Perspicere – “Bare Thread” – BSMT Space, UK

Perspicere – “Bare Thread” – BSMT Space, UK

Continuity. That is a characteristic inherent in string art, usually because one associates the act of long rolls of string repeatedly wrapped around nail heads to create a piece. In the area of street art, there have been a few notable examples of artists using string to make new artworks in public space; the American HOTTEA, who is known for his large-scale installations of colorful strings as well as more human-sized typographic slogans on chain-link fences, Spidertag from Spain who began with yarns and nails and graduated to neon and fluorescent installations of geometric, often abstract designs on surfaces. Mademoiselle Maurice is known for string and origami elements in her installations, and Jane Echelman has displayed massive aerial sculptures of woven rope and fibers in public spaces. Although you may easily make that connection, we won’t go into yarn-bombing.

From his Instagram, Perspicere says “Take back to 2018 when I first had a piece of my artwork set on fire….
Good Times…” (© photo courtesy of the artist)

Today we’re talking about the unbroken threads of artist Perspicere and his new exhibition called ‘BARE THREAD’. He has a talent for conjuring ghost-like portraits on canvasses and on the street using a technique not known or mastered by many. Wound in complex and individual patterns, the people emerge upward and outward toward you, even though they are necessarily anchored.

Perspicere. Bare Thread. BSMT Space. London, UK. (image courtesy of the gallery)

Once relegated to the realms of DIY, or crafting, string art has also gained recognition and acceptance as a legitimate art form in contemporary art circles while artists have pushed the boundaries of the medium, experimenting with various materials, techniques, and concepts. Much like its brother graffiti, whether string art is considered “high art” or not largely depends on the individual and the context in which it is presented. Here at BSMT Space gallery in London, there is no question.

BARE THREAD is Perspicere’s second solo show at BSMT Space in London, who say the works are “Truly breath-taking and thought-provoking, ‘Bare Thread’ is an exhibition that deftly weaves together themes of vulnerability, courage, and the human condition.” In a recent posting on Instagram, the gallery says “These pieces need to be seen in person, the complexity of the interwoven thread is astounding!”

Perspicere. Bare Thread. BSMT Space. London, UK. (image courtesy of the gallery)
From August 6, 2022, the artist writes with this video on Instagram “Action video of a recent piece down Leake Street. Brief action appearance of @allseeing.ra …. since this video my piece has been tagged, ripped AND set on fire!! Damn… these toys hate the string!!!..”
A Photoshopped image of Perspicere’s work in the streets. (image courtesy of the gallery)

‘Bare Thread’ opens at London’s BSMT gallery with a private view on May 25th, with drinks generously provided by our good friends at Magic Spells Brewery. The show runs from May 26th to June 11th, 2022. For catalogue enquiries or to attend the opening night RSVP via hello@bsmt.co.uk.

BSMT

529 Kingsland Road

London

E8 4AR

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ELFO – Street Art Agony!

ELFO – Street Art Agony!

The ever-clever minimalist ELFO strikes again on some crumbling building in Italy. He calls it “A new one from nowhere,” and possibly he is in agony. Or he is hoping to cause agony. Or is offering a commentary on the current state of the art on the streets?

Street Art Agonia!

Agreed.

ELFO. Street Art Agonia. Somewhere in Italy. (photo © courtesy of the artist)
ELFO. Street Art Agonia. Somewhere in Italy. (photo © courtesy of the artist)
ELFO. Street Art Agonia. Somewhere in Italy. (photo © courtesy of the artist)
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Mister Cartoon at Control Gallery – ‘Just My Imagination’

Mister Cartoon at Control Gallery – ‘Just My Imagination’

“BEYOND THE STREETS & CONTROL Gallery are launching ‘Mister CARTOON’s ‘Just My Imagination,’ an exhibition showcasing many of the creative directions of the acclaimed artist and Los Angeles native. After a career that spans decades, Mister CARTOON has established himself as an artist with an admired and unique vision, bringing to mind his signature style of airbrushing, intricate drawings on diverse surfaces, and candy enamel automotive paint. The work is meticulous, ornate, full of swagger, and sweet nostalgia for the city he loves.

