All posts tagged: Alexandra Pacula

WAGMAG Benefit Tuesday – Supporting Brooklyn Artists for a Decade+

This Tuesday night the annual benefit with work donated by 100+ artists will keep WAGMAG free for everyone. The local art guide started around the same time as the current street art explosion did in the early 2000’s – and the handy guide existed solely as a way to get the word out about openings at art collectives and galleries in the then-artist-neighborhood of Williamsburg. While gentrification has chased most of the artists out of Williamsburg now, Brooklyn continues to boom with some of the freshest ideas and talents and WAGMAG’s maps help you to find shows in 15 neighborhoods all over the borough.

The brainchild and labor of love of Brooklyn artist and gallery owner Daniel Aycock in those early years, WAGMAG now is run by Daniel and his artist wife Kathleen Vance. Together they own the Front Room gallery and regularly work with most of the players on the Brooklyn art scene, keeping it real and accessible. They are also big Street Art fans and have allowed the walls on the front of their gallery to be painted and pasted many times over the years by a parade of Street Artists.

Street Artist Noah Sparkes donates work to the WAGMAG Benefit (photo © Jaime Rojo)

In celebration of all the good work they do to enable artists to receive exposure for their work, and to encourage you to go to their fundraiser Tuesday, BSA talked with Daniel and Kathleen about WAGMAG and Brooklyn.

Brooklyn Street Art: How long have you been in Williamsburg?

Daniel Aycock and Kathleen Vance: WAGMAG, started in 2001 as W(illiamsburg) A(nd) G(reenpoint) M(onthly) A(rt) G(uide). Eventually the demand for listings in other neighborhoods throughout Brooklyn made it necessary to expand to include all of the art districts in Brooklyn. Then we dropped the Acronym and became WAGMAG, Brooklyn Art Guide.  We now serve the communities of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Bushwick, Carroll Gardens, Clinton Hill, Cobble Hill, DUMBO, Fort Greene, Gowanus, Greenpoint, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Red Hook and Williamsburg.

Brooklyn artist Scott Chasse donated this piece “Keep Smiling” to the WAGMAG Benefit.

Brooklyn Street Art: Can you describe what WAGMAG is?
Daniel Aycock and Kathleen Vance:
It’s a free monthly art guide that promotes art venues and exhibitions in Brooklyn with a free listing service of art exhibitions and events, with locations and times, community maps and critical reviews.

Art venues are listed in community networks with adjoining maps and alphabetical listing of exhibitions updated monthly and circulated throughout New York. Guest writers present recommendations of exhibits to visit, with critical reviews for additional reference. WAGMAG, a Brooklyn Art Guide, is online at wagmag.org and in print with a free 16-page printed guide that is circulated throughout New York and surrounding areas.

 

Street Artist Gilf! donated this piece “Empower Equality” (62/200)  to the WAGMAG Benefit

Brooklyn Street Art: You have had street artists on your wall outside the gallery like Noah Sparkes, C215, Nick Walker. How do you look at street art in Brooklyn? 

Daniel Aycock and Kathleen Vance: The offices of WAGMAG are in The Front Room Gallery in Williamsburg, in a building that has historically been a fertile ground for street artists.  We love the public access to art, made available 24hrs, 7 days a week by street artists, which is unexpected,  sometimes challenging, and innovative in process and placement.

Street Artist Chris of the collective Robots Will Kill donated this piece “We are 138 ” to the WAGMAG Benefit.

Brooklyn Street Art: Are there any Street Artists donating to the WAGMAG benefit this year?
Daniel Aycock and Kathleen Vance:
Yeah, absolutely. We have Chris (RWK), LOL,  Gilf!, and Noah Sparkes.

Brooklyn Street Art: Why is Brooklyn such a vibrant lively place for artists to work and live?
Daniel Aycock and Kathleen Vance:
Brooklyn has been a magnet for artists for decades. The availability of studio space and relatively lower rents creates an oasis outside of Manhattan – making it into a huge artists’ mecca.  Brooklyn builds strength from its communities – which have a friendly and open attitude that fuels creativity and expands the boundaries of art-making today.

Here’s a piece in Bushwick Chris (RWK) did a couple of years ago (photo © Jaime Rojo)

WAGMAG benefit committee member and artist David Kesting was doodling the rules on a piece of paper during one of the organizing meetings and he came up with the de facto WAGMAG Benefit guide!  Good job David!  This makes it so much easier to understand how the benefit works. (© David Kesting)

Brooklyn Artist Ward Shelly is one of the better known names who have contributed art to the WAGMAG benefit. This print is called “the History of Science Fiction” (© Ward Shelly)

Street Artist LOL donated this “Love Soldier” to the WAGMAG benefit and will be happy to install it for you (photo © LOL)

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

See a full list of the artists works and purchase tickets here:

The WAGMAG Benefit will be at The Boiler (191 North 14th Street) in Williamsburg. Additional info is at www.supportwagmag.org

<<>>><><<>BSA<<>>><<<>><><BSA<<>>><><<>BSA<<>>><<<>><><BSA

Please note: All content including images and text are © BrooklynStreetArt.com, unless otherwise noted. We like sharing BSA content for non-commercial purposes as long as you credit the photographer(s) and BSA, include a link to the original article URL and do not remove the photographer’s name from the .jpg file. Otherwise, please refrain from re-posting. Thanks!

