Ces

Curated by Museum of Graffiti co-founder Alan Ket, the museum’s exterior and the immediate environs host over a dozen murals in a range of graffiti styles. The exquisitely-crafted mural featured above was fashioned collaboratively by: Hiero Veiga, Bacon and Quake. Several more of these recent murals, captured by travel and street photographer Karin du Maire aka Street Art Nomad this past week, follow:

UK-based Lovepusher in his inimitable 3D style

Eurotrash at work, and to his left — Miami-native James Monk aka Rasterms 

Miami’s Sinse at work with Amsterdam-based calligraffiti master Niels Meulman a.k.a. Shoe‘s “Museum of Graffiti” signage looming in the background

NYC-based graff masters Ces, Yes2, Doves and Mast

Miami native Abstrk with Lima-based Entes

Photos: Karin du Maire aka Street Art Nomad 

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beyond-graffiti

Since we first discovered Karin du Maire‘s Instagram account, we’ve been fans of her hugely impressive documentation of street art and graffiti. We recently had the opportunity to sit down with her.

We love your documentation of the current street art and graffiti scene – in NYC and in your travels. When did you first turn your lens to urban culture, particularly street art?  

As a travel photographer, I developed a strong interest in urban culture in 2006 while in Rio de Janeiro photographing Passinho dancers in the city’s favelas. At about that time, I started paying more attention to the background, and I began using abandoned buildings as settings. And back here in NYC, I often combined my visits to MoMA PS1 in Long Island City with 5Pointz, where I particularly loved photographing B-boy battles.

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Are you formally trained as a photographer?

No, I studied Business, and I earned an MBA degree from the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. But I’ve taken courses in photography at SVA and I’ve participated in B&H’s Event Space workshops. I also ran a Twitter chat focusing on photography.

When did you first become interested in photography? 

It was a passion of mine in the late 80’s and early 90’s. And then in the late 90’s, I began getting paid assignments as a travel photographer.

You’ve photographed dozens of artists at work. How have they responded to you?

In general, they’ve been very welcoming. They appreciate my photography skills and the exposure that I offer them. I always ask for permission first, and I share my photos with them. Many artists have become my friends, and it is fun to chat and watch them paint.

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What are some of the challenges that you face in the work you are now doing?

Keeping up with all that is happening on the streets; wanting to capture an image when the light is wrong or when there are cars in the way, and trying to help artists by arranging walls for them.

What — would you say — is your current mission?

There is an intrinsic reward in what I am doing – documenting creativity and helping artists grow. And coming from a travel photography background, I would like to get sponsored to photograph street art in different places.

Do you have any particularly memorable experiences from your work here in NYC?

Watching Nychos paint at Coney Art Walls – his amazing raw energy as he sketched freehand.

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Any favorite cities?

Rio de Janeiro and London are among my favorites.

Any proud accomplishments from documenting art on the streets?

My proudest accomplishments generally involve capturing someone in the right place at the right time. It’s the split second that makes the difference! I was so happy, for example, to meet and photograph Sebas Rivas from Córdoba in Argentina while he was sitting aside, off on his own — selling his delightful artwork – amidst all the activity at Art Basel in Miami last year.

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We’ve noticed that you use your iPhone as opposed to a standard camera to capture images.

Yes. I use the iPhone to photograph just about everything that is not an assignment. Most cameras these days are good. What matters is not the camera – but the eye of the photographer… the composition, the light, the moment. In addition, iPhones are less intimidating than huge cameras. And the entire process is shorter, as I have very little editing to do.

What’s ahead for you?

I’m now off to Art Basel in Miami and I am planning to return soon to Cuba, where there is a burgeoning street art scene.

Where do you think street art and graffiti are headed?

Street art will continue to beautify our cities. It will continue to become more mainstream, and there will be more opportunities for artists. I also suspect that there will be more art activism.

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Thank you! And do keep on doing what you are doing! We love it!

Images

1. Beyond on LIC rooftop

2. Meres mural in background with b-boys at 5Pointz in LIC

3. Icy and Sot in Astoria with the Welling Court Mural Project

4. Nychos at work for Coney Art Walls with Martha Cooper with camera

5. Sebas Rivas in Miami

6. Ces photographing his mural at Broadway Junction

All images © Karin du Maire

Interview conducted by Lois Stavsky with Tara Murray

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T-kid-on-canvas-at-212-arts-NYC

Continuing through March 8 at 212 Arts in the East Village is Graffiti Legends, an exuberant exhibit of artworks by legendary Bronx artists: Bio, BG 183, Ces, Crash, Nicer, Skeme and T-Kid.  What follows is a sampling:

Another by T-Kid

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Skeme

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 BioTats Cru, close-up

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Ces

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Crash

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And a range of tags  — many, also, legendary — that surfaced on canvas opening night

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Curated by 212 Arts director Marc Leader, Graffiti Legends remains on exhibit through next Tuesday at 240 East 4th Street.  Hours are:  Tuesday through Saturday 2:00 pm – 8:00 pm, and Sunday 2:00 pm – 7:00 pm.