Mister Cartoon. Images courtesy of Beyond The Streets and Control Gallery. Click HERE for more information.

Born and raised, as they say, he began as a graffiti artist before venturing into murals, album covers, extraordinary tattoo work, and myriad logos. His artwork draws inspiration from the vibrant culture of Los Angeles, reflecting the emotions and experiences of growing up in this city during the ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s. A solo show like this in Los Angeles is a milestone, following acclaimed shows across the globe in Tokyo, Paris, and London. Visitors encounter a body of work that collectively takes them into his mesmerizing fantasy world, the high gloss nostalgia, the fusion of car culture, graffiti, and tattoo – a haze of musical history accompanying his ride.

Mister CARTOON • Just My Imagination

Opening Reception: Saturday, June 10, 2023, 3pm-8pm
BEYOND THE STREETS – CONTROL Gallery

434 N La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Hollywood
On View: June 10 – July 15, 2023 • Wed-Sat 11am-6pm

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Saype – Beyond Walls in Okinawa, Nagasaki, Fuji, and Tokyo, Japan

Saype – Beyond Walls in Okinawa, Nagasaki, Fuji, and Tokyo, Japan

French-Swiss artist Saype is continuing on his ambitious worldwide project, “Beyond Walls,” bringing it to Japan with an awe-inspiring display across multiple cities. From April 22nd to May 14th, 2023, four monumental landart paintings were painted by the artist in Okinawa, Nagasaki, Fuji, and Tokyo, forming the 17th step of this visionary endeavor.

Saype’s artworks, crafted with natural pigments derived from charcoal and chalk, are part of what he intends to be the largest human chain ever created. As the final witnesses of the 20th-century tragedies fade away, Saype endeavors here to become a spokesperson through the invitation of the United Voices movement, which aims to transmit a profound message of peace and solidarity to future generations. By symbolically painting intertwined hands traversing various locations, Saype would like to challenge the divisions of our world, urging us to embrace kindness, togetherness, and collective efforts beyond walls.


Saype. Beyond Walls – Nagasaki, Japan. Japan Tour. (photo © Saype)

BEYOND WALLS NAGASAKI
Ending the war, but at what cost? Nagasaki is both the epicenter of human madness and the incredible hope of the survivors of inhumanity. This mural, a transmission symbol, reminds us that memory is the best ally of peace.

Saype. Beyond Walls – Nagasaki, Japan. Japan Tour. (photo © Saype)
Saype. Beyond Walls – Nagasaki, Japan. Japan Tour. (photo © Saype)

BEYOND WALLS OKINAWA
It is at the Okinawa Peace Memorial that Saype created his first Beyond Walls mural in Japan. A fragile and ephemeral work, just a few steps away from the graves of soldiers of all nationalities who fought on the only battlefield on Japanese territory. Although decades have passed since this battle, the archipelago remains of crucial strategic importance.

Saype. Beyond Walls – Okinawa, Japan. Japan Tour. (photo © Saype)
Saype. Beyond Walls – Okinawa, Japan. Japan Tour. (photo © Saype)
Saype. Beyond Walls – Okinawa, Japan. Japan Tour. (photo © Saype)
Saype. Beyond Walls – Okinawa, Japan. Japan Tour. (photo © Saype)

BEYOND WALLS FUJI
It is undoubtedly the most iconic place in Japan. By marking this symbol of eternity with his ephemeral work, which sees humanity passing by its foot, Saype puts our place on Earth and our priorities into perspective.

