graffiti art

Her Story, the First Annual Female Graffiti Series, Launches Uptown with Lady K Fever, Mel1, Rocky 184, Charmin 65, Miss Boombox, Gem13 and Neks

May 16, 2016

This past Saturday, Her Story, the first annual female graffiti series, was launched at the legendary Inwood wall on Isham Street off 10th Avenue . While visiting, I had the opportunity to speak to the inimitable Lady K Fever.

Can you tell us something about Her Story’s mission?

We women are underrepresented in the graffiti world. The mission of Her Story is to provide us female writers with a supportive environment to tell our stories while sharing our skills with others.

Whose idea was it? And how did the concept for such a project become a reality?

We’ve been constantly talking — among ourselves — about the need for more opportunities. We feel that we don’t have anywhere as many opportunities — or access to spaces — as guys have. And, by chance, several weeks ago, Crane invited us to paint here on Isham and 10th Avenue.

How did you decide which artists to include in today’s launch?

We’ve all known each other for awhile, have painted together before and we get along well together. We are looking forward to including additional female writers in future jams.

The vibes here are great! Everyone seems to be having so much fun. What is your impression of this launch?

It’s been excellent! So many people came by to watch us paint, including many legendary old school writers. It’s been busy!

What’s ahead for Her Story?

With the sponsorship of The Bronx Graffiti Art Gallery and Hush Hip Hop Tours, we will be painting for the next six months in five boroughs in three states. On June 25th you can find us at Tuff City. Future spots include: Graffiti Universe and Hackensack, New Jersey. We will also be involved in the New York Restoration Project. In collaboration with Bette Midler’s foundation, we will be painting in a garden on July 30th, as part of the series, Ladies of the Bronx, highlighting the elements of hip hop.

It’s all very exciting! Good luck!

Images

1. Lady K Fever

2. Mel1

3. Rocky 184

4. Charmin 65

5. Miss Boombox with Bom5 dancing to its beat; Gem 13 on right

6. Gem13

7. Neks

Photos and interview by 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.

{ 0 comments }

At Brooklyn Reclaimed: An Oasis of Color and Style with Meres, Demer, Topaz, Jerms, Zimad and Bishop 203

April 22, 2016

With its vibrantly seductive murals, the exterior of Brooklyn Reclaimed — curated by Meres One — has become an oasis of color and style. Here are a few more graffiti murals that have recently surfaced — all by artists who’d frequented the former 5Pointz:

Demer

Topaz and Jerms

Zimad

Bishop 203 aka Jats

Photos by City-as-School intern Sol Raxlen

Keep posted to our Facebook page and Instagram for more graffiti and street art on the grounds of Brooklyn Reclaimed.

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

{ 0 comments }

Miami’s Vibrant Graffiti Walls: Miro, Vejam, Gorey, Bulks, Vogue, Ligisd, Mastro and Krave

April 16, 2016

The range and scope of Miami’s graffiti walls are distinctly impressive. Local writers, along with artists from across the globe, make their mark in Wynwood, Overtown and beyond. Pictured above is Miro. Here are a few more I saw on my recent visit:

Photo credits: 1-6 & 8 Lois Stavsky; 7 Mastro

{ 0 comments }

The Drip Project at Mount Vernon’s Mes Hall with: Tracy 168, Plasma Slug, Belowkey, Stu, Snoeman, Kingbee and more

March 22, 2016

Hosting several renowned bands and musicians, Mount Vernon’s Mes Hall is also home to The Drip Project, an ever-evolving treasure trove of images painted by some of NYC’s best-known graffiti artists and most notorious bombers. Last week, we made our way to Mount Vernon to speak to Drip Project director Harris Lobel.

This is such an amazing space. What a treasure! How did you discover it?

I’ve known it for awhile. Several of my friends — who I grew up with in Riverdale — use it as a music studio.

And when did you begin curating it?

About six months ago.

Riverdale — where you grew up — is quite void of graffiti. Do you remember where and when you first noticed it?

Yes! I was eight years old when I discovered a piece by Tracy 168 on 231th Street and Broadway. I fell in love with it at once, and kept on returning to it.

And these days you seem to love it all! Your personal Instagram, @streetart_photography, features quite a range of street art and graffiti. When did you become so engaged with it all?

When Banksy was here in NYC in 2013 for his Better Out Than In residency, I kept up with his new works daily. Then — after he left — I continued hunting and photographing works on the streets. Within a short period of time, I became thoroughly obsessed with graffiti and street art.

