All posts tagged: Swampy

buZ Blurr, One Telling of the “Origin Story” at Straat Museum Amsterdam

buZ Blurr, One Telling of the “Origin Story” at Straat Museum Amsterdam

In the shifting culturescapes of urban contemporary art, STRAAT Museum’s latest exhibition, “Moniker: An Origin Story,” emerges as a poignant narrative that bridges the transient heritage of hobo monikers with the vibrant pulse of today’s street art scene. This show not only marks an exploration into the roots of a movement but stands as a tribute to Russell Butler, known as buZ Blurr, a pivotal figure who recently passed away, and whose legacy in the realm of freight train artistry has left an indelible mark on the canvas of American folk art.

Hand. Colossus of Roads. Moniker, An Origin Story. Straat Museum Amsterdam. (photo © Scot Phillips)

The practice of hobo writing on trains, a tradition from the early 20th century, encapsulates a form of rebellion against the confines of societal norms, embracing a nomadic lifestyle that flourished alongside the tracks of freight trains. In their quest for freedom and community, Hobos developed a unique language of symbols, or “monikers,” that became a vital means of communication within this itinerant community. These monikers, often rendered in solid paint sticks or industrial crayons, are the precursors to the graffiti and punk DIY styles that would later permeate urban landscapes, among other things, embodying a spirit of protest against modern society’s failings and creating platforms for random acts of poetry.

Colossus of Roads. Moniker, An Origin Story. Straat Museum Amsterdam. (photo © Bill Daniel)

buZ Blurr, an artist who commenced his journey within the rail yards of Gurdon, Arkansas, crafted a visual lexicon over five decades, becoming synonymous with the Colossus of Roads moniker. His “boxcar icon dispatches” served not only as personal narratives but as a collective memory for the transient souls that found solace in the freedom of the rails. Through his friendship and collaboration with Bill Daniel, a documentarian whose work “Who is Bozo Texino?” delves into the subculture of rail graffiti, Blurr’s legacy and the broader narrative of hobo moniker art have been meticulously archived and celebrated.

Colossus of Roads in S.F. Moniker, An Origin Story. Straat Museum Amsterdam. (photo courtesy of Straat Museum)

The exhibition at STRAAT invites audiences to traverse the evolution of this underground art form, from its hobo origins to its present-day incarnation within the global urban art scene. The exhibition showcases a selection of works that encapsulate the essence of the moniker movement, highlighting the original artworks and boxcar iconography that buZ Blurr authored and brandished. Visitors will encounter a diverse array of expressions, from the iconic Colossus of Roads to other seminal figures within the moniker tradition, each piece narrating a story of freedom, identity, and resistance.

In an era where some in the contemporary urban art scene gravitate towards commodification, this genesis story rekindles the foundational values of community, communication, and the unadulterated desire for expression that characterized the organic origins of this movement. STRAAT Museum reaffirms its commitment to celebrating the authentic and genuine voices that have shaped graffiti, street art, and urban art through this exhibition. This show is not just a historical recount but a vibrant testament to the enduring spirit of artists who have navigated the margins to inscribe their narratives on the city’s canvas – and across the country.

Colossus of Roads. Moniker, An Origin Story. Straat Museum Amsterdam. (photo courtesy of Straat Museum)

The exhibition opens its doors with a reception on Saturday, March 9, 2024, from 6-9 PM, inviting the public into a dialogue with the past and present. The exhibition will continue through Sunday, April 28, 2024, at STRAAT Museum. In its essence, one hopes it celebrates the indomitable human spirit’s quest for freedom, identity, and expression.

Herby. Hand photo. Moniker, An Origin Story. Straat Museum Amsterdam. (photo © Bill Daniel)
Bozo Texino. Moniker, An Origin Story. Straat Museum Amsterdam. (Film still Who Is Bozo Texino © Bill Daniel)
Bozo Texino. Moniker, An Origin Story. Straat Museum Amsterdam. (photo © Bill Daniel)
Bozo Texino. Moniker, An Origin Story. Straat Museum Amsterdam. (photo © Bill Daniel)
J.H. McKinley. Moniker, An Origin Story. Straat Museum Amsterdam. (photo © Bill Daniel)
buZ blurr. Beyond The Streets New York. June 2019. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

buZ blurr during a conversation with Brooklyn Street Art in 2019.

“These are a self-portrait as predicated on the first Bozo Texino person, and I kind of changed the image around,” says Mr. Blurr, a legendary figure in denim overalls, as he patiently describes his classic tag image of a railway cowboy.