Saype. Beyond Walls – Fuji, Japan. Japan Tour. (photo © Saype)
Saype. Beyond Walls – Fuji, Japan. Japan Tour. (photo © Saype)
Saype. Beyond Walls – Fuji, Japan. Japan Tour. (photo © Saype)
Saype. Beyond Walls – Fuji, Japan. Japan Tour. (photo © Saype)
Saype. Beyond Walls – Fuji, Japan. Japan Tour. (photo © Saype)

BEYOND WALLS TOKYO
It was unthinkable for Saype’s human chain not to pass through Tokyo. Here, tradition meets modernity in a cultural and human effervescence like no other. A megalopolis as serene as it is immense, Tokyo is writing history before our eyes, in the shadow of its past.

Saype. Beyond Walls – Tokyo, Japan. Japan Tour. (photo © Saype)
Saype. Beyond Walls – Tokyo, Japan. Japan Tour. (photo © Saype)
Saype. Beyond Walls – Tokyo, Japan. Japan Tour. (photo © Saype)
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BSA Images Of The Week: 05.14.23

BSA Images Of The Week: 05.14.23

Welcome friends! Shout out to Joey, owner of the Village Works bookstore, whose new location opens this weekend on St Marks Place in Manhattan. Friday night the river of people flooded the banks in this pantheon to New York culture, history, and stylish bravado – and special guests Homesick were in the house to welcome the hundreds of excited streetwise Gen Z’ers to flip through and ponder these curious paper things that you cannot scroll through or zoom in with your fingers, but which are strangely satisfying and enriching non-the-less. If anyone wonders if Covid decimated New York, you have to witness the throngs of people walking, running, riding through a beery haze on the weekend at St. Marks, to know that this city is in full effect, bro.

We say ‘bro’ in the hood way, not the privileged apathetic way – although both are intermingling in the LES right about now with Brooks Brothers boys in camel suits huffing up the sidewalk while a muscled spandexed guy with a six-foot set of wings on his back weaves through the street. It’s not that NY is so liberal, it’s that we really don’t care what your look like or who you’re doing it with – let’s have fun and hang out.

The pumping music from the bars in this neighborhood reflects this moment, of course, with two Mexican pop hits blasting out to the streets in many locations – Grupo Frontera x Bad Bunny’s hit “Un x100to” and Peso Pluma’s “Ella Baila Solo.” A fusion of corridos, banda, urban music, trap, and reggaeton? Porque no? The popularity reflects the influence Latino culture has had on the youth this spring while old white men are busy militarizing the southern border and treating regular people like criminals for seeking a better life.

Here’s our weekly interview with the street, this week featuring: Dan Witz, Adam Fujita, Adam Fu, Winston Tseng, SacSix, Little Ricky, Roachi, Alicho Art, Chupa, Huetek, A Visual Bliss, Riisa Boogie, Ideal, Rezones, WEKUP, KIRSE, SMOR, Italo Causa, Georgia Violet, Jenna Leigh, and Never Satisfied.

Adam Fu (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Adam Fu (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Adam Fu (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Look a new rare Dan Witz in the wild!!!! (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Unidentified artist (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Never Satisfied (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Never Satisfied (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Winston Tseng (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Winston Tseng (photo © Jaime Rojo)
SacSix (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Trace (photo © Jaime Rojo)
CHUPA (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Memorial Wall. Detail. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Memorial Wall. Detail. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Memorial Wall. Detail. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Unidentified artist (photo © Jaime Rojo)
ROACHI (photo © Jaime Rojo)
HUETEK (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Jenna Leigh . A visual Bliss. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
HUETEK (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Little Ricky (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Calicho Art . Georgia Violet. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Italo Causa (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Riiisa Boogie. Rezones. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
KURSE. SMOR. IDEAL. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
WEKUP (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Untitled. Spring 2023. NYC. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
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The Tag Conference Hits Brooklyn

The Tag Conference Hits Brooklyn

Welcome to the first American celebration of graffiti studies.

The Tag Conference Brooklyn is set to be an impressive event, bringing together some of the most influential and pioneering voices in the field of graffiti studies. This groundbreaking event will take place on May 14th, 2023, in the heart of New York City. The conference focuses on the art of name-writing in public spaces and how it has evolved over time, with a particular emphasis on the history of American tagging.

