Magda Love

“Messenger” Continues at Vanderplas Gallery Through Feb. 26th With: Will Power, Al Diaz, Magda Love, Cope2, Sonni & More

February 15, 2023

The following post is by student/intern Samantha Sabatino

On view now at Vanderplas Gallery on Manhattan’s Lower East Side is “Messenger.” Featuring an eclectic selection of works by artists who have been active on the streets of NYC and beyond, the exhibition continues through February 26th. Featured above is an untitled mixed-media work by self-taught artist Will Power. A small sampling of artworks by artists showcased in “Messenger” follows:

The NYC-born graffiti artist and SAMO© collaborator Al Diaz, “In the Future All Art Will Be Fake,” 2023, Mized media on canvas, 23″ x 20″

NYC/Buenos Aires/Miami — itinerant artist Magda Love, “Galaxy Inside 1,” 2023, Painting with Embroidered Frame, 24″ x 19″

Veteran Bronx graffiti artist Cope2, 8th Street R W Lines Subway Sign with blue Cope2 bubble, 2023, Mixed media on original metal subway sign, 27″ x 55″

NYC-based Argentine artist Sonni, “Starman,” 2022, Acrylic on canvas, 60″ x 48″

Located at 156 Orchard Street, the gallery is open Wed-Sat: 11am-6pm and Sunday: 11am-5pm.

Photos of artworks by Samantha Sabatino

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Speaking with Street Art Enthusiast and Advocate Steve Stoppert

November 9, 2019

An art lover and dear friend to so many street artists, East Village–based Steve Stoppert is a local legend. True to his motto, “Just Paint,” he is the force behind one of NYC’s most visible public spaces – the wall facing the Second Avenue subway station. Dozens of artists have painted there, and dozens more wait their turn. Recently, we had the opportunity to interview Steve in his Second Avenue apartment that brims with art — from floor to ceiling — in just about every media and style.

We are fortunate that you have made New York City your home. Where were you born? And what brought you here?

I was born in Pontiac, Michigan — a northern suburb of Detroit. I came here in 1992 for two weeks to remodel my sister’s bathroom. And I never left. She was living on East 6^th Street at the time.

What was it about NYC that so drew you in?

The music scene. It was magic! Seeing the Pavement at the Mercury Lounge on the Lower East Side. Hanging out at CBGB on the Bowery…

And what about NYC’s art scene?

I used to go on my own to the Met. But it wasn’t until an artist friend took me on a tour of the museum and introduced me to Cézanne that something clicked!

What is your first street art/graffiti-related memory?

Definitely Shepard Fairey. Seeing Andre the Giant everywhere!

And how did you become so deeply involved with the current scene?

I started going out with Fumero late at night. I was his “look-out.” I remember thinking, “If only I’d had an aerosol can in my hand when I was 15!”

How has the street art scene changed since you first began paying attention to it?

It’s different. These days, there are lots of fluffy paste-ups, and just about everyone is documenting it. But I still love it.

What is your favorite aspect of the scene?

I love the hunt. When I first began in 2010, I was obsessed with Jim Joe. I used to hunt for him daily. I chased him everywhere between the Lower East Side and Tribeca competing with folks on Tumblr for the most Jim Joe sightings.

For the past several years you’ve been curating a hugely visible wall right on your block. How do you decide which artists to feature?

I have a list of about 80-100 artists who’ve approached me. We simply select a name at random from a hat. Each month the wall changes.

What has the experience been like?

I love it. I love working with artists. I don’t even mind when they’re flakey or late. I just go with it.

How do you deal with the ever-present politics in this scene?

I ignore it completely.

Do any memorable experiences stand out?

Fun times! When City Kitty got up on the wall and changed it 6-8 times within three months. And, of course, riding on my bike at 3am to 4am with flashlight and bike light – not knowing what I will see that I haven’t seen before.

What do you see as the future of this scene?

It seems to be at an all-time high with its increasing appeal to commercial buildings and high-end hotels.

Yes! It certainly has changed since I first fell in love with it! And we are thrilled that you are doing what you are doing. The wall that you curate is one of our faves.

Images:

1. Steve Stoppert in front or wall painted last Sunday by Key Detail

2, Noted California-born artist and musician Paul Kostabi

3. The itinerant Sirus Fountain aka Pyramid Oracle

4. Bronx-based Zimad

5. Brooklyn-based Argentine artists Magda Love and Sonni

6. The prolific Optimo NYC aka Optimo Primo, Werds and No Sleep

7. Brooklyn-based Argentine artist Ramiro Davaro-Comas

Interview conducted by Lois Stavsky and Ana Candelaria and edited by Lois Stavsky

Photo credits: 1-3 & 5 Lois Stavsky; 4, 6 & 7 Ana Candelaria

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Cool Culture Presents “Give to Get 2018” with Interactive Art by Magda Love, Sounds by DJ Paz & more — All for a Fabulous Cause!

