting stroke and can control according to his distance from the surface and its curvature among other tactile/aesthetic considerations. Abstract and spatial, the muralist sees almost no difference between his physical interaction with design in public art/mural projects and his print and digital work. With this integration of virtual with physical, at least in the thinking and planning stage, one can imagine a true merging of art and technology – perhaps enabling applications such as long distance drone painting from your desk – who knows?

To see more work by Kera (Christian Hinz) please go HERE

BSA Images Of The Week: 06.14.15

June 14, 2015 Artists, BSA Images Of The Week

Hillary Clinton was on Roosevelt Island yesterday formally announcing her candidacy under blue skies with an enthusiastic crowd speaking about income inequality and the poor and sounding more populist than ever. Let’s see if she can stretch the 2 Billion Dollars in donations she is reported to have raised all the way to next November. It all adds up quickly bro, and before you know it, you just blew a billion!

Wonder if she saw the Hot Tea pool while she was there on the island.

This weekend is the annual Welling Court community mural party in Queens. Don’t miss it. Run on almost no budget it features over a hundred muralists who always dig the friendly neighborhood vibe thanks to organizers Alison and Garrison Buxton.

And of course we are seeing a lot of new dope stuff on the streets…

Here’s our weekly interview with the street, this week featuring Brolga, Chris RWK, Dasic, Esteban Del Valle, James Bullough, Joe Iurato, Logan Hicks, Owen Dippie, Paper Skaters, QRST, Ramiro Davaro-Comas, Rubin415, SheWolf, Sonni, Tats Cru, Wing, and WK Interact.

New Zealander Owen Dippie has a small show at Low Brow Artique Gallery and though we don’t feature gallery images too often, this painting seems like something you would like. His marriage of Raphael and Haring is a bit of mashup genius; a Renaissance Madonna and Radiant Baby. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Esteban Del Valle does a piece named “real estate” for Sugarlift Studios, presumably in reference to the value his work is adding to the building and the neighborhood. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

QRST has a few new endangered (extinct?) anthropocenes on the street, along with some burnt real estate. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Joe Iurato updates his son’s portrait with Logan Hicks providing patterned background for The Bushwick Collective. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Coney Art Walls: Gypsies, Stallions, Mermaids, and Pop Optics! Update IV

June 13, 2015 Artists

Coney Art Walls continues to take shape before your lying eyes, ladies and gentlemen, snake oil salesmen, and painted ladies in fishnet stockings. Watch now as our intrepid camera wielding high wire walker slithers upward into the sky for his shot!

Constantly risking absurdity
and death
whenever he performs
above the heads
of his audience
the poet like an acrobat
climbs on rime
to a high wire of his own making.

~ Lawrence Ferlinghetti

In this amazing expanding collection you can see that the history and legacy of the location is clearly inspiring many of the artists who painted this week. From Miss Van’s “Gypsy With Stallions” to Aiko’s multi-ethnic mermaids to Jason Woodside’s clown-car of pop-optic patterning to Kenny Scharf’s amorphous fun-house characters, Buff Monster’s melty ice cream, and Ron English’s mutated funny/frightening grinning cartoon characters…this weeks additions are giving the place a cheerfully happy and vaguely creepy magic vibe.

One more week of this painting madness and many surprises are just behind this velvet curtain, Ladies and Germs.

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