Joe Conzo

Bronx-based artists John Ahearn and Rigoberto Torres have been fashioning exquisite life-like portraits of their neighbors for over 40 years. At once poignant and majestic, their sculptural portraits are a a visual ode to their community — its resilient spirit and its rich culture.  Continuing through this month at The Bronx Museum is their solo exhibition  “Swagger and Tenderness…,” featuring 65 sculptural portraits created both individually and collaboratively. What follows is a brief sampling:

John Ahearn with Rigoberto Torres, “Janelle and Audrey,” 1983, Acrylic on plaster

John Ahearn, “Joe Conzo at 17,” 2020, Acryic on plaster

Rigoberto Torres, “Daze,” 1998, Acrylic on plaster

John Ahearn with Rigoberto Torres, “Mario and Norma,” 1979, Acrylic on plaster

John Ahearn, “Juanita in Stripes Hugging Carlos,” 2020, Acrylic on plaster

Rigoberto Torres, “Melissa Maycock,” 1997, Acrylic on plaster

John Ahearn with Rigoberto Torres, “Bintou and Anwar,” 1998, Acrylic on plaster

Co-curated by Amy Rosenblum-Martín and literary activist Ron Kavanaugh, “Swagger and Tenderness…” remains on view at The Bronx Museum until the end of this month. Located at 1040 Grand Concourse, the museum is open Wednesday – Sunday from 1 – 6PM. Admission is free.

Photo credits: Rachel Alban, 1, 4, 6 & 7; Lois Stavsky, 2, 3, 5 & 8

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Curated by Kate Storch, “Landmark” is both aesthetically stirring and culturally enriching. Featuring artworks in a range of media by Joe Conzo, Charlie Doves, Bluster One, Peter Paid, Jeff Henriquez and Danny Cortes, the exhibition continues through this Sunday, January 29 at One Art Space in Tribeca. While visiting yesterday afternoon, I had the opportunity to pose a few questions to Kate.

This exhibition is a wonderful homage to hip-hop and to its iconic locations. What spurred you to curate it?

I’d been wanting to curate an exhibition on this theme for awhile. And the beginning of 2023, the year that celebrates the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, seemed like the ideal time to make it happen.

How did you decide which artists to feature?

I chose artists whom I admire as professionals and as people. They are all different, yet all are related to the culture in their own distinct ways. Joe Conzo photographed hip-hop from its early days in the South Bronx. His contributions to the culture are invaluable. I’ve been a huge fan of Charlie Doves for years. He is a master of the craft. I love Bluster One‘s signature style. Music runs through it. Peter Paid brilliantly captures the aesthetics of graffiti in his signage. I had a wonderful experience working with Jeff Henriquez several years ago at the Summer Classics Block Party For National Hip Hop Day at First Street Park. And Danny Cortes‘s expertise, energy, patience and humility increasingly impress me.

What were some of the challenges that curating this exhibit presented?

There are always challenges when curating, but in this case, they were limited. Everything has gone remarkably smoothly. All of the artists are great people — and easy to work with!

The exhibition is so beautifully installed. Can you tell us something about that?

The installation is entirely my vision. I had given the placement of the art considerable thought, and I had the artistic freedom here at One Art Space to make it happen. I wanted it all to come to life! I wanted it to be an experience.

How can folks see the exhibit?

One Art Space is located at 23 Warren Street in Tribeca. The exhibit continues through Sunday from 1:00 PM – 6: 00 PM daily. Easily reached by just about every subway line, the gallery can be contacted at 646-559-0535.

Congratulations, Kate!

Featured images:

1 Peter Paid

2 Bluster One

3 Charlie Doves

4 Jeff Henriquez

5 Joe Conzo

6 Danny Cortes

7 Kate Storch, curator; typography by Peter Paid to the right of miniature art by Danny Cortes

Interview conducted and edited by Lois Stavsky; photos 1-4, 6 & 7 Lois Stavsky; photo 5, courtesy One Art Space

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5Pointz-artists-paint-9-11-Commemorative-wall

For years, the former aerosol art Mecca 5Pointz was the site of a 9/11 commemorative wall that surfaced anew each September 11. This year, thanks to the efforts of Marie Cecile Flageul, the annual mural found a new home — on the corner of Bedford Avenue and Bergen Street in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Fashioned by Meres, See TF, Remiks, Sloke, Spin, Danielle Mastrion and Lexi Bella, the mural pays special tribute to noted hip-hop historian and photographer Joe Conzo for his extraordinary efforts as a NYFD firefighter on Ground Zero. Here are a few more scenes captured yesterday:

Close-up featuring Joe Conzo, painted by See TF

Joe-Conzo-painted-by See-TF

Joe Conzo with See TF

See-TF-and-Joe-Conzo

Danielle Mastrion at work

Danielle-Mastrion-street-art-NYC

And giving Spin a hand here

Danielle-and-Spin

Meres at work

"Meres One"

And drawing his iconic lightbulb for Cydney, a local student and his newest fan

Meres-graffiti-character-on-paper

Photos 1, 3, 5-7 by Lois Stavsky; photos 2 and 4 by City-as-School intern Tyler Dean Flores

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"Keo-XMen-graffiti"

On exhibit through this week at Gavin Brown’s Enterprise in the West Village is Born in the Bronx: A Visual Record of the Early Days of Hip-Hop. Among its many highlights are: memorabilia featuring personal narratives and archives of hip-hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa;  hip-hop party flyers and clothing designed by the late Buddy Esquire; original cells from the animated sequences of Charlie Ahearn’s film Wild Style and prints of Joe Conzo’s photographs of the early days of hip hop.

