All posts tagged: You Go Girl!

Freewill Gallery in New Yorks Military Bunker on the Beach

October 22, 2014 Artists

Exploring Fort Tilden

National monuments are typically solemn places for reflection and remembrance. In the case of many decommissioned military installations across the world, the hidden parts of forts and bunkers are also serpentine galleries of freewill art shows. You may call it graffiti or you may call it a colossal explosion of creativity and unscripted free speech, but in all likelihood you will be moved by the clandestine display it in one way or another.

The entrance… (photo © Jaime Rojo)

The site of New York’s abandoned WWI era military base (and site of the first Trans-Atlantic flight departure), Fort Tilden, also conveniently is a beach for many of its creative types and related mis-matched fun loving miscreants. While there are snide asides about this being a hipster spot, it is much more than a place for one-dimensional posers – if only because it is sort of hard to get to.

But it is also a little utopia for the grimy self-powered soot-covered bicycling city-set who gravitate to the margins and outskirts for a day at the beach; There are art shows and ad hoc performances, long days of reading and snacking, splashing, Backgammon, and nudity. Sometimes all at once.

Additionally the entire site can be a hidden, yet open, art gallery.

Artist Unknown. Also, Mika loves Mea. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Perched atop the bunker you can have a 360 degree view of the ocean and most of New York City, including the cluster of skyscrapers in yonder Manhattan. Inside it’s labyrinthine spaces below with a flashlight you will discover a 360 degree view of most all of the graffiti and Street Art techniques that are freely experimented with in these mid twenty teens.

On a recent overcast/sunny day at the end of the summer season we took a tour of the darkened spaces that are open to the public to find what kind of art gallery is on display and to discover hidden gems, furtive artists, discarded liquor bottles and the occasional condom. Are these the aesthetic meanderings of mad minds, the seeds of tomorrow’s art stars, or simply the unfiltered mark-making of youth on a summer day’s spraycation?

Cake (photo © Jaime Rojo)

DAN (photo © Jaime Rojo)

NAD (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Artist Unknown (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Elvis (photo © Jaime Rojo)

A monument to Walt Whitman by artist Patty Smith is one of many placed here during this summers “Rockaway!” art show here, organized by PS1’s Klaus Biesenbach. Whitman’s masterpiece “Leaves Of Grass” begins with the words carved on the stone above. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

“I Celebrate Myself. And what I assume you shall assume. For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you”

~ Walt Whitman. July 4th 1855

KUMA (photo © Jaime Rojo)

You Go Girl . Mistakoy (photo © Jaime Rojo)

You Go Girl (photo © Jaime Rojo)

$howta (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Newserf. Collab between News & Serf. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Never (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Overunder (photo © Jaime Rojo)

“United States of pills and corn syrup”, says ARC as he washes down an Oxycontin with Coke. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Armer (photo © Jaime Rojo)

The New York Skyline from the top of the bunkers. (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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This article is also published on The Huffington Post.

BSA Images Of The Week: 09.14.14

September 14, 2014 Artists, BSA Images Of The Week

The street appears in the living room when you visit some artists homes or those of hard core collectors. “Brooklyn is in da house!” suddenly takes on additional meaning. So imagine rolling through a heavily graffitied section of Bushwick this week to find someone’s living room is on display on the street. It’s like a set for a TV show, or a theater stage; The couch, the coffee table, a lamp, paneling, even a hard wood floor comprised of, well, not really hard wood. A hunter’s lodge maybe? A cabin in the Adirondacks? Without a back story, this looked like a stage had been built but you couldn’t be sure what for. Just as our intrepid photographer raised his camera to his eye, the woody indoor scene became exactly that – a stage.

“As I was taking the above photo a fast and furious dude came like a flash out of nowhere on his bike, stopped abruptly, and threw his bike on the floor,” says Jaime. “I didn’t know what to expect and watched him fish a spray can from a plastic shopping bag and step up on the sofa and write his tag upon the living room wall. The actor muttered something I couldn’t hear as he sprayed over another’s tag and then stepped down, leaving just as quickly as he has appeared. It was as if the fourth wall really did exist and he didn’t see me, the audience. I did want to ask him about the tag and about his very fashionable French chignon. But really, I wasn’t even visible.”

See him in action in the photo below.

Here’s our weekly interview with the street, this week featuring C215, Dain, Damon, Dope, Dotmasters, Jamie Paul Scanlon (JPS), Marilyn Minter, NRG US Crew, Pøbel, Richard Best, Stefan Ways, Wolfe Work, You Go Girl!, and Østrem.

