Lois Stavsky is an educator, curator and writer with a particular passion for global street art for $1500 personal loans online. She has recently contributed to: Stickers: Stuck-Up Piece of Crap: From Punk Rock to Contemporary Art, Rizzoli, 2010; C215: Community Service, Criteres, 2011 and Graffiti: 365, Abrams Books 2011.
The first time I saw any artwork by UK’s Paul Insect was about six years ago on the Separation Wall in Bethlehem. I was instantly enthralled. Since then I’ve seen his art here in NYC printed on stickers and featured in a few group exhibits. But as RJ blogged earlier this week, Opera Gallery is currently presenting Paul Insect’s first solo exhibit in New York City. And it is ravishing — both aesthetically and conceptually. Meticulously crafted paintings, sculptures and installations on a range of themes — from the media and the environment to religion and identity — reflect the artist’s imaginative sensibility and astounding array of skills. Here are a few more images:
Abu Sami’s Family in Jabal Al Qala’a overlooking downtown Amman
The Jordanian Jabal Al Qala’a community, situated on Amman’s highest hill, had a rare treat earlier this month. Through the efforts and support of the British Council, noted London-based street artist Stik brought his talent and passion to this historic district, where – Stik notes — “stray cats rummage through rubbish tips and children play in the streets.” In partnership with An Urban Reflection Residency Project and Creative Jordan: Platform for Visionary Ideas Festival, Stik, along with 10 local Jordanian artists, worked with local children to transform the visual landscape of this special space. Here are a few more images:
I love the way Stik and a growing number of street artists facilitate community art projects, using street art as a social tool. Since the festival was launched, the area has seen crowds of tourists, a fashion shoot and a hip-hop music video crew. For more images from this project, known as Outer Space in Al Qala’a, check here.
Photos courtesy of Stik and Alaa Qattam of the British Council
Partial view of Stikman installation at Stupid Easy, photo by Dan King
I discovered Stikman one fall afternoon back in 2007 while walking down Rivington Street on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. It was love at first sight. And from that day on, I began to notice him – sometimes alone and other times in the company of his fellow stikmen — in just about every neighborhood I frequented in NYC. He also surfaced – to my surprise and delight – on my visits to Washington DC, Boston and Philly. In fact, he seemed to be just about everywhere in Philly. Sometimes he appeared on a sticker pasted onto a newspaper box or traffic sign; other times he was stenciled onto the pavement or simply hanging in one of his many fabrications, and often he was just lurking around a doorway or alley. But he always charmed me. This past week, I went down to Philly to check out Stikman 20.1 Celebrating 20 Years Hanging Around Philly at the Stupid Easy Gallery.
A Mondrian-inspired Stikman on a painted stenciled background at Stupid Easy, photo by Lois Stavsky
The show, a treasure for any Stikman fan – as well as for anyone who appreciates urban interventions — attests to the extraordinary skills and passion of Stikman’s creator. From paper collages with 20 stenciled overlapping stickmen to ingenious installations in a range of media, the elusive artist has fashioned an extraordinary tribute to his and our beloved Stikman. Here are a few more images:
Stikman framed at Stupid Easy, photo by Lois StavskyStikman on record album cover, photo by Lois StavsyAnother view of installation, photo by Dan King
The exhibit will continue for at least another few weeks — according to the folks at Stupid Easy. If you are anywhere in the vicinity, enjoy!
Astrotwitch on postal in Washington DC. Photo by Lois Stavsky.
A huge fan of sticker art, I love coming upon Astrotwitch‘s beguiling women whenever I’m down in DC. Along with Astrotwitch, an array of these women recently traveled west to Portland, Oregon. Rendered in seductive colors with watercolor, acrylic and markers, they’ve made their way onto a range of surfaces in different sizes. Here’s a sampling:
Photos by Lois Stavsky and courtesy of Astrotwitch
With artworks ranging from the charming to the alarming, Rewriting Portraiture, curated by Rhiannon Platt, features the diverse visions of Jilly Ballistic, Rachel Hays, Vahge & Vexta. Here are a few more images from the exhibit that opens tomorrow – Friday evening – at 7pm at Low Brow Artique, 143 Central Ave. in Bushwick:
Two deftly rendered, evocative pieces by the noted Australian artist James Reka aka Reka One have recently surfaced at Bushwick Five Points. Inspired by hurricane Sandy, they exude a mournful beauty.