<<>>><><<>BSA<<>>><<<>><><BSA<<>>><><<>BSA<<>>><<<>><><BSA

 

Read more

Fun Friday 03.09.12 Armory Week BSA Picks

Hells yes, it’s the invasion of the art fairs in New York – and all the associated events around them, including Bushwicks Beat Night and Williamsburg’s Arts Not Fair in the People’s Republic of Brooklyn and many galleries have special programming planned for the weekend around the city. The big fish is the Armory, which is apparently taming itself down a bit if last nights opening was any indication, and their door is a hefty $30 – boutique indeed.  But the hardy street art fan never pays anyway, from what we’ve seen.

Also this weekend are Fountain, PooL Art, Scope New York, Volta , Art Now, and Theorize which are more affordable or free and can be a lot more interesting frankly. Or, just hang out on the street with your bagged container and check out the street art on selected streets and abandoned lots in neighborhoods like the L.E.S, Bowery, Chelsea, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Bushwick, Red Hook, Long Island City, Dumbo. It’s cheap and you might get invited inside for a party if you bring a couple cans of beer. As you know, it doesn’t cost money to access the creative spirit.

1. Armory Arts Week
2. Fountain
3. Volta
4. Scope
5. Lisa Enxing at Le Salon d’ Art
6. Ambush Gallery, “Project 5, Volume 4”
7. “Beat Nite”
8. “Hyper/Hypo” at Secret Project Robot
9. OBLVN “100 Paintings at Klughaus Gallery
10. Jef Aerosol “Hot Spots” @ Galerie Austral
11. Street Artist Ives.One (Video)

For further information regarding Armory Arts Week click here

Fountain

(Images © Steven P. Harrington)

This year Fountain has provided a 200 foot long wall for a slew of Street Artists, including Chris Stain, Know Hope, GILF, Imminent Disaster, Joe Iurato, LMNOP, Elle, ShinShin, LNY, Cake, En Masse, Sophia Maldonado, Hellbent, Radical! and Wing. See some behind the scenes photos posted yesterday here.

Joe Iurato at Fountain (photo © Jaime Rojo)

LNY will be at Fountain (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Fountain include a great line up of galleries that promote, support and represent Street Artists including:  Kestin/Ray Gallery, Mighty Tanaka Gallery, The Market Place Gallery and Marianne Nems Gallery.

XAM will be exhibiting at Fountain with Marianne Nems Gallery. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

The Brooklyn gallery Mighty Tanaka will be having a greatest hits collection of work by almost everyone in their stable of untamed horses. One of the best walls is the dual red white and blue side by side 3-D sculptural wall installations by Skewville and Miguel Ovalle – including swords on the bottom of the Ovalle piece for the kids.

Featured at Might Tanaka are Abe Lincoln Jr. Adam Leech, Adam Void, Alexandra Pacula, Alice Mizrachi, Andrew H. Shirley, Burn 353, Cake, CAM, Celso, ChrisRWK, Conrad Carlson, Criminy Johnson, Curtis Readel, Don Pablo Pedro, Drew Tyndell, ELLE, Ellen Stagg, EVOKER, Flying Fortress, Gigi Bio, Gigi Chen, Greg Henderson, Hellbent, Hiroshi Kumagai, infinity, JMR, Joe Iurato, John Breiner, Katie Deker, Lamour Supreme, Masahiro Ito, Matt Siren, Max Greis, Mike Schreiber, Nathan Pickett, Nathan Vincent, NEVER, Peat Wollaeger, Robbie Bush, See One, Sofia Maldonado, TooFly, UFO, Vahge, VengRWK, VIK with exclusive murals by Miguel Ovalle & Skewville.

For further information regarding Fountain Art Fair click here

Volta

Carmichael Gallery from Culver City, CA will be exhibiting new works by Aakash Nihalani.

Aakash Nihalani (photo © Jaime Rojo)

For further information regarding Volta Art Fair click here

Scope

The Corey Helford Gallery from Culver City, CA will be exhibiting works by D*Face, Ron English and Risk at Scope.

D*Face in Los Angeles for LAFreeWalls Project (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Ron English in Miami for Wynwood Walls (photo © Jaime Rojo)

White Walls Gallery from San Francisco will be exhibiting works by Blek le Rat at Scope.

Blek le Rat in Los Angeles (photo © Jaime Rojo)

For further information regarding Scope Art Fair click here

Also happening this Weekend:

Lisa Enxing at Le Salon d’ Art For more information about this show click here

Ambush Gallery in Sydney, Australia presents “Project 5, Volume 4”. For more information about this show click here

Don’t miss “Beat Nite” happening this Saturday in dirty Bushwick and presented by Norte Maar. For more information about this event click here

“Hyper/Hypo” group show at Secret Project Robot opens this Saturday. For more information about this show click here

OBLVN solo show “100 Paintings” opens this Saturday at the Klughaus Gallery. For more information about this show click here

Jef Aerosol new solo show “Hot Spots” opens this Saturday at Galerie Austral in Saint-Denis, France. For more information about this show click here

 

Amsterdam based Street Artist Ives.One

A nice stop motion piece made with Arden de Raaij:

Read more

Art Basel Miami 2011 : BSA Picks

Miami is basically “South Brooklyn” starting right about now, minus the bagels, the B62 bus, and the compulsive habit of cutting you off mid-sentence.  Artists, galleries, fans, party girls and boys, djs, – they all head south the first few days of December for the big fair and all the little ones.

It already seems a little quieter here because Fountain took the weirdos, Wynwood Walls took the Soho softshoes, and The Underbelly collected the hardcore characters just long enough to sign a book and scarf some pizza before looking for a tunnel somewhere. Art Basel is a feast and the draw of Street Art and graffiti continues apace this year, with entrants from all the strata looking for a wall, and maybe a party, and a honey to go skinny dip with.

We picked a few Street Art related gems here that you might want to hit, but even if you show up in Miami this week with no plans, you’ll easily find some trouble to get into, we trust. Do your best.

