All posts tagged: Brooklyn Street Art

Interference Archive Presents: Sublevarte Colectivo “The Persistence of Dreams” (Brooklyn, NYC)

November 13, 2012 , , , , , ,

Sublevarte Colectivo

La Persistencia de los Sueños/
The Persistence of Dreams

Sublevarte Colectivo Retrospective: 1999-2012 
November 16-December 31, 2012


Opening Reception:
Friday, November 16, 2012, 7-10 p.m.
As student movements around the world inspire us anew, Interference Archive invites Sublevarte Colectivo, a group born of the 1999 student strikes in Mexico City, to produce a retrospective exhibition of their thirteen years of graphic production. In La Persistencia de los Sueños, they will bring their graphic street interventions into the gallery to highlight the various social movements and uprisings in which they participated and supported.
Sublevarte Colectivo believes that the graphic arts should be a vehicle of expression and communication in society, and that these days the power of the visual image is stronger than words. They have brought this vision to their work with the Zapatistas, the flower sellers of Atenco, the striking teachers of Oaxaca, and dozens of other social struggles in Mexico.”Our world is a space to express dreams and reality. We believe in an organization that is active every day and never gives up. Each line, color, and shape frame our destiny and the world we wish to create.”
Interference Archive

131 8th St #4
Brooklyn, NY 11215
(subway to F/G/R 4th ave/9th st)
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1:AM Gallery Presents: MadC “Over The Edge” (San Francisco, CA)

November 13, 2012 , , , , , ,

MadC

OVER THE EDGE

OPENING RECEPTION: December 7th, 2012, 6:30 – 9:30pm
ON VIEW THROUGH: January 5th, 2012

1AM is pleased to present, “Over The Edge”, a solo exhibition featuring new works from German artist, MadC aka Claudia Walde. Arguably the top aerosol artist in the world, she is renowned for her talent, tenacity, and ambition. Opening December 7th, 6:30-9:30pm, “Over The Edge” will showcase a collection of mixed media paintings on canvas and paper that will highlight her 1AM gallery space inspired installation.

MadC’s work is inspired by graffiti and the perfect connection of letters, foreground, and background. With the constant evolution and argument of graffiti as an art form, the show aims to keep the energy of this art form alive on canvas without taking it directly from the street. While using spray paint, acrylic paint, watercolors and ink, she hopes to push the boundaries of what graffiti is conceived as and inspire future generations to take new approaches to the art form.

Claudia Walde aka ”MadC”, was born in 1980 in Germany and studied at the University of Art and Design Burg Giebichenstein in Halle, Germany, as well as the world-renowned Central Saint Martins College in London. In 1998, Claudia started spray-painting the walls of her hometown and in a few short years, her murals have spanned Lebanon, Mexico, Colombia, Russia, USA, Hawaii, South Africa and most of Europe. In 2007, Claudia Walde also authored a successful book, “Street Fonts – Graffiti Alphabets from Around the World“ which was published in 6 different languages.

FIRST AMENDMENT GALLERY
1000 HOWARD STREET
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103

415.861.5089

Join us December 7th, 6:30-9:30pm for the opening of MadC’s first solo show in the US!

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Dorothy Circus Gallery Presents: Miss Van “Wild At Heart” (Rome, Italy)

November 13, 2012 , , , , , ,

Miss Van

“This whole world’s wild at heart and weird on top” (David Lynch)
Masked muses cling to one another like accomplices, embodying the wild nature of love as sweet tears openly flow down their faces; their swollen, blood-filled lips throbbing like hearts as they whisper their secret bliss. In the warm realms of the mind, suspended in memory, more intimate and personal than ever, Miss Van returns to the essence of the genetic code of seduction: a combination of feminine delicacy and animal instincts, amalgamated in a potion that both poisons and rejuvenates its devotees, sip by sip. Their faces concealed, these disturbing Venuses are both victims and predators, living their lives according to their instincts and feelings. Feeding off her own truth, able to release it only from behind her mask, Miss Van’s muse, just like an innocent Messalina, falls into a tangle of narrow bodices and strings, in a game of self -seduction which simultaneously reveals her as both queen and prisoner of her own role. In its own contemporary way, the art of Miss Van traces the taste of a metaphorical dance with female nudes reminiscent those painted by the likes of Klimt, Frida Kahlo and Lempicka. Moods and modern costumes are given a place of honour as soft bodies entwine and the fierce, burning character of a wild animal alter ego rears its head. Always fleeing from the dictates of Street Art despite being its appointed luminary, Miss Van continues to bring us her unique and unbridled vision, shaping the iconography of the modern femme fatale. In her own inimitable style, she is once again both the romantic tamer and sassy ballerina of the surreal circus that is the art of our times.