“It is a writer motif – the pipe smoke is going up, and then it is trailing back to signify movement as the train goes down the track,” he says. “I worked in the train yards, and my job was as a brakeman. I had a little free time, so I started making drawings. I made my first one on November 11, 1971,” he says as he recalls a state of mind that he was in at the time as he began to tag freights with the image and text that came to him clearly – yet it may have perplexed other travelers.

“They came from a confused state. I was questioning everything. I was putting a kind of cryptic messages under my drawings. It was anybody’s guess as to its literal interpretation. I addressed some of them up to specific people, but whether they saw them or responded to them, I wouldn’t have any idea.”



The full list of contributing artists includes:

2359, Alquimia Ferrocarrilera, Bill Daniel, Coaltrain, Colossus of Roads, Ed Haskel, Fat Owl, Flangesqueal, I’m Ugly, Khaze, The Kodak Kid, Lamps, Leroy Drown, Milktooth, Mr. Bass, NY Tomato, North Bank Fred, NOVA, POOH. The Rambler, Shrug, Smokin’ Joe, The Solo Artist, Stonewall Jim, Swampy, Take 5, Tex Goth, Wooden Axle, Bozo Texino, Conrail Twitty, Herby, Iowa Blackie, J.B. King Esq, Matokie Slaughter, Mud Up, Taurus, El Truncón, Water Bed Lou.

Moniker: An Origin Story is open to the public from Sunday, March 10th until Sunday, April 28th, 2024

STRAAT Museum 

NDSM-Plein 1, 1033 WC Amsterdam

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ROA Paints a Memorial Tribute in BK : “Pet Bird RIP”

ROA Paints a Memorial Tribute in BK : “Pet Bird RIP”

“I could paint a regular parakeet – something pretty – but that’s not me and anyway Peter would f*cking like this!” says Belgian Street Artist ROA as he talks about his newest gift from the natural world to Brooklyn. A tribute to his friend who lived not far from this spot and who hit the streets with his “Pet Bird” stickers, this new large wall near a subway entrance reminds us of the sudden discoveries we come in contact with when our eyes are open.

ROA for Bed Stuy Art Residency. Brooklyn, NY August 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

This is a city that is in constant movement, undergoing evolutions and revolutions we can’t control and others that we can. As is the nature of Street Art, the entire city can have this temporary, ethereal quality of a moment captured. Coming two years since his friends passing, this important work reverberates through the chests and heads of a community of friends, some as close as family, who appreciate it as a gift of kindness.

The lady who stops by? Not so much. “I don’t really want to see a dead bird on the building,” she says with a long face as she slouches away with shoulders rounded forward in a perpetual state of doom.

ROA for Bed Stuy Art Residency. Brooklyn, NY August 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

It just so happens that the world-traveling ROA is in New York again as part of a new artist residency in the Brooklyn neighborhood that gives it its name – Bed Stuy Artist Residency. While he’s slept on couches and spare rooms and on floors in previous visits over the last decade when here to paint walls or prepare for shows at Factory Fresh and Jonathan Levine Gallery, this quiet brownstone apartment provides a bedroom, kitchenette and a separate studio space with plenty of light, an old decorative fireplace mantel and a small rusty chandelier with tiny skeletons dangling from it.

It’s an unassuming and welcoming environment for an eclectic array of artists who so far have included folks like Judith Supine, Yarrow Slaps, SS Powell, and Lucien Shapiro. Upcoming artists confirmed include SWAMPY, Amanda Marie, Monica Canilao, and Revok.

ROA for Bed Stuy Art Residency. Brooklyn, NY August 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Established last year by two down-to-earth and ardent Street Art fans, Kathy Kupka and Erwin Bakx, word has spread quickly about this opportunity and they have already completed the planned calendar for all of next year. A warm and spare environment to contemplate some new ideas without the stresses that this city brings to artists, ROA has been planning here for his next big show in 6 weeks – and of course making new work in studio and on walls. The vibe is relaxed and open, yet artists are expected to create new work as well, which ROA compulsively does anyway.

 

We asked Ms. Kupka about the new residency and how it has been with one of Street Art’s best known and regarded urban naturalists.

BSA: How has the experience with ROA been? How long has he been with you?
Kathy Kupka: Its been big fun hanging out w ROA. A lot of beer drinking, rolling smokes, talking & doing art and finding the perfect croissant.

ROA for Bed Stuy Art Residency. Brooklyn, NY August 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

BSA: Did you have the opportunity to see his creative process in studio? What aspect of his work or process did you find interesting?
Kathy Kupka: We were so lucky to have seen ROA work! He is a thinker and wise way beyond his years…  he definitely makes it all look effortless and easy but in watching him work it is clear how amazingly talented he is.