Underbelly Project

Photo © Ian Cox courtesy of The Underbelly Project

After a full year underground, The Underbelly Project is coming to Miami during Art Basel. A pop up gallery, the show will feature original artwork from many of the 103 international artists who participated in the hidden subway project in New York. The exhibition will feature a video piece of multiple installations happening simultaneously, as well as new pieces by many of the artists. Additionally a book signing of the first volume to come out about the project, published by Rizzoli, will take place on December 2nd. Artists participating in the signing include: Dabs & Myla, Rone, Gaia, Lister, Eric Haze, Joe Iurato, Adam Feibleman, Know Hope, Jeff Stark, Jason Eppink, Jim and Tina Darling, The London Police, Dan Witz, Specter, Surge and other surprise artists.

Included in the show are street, graffiti and fine artists alike. The full line-up includes: Faile, Dabs & Myla, TrustoCorp, Aiko, Rone, Revok, Ron English, Jeff Soto, Mark Jenkins, Anthony Lister, Logan Hicks, Lucy McLauchlan, M-City, Kid Zoom, Eric Haze, Saber, Meggs, Jim & Tina Darling, The London Police, Sheone, Skewville, Jeff Stark, Jordan Seiler, Jason Eppink and I AM, Dan Witz, Specter, Ripo, MoMo, Remi/Rough, Stormie Mills, Swoon, Know Hope, Skullphone, L’Atlas, Roa, Surge, Gaia, Michael De Feo, Joe Iurato, Love Me, Adam 5100, and Chris Stain.

THE UNDERBELLY SHOW
29 November – Press Preview 5pm/ Private View 7pm
30 November – Collector’s Preview 7pm
1 December – Secret Wars US vs. UK 6pm
2 December – General Opening 5pm and Artist Book Signing 6pm
The show will take place in the heart of Wynwood at 78NW 25th Street

SCOPE


Jonathan Levine Gallery At Scope with WK Interact, Aakash Nihilani, Olek, and Jason DeCaires Taylor

“Placing a focus on public art for this program, the gallery will present a series of works that highlight a diverse range of distinct styles, cultural perspectives and unconventional mediums. Each of the four artists selected represent fresh directions in creating work in public space through their innovative vision and inventive use of materials. Photography documenting their interventional imagery, sculpture, and performances convey the transformative effect their work has on its surrounding

Aakash Nihalani with Jonathan Levine (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Olek with Jonathan Levine (photo © Jaime Rojo)

WK Interact with Jonathan Levine (photo © Jaime Rojo)

:SCOPE-Miami, Booth E09
NE 1st Avenue @ NE 30th Street, Miami, FL 33127

November 29—December 4, 2011
Tues 11/29, 4—8pm | Wed 11/30—Sat 12/3, 11am—7pm | Sun 12/4, 11am—6pm

Mallick Williams Gallery at Scope with Skullphone and Curtis Kulig

Skullphone + Curtis Kulig will be showing work from their recent collaborations this fall.

Skullphone with Mallick Williams and New Image Art  (photo © Jaime Rojo)

New Image Art Gallery at Scope

This year New Image Art is proud to present Retna, Cleon Peterson, Paul Wackers, and Maya Hayuk at Scope Miami 2011.

Check out Retna with New Image Art (photo © Jaime Rojo)

White Walls Gallery at Scope

White Walls will be hosting four booths at SCOPE, situated in the center of Miami’s Wynwood Gallery Arts District, featuring a MTN Colors Group show with APEX, Neon, Estria, Vogue, Blek le Rat, HUSH, Kofie and Chor Boogie, a White Walls Group show with Casey Gray, Ben Eine and Greg Gossel, and solo shows for both ABOVE and ROA. APEX, Eine, Kofie, ABOVE, ROA and Chor Boogie will also be painting at the Kohn compound on 24th street.

Ben Eine with White Walls (photo © Jaime Rojo)

ROA with White Walls  (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Chor Boogie and Augustine Kofie (photo © Jaime Rojo)

For a full listing of exhibitors and events click here SCOPE

Wynwood Walls

Wynwood Walls is premiering 7 new Street Art murals and 16 new pieces at Wynwood Doors and walls outside.

Debuting in tandem with the new murals and installations during Art Basel this year on Tuesday, November 29, 2011, the “Shop at the Walls” the first Wynwood Walls Pop Up gallery space that will offer artworks and the new Wynwood Walls book.The book has interview with Street Artists and photography by Martha Cooper.

Artists include Retna, The Date Farmers, How and Nosm, Gaia (USA), Saner and Sego (Mexico), Liqen (Spain), Neuzz (Mexico), Nunca (Brazil), Vhils (Portugal), Interesni Kazki (Ukraine), Faile (USA) and b. (Greece)Kenny Scharf is expected to augment his existing wall, and remaining work from the last two years from Nunca, Shepard Fairey, Aiko, Ryan McGinness, Stelios Faitakis and avaf will be on display.

Walls Outside the Wynwood Walls, encompassing key locations outside of the actual art park itself and in the surrounding neighborhood, will be created by Friends With You (USA), avaf (Brazil and France), Nunca, and Interesni Kazki (Ukraine); joining works previously completed by Swoon and Barry McGee.

Location:
Wynwood Walls and the Pop Up Shop are located at NW Second Avenue – between Joey’s Italian Café on 25th Street and the art-filled Wynwood Kitchen & Bar on 26th Street – and are open to the public free of charge.