November 17, 2018

Hosted by Phillips Auction House on #GIVINGTUESDAY, November 27, Cool Culture presents an evening of food, open bar, dancing, raffles, along with sounds by DJ Paz and interactive art by Magda Love. And it’s all for a fabulous cause!

Each year Cool Culture partners with 90 cultural institutions — from museums to botanical gardens — and over 450 schools to provide free and unlimited arts access to 50,000 NYC families.

And in our current political climate, culture matters — perhaps, more now than ever. Next Tuesday evening’s #GIVEtoGET2018 is the ideal way to support a fabulous organization, while having a fabulous time!

Date: Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Time: 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM

Location: Phillips Auction House 450 Park Avenue (between 56 & 57th street)

Ticket: Purchase provides you with access to an open bar and appetizer

You can purchase tickets here. We are only 10 days away from #GIVEtoGET2018

All images courtesy Cool Culture; the third image was photographed at the Queens Museum by Margarita Corporan

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Magda Love, Al Diaz and Eduardo Kobra Paint NYC’s Largest Wall at City-As-School in the West Village

November 8, 2018

Teeming with color and charm, the huge wall at City-As-School on Hudson Street between Clarkson and West Houston in the West Village has been the talk of the town. I had the opportunity to visit it while it was still in progress and speak to CAS educator Maria Krajewsk i, who’s been devotedly involved with this project since it first began.

When did this impressive project begin?

Magda Love actually started her mural in May, 2016. But due to permitting issues, the painting had to be stopped four days after it had begun. We were told that we needed formal approval not only from the Department of Education, but, also, from the Department of Environmental Protection. About 25 people in the DOE and DEP had to approve the process. We had to work out insurance, liability, releases… That took about a year. We were so grateful to get the permit!

What is happening here is described as a project of the Mad Academy that you had co-founded. Just what is the Mad Academy?

It is a pre-professional training initiative that was developed as a collaboration among students, teachers and mentors. Its goal is to provide CAS students direct training in design, arts and music under the guidance of NYC’s top creative industry professionals.

I know that Magda Love has been involved with City-as-School now for several years. I remember the first mural that she had painted here. But how did you engage the Brazilian muralist Eduardo Kobra? His popular appeal is enormous!

Eduardo Kobra’s team actually approached us, as it was a great opportunity for him to paint on such a huge wall adjacent to a school building and to engage with students.

Working on a project this enormous must have posed many challenges. What were some of the main ones?

The enormous bureaucracy that confronted us in obtaining the necessary permissions to seeing it through was our greatest challenge. And funding, of course was another huge challenge. Once we got the permit, we didn’t have any money! When Lisi Gehrend joined the team to fundraise as part of her Master’s Degree in Art, Law and Business at Christie’s Education, the largest mural in NYC was finally underway

You’ve had quite a team. And how has the response been — from students and the community?

It’s been amazing. The community loves it, as do the students. They are, in fact, painting their own murals now on our building.

Congratulations! It is amazing! And it’s so wonderful how it all came together.

Images:

1 & 2 Magda Love

3 Al Diaz

4 Eduardo Kobra & team

5 City-As-School students Charlie Federico & Kaira Wong

Photos by Lois Stavsky

Note: Hailed in a range of media from WideWalls to the Huffington Post to the New York Times, our Street Art NYC App is now available for Android devices here.

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The 7th Annual Welling Court Mural Project Launches in Astoria, Queens with: Toofly, Miro, Mr. June, Billy Mode & Chris Stain, Daze & Crash, Vagabonddom, Tamara Heller, OneL NYC, Magda Love and more

June 10, 2016

Organized by Garrison & Alison Buxton, the Welling Court Mural Project is back gracing Welling Court and its neighboring blocks in Astoria, Queens with a wonderfully diverse array of artworks. Here is a sampling of some of the completed murals, along with others in progress, as artists ready for tomorrow’s official launch and block party.

Miro

Mr June

Billy Mode and Chris Stain

Daze and Crash

Vagabonddom at work

Tamara Heller for Crisis Text Line

OneL NYC checking out his mural

Magda Love, with her assistant Jamie, at work

You can view the murals, meet the artists and join the festivities tomorrow — Saturday — from 12-8 along 30th Ave and 12th Street and neighboring blocks.

First image features Toofly, work in progress to be completed tomorrow, Saturday

Photo credits: 1, 2 4-9 Tara Murray; 3 Lois Stavsky

Note: Hailed in a range of media from the Huffington Post to the New York Times, our Street Art NYC App is now available for Android devices here.

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Magda Love: From Buenos Aires to Brooklyn

April 3, 2015

Argentine artist Magdalena Marcenaro aka Magda Love shares with us some of her early experiences and impressions of NYC in this second in our series of interviews with artists born abroad who have made NYC home.

When did you first visit New York City?

I first came here in 2000 with a bag and $300. My uncle had paid for my ticket.

What was your initial impression of this city?

I wasn’t impressed! I was raised in Buenos Aires, a similarly large city. And large cities don’t move me that much. I’m far more impressed by nature. And I always thought of Europe as far cooler than the United States, as Europeans seem to value culture more than Americans do. London seemed like the ideal place to live because I was into fashion at the time.