Stinkfish in still from “The Return of Lencho,” image courtesy of Occularis Films
Earlier this week I had the opportunity to see a special preview of The Return of Lencho, the first full-length film written and directed by four-time Emmy Award winning producer Mario Rosales. I’ve been, since, haunted by its vivid portrayal of the ruthless brutality directed against street artists and youth in Rosales’s native Guatemala. Featuring the artwork of Stinkfish, Bastardilla, Aeon and Soft, The Return of Lencho opens tomorrow evening for a one-week run at Manhattan’s Quad Cinema. Mario Rosales will be there to answer questions following tomorrow’s and Saturday’s 7:50pm show and Sunday’s 5pm show.
The exterior surfaces of many of San Juan’s decayed and abandoned buildings – along with the concrete walls found largely in its public housing projects – have become canvases for some of the most vibrant graffiti and alluring street art that I’ve seen anywhere. Here is a sampling of what we saw on our recent visit:
Pun 18, photo by Dani MozesonLa Pandilla and Don Rimx, close-up, photo by Lenny ColladoSke and Rek, photo by Lois StavskyLa Pandilla and Celso Gonzalez, photo by Dani MozesonADM, photo by Lois Stavsky
Bad, a member of the HD crew, escorted us to walls we never would have found on our own, while delivering cans of spray paint to just about every artist getting up in town. Curious about it all, we had the chance to ask him some questions on a brief coffee break:
Tell us about all these cans of spray paint that travel with you. What exactly is your role here?
I represent Montana Colors in the Caribbean. I am its sole distributor.
How did that come to be?
I saw that there was a need here for quality spray paints. Too many graff artists were using cheap paints. When I began getting up in 2002, I used to have to get mine from the States. And this way I am doing a service for the artists, and I am also making money.
How has this job affected your life?
It is my life. I know at least one graff writer in every country. I have a home anywhere I travel. It’s the best life!
How does the graff here in Puerto Rico differ from what you’ve seen elsewhere?
Our styles are more distinct and more varied than most of what I see elsewhere.
Certainly more so than we see back in NYC. How has the graff scene in Puerto Rico changed since you began getting up over 10 years ago?
Back then, most of the writers came from the lower class. That’s not the case anymore. The scene has also been going in cycles. It was huge at the beginning of the century. We hit a low in 2005, and in 2010 it began, once again, to boom.
Bad, photo by Dani Mozeson
Any favorite artists?
There are many. Among them: Os Gemeos, the Mac from Germany, Celso here in Puerto Rico…
How do you feel about graff artists exhibiting their work in galleries?
I respect both the artists who promote themselves and the galleries who support them.
How do you feel about the role of the internet in all of this?
It’s definitely been a positive force. I remember when all we had were magazines and photos of our pieces that we mailed back and forth. The internet is a much easier and speedier way for us to share our work.
What do you see as the future of graffiti and street art here in the Caribbean?
You’re here for our first international street art festival that has brought some of the world’s most renowned street artists — including Roa, Ever, Sego and Jaz — to Puerto Rico. This is just the beginning. And in a few weeks, we have a major graffiti jam happening in the Dominican Republic. It just keeps on getting bigger — both here and across the globe.
Photos by Lenny Collado, Dani Mozeson & Lois Stavsky
Completed mural, “Explanation of how freedom (in the male form) and revolution meet to create a liberated Puerto Rico”. Photo by Nicolás Romero aka Ever.
I discovered Ever’s extraordinary aesthetic when I visited Baltimore earlier this year. I was mesmerized — from blocks away — by his distinct fusion of the photorealistic and the abstract. I was delighted to see him at work on my recent visit to Puerto Rico, but I didn’t get to see the completed mural — until now, courtesy of the artist.
Ever at work in “Los Muros Hablan”. Photo by Dani Mozeson.
In Bogota, Colombia, the walls don’t talk. They scream. Featuring the artwork of Bogota Street Art, a collective of four of Bogota’s most active street artists – Dj Lu, Gouache, Lesivo and Toxicómano — the recently released Calle Esos Ojos testifies to both the visual and political impact of street art in Colombia’s capital. Here are some of the images from the book:
Dj Lu has for years been altering the visual landscape of his city with his satirical stencils, targeting a range of issues from consumerism to sexism to the military.
With asymmetrical rhythms and striking colors, Gauche celebrates Bogota’s distinct multicultural mix of everyday people.
Lesivo tends to focus on the darker — or more frightening — underside of the city.
And Toxicómano is on a mission to divert the attention of passersby from commercial ads.
Along with texts – in Spanish — by noted Colombian authors, Darío Jaramillo Agudelo and Antonio Morales Riveira, the book also includes four stencil templates and 15 embossed collectible stickers.
Photos courtesy of Bogota Street Art and special thanks to Marcelo Arroyave of the Colectivo Sursystem for getting this book over to me, reminding me how much I love and miss the streets and people of Bogota.