Photo credits: 1 Tara Murray; 2 Houda Lazrak; 3 Lois Stavsky and 4-7 Dani Reyes Mozeson

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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Produced by Sade TCM for Nasty, Neo FC, the Blaze of Hackensack has refashioned the always-brilliant graffiti walls in Hackensack, New Jersey’s famed open-air gallery. Here’s a sampling of what surfaced last month:

Bronx-based Pase

Pase

NYC artists Per One and Hef

PerOne

Bronx-based John Matos aka Crash

Crash

Bronx-based Ces

Ces

The Blaze of Hackensack curator Sade TCM

Sade

Bronx-based Bio, Tats Cru

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Bronx-based Zimad

Zimad

Bronx-based BG 183, Tats Cru

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Veteran graffiti writers Sonic and Part One, Dedicated to the Victims in Paris

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Photos by Dani Reyes Mozeson

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rime-jersey-joe-graffiti-bronx-nyc

For the past several days, over two dozen artists — from writers to muralists —  have been busily transforming a huge block along Boone Avenue at 174th Street. Here are a few more images that we captured these past two days from Writers Block organized by Wen Cod:

Mastro

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Curve

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Spot and Acne aka Young Socrates

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Yes 1 at work 

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Nero aka Uncle Ro

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Wen Cod, who organized the event, captured at work in the early stages yesterday morning

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Rath at work

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Danielle Mastrion, Lexi Bella, and Doc TC5 to the far right

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Ces checks it out

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 Note: First image features Jersey Joe aka Rime

Photo credits: 1-4 & 6-9 Lois Stavsky; 5 & 10 Tara Murray

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This past Saturday, David Gonzalez, award-winning journalist, photographer and co-editor of the New York Times photoblog, Lens, led a group of Instagramers on a walk through Hunts Point, introducing us to works by some of its legendary graffiti artists and muralists. Here are a few images StreetArtNYC captured on Instagram:

Tats Cru with How and Nosm, close-up

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Nicer, Tats Cru with Instagramer Sarah Sansom aka catscoffeecreativity seated

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Ces

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Daze

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Crash, who also shared some Hunts Point history with us, in front of his mural

Crash-graffiti-NYTBronxWalk-NYC

David Gonzalez leads the way to the Point, Tats Cru‘s headquarters

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Artist-at-work at the Point

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David Gonzalez (left), Whitney Richardson (center), James Estrin (right) and Kerri MacDonald (top) of The New York Times at the Point

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Renowned photojournalist Martha Cooper, also on the walk, shared with us some photos she had taken of the trains in key spots over 30 years ago, and she captured us all here.

Note: You can check out the Instagram hashtag #NYTBronxWalk for more images from Saturday’s tour.

Photos by Lois Stavsky

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The-Bronx-Graffiti-Art-Gallery

The Bronx Graffiti Art Gallery, a new outdoor public art space located in the courtyard of Gustiamo at 1715 West Farms Road, officially opens tomorrow, Saturday, October 18, 1-5pm.  Committed to preserving and celebrating the culture of graffiti in NYC, its first exhibit features works by such Bronx legends as Ces, Kingbee, and Tats Cru, along with artwork by its curators, Lady K Fever and Scratch.

Here’s a sampling of what’s been going down:

Tats Cru‘s Bio, BG 183 and Nicer

bio-bg183-nicer-tatscru-graffiti-Bronx-NYC

Ces

CES

Kingbee

Kingbee

Lady K Fever

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BG 183 and Scratch

scratch-bg183-graffiti-street-art-Bronx-NYC

Hush Tours will provide free transportation from Manhattan to tomorrow’s event. For further information, contact Hush Tours at 212-714-3527.

All photos courtesy Scratch.

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This is the second in an occasional series featuring images of males who surface on NYC public spaces:

Chris RWK at the Woodward Gallery Project Space on Manhattan’s Lower East Side

Chris RWK

Luv1 at the Bushwick Collective

Luv1

RAE and Abel Macias in Bushwick, Brooklyn

RAE

Zimer does James Gandolfini at the Bushwick Collective

Zimer

Magdalena Marcenaro aka Magda Love in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn

Magda Love street art

The Dude Company does Talib Kweli in DUMBO, Brooklyn

The Dude Company

Owen Dippie in the Tremont section of the Bronx

Owen Dippie

Ces at Hunts Point in the Bronx

Ces

Icy and Sot in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn

Icy and Sot

Photos by Tara Murray and Lois Stavsky

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The rooftop of the former Seward Park High School on Manhattan’s Lower East Side has evolved into one of NYC’s most enticing graffiti canvases.  Following is a sampling of what we saw this past Sunday as Rooftop Legends, curated by New Design High School dean, Jesse Pais, celebrated its sixth anniversary.

Marka27 and Don Rimx

Mark27 and Rimx

Fever

fever-graffiti

Graffiti pioneer Part One

Part-one

Smoke

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Toofly and Werds

Toofly and Werds

Style masters Shank aka Dmote, Wane and Aplus

Shane, wane and a-plus

Slave

Slave-graffiti

Dr. Revolt

Dr.-Revolt-graffiti-rooftop-legends-NYC

Ces

Ces

KR.One

KR.One

Pesu

Pesu

Queen Andrea

Queen Andrea

Vers

vers

Photos by Lenny Collado and Tara Murray

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