The list of participants is impressive, including renowned scholars and storied professionals like Richard Goldstein, Joe Austin, Susan Phillips, and Carlo McCormick, as well as prominent graffiti artists with deep roots such as Steve ‘ESPO’ Powers, Alan Ket and Mr. Kaves. Events like this raise the consciousness and further establish the role of the mark-makers in shaping activism and influencing art – with positive and negative effects both fairly examined and interrogated. The conference also showcases the work of independent researchers and rogue archivists, providing a platform for their invaluable contributions to the field of graffiti studies.

The Tag Conference Brooklyn is an INVITATION-ONLY installment of the Tag Conference with a focus on contemporary tagging. Click HERE to read about the full program.

As graffiti continues to gain importance in both scholarship and institutional academia, the Tag Conference Brooklyn is a rather enthralling opportunity to explore this unsung art form and its impact on contemporary culture. With its focus on the history and evolution of tagging in New York City, this conference promises to be a landmark event, bringing together key voices from around the world for the first time in the United States.

The Tag Conference Brooklyn is an invitation-only installment of the Tag Conference with a focus on contemporary tagging.

THE TAG CONFERENCE BROOKLYN

NAME WRITING
IN PUBLIC SPACE

14 MAY 2023
NEW YORK CITY

RICHARD GOLDSTEIN, JOE AUSTIN, BILL DANIEL, CARLO MCCORMICK, SUSAN PHILLIPS, STEVE ‘ESPO’ POWERS, GREGORY SNYDER, FRANÇOIS CHASTANET, CHRISTIAN ACKER, ALAN KET, LACHLAN MACDOWALL, MR. KAVES, TOMMY REBEL, JAVIER ABARCA, EDWARD BIRZIN

“Where does American tagging come from, and how has it evolved? What special chapters in its history took place in New York City? How does tagging play with space, and how do artists play with tags?

The Tag Conference Brooklyn gathers an unprecedented lineup of speakers, including some of the key voices in American graffiti studies both underground and institutional, plus some special guests from Europe and Australia to discuss the unsung artform of tagging in the city that made it what it is today.”

‘THE TAG CONFERENCE BROOKLYN’

While the working field of graffiti studies is taking shape in Europe, its most veteran and fundamental voices hail from the U.S.A.

Industry City
33 35th St, Building 5
Brooklyn, New York
No entry fee

Directors: Edward Birzin (US), Javier Abarca (ES).
Chair: Susan Hansen (AU).

The Tag Conference is produced by the Unlock Book Fair team. The Tag Conference Brooklyn is an INVITATION-ONLY installment of the Tag Conference.

A full-format Tag Conference with an open call for papers is scheduled for June 29th to July 1st 2023 at the Museum for Hamburg History in Hamburg, Germany.

The exhibition “A CITY BECOMES COLOURFUL. Hamburg Graffiti History 1980-1999”, which runs from 2 November 2022 until 31 July 2023 at the Hamburg Museum, tells the story of the origins of this youth subculture in Hamburg.

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BSA Film Friday: 05.12.23

BSA Film Friday: 05.12.23

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

Now screening:
1. Rose B. Simpson in “Everday Icons”

2. Jan Kaláb – Via Designboom

3. ENESS – Modern Guru and the Path to Artificial Happiness

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BSA Special Feature: Rose B. Simpson in “Everday Icons”

Meet Rose B. Simpson, a fearless badass artist from Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico. She delves into the intricate history of her homeland and the United States, examining how to empower and stay resilient while honoring past traditions. Rose pioneers innovative approaches using various artistic mediums to bridge the gap between past and present, express her personal experiences and identity, and contemplate the concepts of freedom and strength.

“On a rare snowy day in Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico, artist Rose B. Simpson assembles a maquette for a new public sculpture. The three small figures are models for the 12 concrete sculptures that stand nearly 11 feet tall at the Field Farm meadow in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Gazing forward with soft expressions and eyes that are hollowed through the back of their heads, the sculptures embody ancestors watching over the landscape. Simpson’s work stems from these moments of observation and connections to the past, emphasizing the processes of making and becoming in which we discover new ways of being and of healing.”