BSA: Is it a challenge to find walls for an artist to paint in New York? The availability of walls to paint seems to vary quite a lot from city to city.
Kathy Kupka: We were lucky that Judith Supine knows everyone and everything and through him we got ROA a fabulous wall on Metropolitan and Lorimer. Thanks to Dr. Phil, for his great love of art and excellent idea of curating his doctors office wall! Dr. Phil not only has excellent taste but is an excellent doctor. You should hit him up if you’re sick!

A Pet Bird sticker from the early 2010s (photo © Jaime Rojo)

BSA: We saw a number of people stopping by to comment on the work or ask questions while ROA was painting. Do you enjoy interacting with passersby?
Kathy Kupka: Oh yeah!  Especially if one of your favorite artists just happens by and you get to meet her – like Maya Hayuk!  It is really nice to see people interested in the wall and being inquisitive but so sad that many were unaware of all that was happening around them because they were so wrapped up in their cell phones.  I mean a 20 foot long bird didn’t even register!

ROA for Bed Stuy Art Residency. Brooklyn, NY August 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

BSA: This new residency has been a learning experience for the first few months. Why do you think it is important to offer artists opportunities like this?
Kathy Kupka: Because who doesn’t want to come to Brooklyn?  There are so many amazing artists who don’t have a connection here in NYC and NYC is, let’s be honest, a place you have to see, a place you have to experience as an artist – and we can make that happen! For us it is an honor to be part of their growth, their NYC experience. We also are super happy to provide a homey space in a beautiful brownstone allowing them a place to stop, work their asses off or just be without worry or stress.

ROA for Bed Stuy Art Residency. Brooklyn, NY August 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

ROA for Bed Stuy Art Residency. Brooklyn, NY August 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

ROA for Bed Stuy Art Residency. Brooklyn, NY August 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

ROA for Bed Stuy Art Residency. Brooklyn, NY August 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

ROA for Bed Stuy Art Residency. Brooklyn, NY August 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

ROA for Bed Stuy Art Residency. Brooklyn, NY August 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

ROA for Bed Stuy Art Residency. Brooklyn, NY August 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

ROA with Kathy and Erwin founders of Bed Stuy Art Residency. Brooklyn, NY August 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)


Kathy Kupka and Erwin Bakx shown above with ROA in the middle are the co-founders of the Bed Stuy Art Residency. Please follow them on IG @bedstuyartresidency


Peter Carroll AKA Pet Bird ( 7/1/77 — 9/28/15 )

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A Brief Look at NY Art Fairs : Spring/Break & Scope

A Brief Look at NY Art Fairs : Spring/Break & Scope

Did you have a chance to hit some of the shows during New York’s Amory Week? Part blessing and curse, New York has this pre-Spring ritual of organized galleries tucked into little booths in far-flung neo-convention center architectural spaces that offer an onslaught of fascinating new ideas and artists who inspire you and give you a glimpse of the future. Alternately the works on display can sadden you with much derivative mediocrity scattered around and small chartreuse plumes of resentful dealers who clearly are not “people” people alternately ignoring or staring at you.

Before we headed to Berlin for a show we had time to made a mad dash through Scope and The Spring Break Art Show. Here are a few things that caught our eye.

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“A Door Within a Door” – Grace Villamil curated by Coming Soon and Katya Braxton. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

The Spring/Break Art Show, now in its 4th year, is perhaps a current favorite because it creates space for exploring and considering. A 40 curator-driven art fair that featured 150+ artists on display in the re-purposed Moynihan Station (the enormous and grand old main post office), the panoply of concepts tweaked and piqued electrodes in the brain with plays on perception – one of the best outcomes you can hope for with contemporary art. Perhaps because the space is free for the curator, the ideas are similarly liberated.

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Bazaar Teens curated by Dustin Yellin. 10K of donated cash was shredded to make paintings. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

And everyone is welcomed – collectors, artists, galleries, critics, scene junkies. TRANSACTION was the theme in the Skylight wing that looked like it hadn’t been used for about 20 years. There was a faint fear of Asbestos swirling around our heads while we appreciated the institutional decay of the interiors, laying a background for the fairs multiple installations. Somehow the possibilities for the curators to transform the space were endless, and one wasn’t completely sure when the decay of the interior was intentional or residual…but that was part of the fun.