HERE COMES THE NEIGHBORHOOD: WYNWOOD (Video)

Fountain Art Fair

“Our preferred punk rock lopsided Anti-Fair.” —Brooklyn Street Art

This year Fountain Miami’s signature on-site street art installation is curated by Samson Contompasis, director of Albany’s The Marketplace, and will feature over 150 feet of work Street Artists including Sharktoof, Chris Stain, Olek, Hugh Leeman, Chor Boogie, OverUnder, White Cocoa, Army of One, Clown Soldier, Joe Iurato, CAKE, Tip-Toe, Elle, Ian Ross, Know Hope, Depoe, and Zero Cents.

Gilf! at Fountain  (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Brooklyn’s own Mighty Tanaka Gallery is showing at Fountain Participating artists include: Adam Void, Alexandra Pacula, Alice Mizrachi, ChrisRWK, Ellen Stagg, Gigi Chen, Hellbent, Hiroshi Kumagai, JMR, John Breiner, Max Greis, Mike Schreiber, Robbie Busch, Skewville, TooFly, URnewyork, VengRWK & Miguel Ovalle

Hellbent with Mighty Tanaka (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Skewville with Mighty Tanaka   (photo © Jaime Rojo)

For a full listing of events and schedules click here Fountain Art Fair

December 1–4, 2011
2505 North Miami Avenue (at the corner of 25th St) | Miami, FL 33137
General Hours: 12pm–7pm daily
Tickets: $10 daily / $15 weekend pass. All tickets sold at door.

Primary Projects

 

 

A new exhibit debuting during Art Basel Miami Beach 2011

Thursday, December 1
Opening Reception
7:00 to 10:00 p.m.

RETNA, Jessy NITE, Stormie MILLS, Evan ROBARTS, Lena SCHMIDT, Luis PINTO, Andrew SCHOULTZ, Karen STAROSTA-GILINSKI, Kenton PARKER, TM SISTERS, Samantha SALZINGER, Emmette MOORE, Anthony LISTER, Charles KRAFFT, Tatiana SUAREZ, Edouard NARDON, Andrew NIGON, Johnny ROBLES and Lawrence GIPE.

For further information regarding this event click Primary Projects

Primary Projects
4141 NE Second Avenue
Suite 104
Miami, FL 33137

 

 

Living Walls is working with with Primary Flight, one of the original graffiti and Street Art mural projects, to create 3 new murals in the Wynwood District.

Participating Artists:

JAZ (Buenos Aires, Argentina) (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Know Hope (Tel Aviv, Israel) (photo © Jaime Rojo)

PULSE Fair

 

Andrew Edlin Gallery at Pulse with Elbow Toe

Brian Adam Douglas AKA Elbow Toe (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Joshua Liner Gallery at Pulse with Stephen Powers

Stephen Powers (photo © Jaime Rojo)

For a complete list of exhibitors and schedules of events click here PULSE

 

Read more

Fun Friday 12.10.10

Fun-Friday

It’s beginning to look a lot like Kwanzannukah

Roman Klonek & Jim Avignon at Factory Fresh

brooklyn-street-art-WEB-factory-fresh-roman-klonek-jim-avignon

An unusual breed of pop art with two oddities that are well jump-suited for each other. Expect the unexpected, including a special appearance by His Doodleness Jon Burgerman.

Speedy Wonderland

Factory Fresh Gallery Presents: Roman Klonek & Jim Avignon “Speedy Wonderland” (Brooklyn, NY)Opening Reception FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10, 7-10pm

ART to be Sold Off the Walls at “12×12”

Hopefully no one will be trampled for the holidays just getting in the door tonight, but you are bound to see something dope here, including a number of street artists you are familiar with at this group show.  Wonder how big the pieces are?

Brooklyn-street-art-mighty-tanaka-12x12-dec2010

brooklyn-street-art-mighty-tanaka

Opening Reception, Friday, December 10th, 6pm – 9pm!Mighty Tanaka presents:
12×12 -A Group Show for the Holidays

FEATURED ARTISTS
Abe Lincoln Jr., Adam Miller, Alexandra Pacula, Alexis Trice, Anthony Sneed, AVOID, Briar Elyse, Bruno Perillo, Bryan Raughton, Buxtonia, CAM, Chris RWK, Chris Stain, Dark Clouds, Destroy and Rebuild, DOIT, Don Pablo Pedro, DROID, Ed Shawn Herrera, Ellen Stagg, Ellis G, Eric DeFrancesco, Fedele Spadafora, Gary Carlson, Gigi Chen, Gigi Spratley, Hannah Rose Fierman, Hellbent, Hiroshi Kumagai, Infinity, Jac Atkinson, Japa, Jason Grunwald, JMR, John Breiner, John McGarity, John Sunderland, Julia Colavita, Julian Duran, Justin Rymer, Katie Decker, Keely, KOSBE, Lauren Asta, Lee Trice, Lionel Guzman, Mari Keeler, Matt Siren, Max Greis, Melissa Carroll, Mike Schrieber, Nathan Pickett, Nathan Vincent, Nick Chatfield-Taylor, QRST, Quel Beast, Reginald Pean, Rick Midler, Robbie Busch, Royce Bannon, SADU, Skewville, Soosan Joon Silanee, Steven Schreiber, Thomas Cecchi, Tony Bones, Tony DePew, Toofly, UFO, URnewyork, Veng RWK

New Video from Sten & Lex

Street Artist Cake: A Collection of Drawings

Brewer’s Mansion is happy to present A Collection of Drawings, a show by Brooklyn street artist Cake, opening Saturday the 12th at this little known place where artists hang out.

brooklyn-street-art-WEB-brewers-mansion-cake-11-10

From the artist, “I use anatomy to describe the intricate relationship structures humans have with themselves and others. I frequently take from the pool of human suffering for subject matter and inspiration. When people disconnect from themselves in any way, it will somehow show up in their faces, bodies and gestures. I prefer to make drawings describing those results.”