“I’m trying to reveal our deep truth,” says Simpson, “and that deep truth is process.”

Rose B. Simpson in “Everday Icons” – Art in the Twenty-First Century. Via ART21

Jan Kaláb – Via Designboom

ENESS – Modern Guru and the Path to Artificial Happiness. Via ENESS

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Ron English – “Now You See It” During Spring Art Fair Blitz

Ron English – “Now You See It” During Spring Art Fair Blitz

Amidst the aesthetic avalanche that is Spring Art Week in New York, you will also find many artists have shows in galleries in Manhattan that are timed to catch the wayward art buyer or tastemaker who is in NYC just for another minute. It is an excellent way to expose the artist to a potentially new audience, to re-invite collectors who already have their work but who are in town this week anyway, to give a fully expressed exhibition of their work that may be more closely aligned with their work than a 12’ x 12’ art fair booth.

Ron English. Alien LSD 1, 2023. NOW YOU SEE IT. Allouche Gallery NYC. (photo courtesy of the gallery)

The world-renowned pop culture hybrid artist temps those who stray from the path with “Now You See It” at Allouche Gallery NYC with a new solo exhibition featuring a twisted and tasty series of oil paintings that invite visitors into English’s immersive world that blends pop culture references, art history, politics, and a bit of biting social commentary.

Ron English.  Action Classicism in Delusionville, 2023, 2023. NOW YOU SEE IT. Allouche Gallery NYC. (photo courtesy of the gallery)

English has been widely recognized as a street artist, toy designer, and pop culture provocateur, but his oeuvre extends beyond the labels; His work spans a variety of mediums, including painting, sculpture, illustration, and installation. His set building is on full display at Allouche with intricate 3D-printed and hand-sculpted elements that conjure an imaginative universe, populated as they are with a range of unique characters, including three-eyed rabbits, grinning skulls, and anthropomorphic mascots from American corporate culture.

As is his talent, you’ll find that English reappropriates classic masterpieces with his cast of characters or icons of late-century pop culture, extracting new meanings from beloved art while displacing and weaving in his own slick and sticky brand of cultural critique.

Ron English. Expressionism, 2023. NOW YOU SEE IT. Allouche Gallery NYC. (photo courtesy of the gallery)

Unofficial TOP 10 (of about 30) Art Fairs on offer this week and weekend:

The Armory Show
Frieze New York
TEFAF New York
Nada New York
ADAA Art Show
AIPAD
Affordable Art Fair NYC
ArtExpo New York
Other Art Fair Brooklyn
Independent Art Fair


Now You See It

Allouche Gallery is pleased to announce an upcoming solo show entitled “Now You See It” by world-renowned artist Ron English at Allouche Gallery NYC (77 Mercer Street New York New York 10012).

Opening reception of “Now You See It” by Ron English on Saturday May 20th from 6-9 pm at Allouche Gallery NYC

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Object / Subject – Book Launch

Object / Subject – Book Launch

Back in April, we wrote about Saman & Sasan Oskouei’s new hardcover, self-published book Object / Subject here on BSA. Today we are happy to announce the dates of the book launch this weekend.

OBJECT / SUBJECT
Saman and Sasan Oskouei’s latest book featuring almost a decade of their work with an essay by Carlo McCormick

Object / Subject
Saman & Sasan Oskouei
Book Launch
IRL Gallery
15 Monroe St
New York, NY 10002
Opening Reception:
Friday May 12 6-8pm
Saturday May 13 2-6pm

OBJECT / SUBJECT

191 color pages, Hard cover
30 x 23 cm
Edition of 1000
Printed on 12 different dead stock papers
Designed by Daniel Kyn
ISBN 978-87995820-9-9
Text in English
May 2023

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Pener : “Fire And Ice” by the Danube in Vienna

Pener : “Fire And Ice” by the Danube in Vienna

As the spring weather warms here in Vienna, Austria, the artist Penner (Bartek Pener Swiatecki) has been working again outside on new projects. One has led him to the stylish Weissgerberviertel neighborhood along the Danube Canal, where there are two buildings designed by Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser: the Hundertwasserhaus, a quirky apartment building with colorful, rounded facades, and Kunst Haus Wien art museum.