Top Image >> The living room set in the street. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

A stage set in the street with an impromptu live tagging performance. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Pøbel and Østrem in Stavanger, Norway. (photo © Steven P. Harrington)

Dain (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Artist Unknown. Stavanger, Norway. (photo © Steven P. Harrington)

Wolfe Work (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Artist Unknown (photo © Jaime Rojo)

C215. Stavanger, Norway. (photo © Steven P. Harrington)

You Go Girl (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Jamie Paul Scanlon AKA JPS. Stavanger, Norway. (photo © Steven P. Harrington)

NRG US Crew (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Artist Unknown. Stavanger, Norway. (photo © Steven P. Harrington)

Dotmasters. Stavanger, Norway. (photo © Steven P. Harrington)

Damon (photo © Jaime Rojo)

A fox by an artist from Chile. Stavanger, Norway. (photo © Steven P. Harrington)

DOPE (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Stefan Ways in front of his Warner Mural in Baltimore. Detail. (photo © David Muse)

Richard Best. Warner Mural in Baltimore (photo © David Muse)

Untitled. I took this photo from a Marilyn Minter video commissioned by the Brooklyn Museum for the current exhibition “Killer Heels” curated by Lisa Small. Brooklyn, NYC 2104. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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BSA Images Of The Week: 08.31.14

August 31, 2014 Artists, BSA Images Of The Week

A powerful group of images this week as we do a drive by on Labor Day Weekend in New York. We know it’s the last weekend of Summer but hell no! I’m gonna have another strawberry ice cream out on the stoop.

Here’s our weekly interview with the street, this week featuring Alma’s, Anthony Lemer, Arnaud Montagard, Alice Pasquini, Bast, BLY, Cesar Mieses DALeast, Dek, Jerk Face, Paul Insect, Pete Kirill, Ryan McGinness, Sean9Lugo, Seymour Chwast, Solus, Swil, Tripel, Willow, Wing, and You Go Girl!

Top Image >> Summer Time Baby by ALMA’s. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Wing (photo © Jaime Rojo)

DALeast (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Sean9Lugo (photo © Jaime Rojo)

BLY (photo © Jaime Rojo)

You Go Girl needs some heart mending. Time is the only proven method, Girl. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Alice Pasquini in Syracuse, Sicily. August 2014 (photo © Alessandra de Grande)

“This is my latest wall, painted in Syracuse, Sicily with the support of the Istinto Naturale cultural association,” says Alice Pasquini of this new tableau.

“Titled ‘The myth of Arethusa and Alpheus’ it was inspired by the spring of Arethusa in Ortygia (Syracuse), a body of fresh water close to the seashore. The legend says that the nereid Arethusa, trying to escape the advances of the river god Alpheus, fled by turning into a stream, eventually breaking ground in Ortygia where Alpheus found her and was able to mingle in her waters.” ~ AP

Let the mingling begin! Although you have to admit that she doesn’t look like she’s quite committed to the idea.

brooklyn-street-art-willow-swil-jaime-rojo-08-31-14-web-2

Willow and Swil (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Dek’s installation of Bronx native Seymour Chwast’s posters from 1987. The timeless and timeliness of a 27 year old poster on the streets is remarkable. War Is Madness. (photo @ Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-colossal-jaime-rojo-08-31-14-web

The folks at Colossal are having a laugh with this hand painted rendering poking fun at the deluge of probing glass and steel luxury condos that are springing up around Williamsburg these days. “Insert Yourself Into Exquisite Luxury Surroundings”. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Paul Insect (photo © Jaime Rojo)

In this new piece in Wynwood, Miami, Pete Kirill depicts James Bond (Sean Connery) as 1990’s hip-hop artist Vanilla Icee. (photo © Cesar Mieses)

BAST (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Tripel (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Solus for The L.I.S.A. Project. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

The only surviving plate from the series Ryan McGiness installed in collaboration with DOT for Summer Streets Series. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Jerk Face (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Artist Unknown (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Untitled. Manhattan, NYC. Summer 2014. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

BSA Images Of The Week: 08.03.14

August 3, 2014 Artists, BSA Images Of The Week

It’s the Dog Days of Summer and there are a lot of cool cats on the street right now.

Here’s our weekly interview with the street, this week featuring Adam Fujita, Be Everything, Che Man, Clint Mario, Dan Witz, E.L.K. Icy & Sot, Ishmael, JR, Kenny Scharf, LMNOPI, Mika, Mike Makatron, Rusebk, Sabio, Solus, Sweet Toof, and You Go Girl!

