I rarely walk along the blocks on and off Avenues A,B,C, and D between Houston and 14th Street on Manhattan’s Lower East Side/East Village aka Alphabet City. But I did earlier today, and discovered works by some of my favorite artists, along with some alluring legal walls. Here’s a sampling:
Photos by Lois Stavsky
We recently came upon some unusual paste-ups in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. A surreal mix of natural elements and characters, they are eerily enchanting. It turns out they are the work of Chilean artist Macay, who has been getting her work out on the streets of London for a while now. Here’s a sampling:
Photos by Tara Murray
When we returned to Williamsburg this morning, we were surprised to find some of our favorite artists framed — along with the comment, “Who arted?” Here they are:
Photos by Lois Stavsky and Tara Murray
Back to Bushwick, we discovered new work by OverUnder, Aiko and Bast. We revisited, too, one of our favorite Roa walls.
Photos by Tara Murray and Lois Stavsky
Other artists whose work is featured include: Jasper Patch. Katsu, Mr. Kiji, Michael Alan, Moody, Tom Gould, Topske, Veefer and Vor 138. The exhibit continues through December 31st @ 47 Monroe Street and is well worth a visit if you are anywhere near NYC.
Photos by Lois Stavsky
We don’t get to the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn often enough . But we did today, and the rooftops and graffiti walls will definitely have us coming back for more:
Photos by Lois Stavsky
Those graffiti murals in Bushwick are among the most vibrant anywhere. They also attest to graffiti’s continual evolution. And while so many “street artists” who grace our walls with wonderfully provocative images often retire from the streets, most of the writers keep on doing their thing in the public sphere. Here are a few images we saw this morning:
Photos by Lois Stavsky and Damien Kelly
I met Marianne Nems back in June at the East Village’s Dorian Grey Gallery, where she introduced me to the impassioned work of French graffiti artist, Ugly Kid Gumo. For the next three days, Marianne will be at the Fountain Art Fair, 2505 North Miami Ave. @ 25th St. exhibiting work by Ugly Kid Gumo and others. Among the images that she shared, I’m particularly intrigued by the artwork of Benoit Debbane, the Lebanese painter whose work first surfaced on the walls of Beirut in the 1990’s. Another highlight are new works by Angel Ortiz aka LA2, who recently graced New York City’s East Village with a huge mural.
Photos courtesy of Marianne Nems
Each time we visit Bushwick, surprises await. It’s always fun to come upon an artist at work, and this time we met one painting on the streets for the first time. Daniel Gausman, who recently made the move from the Midwest to Brooklyn, NY, draws his inspiration from “geometry, quilting and color.” Still in progress, his huge mural on Varet Street is a homage to all three. Seeking larger walls than his local apartment can provide and at home interacting with passersby, Daniel is likely to grace more NYC walls with his talents.
As an avid fan of ‘zines and independent publications, I particularly love the ones I come upon on my visits to Colombia, SA. Produced and edited by Marcelo Arroyave, Sursystem is among my favorites. Marcelo. on his recent visit to NYC, explained that Sursystem’s mission is to create and reflect the artistic fusion among distinct cultures, one of the positive effects, he maintains, of globalization. Featured this fall in independent zine festivals in Paris and in Buenos Aires, Sursystem includes many images — and stickers — crafted by artists who also maintain the streets as their canvas. Marcello reports that Sursystem is seeking talent for its upcoming issue. Info follows:
All images courtesy Marcelo Arroyave