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Heavy Metal on the Street, Sculpture With Staying Power

November 13, 2012

Not all Street Art is ephemeral. Some of it may outlast you.

As winds and rains and the forces of natural erosion go, wheat-pastes and stickers and photographs and other tentatively attached bits of Street Art whimsy are the first to go. After that, aerosol painting, stencils, bucket painted rollers, even hot-glued slabs of wood eventually fade and disappear. If it’s not damaged or dissed, pulled down or pried off, it’s probably because it’s made of heartier stock than your average Street Art and it has no intention of being evicted.

REVS installed backwards. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

For example, REVS. Around 2000 a guy who BSA considers a missing link between graffiti and Street Art started welding his hand-cut pieces of steel to metal structures around the city, and thanks to it being his professional vocation, he knew how to make them endure. The chunks of metal, many of them tags, some of them years old, still ride in all their burnished badass glory near parking lots and garages and abandoned factories hiding out in plain site until you stumble on them, or bang your shin on them. Since Street Art is open to every artist today, other street sculptors have similarly affixed their work to posts and signs and hand-railings with bolts and screws and sometimes a blowtorch.

REVS (photo © Jaime Rojo)

These pieces have their own unassuming but steady personality, usually a little less cloying and attention-seeking. Not to worry, you will eventually see them because they persist; rusting, oxidizing, decaying slowly and holding tight to this little piece of New York longer than many of the one-hit-wonder Street Artists who come and go every year. You may abandon New York eventually in search of better opportunities or a house in the suburbs, and some of these will still be here when you come back.

Here is an exclusive heavy metal collection from photographer Jaime Rojo on the streets of New York for you to rock out to.

Artist Unknown (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Artist Unknown. Same sculpture as above, different angle. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Leon Reid IV (photo © Jaime Rojo)

JJ Veronis. If the shoe fits… (photo © Jaime Rojo)

JJ Veronis. Same sculpture as above, different angle. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

PM AM (photo © Jaime Rojo)

JJ Veronis. King Kess Rides ON. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Artist Unknown (photo © Jaime Rojo)

JJ Veronis (photo © Jaime Rojo)

JJ Veronis (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Artist Unknown. This is not technically Street Art but this iron clad limo WAS on the street.  (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Artist Unknown. Side angle. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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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!

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Fatima Robinson and Rhea Scott Present: Cyrcle “Organized Chaos!” (Los Angeles, CA)

November 12, 2012 , , , , , ,

CYRCLE

 

WITHOUT ORDER NOTHING CAN EXIST!
WITHOUT CHAOS NOTHING CAN EVOLVE!

This eponymous mantra resounds throughout the incredible breadth of work in CYRCLE.’s second solo show, opening to the public on November 30th at 6608 Lexington Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90038.  The “ORGANIZED CHAOS!” theme binds the entirety of the show and defines the creative process that brought the art collective to their philosophy, relying on the metaphor of intertwined relation between bee and flower to illuminate the symbiosis between art and society. 

It is interactive.
It defies the boundaries of the archetypical gallery show.
It showcases a tactile experience and encourages participation.

The “ORGANIZED CHAOS!” show is the embodiment of what CYRCLE. has come to represent in the Los Angeles art community.  Refusing to constrain themselves to a particular definition, as street artists, graphic designers, or traditional fine artists, the collective is interested in what the function and form of the work itself demands.  

Artist Shepard Fairey, best known for his work on the 2008 Obama Hope campaign and his Andre the Giant OBEY propaganda, says: 

“People frequently ask me who the new upstarts are in street art… I’d say CYRCLE., but that would be underselling the diversity of their talents and the depth of their conceptual process. CYRCLE. work in many mediums and techniques, utilizing whatever approach most powerfully delivers the concept and aesthetic. CYRCLE. are surprisingly focused and rigorous for some young punks.”

JR, a 2011 TED Prize winner, who is currently expanding his Inside Out Project in Japan states, “CYRCLE. bring back the Power of working as a colléctive.”

In a physical manifestation of CYRCLE.’s signature brand of chaos, the viewer will be encouraged to become the bee and to initiate order within the chaos of the human movement occurring within the show, therefore creating a type of performance art within the actual pieces of the show itself.