Brewer’s Mansion

Cake Opening December 11, 6-9

55 Waterbury between Scholes and Meserole in Bushwick, Brooklyn

Kid Zoom Pop-Up Saturday

“Kid Zoom, Rembrandt with a Spray Can, represents the future of this movement.” – RON ENGLISH

With a Street Art celebrity endorsement like that, you know he’s going to wear a clean shirt to the show, right?  But wait, this is Lo-Brow so maybe just a freshly stained t-shirt.  See our studio visit Here.

brooklyn-street-art-kid-zoom-opera-gallery

OPENING PARTY – SAT 11th DECEMBER – 7PM till Late – MEATPACKING – NYC

72 Gansevoort St
NEW YORK, NY, 10014
Meatpacking District
Read more

Mighty Tanaka Presents “12 x 12” A Group Show for The Holidays (Brooklyn, NY)

12 x 12
MT_logosite

Come out and join us for this Holiday event!  Artwork to be sold directly off the walls! Pieces by both established and emerging artists alike!  Opening Reception, Friday, December 10th, 6pm – 9pm!

Mighty Tanaka presents:
12×12
A Group Show for the Holidays

The holidays’ are upon us once again and now is the time to start thinking about the perfect gift for that special somebody in your life!  Celebrating our one-year anniversary at our current location, Mighty Tanaka is very proud to bring you our latest show entitled 12×12.  We invite you to come out and join us for this exciting event!

12×12 features both successful, established artists as well as some of the hottest up and coming emerging artists from NYC and beyond.  Exhibiting artwork from a wide range of disciplines, this show has a little bit of everything, from the raw to the refined.  The displayed work represents the voice of our generation and exemplifies our interpretations of the world.

This large group show features over 70 artists and all the work was completed on small 12”x12” canvases.  We will be selling the artwork directly off the walls for you to add to your private collection or to give away as a holiday gift.  With various price points and an array of techniques and styles, there is surely a piece of art that will fit nearly every lifestyle.

Featuring the artwork of:
Abe Lincoln Jr., Adam Miller, Alexandra Pacula, Alexis Trice, Anthony Sneed, AVOID, Briar Elyse, Bruno Perillo, Bryan Raughton, Buxtonia, CAM, Chris RWK, Chris Stain, Dark Clouds, Destroy and Rebuild, DOIT, Don Pablo Pedro, DROID, Ed Shawn Herrera, Ellen Stagg, Ellis G, Eric DeFrancesco, Fedele Spadafora, Gary Carlson, Gigi Chen, Gigi Spratley, Hannah Rose Fierman, Hellbent, Hiroshi Kumagai, Infinity, Jac Atkinson, Japa, Jason Grunwald, JMR, John Breiner, John McGarity, John Sunderland, Julia Colavita, Julian Duran, Justin Rymer, Katie Decker, Keely, KOSBE, Lauren Asta, Lee Trice, Lionel Guzman, Mari Keeler, Matt Siren, Max Greis, Melissa Carroll, Mike Schrieber, Nathan Pickett, Nathan Vincent, Nick Chatfield-Taylor, QRST, Quel Beast, Reginald Pean, Rick Midler, Robbie Busch, Royce Bannon, SADU, Skewville, Soosan Joon Silanee, Steven Schreiber, Thomas Cecchi, Tony Bones, Tony DePew, Toofly, UFO, URnewyork, Veng RWK & MORE!

OPENING RECEPTION:
Friday, December 10th, 2010
6:00PM – 10:00PM

(Show closes January 7, 2010)

Mighty Tanaka
68 Jay St., Suite 416 (F Train to York St.)
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Hours: M-F 12:30PM to 7PM, weekends by appointment
Office: 718.596.8781
Email: alex@mightytanaka.com
Web: http://www.mightytanaka.com

Read more

Alex Emmert- Miami Schmiami! – Brooklyn is the Schnit! Go to Mighty Tanaka!

You may have thought that the giant sucking noise you heard was all the street art being pulled down to Miami this week (or Miss California’s video tape turned up to 12).

Have NO Fear – Mighty Tanaka is Here!

Alex Emmart and Caleb James are proud to introduce MIGHTY TANAKA

Partners Alex Emmart and Caleb James are proud to introduce MIGHTY TANAKA, the gallery

Brooklyn’s Street Art Scene is so gargantuan that we can afford to let Half the Borough go to Art Basel this week and we still have enough amazingly clever artists to OPEN A BRAND NEW GALLERY TONIGHT – which will be packed thank you very much.

 

Hellbent for Metallic Lace! (Hellbent) (courtesy Mighty Tanaka)

 

Mighty Tanaka Gallery, a labor of love turned a reality with the vision of Alex Emmart, who has been toiling behind the scenes for a couple of years to build a rather strong and fairly eclectic collection of art and artists – many of them fresh out the gate.

Alex also confesses to creating this new gallery in the neighborhood of Dumbo partially to force himself to get off his couch and go to work  instead of running his nascent biz out of his apartment.  He’s been painting a newly built gallery space in the Brooklyn neighborhood by the water between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges and nearly all his clothes are covered with white paint and his brain has fried, but tonight’s the opening and he is ready.

 

Avoid (from the Inflation Project) (courtesy Mighty Tanaka)

Avoid (from the Inflation Project) (courtesy Mighty Tanaka)

The inaugural show “Hybridism” gives a nod to oft-expressed opinion these days that the walls between street art and fine art are continually dissolving – as fine art hits the streets and street art hits the living room over your couch.