We can certainly relate to that! How did you make contact with all the great writers who have painted here?

I’d met Plasma Slug awhile back, and he introduced me to many of the others. I also got the word out through my Instagram page.

Can you tell us something more about the Drip Project? What is the inspiration behind it?

It’s basically a collective featuring artists whose styles I love. The inspiration to launch it came from the photography I’ve posted on my Instagram page and the response that it got.

What do you see as your role? Where are you going?

I would like to promote the artists whose works I love by exhibiting their work and managing the placement of their works in gallery shows. I am also interested in producing a variety of original goods in different media that reflect their styles.

How does your family feel about this?

They love it! My father is a photographer and has been totally supportive.

You’ve done an amazing job — so far — in reaching out to so many first-rate artists. What has been your greatest challenge in launching the Drip Project?

Getting folks to come out to Mount Vernon — as many haven’t been here before. And providing artists with money for paint and transportation is another challenge.

How can artists who are interested in participating in the Drip Project contact you?

The best way would be via my email: Harris.Lobel@live.com.

And what about folks who would like to visit and check out the amazing art?

Yes! They can contact me too — at Harris.Lobel@live.com, and I will arrange to meet them here. There’s a bus from the last stop on the 2 train that stops nearby, and we are just a short walk from the Metro North.

It all sounds great — and so much fun! Good luck!

Images

1. Tracy 168

2. & 3. Plasma Slug

4. Belowkey

5. Stu

6. Snoeman

7. Kingbee

Photo credits: 1, 2 & 4 Lois Stavsky; 3, 5-7 Tara Murray; interview by Lois Stavsky

Note: This blog will be on vacation through March 30. You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

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

{ 1 comment }

Kron One, Nest 156 and Bind 156 on 207th Street in Upper Manhattan

March 21, 2016

When I stopped by the wall on 207th Street — one of my favorite Uptown spots — this past Friday, I met veteran writers Kron One, Nest 156 and Bind 156 at work on a mural to serve as a backdrop for a Minx video. Yesterday I returned to see the completed wall. What follows are a few images captured both days:

Nest 156 at work on Friday

Nest 156‘s completed piece

Kron One at work on Friday

Kron One, as seen yesterday

Bind 156 at work on Friday

Bind 156, as seen yesterday

Photos by Lois Stavsky

{ 1 comment }

Hoacs on No Days Off, His First Solo Exhibit, at Eden Fine Art in SoHo

March 14, 2016

Currently on view at Eden Fine Art in SoHo is No Days Off, an ingenious installation of vibrant images in a range of media by the wonderfully gifted Queens-based graffiti master Hoacs. While visiting the space this past Friday — while Hoacs was adding the final touches to No Days Off for his Saturday evening opening — I had the opportunity to speak to him.`

This is amazing! What a brilliant installation! How long have you been working on it?

I began several months ago — in mid-December.

Integrated within the huge pieces painted on the walls is a range of media here. I love the varied surfaces you’ve painted on. Can you tell us something about that?

Yes! With the exception of several canvases, everything has been painted on pieces of discarded wood that I found. I hand sanded and treated them all before painting on them. Each is distinct.

What would you say was your greatest challenge in executing the installation — as everything seems to work so well together?

My chief concern was my choice of colors. It is important to me that the individuals walls — particularly those across from one another — work well together.

This space and this neighborhood couldn’t be more perfect! How did this wonderful space come your way?

A friend of mine, the jeweler Mr. Flawless — another Queens native — knows the owner of this gallery and introduced us.

What would you say is the principal difference between working on the streets and working in an indoor space like this one?

When I paint outdoors, I am at the mercy of the elements — the cold, the heat, the rain, the winds — and I often stop what I’m doing to speak to folks who drop by. I also tend to paint with others. Here — I am in my own world!

Are you satisfied with the way it is looking?

Yes! I got to do exactly what I wanted to do!

What about the title of the exhibit, No Days Off?

Graffiti is a passion that comes with huge demands! There are “no days off” for a graffiti writer!

How can folks see the exhibit?

Eden Fine Art SoHo is s located at 470 Broome Street and is open seven days a week, 9AM to 9PM.

That’s perfect! Congratulations!