What separates this fair from the rest of the pack is that the art here is not presented as an unattainable commodity, rather for the most part it is an installation/performance art show where you roam through custom fashioned rooms on both sides of long hallways of deadened fluorescent lights and ceiling leaks. Maybe its because we see a lot of urban art in detritus and abandoned buildings, but this was fun. And yes some of the art was amazing. Good to see artists are still experimenting and taking risks and can make site-specific installations that are alive and provocative.

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Bazaar Teens curated by Dustin Yellin. 10K of donated cash was shredded to make paintings. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Bazaar Teens curated by Dustin Yellin. 10K of donated cash was shredded to make paintings. Shredded money taken from the donations box. Some prankster put some of the brochures in there for color we suppose… (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Rita Ikonen curated by Yulia Topchiy. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Margaret Bowland curated by Tess Sol Schwab. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Christine Sciulli video projection on fog was curated by Ambre. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Cate Giordano curated by Eve Sussman and Simon Lee. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Anne Nowak curated by Cassandra M Johnson. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Grace Villamil curated by Coming Soon and Katya Braxton. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Grace Villamil curated by Coming Soon and Katya Braxton. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Fall On Your Sword Collective. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Swoon (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Mark Samsonovich (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Mark Samsonovich (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Mark Samsonovich and friends in the wild on the streets of NYC. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Over at Scope the story was much different. In their press release and on their site they were heralding a “progressive format” in a new location. The latter was true. It was a new location. The former didn’t materialize and we were hard pressed to find what was progressive or new about it. There were still the temporary partitions and rented booths and while some of the spaces did run into each other it wasn’t with any particular goal for a collaborative spirit or some such idealist notion. If anything, Scope was chaotic with visitors and exhibitors remarking about not having enough time to set up when the doors open at 2:00 pm for the VIP and press, giving a frustrated aura of discord that may have influenced our perception.

Many galleries were still hanging works and adding price and information tags on the walls when we were there. But we know how it is when your dinner party guest arrives at 7 on the dot and you haven’t gotten dressed- you may want them to go out for a cocktail and then return.

Additionally, and unfortunately, Scope more than any of the other show seems to incorporate more derivative and secondary market works than their competitors. Street Art/Urban Art is increasingly hot so it appeared at many more galleries this year but without much curatorial consideration. The fair also including works we have already seen elsewhere, so it was hard to get too excited about that.  But there were definitely some gems in there as well.  Here are some shots of things we saw:

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Isaac Cordal (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Isaac Cordal (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Miss Van (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Nathan Vincent (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Swampy (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Swoon (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Amanda Marie (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Michael Mut. Click HERE to learn more about this artist and Still Counting Project. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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WK Interact (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Stikki Peaches (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Li-Hill (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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XO (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Rubin415 (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Jaybo Monk (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Vinz (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Banksy (photo © Jaime Rojo)

 

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Sneak Peek “Concrete to Data” at Steinberg Museum

Sneak Peek “Concrete to Data” at Steinberg Museum

Curator and artist Ryan Seslow has pulled off an overview of art on the streets and the practices employed, minus the drama. So much discussion of graffiti, Street Art, and public art practice can concentrate on lore and turf war, intersections with illegality, the nature of the “scene”, shades of xenophobia and class structures; all crucial for one’s understanding from a sociological/anthropological perspective.

“Concrete to Data”, opening this week at the Steinberg Museum of Art on Long Island, gives more of the spotlight to the historical methods and media that are used to disseminate a message, attempting to forecast about future ways of communicating that may effectively bridge the gap between the physical and the virtual.

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Joe Iurato. Detail. Concrete To Data. Steinberg Museum of Art. LIU (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Seslow has assembled an impressive cross section of artists, practitioners, photographers, academics, theorists, and street culture observers over a five-decade span. Rather than overreaching to exhaustion, it can give a representative overview of how each are adding to this conversation, quickly presenting this genre’s complexity by primarily discussing its methods alone.

Here is a sneak peek of the the concrete (now transmitted digitally); a few of the pieces for the group exhibition that have gone up in the last week in the museum as the show is being installed.

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Chris Stain. Detail. Concrete To Data. Steinberg Museum of Art. LIU (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Cake. Detail. Concrete To Data. Steinberg Museum of Art. LIU (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Lady Pink at work on her mural. Concrete To Data. Steinberg Museum of Art. LIU (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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John Fekner. Detail of his stencils in place and ready to be sprayed on. Concrete To Data. Steinberg Museum of Art. LIU (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Henry Chalfant. Detail. Concrete To Data. Steinberg Museum of Art. LIU (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Billy Mode. Detail. Concrete To Data. Steinberg Museum of Art. LIU (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Oyama Enrico. Detail. Concrete To Data. Steinberg Museum of Art. LIU (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Col Wallnuts. Detail. Concrete To Data. Steinberg Museum of Art. LIU (photo © Jaime Rojo)

 

CONCRETE to DATA will be exhibited at the Steinberg Museum of Art, Brookville, NY January 26th 2015 – March 21st 2015.