"Vintage" by Destroy & Rebuild (courtesy Mighty Tanaka)

 

Emmart brings to the game an education in museum studies, the experience of curating a handful of shows that explore the street-graff-fine art continuum, and a solid dedication to building relationships based on respect.

 

Mad sticker skillz are leading to a crazy-A fine art maker (Kosbe) (courtesy Mighty Tanaka)

 

This too, may be a glimpse of the future of the art world where gallerists treat people fairly and are respected because of it.  Just ask any of the nextgen Millenial artists he is working with.

 

Fire-O-Glyphic infinity created an pyrric mantelpiece (courtesy Mighty Tanaka)

 

At this auspicious opening, a statement of hope amidst an economy gone ape-crazy, Emmart takes the moment to share the credit on his Facebook page; Mighty Tanaka studio is one of the finest and most exciting spaces I know of due to the hard work of committed individuals. A VERY BIG thanks to Garrett Wohnrade, Caleb James, Adri Cowan, Mari Keeler, Heidi Alasuvanto, Insuh Yoon, John Michaels, the Mighty Tanaka featured artists and everyone else who has supported Tanaka during this transition. You all inspire me.”

Reginald Pean "Gentlemen of Leisure" (courtesy Mighty Tanaka)

Reginald Pean “Gentlemen of Leisure” (courtesy Mighty Tanaka)

Mighty Tanaka Gallery/Headquarters:

68 Jay St.
Suite 416
Brooklyn, NY. 11206

Phone #: 718.596.8781

contact@mightytanaka.com

Subway: F train to York St.


Read more

Mighty Tanaka Presents: “Hybridism” – NEW GALLERY


Mighty Tanaka Presents:
Hybridism: Where Raw Meets Refined
Premier Exhibition in New DUMBO Gallery Space presents an array of mediums, techniques


New York, NY – November 24, 2009 – Mighty Tanaka (http://www.mightytanaka.com) is proud to announce
Hybridism, the premier show within its new DUMBO project/gallery space, opening with a reception on December 3, 2009 through January 7, 2010. There’s a growing creative movement that we’ve dubbedHybridism: a blend of both street art and fine art – a hybrid – as the raw meets the refined. It is the juxtaposition of genres, which both compliments and conflicts; the balance between these otherwise artistic opposites. Hybridism, the show, captures a collection of both twisted fine art and underground street art in a span of mediums: vivid photography, collage, and rich oil & acrylic paintings on everything from canvas to found wood.


Alex and Caleb have been working so hard to make this thing happen!

Alex and Caleb have been working so hard to make this thing happen!


From classic oil paintings of alcohol-blurred nightlife, a squirrel riding a two-headed goat, and a trippy diorama of the industrialization age, to street-style satanic mummies, tribal paintings on book covers, and graffiti-influenced silkscreens on newspapers – Hybridism displays the atypical and the urban within one space.

“I always look to accentuate the idea of hybridism, and of pairing opposites together; this will be common thread in all of my shows, despite their varied themes,” says Mighty Tanaka owner and curator, Alex Emmart. “My goal? To bring this burgeoning and exciting artistic movement to the next level.”

Featured artists include: Adam Miller, Alexandra Pacula, Alexis Trice, AVOID pi, Bruno Perillo, Destroy and Rebuild, Don Pablo Pedro, FARO, Hellbent, Infinity, JMR, John Breiner, Josh McCutchen, Katie Decker, KOSBE, Lionel Guzman, Mari Keeler, Miss Marlo Marquise, Max Greis, Mike Schreiber, Peter Halasz, Reginald Pean, Robbie Busch, Royce Bannon, Skewville, Vinny Cornelli. 

M
ighty Tanaka’s Hybridism opening reception coincides with DUMBO’s Culture 411 First Thursday Gallery Walk on Thursday, December 3, 2009, from 5:30PM-8:30PM at Mighty Tanaka Studio on 68 Jay Street, Suite 416, Brooklyn, NY 11201.

# # #

About Mighty Tanaka

M
ighty Tanaka (http://www.mightytanaka.com) is Alex Emmart and Caleb James: an independent curatorial organization dedicated to the advancement and integrity of the urban arts. Through the utilization of skilled curating and various media techniques, we strive to create a stable foundation for artists operating within the urban environment. Mighty Tanaka is driven by urban inspiration and is clearing the way for this emerging art movement to expand beyond the city walls and into our personal lives. Our mission is to provide a myriad of curated and production services. 

Contact

M
ighty Tanaka Studio
68 Jay St., Suite 416
Brooklyn, NY
11201
Hours: M-F 12PM to 7PM, weekends by appointment only 
Office: 718.596.8781

For questions, info or interviews, please contact Alex Emmart at alex@mightytanaka.com or (718) 596-8781.


Read more

Hot days of Summer in Brooklyn

Shout out to all the ladies!

Especially the people who hit the streets now that the weather is warm and easy, and they don’t feel all cooped up in their apartments.  Stop by and sit with these ladies on Bedford Avenue in the heart of hipster Williamsburg, and you will get a sharp suspicious stare.  Offer to chat about something like, oh I don’t know, the weather, and their faces brighten to offer opinions and eventually, a couple of stories.

Hot fun in the summer time (photo Steven P. Harrington)

Summertime Brooklyn street scene (photo Steven P. Harrington)

And to followup on last nights’ opening

at Dapper Dan’s Imperial Gallery of street artist JMR and streetscape artist Alexandra Pacula, here’s a pic of the artist with her Times Square painting that we didn’t get to see the other night because the symphony was practicing.  By the way, a they got a lot of traffic for the opening, and the air conditioning was a welcome surprise that one doesn’t usually expect in these pop-up affairs.