The show is produced by Fatima Robinson and Rhea Scott, in association with Black Dog Films.
Check out all of their work at www.cyrcle.com

Public Opening- 11/30 7pm-11pm

Operating Hours 12/1 through 12/16
11-6pm T, W, Th, and Sunday
11-9pm Friday and Saturday
Closed Mondays

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New David Gouny in Paris

November 12, 2012

New images here of a curious collection of curvaceous ladies from Paris by David Gouny. Meant to be amusing and empowering, the messages and symbols they appear with are aimed at the French but have a wider appeal in their simplicity and cheekiness.

David Gouny (photo © David Gouny)

David Gouny (photo © David Gouny)

David Gouny (photo © David Gouny)

David Gouny (photo © David Gouny)

David Gouny (photo © David Gouny)

David Gouny (photo © David Gouny)

David Gouny (photo © David Gouny)

 

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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!

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Images of the Week 11.11.12

November 11, 2012

Here’s our weekly interview with the street, today featuring AVOID, Dart, EKG, FKDL, Hellbent, How & Nosm, Ian McGillivray, ICH, Phlegm, Pop Mortem, See One, Veng from Robots Will Kill, Werds, Willow, and You Go Girl!

One note as we mark Veterans Day today in the US and this week had the re-election of a President, nothing can be more patriotic than helping out your neighbor in a time of need – and many of our neighbors here in New York still need your help. Please do what you can, whether it’s to donate food or supplies, offer a hand, or send money. Thanks.

You Go Girl (photo © Jaime Rojo)

You Go Girl (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Willow at Bushwick Five Points (photo © Jaime Rojo)

ICH (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Avoid (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Phlegm did this gate when he was in NYC in the Summer. Sandy forced the gate to come down and we were able to finally flick it. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Dart (photo © Jaime Rojo)

EKG and Veng RWK (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Artist Unknown (photo © Jaime Rojo)

FKDL at Bushwick Five Points (photo © Jaime Rojo)

FKDL at Bushwick Five Points (photo © Jaime Rojo)

See One and Hellbent. Detail of their collaboration at Bushwick Five Points. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Ian “Pop Mortem” McGillivray (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Nec Spec Nec Met #1 (photo © Jaime Rojo)

See One (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Artist Unknown (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Werds on the back of the box truck. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

This mystery man with a bright happy yellow head was caught walking by the new How & Nosm Houston Wall. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Untitled (photo © Jaime Rojo)

 

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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!

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“I Art Joburg” with Monica Campana in South Africa

November 10, 2012 , , , , ,

Today we welcome Monica Compana to BSA to share with you her experiences during a recent Street Art/community program in Johannesburg, South Africa that took place in September. As one of the principal originators of Atlanta’s Living Walls festival, Campana brings a wizened eye to the events as they unfolded, and presents here what she observed and experienced. Special thanks to Martha Cooper, who shares with BSA images that display her personal vision of Joburg and some layouts from her new zine “Soweto/Sowebo”.

Considered one of the wealthiest cities in Africa, Johannesburg is not only rich in gold and diamonds, but also rich in arts and culture. In the month of September, Johannesburg hosted the largest mural project in the city and possibly even the continent.

I Art Joburg brought the artists Espo, ROA, Cameron Platter, Falko, Remed and graffiti photographer legend Martha Cooper to South Africa to create art in the streets, start a dialogue about street art in the city and to document a month where artists worked together alongside a commercial production team and community members to bring color to Joburg and Soweto.

ROA (photo © Martha Cooper)

“Color creates energy, energy creates inspiration and inspiration creates change. It is our responsibility to inspire ourselves to inspire others to inspire the change. Art is the remedy for this,” says Ricky Lee Gordon, organizer and curator of I Art Joburg.

Gordon’s carefully selected list of renowned street artists not only managed to put the festival amongst one of the best ones of the year, but also it created a chemistry between artists and community. With 6 murals installed around the Maboneng Precinct it hosted a night of lectures and the screening of Espo’s “Love Letters to You” documentary. The precinct is also referred to as “a place of light”, as it is a hub for young creatives and artists, and it also hosted a gallery exhibit by the participating artists.