Opening Reception – Friday, February 6th  2015 6PM -9 PM 

Follow the news and events via – http://concretetodata.com

Follow @concretetodata on Instagram – #concretetodata

Curated by Ryan Seslow@ryanseslow

Museum Director – Barbara Appelgate

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GIFFITTI and the Eye Popping Animations of Ryan Seslow

GIFFITTI and the Eye Popping Animations of Ryan Seslow

You think that maybe the animated GIF is the equivalent of graffiti on the digital wall?

Artist Ryan Seslow has been experimenting for a little while with that hyper eye-blitzing looping tag called the animated GIF – and today you’re getting splendid platter of GIFs like holiday cookies glistening before you. With bright visual references to graffiti history, culture and art, Seslow manages to simplify the vernacular in a poppy way that pushes the work into a playful cartoon realm – like the stuff on subway cars in the 70s. If the connection to Street Art isn’t clear, he has also been doing artful collaborations with a number of figures you may have seen on the street and in subway stations.

“It has been great fun so far working with Cake and Jilly Ballistic and we are making more!” says Seslow of this collaborative approach to GIF making. “I wanted to work with them both because they have great contrasting work that translates well on the street, subway tunnels and as digital images online.”

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Ryan Seslow (gif © Ryan Seslow)

So far Seslow has been “trickling out the gifs one at a time” on his blog and as a project with RJ Rushmore of the blog Vandalog. They will be exhibiting their project entitled “Encrypted Fills” at the end of January for Concrete to Data in the Steinberg Museum of Art.  Seslow’s GIF animations will include a host of other graffiti and Street Artists including Stinkfish,  Broken Fingaz,  General Howe,  Caroline Caldwell,  Abe Lincoln Jr.,  Gaia,  Enzo & Nio,  John Fekner,  Olek,  Ryan Seslow,  Swampy,  Peter Drew,  Adam VOID,  Rone,  Enzo Sarto, and Leon Reid IV.

In the meantime all these jolting lights may make you think of the first night of Hannukah (tonight) as well as all the Christmas lights that are blinking from apartment windows overhead wherever you go on the street. Enjoy!

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Ryan Seslow (gif © Ryan Seslow)

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Ryan Seslow (gif © Ryan Seslow)

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Ryan Seslow (gif © Ryan Seslow)

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Ryan Seslow (gif © Ryan Seslow)

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Ryan Seslow (gif © Ryan Seslow)

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Ryan Seslow in collaboration with CAKE. (gif © Ryan Seslow)

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Ryan Seslow in collaboration with CAKE. (gif © Ryan Seslow)

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Ryan Seslow in collaboration with Jilly Ballistic. (gif © Ryan Seslow)

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Ryan Seslow in collaboration with Jilly Ballistic. (gif © Ryan Seslow)

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Ryan Seslow in collaboration with Jilly Ballistic. (gif © Ryan Seslow)

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Ryan Seslow in collaboration with Jilly Ballistic. (gif © Ryan Seslow)

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Ryan Seslow in collaboration with Jilly Ballistic. (gif © Ryan Seslow)

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New York Interiors and Urban Exploring

“Urban Exploring” is often thought of as some kind of elite super ninja activity; tinged with adventure, a sense of danger, and definitely some flying nunchucks. For city folk with a sense of wanderlust and a need for exercise, the act of checking out an abandoned old building can be just as satisfying and dangerous as going for a bracing hike or rock climbing in the mountains, but it’s much closer to a deli.

New York Interiors (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Like most large cities in the US, New York has always had its share of run-down decrepit buildings that virtually welcome your exploration. It’s a surprise to find that even with improved city parks on the rise in NYC, when you duck through a hole in the fence to explore an old house or factory you may find other people doing the same thing. In fact sometimes you’ll find people living in them, riding skateboards in them, having sex in them, doing drugs in them, and of course spraying aerosol in them.

Javs. New York Interiors (photo © Jaime Rojo)

You can’t see all this action from the street but sometimes there are awesome interiors in cavernous spaces that continually evolve and metamorphose – an urban art gallery that has a regularly updated exhibition. The perspective will depends on your personal tastes of course.