Alexandra with her Times Square impressionism (photo Steven P. Harrington)

Alexandra with her Times Square impressionism (photo Steven P. Harrington)

Read more
JMR and Alexandra Pacula POP-UP on 14th Street

JMR and Alexandra Pacula POP-UP on 14th Street

You gotta roll with the punches just to make art happen in New York.

BSA headed by bicycle across the Williamsburg Bridge Wednesday night to to take a look at the newly installed Mighty Tanaka pop-up show on 14th Street, home of 99-cent stores, baseball cap/T-shirt vendors and the Salvation Army.

14th Street is the dividing line of Manhattan for people to decide where Downtown begins. It used to be more rough and sketchy and home to good deals on dish sponges and 5 packs of underwear, but like every other part of Manhattan the little discount stores are now uneasily squeezed by newer neighbors like Starbucks and Whole Foods and 14th street West is terminated by the platinum-plated Meat-Packing District.  Tough luck.

Mighty Tanaka, who’s curating this show, found this raw space in a recently gutted low-rent retail space that hasn’t been re-rented out yet but still retains the old clothing store sign at the entrance that says “Dapper Dan’s Imperial”.  Tonight (7/17) it will be Dapper Dan’s Imperial Gallery.

Hold it now, hit it! The symphony warms up while other members are still arriving, and painters wait outside please.(photo Steven P. Harrington)

Hold it now, hit it! The symphony starts to practice while the painters wait for their turn. (photo Steven P. Harrington)

We rolled up to the curb to find a clump of people outside on the sidewalk and a symphony!  Literally.  All manner of stringed instruments.  Alex explained hurriedly that the landlord forgot to tell him that there is a symphony that also practices in the space on Wednesday nights, so, ooops, no drilling or hammering or anything that could interrupt the overture – until 10 p.m. Roll with it.

No matter, we were allowed a few quick preview pics, had a quick talk with the artists, and even heard some Mahler.  Hopefully, this mixup is not a PRELUDE.

Brooklyn native JMR has been building his mural skills on the streets of Brooklyn for a couple years now, as well as in lobbies, hallways, and hotel bedrooms and backyards.  His abstract style is clean and curvilinear, with pockets of color and pattern in a loosely rolled coil, the empty spaces as important as the filled.

JMR in Williamsburg future Condo site (photo Jaime Rojo)

JMR in Williamsburg (photo Jaime Rojo)

Polish born Alexandra Pacula, not a street artist, focuses her topics frequently on the streetscapes of New York – the blurred glare of lights that dance before you and confuse you as you navigate drunkenly through late-night Gotham. Visual intoxification, she calls it.

Two streetscapes by Alexandra Pacula waiting to be unwrapped (photo Steven P. Harrington)

Two streetscapes by Alexandra Pacula waiting to be unwrapped (photo Steven P. Harrington)

"My giant Times Square piece is in here" Alexandra waits for the musicians to leave so she can hang this behemoth. (photo Steven P. Harrington)

“My giant Times Square piece is in here” Alexandra waits for the musicians to leave so she can hang this behemoth.  (photo Steven P. Harrington)

The pairing of the two artists, billed as a dual solo show (good one, Alex) is complimentary – his clarity of line and her blur of impressionism, his turbulent understructure and her shimmering cosmopolitan skin.  Painters both, and lovers of New York.

**************************

JMR took a minute today to talk about himself and the show with Brooklyn Street Art.

Brooklyn Street Art: Did you get to talk to any of the practicing musicians about your work?

JMR: They finished up at 10 o’clock and I was all about getting the show hung. So I just started arranging pieces while they were breaking down and stayed focused. Next thing I knew they were all gone. I like classical, but it’s not something I search out.

Brooklyn Street Art: How long have you been in Brooklyn?

JMR: I was originally born in Brooklyn. My family moved to Staten Island when I was 5. I moved back myself in 1999.

Brooklyn Street Art: Do you remember growing up seeing subway trains covered in graffiti?

JMR: Yes. What influenced me more was graffiti that covered the BQE. Also, in SI there were great abandoned factories that writers would spend weeks painting pieces. I spent time in those understanding color. I always felt it was my shortcoming.

 

A dyptich by JMR (photo Steven P. Harrington)

A dyptich by JMR (photo Steven P. Harrington)

Brooklyn Street Art: Sometimes it takes a minute to discern that your work has a portrait buried inside. Usually it is a female. Anyone you know, or are they from your imagination?

JMR: I’d say its 50/50. there’s definitely some ambiguity there and I like that. My art is very composed and balance is important. The same goes for the subject matter. For the most part they’re total strangers.

JMR

JMR (photo Jaime Rojo)

 

Brooklyn Street Art: You spend a lot of time drawing?

JMR: I spend more time drawing than painting.


JMR will be showing some canvasses with a more layered, collaged effect. (photo Steven P. Harrington)

JMR will be showing some canvasses with a more layered, collaged effect. (photo Steven P. Harrington)

Brooklyn Street Art: Is collage part of your process before painting?

JMR: I started collaging because I wanted to remove the pressure of the white canvas. It adds a great element for me. It’s not accidental, but it’s less controlled than the precise lines I use to express my ideas.

Detail of JMR (photo Steven P. Harrington)

Detail of JMR (photo Steven P. Harrington)

 

Brooklyn Street Art: How does the city affect you now?

JMR: I maintain a very romantic feeling for the city, but the everyday hustle and reality makes me dream of living in the country. It’s hard to get headspace here. Sometimes that’s good. But so is nature. Especially for an artist.