ROA (photo © Monica Campana

To inspire kids from a local school, organizers created a workshop and a mural with kids in Soweto, a name synonymous in the northern hemisphere with the historic anti-apartheid black resistance movement that inspired so many artists in the 70s-80s around the world. The name Soweto has an auditory similarity to the neighborhood of Sowebo in Baltimore, which photographer Martha Cooper has been documenting as a personal passion for nearly a decade.

Already in Joburg to document all of the murals and exhibit her own work, she took the experience and project to a whole new level with the development of her zine titled: “Soweto/Sowebo.” Martha owns a house in South West Baltimore, also known as Sowebo, an area so affected by urban decay that it is often compared to Soweto in South Africa. Needless to say, when she  arrived in Soweto she immediately saw the similarities and she decided to create a zine honoring the richness of both cultures.  It was fascinating to see through her work how these two places, so far away from each other geographically in two completely different continents, could pass as one and the same.

ROA (photo © Martha Cooper)

Soweto/ Sowebo was not the only example of this wonderful dialogue. Each artist tried to leave something to the city of Joburg that would not only last for a long time visually, but something that could continue to spark some kind of dialogue. During my stay in Joburg I was able to spend quite a bit of time with ROA and Martha Cooper.  It was amazing to see how their easily  they interacted with the people on the streets of the city and even though they had been there for only about a week by the time that I arrived, Martha and ROA had already made dear friends in the neighborhood.

ROA and Falko (photo © Martha Cooper)

On the subject of friends we made: Bongani Mathebula, my Joburg tour guide, is the one that stole my heart. Seeing the city through the eyes of a local 25 year old artist was very inspirational. He told me that projects like I Art Joburg are what the city of Johannesburg needs – an outsider’s view and conversation starter to inspire the local community.

“Artists are like heroes. Art is crazy, people need to let that happen. More art, more crazy communication and growth,” says Bongani.

I hope to see more mural festivals happen in Joburg and Soweto. I know the artists who were part of the project were left wanting more. So, who knows? Maybe this really is just the start to a much bigger conversation in Joburg! Fingers crossed!

Remed (photo © Monica Campana)

Falko (photo © Monica Campana)

Espo (photo © Martha Cooper)

Espo (photo © Martha Cooper)

Espo (photo © Martha Cooper)

Espo (photo © Martha Cooper)

Martha Cooper’s “Soweto/Sowebo Zine” (photo © Martha Cooper)

Martha Cooper’s “Soweto/Sowebo Zine” (photo © Martha Cooper)

Martha Cooper’s “Soweto/Sowebo Zine” (photo © Martha Cooper)

 

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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!

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Fun Friday 11.09.12

November 9, 2012

What a week! Have a great Friday everybody.

1. Ron English “Crucial Fiction” at Opera (NY)
2. “Museum of Curiosity” at Black Rat (London)
3. “RELIEF” – A Brooklyn Fundraiser Tonight – Helping New Yorkers with an Art Auction
4. “High Class Trash”, Dotmasters at Reed Projects
5. “The Art of Comedy Art Crawl” (NYC)
6. Know Hope and “The Weight” (LA)
7. Lara Zombie and her “Blue Bird Lobotomy (NYC)
8. Krause Gallery has a new show featuring Hanksy (NYC)
9. “Once Upon A Time in The West” at Maximillian Gallery (West Hollywood)
10. JURNE has “Keys To The City” at Klughaus Gallery  (NYC)
11. Jurne: “Keys to the City” (VIDEO)
12. OLEK “You Can’t Fool” (VIDEO)
13. Balai Seni Visual Negara (BSVN) (VIDEO)
14. HOPSCOTCH RHA RHA RHA 2012 (VIDEO)

Ron English “Crucial Fiction” at Opera (NY)

The new solo show by Ron English,”Crucial Fiction” is now open at Opera Gallery in Manhattan. The pop surrealist continues to mine the heroic and dark images of his childhood imagination and of those around him, technically masterful 3-D contortions pulsating with mischief and an attitude of play. Street Artist, commercial artist, anti-commercial artist, culture jammer, pop culture enthusiast; English continues to explore to the delight of his fans.

Ron English (photo © Jaime Rojo)

For further information regarding this show click here.

“Museum of Curiosity” at Black Rat (London)

An unusual group exhibition titled “The Museum of Curiosity” is now open at Black Rat Projects and includes a new installation titled “Dream Reliquary” by Brooklyn based Street and Fine Artist SWOON. The show also includes American artist Butch Anthony along with Tessa Farmer, Candice Tripp, Nancy Fouts, Giles Walker, Jessica Harrison, Taylor Shepherd, Delaney Martin and Oscar Rink. A very personal show for Black Rat owner Mike Snell, you also get to see as well centuries old taxidermy and a hippo skull, among other curiosities.