Here is a sampling of what greeted us when we visited this past Tuesday:

On the exterior of Gavin Brown’s Enterprise

Afrika-Bambaataa-Born-in-the-Bronx-NYC

U.K.- based Paul Insect‘s portrait of Afrika Bambaataa

"Paul Insect"

And inside the gallery — noted DJ, producer and poet Rich Medina going though the bins of duplicates from Afrika Bambaataa‘s record collection

"Rich Medina"

 Close-up from installation of Buddy Esquire‘s clothing and flyer designs

"Buddy Esquire"

Afrika Bambaataa fashioned from Bambaataa’s records by Paul Insect and Bäst

Nast

Selections from Joe Conzo’s’s seminal Born in the Bronx

Joe-Conzo-Photos-Born-in-the-Bronx

Joe Conzo and Charlie Ahearn

Joe-Conzo-&Charlie-Ahearn-Born-in-the-Bronx

The pioneering MC and hip-hop historian Grandmaster Caz

"Grandmaster Caz"

And legendary b-boy Crazy Legs

"Crazy Legs"

With Charlie Ahearn

Charlie-ahearn-and-crazy-legs

Exhibited by Boo-Hooray and curated by Johan Kugelberg, Born in the Bronx is an extraordinary tribute to hip-hop’s early days and its everlasting influence. And if you can get over there tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon — between 1-3pm — you will be treated to a Born In The Bronx Hot Platter Lunch DJ Session with DJ Jazzy Jay and DJ Rockin Rob. The gallery is located at 620 Greenwich Street at the corner of Leroy Street in the Village.

Photos 1-4, 7, 8 & 10 by Lois Stavsky;  5, 6 & 9 by Dani Reyes Mozeson; photo 1 features mural by Keo X-men

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This is the first in a series of images of males who surface on NYC public spaces:

Icy and Sot at the Bushwick Collective

Icy and Sot

Nick Walker on Manhatan’s Lower East Side

Nick Walker

Meres at 5Pointz in Long Island City

Meres

SinXero and Joe Conzo do the Cold Crush Brothers in the Bronx

SinXero and Joe Conzo

Fumero at the Bushwick Collective

Fumero

Tito Na Rua on Lower East Side rooftop

Tito Na Rua

Belin and the Royal Kingbee in the Bronx

Belin and King Bee

Erik Den Breejen does David Bowie in NoLita

Erik Den Breejen

Photos by Lenny Collado, Dani Mozeson, Tara Murray and Lois Stavsky

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Last Monday – Memorial Day – SinXero, Sien, Fumero and Joe Conzo brought their vision to a new legal wall in the Bronx. Inspired by SinXero’s memories of growing up on 181st Street and Prospect Avenue, the collaborative mural pays homage to the roots of graffiti and hip-hop.

SinXero-Fumero-Sien-and-Joe-Conzo

Located at 1401 Ferris Place, this mural is the first of four legal Bronx walls by the TAG Team — in collaboration with such legendary documentarians as Joe Conzo, Ricky Flores and Henry Chalfant. Sponsored by All City Paint, the murals are intended as a tribute to those who played a significant role in the development of the borough’s distinct culture that continues to impact the world. These walls also represent, SinXero reports, an effort to bring a new form of street art, grafstract— with its melding of styles — to the birthplace of it all.  Here are a few more images:

Sinxero pastes up his iconic “Ode to the Streets” image. Photo by Trevon Blondet.

Sinxero

Close-up of SinXero image with Sien to the right. Photo by Tara Murray.

SinXero and Sien

Sien at work. Photo by Trevon Blondet.

Sien

SinXero and Fumero in front of completed mural. Photo by Trevon Blondet.

Sinxero and Fumero

Joe Conzo with image based on his photo of Bronx hip-hop legends, the Cold Crush BrothersPhoto by Trevon Blondet.

Joe Conzo

Close-up of Cold Crush Brothers. Photo by Lois Stavsky.

Joe Conzo and SinXero

Westchester Square Plumbing Supply Co., Inc  has provided TAG with multiple legal walls for this project.

All photos by Trevor Blondet, courtesy of SinXero — except for SinXero and Sien close-up by Tara Murray and final close-up by Lois Stavsky.

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