This particular spot made us think of high-end magazines with shots of socialites posing and air-kissing and banging their hats into each other at charity fundraisers. Something about its grandness feels like a ballroom, even though it looks like it was a power station for the MTA in the early 1900s and the neighborhood itself is probably a SuperFund site, thanks to decades of industrial dumping.

After this rotting and colorful corpse is cleaned up in a few decades, it will probably be razed for some deeeeeeluxe cookie-cutter condos selling for a million each. But for now, you can just squat and take pictures of the golden light streaming through the dirty cracked windows and gaping crevices. Here is your non-ticketed opportunity to enjoy the gorgeous mosaic of graffiti art that waits: rich with color, pattern and coded messages. It can be a brain tease to try to guess what this stuff says. Also, you can practice with your nunchucks.

New York Interiors (photo © Jaime Rojo)

You Go Girl. New York Interiors (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Booker/ReadMore . Reskew. New York Interiors (photo © Jaime Rojo)

KUMA. New York Interiors (photo © Jaime Rojo)

KUMA. New York Interiors (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Vein. New York Interiors (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Never. New York Interiors (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Booker. New York Interiors (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Bat Fiends. New York Interiors (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Swampy. New York Interiors (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Stae 2. New York Interiors (photo © Jaime Rojo)

A mobile made primarily of bike tires. Call it Calder for the graffiti set. New York Interiors (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Enoc. New York Interiors (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Heart. New York Interiors (photo © Jaime Rojo)

JESP. New York Interiors (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Steve. New York Interiors (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Moose. New York Interiors (photo © Jaime Rojo)

IAL Crew. New York Interiors (photo © Jaime Rojo)

New York Interiors (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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Pandemonium on the Walls at Pandemic

Brooklyns’ Pandemic Gallery recently invited a sort of painted pandemonium to fill all the walls of their space for a summer art party. Shoulder to hip and head to toe, this mixture of artists is actually emblematic of this moment in Brooklyn history and representing the raucous variety of styles that are mashing and mixing on the graffiti/street art/fine art continuum throughout the world.

But no one likes to be labelled and if you ask them and probably each of these artists would prefer not to be called graffiti artists or street artists or fine artists because each title has too many limitations or insulting inferences. One thing everybody agrees on is they like to paint on walls and while we have seen our share of bring-all-your-friends wall smashing that somehow goes awry, this indoor installation is one of the most cogent mashup derby style groupings you are likely to see this year.

Darkclouds and David Pappaceno (photo © Jaime Rojo)

UFO 907 (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Keely, Matt Siren, Don Pablo Pedro, Cost, Royce Bannon (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Don Pablo Pedro, Cost (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Keely, Matt Siren (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Swampy, Deeker, Cost (photo © Jaime Rojo)

The Yok and Shyro (photo © Jaime Rojo)

SET (photo © Jaime Rojo)

COST (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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Images of the Week 07.29.12

Our weekly interview with the streets, this week featuring Brilla, Demo, El Sol 25, En Masse, Evereman, Feral Child, Issa, Lambros, Luca Missoni, MOR, Olek, Rae, SSDD and Swampy.

Swampy (photo © Jaime Rojo)

RAE (photo © Jaime Rojo)

MOR (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Didn’t your mother ever tell you that you will be judged by the friends you keep? Lambros (photo © Jaime Rojo)

OLEK (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Evereman (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Feral Child (photo © Jaime Rojo)

En Masse Van for Fountain (photo © Jaime Rojo)

En Masse Van for Fountain (photo © Jaime Rojo)

En Masse Van for Fountain (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Issa (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Issa (photo © Jaime Rojo)

A rare gate from El Sol 25 (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Could be The Abominable Snow Monster or maybe your tenth grade Geometry teacher, Mr. Hairdell. This one was spotted on Bedford Ave (photo © Jaime Rojo)

SSDD “My Eyes Are Up Here” (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Brilla (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Brilla (photo © Jaime Rojo)

“Let me slip out of these wet clothes and into a dry martini” said the statuesque David by dEmo and Luca Missoni. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Artist Unknown (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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Fun Friday 07.27.12

Let the Games Begin! (oh no, does that violate an Olympic copyright?) Here’s our Olympian sized Olympic Fun Friday Olympiatastic list, sponsored by nobody.