Read more

Alexandra Pacula & JMR at Dapper Dan’s Imperial Gallery

card1.jpeg
Mighty Tanaka Presents:
Alexandra Pacula & JMR
Opening July 17, 6PM-10PM
Dapper Dan’s Imperial Gallery
139 West 14th St between 6th and 7th Ave, Manhattan.
Runs July 17-July 31
Motion, flow and scale are common influences that conjoin the art of Alexandra Pacula and JMR.  Individually, they are daring to explore uncharted terrain within their own unique style and progression of form.  Opening July 17, Mighty Tanaka is proud to present Alexandra Pacula and JMR, in a double-solo show.  Bringing forth a rehashed idea to Dapper Dan’s Imperial Gallery, the two artists both juxtapose and complement one another in such a way that exemplifies the range and breadth of a style all their own.
In their own words-
Alexandra Pacula: My work investigates a world of visual intoxication. It captures moments of enchantment associated with urban nightlife. I am fascinated by the ambiance of the city at night and its seductive qualities. The colorful lights become a magical landscape with enticing opportunities and promises of fulfillment.  In our seemingly content society there is a struggle to achieve greater levels of enjoyment. We explore various environments and activities in search of pleasure. Extravagant lights of night environments seduce us to participate in curious events, enticing us to experience new forms of satisfaction.  In my oil paintings I aim to capture various atmospheres that occur in such environments. Through observation and documentation I assemble images, which become visual tools for my paintings. I concentrate on how the mind perceives and evaluates surroundings while under the influence of a social climate.  I recreate the feeling of dizziness and confusion by letting the paint blur and allowing shapes to dissolve. I suggest motion in order to slow down the scene and capture the fleeting moments, which tend to be forgotten. By interpreting lights in graphic or painterly ways, I create a sense of space, alluding to a hallucinogenic experience. Color is the main factor for setting the mood. By using mostly warm browns and reds I create an inviting, candle-lit atmosphere and by introducing cool blues, and contrasting colors the environment becomes energetic and noisy. I want the viewers to experience my paintings as if they were in a place of nighttime entertainment where the mood changes as the night goes on.

JMR: As a Brooklyn native, I am inspired by the flux of the city: memories and photographs of painted elevated trains, illuminated windows in nocturnal cityscapes, broken glass shimmering in dull sidewalks, and the panoply of cultural pluralism, increasing by the day, even in a city already as diverse as New York. In the public space of the city, street artists appropriate the urban environment by layering ideas on top of one another. Wheat pasted posters, aerosol designs, white rolled lettering, advertisements, stickers, peeling and decaying paper, brick. The process I use in my work is an attempt to mimic this. I collage the initial surface or leave it clean, and then paint projected drawings over it.  This layering technique results in an interplay of tangled, swooping, and jutting lines, which coalesce into unexpected shapes, emerging as vivid fields of color. Ultimately these images are informed by urban iconography, but they also contain a more personal narrative.  Much time is spent filling pages with autonomous ink drawings, rendered and defined, before projection. The viewer is presented with a dichotomy, as, despite its condensed and chaotic appearance, the work strikes the eye as both simple and open. The projections abstract the original surface image; the process creates a nocturnal environment, leading me beyond the physicality of the urban landscape.

card2.jpeg

N9th & Driggs
Creative Commons License photo credit: hragv

Read more

Mighty Tanaka “As Is” Show in Clinton Hill

Mighty Tanaka is proud to present As Is, the artwork of JMR and In the Raw, a group show featuring Alexandra Pacula, Will Anderson and David Cook. This combined event seeks to bring communities together through a pop-up gallery located in the popular upcoming Clinton Hill area of Brooklyn. Through the usage of this alternative space to display fine art, these two art shows look to expand the interpretation of art in Brooklyn, mirroring the beauty of fine art with the seemingly raw environment of Brooklyn life.

As Is: The Artwork of JMR JM Rizzi, or better known as JMR, has adapted a unique mixture of neo-abstract expressionism w hints of contemporary pop to create a style all is own. Having worked in both the street art world as well as the gallery world, JMR brings his iconic imagery to Clinton Hill . As he looks to demonstrate the scale and motion set forth by early abstract expressionists, he reinterprets the ideas within his own personal adaptation. Originally hailing from Brooklyn, New York, JMR has grown up with the influences of street art and the established art world constantly around him. Through his own individual, hybrid street style, he has dedicated himself to helping art fit into the public arena. Having participated in the highly successful 11 Spring St show in 2006, he has gone on to produce art for hotels and restaurants, as well as completing building sized murals in Manhattan. Having just completed the design for a line of clothes, which were featured at a recent fashion show during NYC’s fashion week, JMR looks to expand the idea and integrity of his art to the next level.

In the Raw: Alexandra Pacula, Will Anderson & David Cook—A group show consisting of three talented artists demonstrates an array of different mediums and approaches. Highlighting the unique artistic interpretation of each artist, In the Raw looks to offer insight into some of the exciting art currently being produced in Brooklyn. Alexandra Pacula has been showing art both regionally and internationally for the past six years. With a healthy resume consisting of both museum and gallery shows, she most recently won the Saatchi Gallery Showdown Competition in 2008, having her art displayed in the esteemed institution. Originally from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, Will Anderson began his artistic venture as a graphic designer. After moving to New York in 1997, he began pursuing photography. Currently working for Nylon Magazine, his award winning work has been published and exhibited both nationally and internationally. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, David Cook moved to NYC after being featured in New American Paintings. Working primarily on t-shirt and record design, he most recently received attention for his work in the Young Widows album Old Wounds.

Opening Saturday March 7th, 6-8pm. 105 Lexington Ave, Clinton Hill, Brooklyn.

___________________________________
Alex Emmart
Owner/Curator
Mighty Tanaka LLC

Read more