Top Image >> As the world is watching, Icy & Sot again address the Iraeli/Palestinian crisis on a wall in this uncharacteristically openly political piece for the Bushwick Collective, who typically require artists to stay within content guidelines. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Icy & Sot. The Bushwick Collective. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

JR’s 2006 “Holy Tryptich” appeared here in Manhattan, originally installed on the separation wall in 2007. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

LMNOPI (photo © Jaime Rojo)

E.L.K. The Bushwick Collective. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Sweet Toof (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Clint Mario really got in shape for beach weather this year. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Sabio (photo © Jaime Rojo)

You Go Girl (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Pop that thing open and let’s go run in the spray! Mike Makatron. The Bushwick Collective. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Vivache has created “Che Man” and has mounted this message in San Francisco, Oakland, Cambridge, and now Bushwick Brooklyn with this Pak Man inspired solution to world ills. This Bushwick spot was up only two days before it was buffed over in green again, presumably because the message rubbed someone the wrong way. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Clearly the wolves are running unimpeded in the valley of the skyscrapers. Ishmael. The Bushwick Collective. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Dan Witz (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Rusebk. The Bushwick Collective. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Kenny Scharf (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Be Everything. But don’t be a dumbell. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Solus. The Bushwick Collective. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Mika (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Adam Fujita (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Untitled. Manhattan, NYC. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Dog Days – Florence and the Machine

Cool For Cats – Squeeze

BSA Images Of The Week: 07.20.14

July 20, 2014 Artists, BSA Images Of The Week

Here’s our weekly interview with the street, this week featuring 907 Crew, Ainac, Aero, Afrodoti Galazios, Blanco, Bleeps, Cash4, Daek, Dasic, Elbow-Toe, Fecks, Icy & Sot, IDT Crew, Mike Makatron, Miss 17, Mr. Penfold, Overunder, Seth, Sheryo, Smells, Sonni, Sweet Toof, The Yok, Tripel, UFO 907, Wolftits, and You Go Girl!.

Top Image >> IDT Crew. Detail. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

IDT Crew. IDT is a Chinese Crew. It reads on the background “5ive” to celebrate their 5th anniversary piece. Miss 17 on top was a later addition. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

You Go Girl (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Sweet Toof. Smells. Cash4. UFO907. Please help ID the rest of the tags. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Mike Makatron with an assistant at work on his recent mural in Williamsburg. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Mike Makatron (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Elbow Toe. The stencils below are by Ainac and Tripel. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Icy & Sot (we think) (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Bleeps new piece in Athens, Greece. (photo © Afroditi Galazios)

Blanco new piece in Saratoga Springs, NY. (photo © Blanco)

Blanco. Detail from the piece above. (photo © Blanco)

The Yok, Sheryo, Daek and Fecks for Zoetic Walls in Cleveland, Ohio. (photo © Pawn Works)

DAEK for Pawn Works/NY (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Sheryo with Sonni on the background for Pawn Works/NY (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Sonni for Pawn Works/NY. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Mr. Penfold for Pawn Works/NY (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Aero for Pawn Works/NY (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Dasic (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Wolftits is even more Art Brut than ever. 907 Crew. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Rarf! Seth in Baton Rouge for The Museum Of Public Art. (photo © Overunder)

Untitled. Gowanus Canal. NYC. July 2014 (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Images of The Week: 09.08.13

September 8, 2013 Artists

First there was Labor Day, then the Jewish New Year, so it was easy to get a seat on the subway, and sometimes next to a model who’s here for Fashion Week and who got a room in Brooklyn on Air BnB (thinking BK is just steps away from Manhattan). Now everybody’s getting ready to vote in the mayoral primary on Tuesday and all the students are gearing up to start the new school year, and most people you meet on the street and on stoops are talking distrustfully/quizzically about O taking us to war in Syria. Meanwhile no humidity and lots of sunshine means every day seems nice for painting, pasting, or dissing somebody else’s work – depending on your frame of mind.

The big Calligraffiti show in Chelsea was packed Thursday night, where you could see some of your favorite artists in person like El Seed, Niels Shoe Meulman, Rostarr, and Olek, and you could catch work from Haring, Basquiat, and a room full of LAII. Out in Bushwick you could even catch Blek Le Rat, one of the originators of this kind of work, putting up some new pieces as he prepared for his opening last night at Jonathan Levine. And yesterday Faile started a monstrous new wall in Hells Kitchen that will create a swarm of fans and cameras on the street (more on that later). New York is spoiled, yo.

So here’s our weekly interview with the street, this week including Bast, Bishop203, Blek le Rat, Dede, DZIA, El Kamino, Faile, GIJ Van Hee, Icy & Sot, Pastel, Palladino, QRST, Skuzz, Wonky Monky, and You Go Girl!.

Top image is by Blek le Rat (photo © Jaime Rojo).

Blek le Rat at The Bushwick Collective. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

A surprise to find this new small sculpture, and even more surprised to find that it was made by QRST, a Street Artist we have been bringing you since he first hit the streets a few years ago. Gonna keep our eyes open for more of these… (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Images of the Week 11.11.12

November 11, 2012 Artists

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.

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)

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

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New York Interiors and Urban Exploring

September 26, 2012 Artists

“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.

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.

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.

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