1. BOB ROSS REMIX (VIDEO)
2. KingBrown Group Show at Klughaus (NYC)
3. Quel Beast Solo Reception at Gallery Bar (NYC)
4. Believe the Hype at Pandemic Saturday (BKLN)
5. REVOK and SABER at Known Gallery (LA)
6. Matthew Silver Goes for the Gold in his Speedo at Union Square (VIDEO)
7. Pura Vida Presents: Entes Y Pesimo A Short Film (English) (VIDEO)

BOB ROSS REMIX (Video)

Bob Ross is back! Updated and autotuned, this visual medley ties together the overriding themes that his long-running show imparted to many people who may have been timid about reopening that creative spirit that we’re all born with. Some kids think they’re too cool and too street for this sh*t but really they like Bob’s message too, because he’s right. Get out your paintbrush and cans!

KingBrown Group Show at Klughaus (NYC)

Mike Giant is in New York and he brought some juicy markers with him. The New Show at Klughaus Gallery in Manhattan’s Chinatown hosted him yesterday with folks from Kingbrown Magazine to mark the release of their issue #8. The group show of small pieces in the gallery is smartly, densely packed with names you’ll like and  is now open to the public after last nights hot and sticky grand opening that ended with Mother nature blowing exhibition skateboarders sideways with sudden summer storm high winds and pounding rain. The show was presented along with the dudes from Fountain Arts Fair.

Mike Giant gate for Kingbrown at Klughaus Gallery. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Artists include Morning Breath, Andy Jenkins, Chris Cycle, Dave Kinsey, “Grotesk” aka Kimou Meyer, Stefan Marx, Kevin Lyons, Mike Giant, Raza Uno aka MAx Vogel, Greg Lamarche, Zach Malfa-Kowalski, Steve Gourlay, Jay Howell, Ben Horton, Beastman, Phibs, Hiro, Reka, Kyle “Creepy” Hughes-Odgers, Meggs, Sean Morris, Yok, Sheryo, Ross Clugston, Daek, Lister, Numskull, Ian Mutch, Rone/ aka Tyrone Wright.

Mike Giant at work on his wall outside the gallery before the show opened. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Further information regarding this show click here.

Quel Beast Solo Reception at Gallery Bar (NYC)

The Gallery Bar on the Lower East Side of Manhattan hosts the opening reception today of Quel Beast’s solo show of portraits full of emotion as he continues in the journey of self-study. In a short career on the street that has depicted everything from anguish to rage to frustration, it is good to report that there is now an occasional smile.

Quel Beast. Detail. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

For further information regarding this show click here.

Believe the Hype at Pandemic Saturday (BKLN)

PARTY! PARTY! PARTY! @ Pandemic Gallery tomorrow. “Believe The Hype” Is Pandemic’s title for this summer party including: The Yok, Sheryo, UFO 907, Swampy, Royce Bannon, Matt Siren, David Pappaceno, Darkclouds, Keely, Don Pablo Pedro, Cost KRT and Deeker. All the artists will paint the interior of the gallery in one collaborative mural. Go get wet and play. There will be limited prints, T shirts, zines and drawings for sale.

For further information regarding this show click here.

REVOK and SABER at Known Gallery (LA)

Double billing Revok and Saber in one night? You know the crowd will be big and enthusiastic to see these two concurrent solo shows and as Known Gallery hosts  REVOK’s “Gilgamesh” and SABER’s “Beautification” simultaneously Saturday.

REVOK in Miami for Primary Flight (photo © Jaime Rojo)

For further information regarding REVOK show click here.

SABER on the streets of Los Angeles. Detail. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

For further information regarding SABER show click here.

Matthew Silver Goes for the Gold in his Speedo at Union Square (VIDEO)

Miao Jiaxin captures some of the magic moments of this public performer who may be borderline bananas and who knows how to engage people, to help and flip their “I’m Free” switch to the “On” position.

 

Pura Vida Presents: Entes Y Pesimo A Short Film (English) (VIDEO)

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A Roof With a View : Looking at Art Up Above

Climbing up on a roof during the sultry city summer can be liberating, and it turns out to be a prime place for painting too.  Away from the cacophony of the sweaty streets, the breeze up here is a little cooler and stronger and aside from the occasional potted tomato plant or sun-tanning waitress, you are on your own. You may not own any personal real estate, but right now this is all yours, this sweeping urban vista of grand, glassy, grimy, gawdy, and gutted.

For years graffiti writers and Street Artists have sought these undiscovered spots as a kind of refuge, an urban backyard for hanging out and going big, often collaboratively. You could say that rooftop spots even have a certain lore, a place to tell stories about and revel in. In a hard-knock nasty city that sometimes seems to swallow people whole, on this rooftop with a view you can do a huge piece and feel like you are holding it all down. Not to mention the bragging rights you can claim for hitting a high profile location that grabs eyeballs and raises the stakes. As for the city dweller, the work, as ever, is subjectively reviled, ignored, or celebrated. No one can truthfully deny its affect on the character of the cityscape.