Butch Anthony “CEO2LED” installation in Rossyln, Virginia. (image courtesy © Butch Anthony official site)

For further information regarding this show click here.

“RELIEF” – A Brooklyn Fundraiser Tonight – Helping New Yorkers with an Art Auction

Making Deals Zine and Trumbull Studios have teamed to put together a silent auction and raffle with the proceeds to bring relief to Sandy’s victims. They reached out to dozens of artists and friends to donate art for this cause. The event aptly titled “RELIEF” will take place today at the Trumbull Studios in Brooklyn. Please come out, have fun, purchase art and help those that are in need. Click on the link below the image for a full list of participating artists.

All proceeds from the sales will go to designated charities for the victims of Hurricane Sandy: New York Cares (nycares.org), Red Hook Initiative (rhicenter.org) and the Red Cross (redcross.org).

For further information and full artists list click here.

“High Class Trash”, Dotmasters at Reed Projects

In Stavanger, Norway the Reed Projects Gallery new show opens tonight with The Dotmasters “High Class Trash” solo show.

For further information regarding this show click here.

“The Art of Comedy Art Crawl” (NYC)

Hit the streets with Vandalog and The New York Comedy Festival, who are teamed to produce a number of murals in Little Italy in the Lower Manhattan. There will be an art crawl,  “The Art of Comedy Art Crawl” to be precise this Saturday, Nov. 10 where Street Art fans are going to be guided to appreciate the newly installed pieces by Ron English, Gilf! and Hanksy.

Gilf! in Little Italy for The Art of Comedy. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

For further information regarding this event click here.

Know Hope and “The Weight” (LA)

The Israeli based Street Artist named Know Hope has a solo show called “The Weight” opening tomorrow at the Known Gallery in Los Angeles, CA. Know Hope unique characters and words come together on walls and found wood as entire poems. His art aims to lighten the burden of living, while contemplating it’s weight.

Know Hope struggles with Phlegm on the streets of Manhattan. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

For further information regarding this show click here.

Also happening this weekend:

Lara Zombie and her “Blue Bird Lobotomy” solo show is now open to the general public at Broome Street Gallery in Manhattan, NY. Click here for more details on this show.

Krause Gallery has a new show featuring Hanksy called “Young Puns 2 – Now With More Pun”. Now open to the general public in Manhattan, NY. Click here for more details.

The new group exhibition “Once Upon A Time in The West” at Maximillian Gallery in West Hollywood, CA opens tomorrow with new works by Andy Appleton, Mauro Caputo, John Carr, COL, COPE2, DD$, DeeKay, Dog Byte, Richard Duardo, Rene Gagnon, Gregos, Listak, Devin Liston, Septerhed, Smear, Steven Swimmer and Tazroc. Click here for more details on this show.

Klughaus Gallery in Lower Manhattan will give JURNE the “Keys To The City” at the opening of his solo show tomorrow. Click here for more details on this show.

 

Jurne: “Keys to the City” (VIDEO)

OLEK “You Can’t Fool” (VIDEO)

 

Balai Seni Visual Negara(BSVN), Malaysia for ART BOOK FAIR 2012 (VIDEO)

HOPSCOTCH RHA RHA RHA 2012 (VIDEO)

A good use of duct tape on the street in Indonesia. – And an effective way to engage the public.

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How & Nosm and “The Day After” on the Houston Wall

November 8, 2012

New Mural Pays Tribute to Wall’s Owner, His Family, and New Yorkers

The newly painted Goldman Wall is here on Bowery and Houston Street for you to pour over; a dense and storied depiction of the trials and tribulations that no one escapes, deftly rendered with cans and brushes in precise and purposeful strokes. A huge NYC tattoo of life lessons and metaphors by How and Nosm, the new mural is their tribute to a city recovering from a crippling storm and to the memory of the neighborhood guy who turned this wall into an institution, Tony Goldman.

How & Nosm (photo © Jaime Rojo)

“It wasn’t premeditated, but we painted this wall during a very tough time for New York City, and at a very tough time for those who loved Tony and who admired his dedication to art in the streets. Our work always depicts life; with both its dark and bright side.”

