Sofia Maldonado at The Museum of Arts and Design, at Magnan Metz and in the East Village

Sofia Maldonado at the Museum of Arts and Design; photo by Sara Mozeson
Sofia Maldonado at the Museum of Arts and Design. Photo by Sara Mozeson.

Sofia Maldonado has quite a presence in NYC these days. Her work can currently be seen in the exhibit Against the Grain at the Museum of Arts and Design on Columbus Circle, at Magnan Metz Gallery in Chelsea and on East First Street in collaboration with Ray Smith and Cre8tive YouTH*ink for Centrefuge Public Art Project.

Into Grey at Megnan Metz; photo by Lois Stavsky
Into Grey at Magnan Metz. Photo by Lois Stavsky.
Into Grey, close-up, at Magnan Metz; photo by Lois Stavsky
Into Grey, close-up, at Magnan Metz. Photo by Lois Stavsky.
On East First Street, photo by Dani Mozeson
On East First Street. Photo by Dani Mozeson.
On East First Street, photo by Lois Stavsky
On East First Street. Photo by Lois Stavsky.

And tomorrow, May 23,  Magnan Metz is hosting a benefit cocktail to support the wonderful work that Sofia and other artists are doing with the young members of  Cre8tive YouTH*ink.

Magnan Metz benefit

Washington DC-based Astrotwitch curates “With Love and Care” at the Fridge

Astrotwitch
Astrotwitch

Astrotwitch – whose playful, colorful paste-ups and stickers have graced Washington DC’s visual landscape for a while now – has been busy at work curating an exhibit. “With Love and Care,” opening this Saturday evening, May 4 from 7-11pm at the Fridge, brings together seven international artists who have shared their one-of-a-kind hand painted posters in public spaces. On exhibit will be select posters and original paintings by these artists — mounted by Astrotwitch on painted and tagged frames fashioned from found wood. In addition to Astrotwitch and Decoy from DC, featured artists include: the Berlin-based Argentinian artist, Alanzacion; Portland, Oregon’s N.O. Bonzo and Circleface;  MAR! from LA and Galo from Sao Paulo. As you can see from this sampling, their work is quite diverse; what binds them together is their commitment to sharing unsanctioned original artwork on the streets of their cities.

N.O. Bonzo
N.O. Bonzo
Alaniz
Alaniz
Galo
Galo

The exhibit continues through May 26 at 516 1/2 8th Street, SE in Washington DC.

Photos courtesy Astrotwitch

Tony DePew, Toofly & Quelbeast in “Vis-á-Vis” at Mighty Tanaka

Tony Depew, Rebecca Weinberg, Acrylic on Canvas
Tony Depew, Rebecca Weinberg, Acrylic on Canvas

The vitality and intrigue that Tony DePew, Toofly and Quelbeast have brought to the streets are wonderfully captured in a series of portraits on exhibit in Vis-á-Vis, a handsome show over at Mighty Tanaka in Dumbo, Brooklyn. Here are a few more from over a dozen striking images on exhibit:

Tony DePew, Rebecca Weinberg, Stained Glass Panel
Tony DePew, Rebecca Weinberg, Stained Glass Panel
Toofly, What We Love We Grow To Resemble, Acrylic on Cardboard
Toofly, What We Love We Grow To Resemble, Acrylic on Cardboard
Quelbeast, The Alcoholic (Selfish Portrait Series), Acrylic on Canvas
Quelbeast, The Alcoholic (Selfish Portrait Series), Acrylic on Canvas

Vis-á-Vis remains on exhibit at 111 Front Street in Brooklyn through February 8th.

Photos by Lois Stavsky

BSA and Hellbent Bring You “Geometricks”

(Detail) Olek

In the first of hopefully a prolific series of exhibitions, Brooklyn Street Art presents Geometricks, curated by street artist and art historian Hellbent. Rather than simply pairing random street artists together, as many exhibitions do, Geometricks attempts to delineate a movement that is currently at play within the scene. Artists scattered around the world have started creating pieces whose focus is abstract geometry. Featuring the work of Augustine Kofie, Chor Boogie, Drew Tyndell, Feral Child, Hellbent, Jaye Moon, Maya Hayuk, MOMO, OLEK, OverUnder, and See One, the show reaches to several cities to gather artists from different ends of the geometric(k) spectrum.

(Detail) Overunder
(Detail) Maya Hayuk

The different ends of this spectrum include artists who both directly and indirectly create work from rigid forms. With the paintings of featured artists Maya Hayuk and Augustine Kofie, the thematic connection to their imagery is blatant, though stunning nonetheless. It was, however, the installation pieces of Olek and Jaye Moon that I found to be most engaging in the space. The dimensionality inherent in the way that they create their pieces added a layer to their importance in a show centered on shape.