Here are some choice roof shots by photographer Jaime Rojo across New York, LA, Chicago, and Boston to give you a birds eye view of some art from on high.

Rime, Dceve, and Toper in Chinatown, Manhattan. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Rime, Dceve, and Toper in Chinatown, Manhattan. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

ROA on the water tower and Chris Stain and Billy Mode on the wall. Williamsburg, Brooklyn. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

News in DUMBO, Brooklyn. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

JR in Hunts Point, The Bronx as part of Inside Out – A Global Art Project. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

JR in Hunts Point, The Bronx as part of Inside Out – A Global Art Project. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Bare, Hert, Gable, Deth Kult, TVEE in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Rodeo, ILS, Bare, Hert, Gable, Deth Kult, TVEE in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Swoon. The Central Street Roof in Cambridge, MA. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Anarkia Boladona in Hunts Point, The Bronx. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Sweet Toof in Bushwick, Brooklyn. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Deeker, Armer, Lister and Judith Supine in Bushwick, Brooklyn. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Various & Gould in Bushwick, Brooklyn. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Shepard Fairey in Los Angeles, Arts Disctric for LA Freewalls Project. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Jaz and Cern in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Ludo in Chicago with Pawn Works Gallery. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

At Large, Nekst, Rusk in Williamsburg, Brookklyn. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Take No Action, Hellbent, Sweet Toof in Willimsburg, Brooklyn. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Swampy in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Tats Cru in Hunts Point, The Bronx. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Staino in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Jeff Aerosol in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Gaia in Chicago with Pawn Works Gallery. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Love Me, Screw Sacer in China Town, Manhattan. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Veng, Royce Bannon, Werds in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Staino, Sefu and RTF at the High Line Park in Manhattan. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

I Spy in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

WK Interact in The Lower East Side, Manhattan. (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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Images of the Week 07.22.12

Here’s our weekly interview with the street, featuring Aiko, Cost, KAWS, Leon Reid IV, Mint & Serf, Nick Walker, Phlegm, Poster Boy, REVS, Swampy, and Wing.

We start off the review with this pretty amazing and magical new installation by Street Artist Phlegm in a children’s playground at the Fulton housing project. He also hit a gate and a quick wall while he was in New York, but this series will be taking kids on rides through their imaginations for a few years to come.

Phlegm (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Phlegm (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Phlegm (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Phlegm (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Phlegm (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Phlegm (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Phlegm (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Phlegm (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Phlegm (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Jetsonorama. Donté. Click on the link at the bottom of this posting to see more images of Jetsonorama at the Navajo. (photo © Jetsonorama)

WING (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Mint & Serf (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Swampy (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Kaws (photo © Jaime Rojo)

COST . REVS (photo © Jaime Rojo)

COST (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Artist Unknown (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Nick Walker (photo © Jaime Rojo)

AIKO. Detail of her installation at the Houston Wall. For process shots and full completed wall click on the link at the bottom. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Leon Reid IV and Poster Boy collaboration for Showpaper. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Untitled (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Click here to see the full documentation of AIKO getting up on the Houston Wall.

Click here to visit Jetsonorama’s life with the Navajo through images and words.

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Pandemic Gallery Presents: “Believe The Hype” An Art Summer Party (Brooklyn, NY)

Pandemic Gallery

SUMMER GREETINGS!

Join us on Saturday July 28th for BELIEVE THE HYPE! An all day event filled with art, music, games, food, drinks, and gushing wateras Pandemic throws a summer party!!

Artists will paint the entire inside of the gallery into a stunning collaborative mural
and smaller works such as Limited Prints / T-shirts / Zines / Drawings and the likes will be available for purchase.
Stop by and have a blast!
2pm – 10pm
Saturday, July 28th
Artists Include:
The YOK
SHERYO
UFO 907
SWAMPY
ROYCE BANNON
MATT SIREN
DAVID PAPPACENO
DARKCLOUDS
KEELY
DON PABLO PEDRO
COST KRT
SET KRT
DEEKER
PANDEMIC gallery
37 Broadway btwn Kent and Wythe
Brooklyn, NY 11211
www.pandemicgallery.com

 
Gallery hours:
Tues.-Fri. 11-6pm
Sat. & Sun. 12-7pm
closed Monday
or by appointment 

L train to Bedford ave, J train to Marcy ave, or Q59 bus to Broadway/Wythe

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