Bartek Pener Swiatecki. Fire and Ice / 2023 / Austria / Vienna. (photo courtesy of the artist)

Here we have the backside wall of a hip summer city beach where people sit in folding chairs in the sand and sip cold beers and look out at the river. The Strandbar Herrmann is a little hip right now and legions will be here all summer. Better still, visiters will have a fresh mural called Fire and Ice by Pener to enjoy.

A fine artist and muralist from Poland, Pener is known for his bold and colorful style, which often incorporates geometric shapes and abstract forms. He has also completed murals and exhibitions in several locations around the world. He has been featured in many top publications, including Widewalls, Juxtapoz Magazine, Hi-Fructose Magazine, and here on BSA.

Bartek Pener Swiatecki. Fire and Ice / 2023 / Austria / Vienna. (photo courtesy of the artist)
Bartek Pener Swiatecki. Fire and Ice / 2023 / Austria / Vienna. (photo courtesy of the artist)
Bartek Pener Swiatecki. Fire and Ice / 2023 / Austria / Vienna. (photo courtesy of the artist)
Bartek Pener Swiatecki. Fire and Ice / 2023 / Austria / Vienna. (photo courtesy of the artist)
Bartek Pener Swiatecki. Fire and Ice / 2023 / Austria / Vienna. (photo courtesy of the artist)
Bartek Pener Swiatecki. Fire and Ice / 2023 / Austria / Vienna. (photo courtesy of the artist)

Fire And Ice / Strandbar Herrmann / Wienna / curated by IOnArt. Vienna / Austria

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You Are Not Alone

You Are Not Alone

YOU ARE NOT ALONE. That’s very important for you to know.

Whether or not one suffers from mental health issues, knowing that one doesn’t walk alone on a scabrous path is comforting. Feeling supported, especially in times of crisis, brings assurance and healing to our anxieties and despairs.

Adam Fu. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. In collaboration with You Are Not Alone Murals. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

We are living in a tumultuous time when people are being shot at or killed for having the misfortune of making a seemingly innocent mistake such as ringing the wrong doorbell or turning into the wrong driveway or working in your own yard with a leaf blower or getting into the wrong car at a parking lot or asking your neighbor not to shoot his gun from his porch or for being mistaken as a shoplifter. In Manhattan, an individual was murdered in the subway after a fellow passenger placed him in a chokehold apparently because he was made uncomfortable by the individual’s rambling, loud musings while suffering from mental health issues.

Alanna Flowers. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. In collaboration with You Are Not Alone Murals. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

We’re now being traumatized almost daily by news reports of mass shootings, vigilante shootings, and murder. Sometimes we simply feel that we are not safe anymore. When we talk about mental health, we should broaden the discussion to include all of us, not just those with acute symptoms but all of us who are affected by what we experience, see, and read. Our mental health is affected directly by the violence being perpetrated upon others.

The collective YOU ARE NOT ALONE MURALS has been very active in bringing the issue of mental health and its importance to the forefront of the conversations with large murals on the streets of NYC. Here they produced ten murals created by a diverse group of artists, all using the same color palette while addressing the importance of community, belonging, and support with a single and simple phrase: YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

Cris Pagnoncelli. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. In collaboration with You Are Not Alone Murals. (photo © Jaime Rojo)


If you are in any need or are in crisis emotionally or psychologically, or you simply would like to speak to someone, please call the numbers below. You can do it! You can do it, sis. You got this, bro. We love ya!