Jaye Moon
(Detail) Augustine Kofie
Jaye Moon

It is important to note that in addition to the work seen above, Hellbent has featured a wall specifically for a student’s budget. Many artists, such as Jaye Moon (featured above), See One, and Feral Child, have created smaller interpretations of their larger gallery pieces and have been priced at under $200.

Geometricks will have a public opening tonight from 6pm to 8pm at Gallery Brooklyn and will run from September 22 to October 28. Free shuttle service will be provided from the Carroll Street F/G station to the gallery as well as from the after party back to the station.

All photos by Rhiannon Platt

Made in Iran: Icy and Sot in NYC

This is a joint post by Luke McManus and Lois Stavsky

Icy and Sot have been doing lots of fresh pieces on NYC streets, so we were excited to check out Made in Iran, the first exhibit outside of their native country that they could attend. With influences ranging from Banksy to C215, they have created a distinct body of work including many pieces that reflect their unique political and social realities.

A particular favorite in the exhibit is an installation of old 12-inch vinyls that pay homage to deceased icons. We loved how the cuts in the vinyl mirror the hair of those portrayed.

Also impressive are a number of finely detailed stencils, including this one on an old Iranian packing box.

The exhibit continues through the 25th at 379 Broome Street in Manhattan’s Little Italy.

Photos by Tara Murray and Lois Stavsky

“Cause and Effect” Captures the Beat of the Streets

Ski URNY

For sheer fun, few exhibits I’ve seen this summer surpass “Cause and Effect” at 211 Franklin Street in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Curated by UR New York (2ESAE & SKI) and Tone MST, it features works in various genres by a range of artists whose works are seen on NYC streets. Graffiti and street art meet here and fuse seamlessly – sometimes within the same pieces. Here are a few more images:

Cern
Sofia Maldonado
KA

The exhibit continues through August 22nd.

Photos by Lois Stavsky

You & Me at Bushwick’s Low Brow Artique

EKG & Dark Clouds

Opening this evening from 6-9pm at Bushwick’s stylish Low Brow Artique is You and Me, an intriguing exhibit of collaborative pieces in a range of textures and styles. Curated by Rhiannon Platt, it features works by Cash4 & Smells, OCMC & This Is Awkward, Veng & Sofia Maldonado, Chris & Veng (RWK), EKG & Dark Clouds, Matt Siren & Fenix and Royce Bannon & Russell King, The exhibit continues through September 1 at 143 Central Avenue.  Here are two more pieces:

Veng & Sofia Maldonado
Matt Siren & Fenix

Photos by Tara Murray and Lois Stavsky

Klughaus Gallery Readies for Kingbrown Magazine / Launch and Opening Exhibition

Morning Breath

One of the coolest spots in Manhattan’s Lower East Side/Chinatown neighborhood is the Klughaus Gallery, as it features some of the best graffiti and street art to be found anywhere. I haven’t been getting down there often enough, but when in the neighborhood earlier today, I dropped by. And it couldn’t have been a more perfect time, as the gallery was getting ready for Thursday evening’s Australia’s “Kingbrown Magazine” / Launch and Opening Exhibition. Curated by Fountain’s John Leo and Melissa McCaig-Welles in collaboration with Kingbrown and Morning Breath, the exhibit features a range of wondrous works. Here are some favorites:

Beastman
Reka
Anthony Lister
The Yok
Daek

More about the wonderful Kingbrown Magazine — that I’ve only recently discovered — in a future post.

Photos by Sara Mozeson & Lois Stavsky

Bushwick’s Low Brow Artique Opens with “Welcome to the Neighborhood”

Bushwick’s new Low Brow Boutique is a street artist’s and street art lover’s dream. Offering a first-rate selection of aerosol art supplies, it also houses a gallery and store that features a range of artwork in different media by artists whose primary canvas is the streets.  The brainchild of Bishop 203 – who’s left his mark for years on everything from freight trains to stickers – Low Brow Boutique officially opens tomorrow Saturday evening at 7 pm at 143 Central Avenue in Bushwick.  When we stopped by this afternoon, the Yok, Sheryo and See One were busy gracing its exterior and Rhiannon Platt, who curated the opening exhibit “Welcome to the Neighborhood.” shared some of the artwork with us. Here are a few images:

The Yok and Sheryo at work
See One at work
A small sampling of supplies
Willow artwork on exhibit
Cern artwork on exhibit
Elle artwork on exhibit

Other artists in Low Brow Artique’s opening exhibit include: Clown Soldier, Enx, Sheryo, the Yok and See One. Welcome to the neighborhood!

Photos by Tara Murray and Lois Stavsky