Why, then, did you decide to stay in NYC?

Just about everyone was telling me that NYC is the place to be, and then four months later, I was married.

How did your family feel about your move?

My mother was very supportive. She raised me to be independent. She, herself, is very adventurous.

What were some of the challenges you faced when you first came here –before you were married?

My biggest challenge was finding a place to live. When I first arrived, I called a friend I’d met in Argentina and I spent my first two weeks in her place on Roosevelt Island. There was a huge snowstorm at the time. I can’t forget that! I had never seen snow in Buenos Aires. I then worked in a hostel on 106^th Street and Central Park West in exchange for a place to sleep. After that, I just crashed in lots of different spaces, wherever anyone had a spare bed.

That must have been difficult.

Yes, I remember spending an entire night on a computer in Times Square checking for possible rentals. For a while I ended up renting a room in Alphabet City. It was in the Projects on Avenue D. I didn’t even know what the Projects were. And there I was — walking around in a fur coat! And as my Spanish is so different from that of the people living in the Projects, I could barely communicate with anyone. And, of course, dealing with paper work that any newcomer to the US has to deal with is always a challenge.

How did you meet your basic expenses early on?

I first worked in a coffee shop, and then I worked as a bartender. I also sold some clothes I’d made to Patricia Field. Back in Buenos Aires, I designed fashion.

Have you encountered any prejudice here?

Not here in NYC. Living in this city is like living in a bubble. But when I’m with my son – who is biracial – outside of NYC, I do feel prejudice.

How has your artwork evolved or changed since you moved here?

It changes all the time. I feel that I’ve grown tremendously. Being around so many talented artists – especially those who paint on the streets — exposed me to so much. It has helped me develop different techniques.

Have New Yorkers been receptive to your artwork?

Yes. I’ve been fortunate.

What would you like to accomplish here?

I’m eager to paint a huge wall. I want to collaborate with some of my favorite artists. And I’d love to have a solo show. Actually, my goal is to conquer the world!

What do you miss most about your native country?

I miss seeing my brother’s kids grow up and I miss the countryside.

Do you see yourself living here on a permanent basis or returning to your country?

I’m here to stay!

Interview conducted by Lois Stavsky and City-as-School intern Zachariah Messaoud; photo credits: 1, 2, 5 & 7 Zachariah Messaoud; 3 Dani Reyes Mozeson; 4 Tara Murray & 6 Lois Stavsky

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Street Art Prankster Hanksy Brings The Best of the Worst to NYC: Frank Ape, Lexi Bella, Cosbe, Miss Zukie, CB23, Magda Love, Meres, Russell King, Col, UR New York, Mr. Toll, El Sol 25 and much more

March 30, 2015

The following guest post is by Houda Lazrak, a graduate student in Museum Studies at New York University.

This past weekend, Hanksy’s much-anticipated show, The Best of the Worst, drew hundreds of street art fans to the former Chase Bank at 104 Delancey Street on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Along with some of NYC’s most notable graffiti writers and street artists, Hanksy transformed the space into a NYC playground-like arena — with a skate ramp, a Chinese massage parlor and more wonderfully-engaging site-specific installations. Dozens of intriguing, overlapping pieces, paste-ups and stickers paid homage to street art, while, also, poking fun at the scene.

Miss Zukie

CB23

Magda Love and Hanksy and more

Meres and more

Russell King, Col and UR New York

Hanksy

Included, too, was a rather formally installed art exhibit in the wittily-titled Gag-Osian Gallery featuring some of NYC’s most popular street artists.

Mr. Toll at the Gag-Osian

El Sol 25 at the Gag-Osian

All photos by Houda Lazrak; pictured in the first photo are Frank Ape, Lexi Bella and Cosbe

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NYC’s Stylish Trucks & Vans – from the Whimsical to the Wild, Part XI: Wane, Cone, Magda Love, Crane, Rimx & Seel and Sienide

January 30, 2015

This is the eleventh in a series of occasional posts featuring the diverse range of trucks and vans that strike our streets.

Wane in Manhattan

Cone in the Bronx

Magda Love in Bushwick for JMZ Walls

Crane in Washington Heights/Inwood

Rimx and Seel in Bushwick

Sienide in the Bronx

Photo credits: 1. Dani Reyes Mozeson; 2-4 and 6. Lois Stavsky; 5. Tara Murray

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STREET MURALS at Bushwick’s Be Electric with Chris & Veng RWK, Nicole Salgar & Chuck Berrett, Fumero, Raquel Echanique, Magda Love, Sonni, Joseph Meloy, Cern, Esteban del Valle and more

October 25, 2014

With new murals outside and an array of artworks inside, Be Electric Studios on 1298 Willoughby Avenue is the site of a new exhibit featuring over 20 street muralists. Here are a few images captured hours before it opened last night.

Chris & Veng RWK and Nicole Salgar & Chuck Berrett