  1. New York City: The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene provides a 24/7 Mental Health Hotline for New Yorkers who need immediate help. The hotline can be reached at 1-888-NYC-WELL (1-888-692-9355).
  2. United States: The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24/7 across the United States. The lifeline can be reached at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255).
  3. International: The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) is a global organization dedicated to preventing suicidal behavior, alleviating its effects, and providing a forum for academics, mental health professionals, crisis workers, volunteers, and suicide survivors. The IASP website offers a directory of crisis centers and helplines around the world. The directory can be accessed at https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/.
Indie184. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. In collaboration with You Are Not Alone Murals. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Jason Naylor. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. In collaboration with You Are Not Alone Murals. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Marco Santini. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. In collaboration with You Are Not Alone Murals. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Rich Tu. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. In collaboration with You Are Not Alone Murals. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Sally Rumble. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. In collaboration with You Are Not Alone Murals. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Space Type. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. In collaboration with You Are Not Alone Murals. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Dirty Bandits. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. In collaboration with You Are Not Alone Murals. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Untitled. Manhattan, NYC. May 2023. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
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BSA Images Of The Week: 05.07.23

BSA Images Of The Week: 05.07.23

Welcome to BSA Images of the Week!

Style Wars! A new interpretation of it is blazoned across the Houston Wall thanks to Optimo NYC, who is rather owning it recently. This free-wheeling ever changing magnet for attention in a very gentrified Manhattan cheers the fans of true graffiti almost daily right now, buffeted by the roar of traffic and the occasional rock band playing in front of it.

The many flavors of New York street art and graffiti are everywhere – in community murals speaking about mental health, aerosol tags in doorways, in wheatpasted poems on subway columns, in soldiered sculptures on the sides of parking signs. New Yorkers love to be expressive, and in general, indulge one another’s imperfect ways of doing it. There is usually someone who is crowing about the golden age of New York, and who can deny one person’s perspective. Ever the optimists, we see the changes, the losses, the gains, and the free-wheeling spirit alive on the streets, and we think New York is having a golden age right now.

Here’s our weekly interview with the street, this week featuring: EVOL, Cey Adams, Giani NYC, No Sleep, Mort Art, JDL, Optimo NYC, Chris RWK, SEIMR, RUTHE, Scott McDonald, Sawr, Tymon De Laat, Amill Onair, Sherwin Banfield, and David H. Wagner.

Optimo NYC continues the Houston/Bowery Wall takeover with Giani NYC. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
…and the Williamsburg Bridge for that matter… Optimo NYC (photo © Jaime Rojo)
EVOL (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Chris RWK (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Unidentified artist (photo © Jaime Rojo)
JDL’s mural detail with tag. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Profound musings from David H. Wagner (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Surely, the press will tirelessly get to the bottom of any misdeeds our elected officials commit and reveal them to the citizenry. Especially all of those guests gathered around tables sharing a great meal and a glittering night of chummy comedic camaraderie at the White House Correspondents Dinner this week. #whoprotectsmefromyou (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Queens-based artist Sherwin Banfield’s sculpture tribute to Biggie reigns supreme this spring at Clumber Corner in DUMBO, Brooklyn. Timed perfectly to coincide with the many celebrations this year of the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop, the interactive installation is a nine-foot structure made of stainless steel and bronze boasting the likeness of Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G” Wallace, also known as Biggie Smalls. Yes, that’s an actual CD implanted into the sculpture, and you can listen to his music coming from the speakers. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Sherwin Banfield’s sculpture tribute to Biggie. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Sherwin Banfield’s sculpture tribute to Biggie. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Cey Adams (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Unidentified artist’s tribute to James Roosevelt Stokes, a Brooklyn man whose online obituary says “James was a lovable and fun person and was known as the “unifier”. He wanted everyone to be happy. He was instrumental in uniting the Dean Street Neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY.”. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Amilli Onair (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Tymon De Laat in Wynwood, Miami. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Scott McDonald and Sawr in Wynwood, Miami. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Mort Art (photo © Jaime Rojo)
SEIMR RUTHE (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Untitled. Manhattan Bridge. NYC (photo © Jaime Rojo)
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