No strangers to hard times, the twins know the street. With their work they study and pull apart and reconstruct the duality of daily existence, swinging on the pendulum of extremes, looking for balance somewhere in between, trying to avoid getting caught in the storm. Partners and brothers, philosophers and students, How and Nosm mark this wall with a stylized “X” at the intersection of Houston and Bowery, where a wind battered and flooded Manhattan sat this autumn for days in darkness while it’s northern half was still illuminated; our beloved city fumbling for it’s footing, unbalanced and off-kilter. The “X” locates Tony Goldman’s gift like a pin dropped on your aerial GPS map, but it also marks a central location of the 1970s/80s raging “Downtown” art scene where it began; a signpost for myriad interlocking lifelines and a genesis for one of New Yorks’ longest-running Street Art exhibitions.

How & Nosm (photo © Jaime Rojo)

With an auto reflexive line drawing style that leads one story into the next, the circular spinning of tales and small universes invite you to look into the drama and observe; tight winding info-graphics of an undulating life, glorious and dreadful in it’s functional dysfunction. A perfect storm contained in one large canvas, this one sometimes bubbles over. Each vignette is instructive, playfully honoring and negating while the twins interrupt each other to give you a running commentary on society, the environment, politics, psychology, family, and maybe a bit of spirituality.

How & Nosm (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Plain-talking gents in the rough, How and Nosm have been rising steadily for two decades to a now global stature on the graffiti/Street Art/fine art stage. Born in the Basque country, raised in Germany, the firey twins who are known in the Bronx as graffiti kings with the Tats Cru are living all-Brooklyn now. Bringing their lunch to Manhattan every day while painting because no businesses were open, working only in the day because there were no working streetlights, the mural itself becomes yet one more New York tale of determination. “People kept stopping on the sidewalk to tell us how much they appreciated that we came out at such a tough time to beautify and to bring some color to the city. Most thought it was very uplifting and we felt we did the right thing by coming out, ” say the artists.

From Haring to Scharf, Fairey and Faile, the many New York stories spawned by and sprayed onto this wall have given it a pivotal place in Street Art history while Houston Street’s boisterous traffic and Manhattan’s lust for reinvention have rushed past it for three decades. Now as we rebuild from the storm, How and Nosm remind you that there is “The Day After”, a compelling invitation and unabashed encouragement to those battered brothers and sisters who had their doubts. “There will always be a day after and it will get better for sure,” the brothers say.

How & Nosm (photo © Jaime Rojo)

How & Nosm (photo © Jaime Rojo)

From the sidewalk you can look up at a rotating solar system of vignettes and stories as they cluster and revolve around an invisible central power source. How and Nosm walk with you on the sidewalk looking upward, describing their tales and metaphors, sometimes dark and harrowing, sometimes comforting, never pandering. Painted in their signature black, white, and red, these tightly coiled inner stories are tied to their biographies as much as the timeless trials and joys that are more universal – the ones that bind us one to the other.

“On the right hand side you find a black half circle with a face depicting the approach of something bad about to happen, like the storm. On the left you see the red half circle rise up again,” explains one, but you are not sure whom.

“On the very top left side you can see a person holding a black heart trying to pass it on while riding on a bull. You have to be very strong to be able to ride a bull – which means you have to be strong during these challenging times and find a way to support those in need.”

How & Nosm (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Every life is full with stories, like this wall is. Here is a boat that has broken apart, there a crowd protecting birds from attack, and over there an entire scene balancing on the back of a whale. One central image is described as a group hug of a family bound together during adversity. Perhaps this one is How and Nosms’ nod to the City and to the Goldman family itself, who are still weathering their personal storm of grief even as they continue this, their commitment to the city.

For the brothers, it is all part of the larger piece. “So basically the wall reflects the selfishness of humans but at the same time the beauty of interaction and a commitment to love for each other in good and bad times.” In these times of loss and stress and insecurity, it’s hard to think of a better gift to New York.

How & Nosm (photo © Jaime Rojo)

How & Nosm (photo © Jaime Rojo)

How & Nosm (photo © Jaime Rojo)

How & Nosm (photo © Jaime Rojo)

How & Nosm (photo © Jaime Rojo)

How & Nosm (photo © Jaime Rojo)

How & Nosm (photo © Jaime Rojo)

How & Nosm (photo © Jaime Rojo)

How & Nosm (photo © Jaime Rojo)

How & Nosm (photo © Jaime Rojo)

How & Nosm (photo © Jaime Rojo)

How & Nosm (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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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!

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