Interview by Lois Stavsky

Photo credits: 1-3, 5.-8 Lois Stavsky; 2 & 4 Tara Murray

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

{ 1 comment }

Blazing in Bushwick: Graffiti by Kems, Sp One, Amuse, Roachi, Toper, Fecks and Hoacs

March 12, 2016

Host to some of the most stylish graffiti walls in NYC, Bushwick never lets us down! These were captured this past week:

Roachi

And if you are anywhere in the vicinity, be sure to check out Hoacs’s brilliant solo exhibit opening tonight — Saturday — at Eden Fine Art.

Photos of Bushwick graffiti by Tara Murray

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

{ 0 comments }

The Blaze of Hackensack: Pase, Per One & Hef, Crash, Ces, Sade, Bio, Zimad, BG 183, Sonic and Part One

December 30, 2015

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

NYC artists Per One and Hef

Bronx-based John Matos aka Crash

Bronx-based Ces

The Blaze of Hackensack curator Sade TCM

Bronx-based Bio, Tats Cru

Bronx-based Zimad

Bronx-based BG 183, Tats Cru

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

Photos by Dani Reyes Mozeson

{ 2 comments }

Bushwick’s Stylish Graffiti Walls: Tones One, Rime aka Jersey Joe, Phobes, Mastro, Bates and Host 18

December 13, 2015

Bushwick continues to host some of NYC’s most stylish graffiti walls featuring international artists alongside local ones. Here are a few we encountered this past Friday on Johnson Street off Bogart:

Swiss artist Tones One

Rime aka Jersey Joe

Phobes

Mastro

Denmark’s the Great Bates

Host18

Photos: 1-5 Lois Stavsky; 6 Tara Murray

{ 1 comment }

Speaking with Danish Graffiti Artist and Muralist Andreas Welin

December 4, 2015

Last month, I had the opportunity to meet up with the young, wonderfully talented Danish artist Andreas Welin while he was painting in Bed-Stuy during his recent visit to NYC.

When and where did you first hit the streets?

I was 18 when I first painted on the streets. It was in my native Sønderborg, a small town in Southern Denmark.

What inspired you to hit the streets?

I was inspired by the art and graffiti that I saw on the streets. And L:Ron, a first generation Danish writer and rapper, helped me get into the graffiti scene.

Any early memories that stand out?

When I was 13 years old, I came upon a parking lot filled with all kinds of graffiti styles. I was amazed!

When you began painting, did you paint on your own? Or were you with a crew?

For four years, I painted with the SBP Sonderbronx Punks graffiti crew.

What about these days? Do you prefer working alone or collaborating with others?

I love collaborating, but I’d rather be commissioned to paint on my own.

Any particularly risky moments?

Bombing is always risky.

How does your family feel about what you are doing?

They love it! My mom is a designer and my father was an artist. Both my parents are supportive.

What percentage of your time is devoted to art?

My mind is always on art. But I paint publicly three to four times a week.

Is art the main source of your income?

Yes…the money I earn from commissions.

How do you feel about the movement of graffiti and street art into galleries and museums?

I think it’s cool. It motivates us artists to further develop our skills, and it gives us exposure.

Why do you suppose graffiti is more respected as an art form in Europe than here in the U.S.?

I think that the European writers have had many more opportunities to develop their skills and take them to another level. Unlike here, there are legal walls and trains in just about every town.

How you feel about the role of the Internet in this scene?

It’s great! It’s an extra advertisement for me, and what I see often inspires me.

Do you have a formal arts education?

I studied Fine Arts for one year.

Are there any particular cultures that have influenced your aesthetic?

I’ve been influenced by the hip-hop culture and by the art I’ve seen while visiting other cities and galleries.

What are some of the other cities you’ve painted in – besides your native town and NYC?

Among the cities I’ve painted in are: Berlin, Lisbon, Toronto, Eindhoven, Roskilde and Copenhagen.

Are you generally satisfied with your work?

I’m usually pretty happy with it. I don’t want to be too satisfied!

How has your artwork evolved in the past few years?

It’s evolved quite a bit. It used to be cartoony. These days my style tends to be more realistic.

What do you see as the role of the artist in society?

It is to beautify a space, while giving people something new to think about.

What’s ahead?

I’m not sure, but I know that I will be painting. And I’d like to return to the NYC and, perhaps, intern with a company like Colossal Media. I want to be able to paint outdoors and support myself as a painter.

Note: photos 1, 2, 5-7 in NYC; 3 in Denmark and 4 collab with Mek in Trenton, NJ

Photos: 1 & 5 Lois Stavsky; 2 Tara Murray; 3, 4 & 7 courtesy of the artist; interview by Lois Stavsky

{ 4 comments }

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →

graffiti art

Categories