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For those of you that didn't make it out last Friday (08-10-12), here are some shots of the neighborhood art goings-ons of the evening. Firstly the fine folks at Storefront Gallery unveiled a collection of atmospheric work by artists Karen Marston and Kerry Law.
And then there was the Salon Show opening at Active Space, displaying a wide array of art covering what seems like nearly every medium, including a horse!
Fun times.
Last Friday night (08-03) was humid as fuck. A thick wind blew carrying the sound of motorcycles and random sirens in the air. People were abuzz in the streets going who-the-hell-knows where, hurrying along in tank tops and flip flops as is there was a beach somewhere near. Armed with cheap beer, a boom box and flood lights, we were up above on a roof with the pleasure of chilling with artist Jon Burgerman as he took on a rooftop mural. Check out the photos and video below of the man as he puts down a frenzy of intertwined cartoonish characters. What you see here is just phase 1. Next is filling in the color.
And also, if you happened to miss it, here's the video:
Bushwick seems to have become a location of choice for music videos as of late. With its industrial grit-and-trash lined streets, mural strewn walls, and skies dotted with spiraling flocks of pigeons, it's easy to see how this backdrop can inspire wonder and maybe even lend to a bit of street cred. We've already shown you the hilarious Anxeteam video, shot in Morgantown, but here are even more videos shot in the hood. See if you can spot your block.
And as a bonus, check out this video by Bushwick's own Charles Bradley. He's incredible.
Last night (7-14) on the corner of Central Ave and Willoughby, doors opened to a new neighborhood art spot; Low Brow Artique. A storefront unique in that it not only functions as a gallery but also an art supply store, currently boasting and expansive collection of spray paint. We hear that soon they will be extending their inventory to canvases, paint markers, and all the tools-of-the-trade for traditional and street artists alike. Finally a neighborhood art store! The opening itself was a fun affair with food, drinks, art and chillin out front; enjoying the cool Summer evening with red plastic cups in hand.
"Wait a second," some of you may be saying. "There already is a Bushwick art store!" And its true. Located on 36 Gardner Ave there has been a tiny art supply store sitting hidden for years. Of course they don't seem to have any posted hours or employees. But it is a good spot to hit up if you need some emergency supplies. You just have to ask the workers in the warehouse next door to open it up for you.
Has anyone noticed the recent up-crop of murals at St. Nicholas Ave and Troutman St. by the Bodega Bar? Hell, there is some major paint going up at this very moment (8:24pm); some quality work.
Ah, what a beautiful weekend we all had in Bushwick, wandering the streets and viewing the cornucopia of work the neighborhood has to offer. Even with a bit of rain on Sunday, Bushwick Open Studios was a huge success and proved that the Bushwick community has grown into a formidable force (almost scarily so) in the art world. Us at The Bushwick Dream would like to thank all of those who participated in, and came to view our own little foray in curating; Residential Takeover. We had such fantastic feedback and a great time doing it.
The smell of paint was in the air Sunday night, as artists Jon Burgerman and Ad Deville took to the Bushwick rooftops to do what they do — you know, art. Working in front of a small gathering, they hit the front of two buildings, taking breaks to enjoy some BBQ and the evening spring air.
Has anyone noticed the recent prevalence of all-things-hipster in current tv commercials? It's scary. It seems that marketing companies have found themselves a new demographic. And now nationwide when people watch television, their product spokesmen sport full beards, horn rimmed glasses and skinny jeans. It kind of bleeds the "hip" out of "hipster" doesn't it?
But on the brighter side it makes for a wonderful drinking game. Every time an ad comes up and you spot a thrift store wardrobe, asymmetrical haircut, ironic facial hair or fedora, take a shot. For those of you who don't own a tv, see examples below.
So another Beat Night has come and gone. The Bushwick Dream team got a bit of a late start but none the less we were on scene for a few of the events. The good news is the weather was nice, there was some free alcohol and some damn fine artwork by Skewville, QRST and Don Pablo Pedro to name a few. Here's a peek....
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This past Friday Factory Fresh was the site of Skewville's 80th: A Retro Retrospective. The Queens-raised twin art-duo showed how to properly fill a galley; thoroughly covering every wall floor to ceiling. Anxieteam played to an enthralled crowd and people from Nuart stopped buy to present the brothers with a copy of Eloquent Vandals, featuring some of their previous exploits. Oh, and there was beer. Cheers.
We at The Bushwick Dream can't help but love the newest song/video by art/music duo Anxieteam. So very awesome.
In this landscape of steal and concrete it's always nice to get a little exposure to some greenery. Artist Kim Holleman has a novel way to supplying such things with her creation Trailor Park: a mobile public park. It is currently located on Bogart St near Boerum. Don't miss your chance to stop by and take a stroll in this 18' X 8' botanical wonderland.
This morning the residents of Jefferson St. between Irving and Knickerbocker woke up to a monumental surprise. Crowning the tops of four buildings (spanning 100 ft) bold black letters proclaim "You'r in my hood now!" Take note.
How close do you dare to get to strangers? Can you create a new persona at a moment’s notice? Are you comfortable confronting people that you don’t really know? These and other such probing questions are at the heart of Ellen Letcher and Kevin Regan’s latest experiment: a revival the 1970s phenomenon known as the encounter group.
The duo behind the Famous Accountants gallery are hosting encounter groups from August 18th to August 22nd at NURTUREArt on Grand Street. Anyone can sign up to participate in a two-hour slot.
They call their experiment More Joy, referring to a book written by Will Schutz in 1967. Schutz was a strong proponent of the encounter group during his time at Esalen, the famous human potential institute in California. In developing his techniques, Schutz modified and built on methods that were actually developed by the U.S. Navy in 1947 for the purpose of molding its members into cohesive teams.
As Kevin explained before taking me through an intensive preview, encounter groups are “...a weird, freaky little artifact from the 1970s. People don’t do stuff like this now, do they?”
They certainly don’t. The two-hour session combined a lot of thought-provoking exercises with a good dose of the physical. While it was tiring at times, it also seemed to make a space for new personal insights into myself and my co-participants. At the end there was the unmistakable feel of new bonds being built. More Joy, indeed.
A bearded man in his thirties skips across the gum-speckled sidewalks of Myrtle-Broadway. “Batman on Broadway!” he announces at-large, his voice echoing under the elevated subway tracks.
He flails about in a superhero costume and does a leaping kick in the air. His funny noises are interspersed with sweeping statements about love. He runs in place, dances, jumps and crouches ninja-style. He’s light on his feet, but the effect is more Disney than Marvel Comics. Some pedestrians stop and stare, others keep walking. A dozen cellphone cameras are whipped out and by evening his antics will be up on Youtube.
Thus ends my encounter with Bushwick-based performance artist Matt Silver. An hour before this we sat in a local café and discussed his work over glasses of strawberry juice.
“When I perform I really want to tap into the heart of it. The heart of it is, I want to make you laugh.”
I wonder about what the members of his regular Broadway audience really think. After all, his “stage” is within walking distance to the mental hospital on Flushing Ave. Don’t you ever feel shy, I ask him?
“Sometimes I feel shy. Like right now....”
As he speaks his hazel eyes twinkle and his hands make opera-like gestures, but in between questions he seems as bashful as a four-year old. The thing with Matt is you’re never quite sure whether he’s performing or not. But according to him he’s always performing.
“When I was younger I was inspired to stay on, like all the time. I was inspired to be this other character.” He tells me that his parents eventually got used to it.
You might be tempted to dismiss Matt as just another New York street performer. To do so would be to miss his most engaging works--the steady stream of mini-epic films that he writes and stars in. Titles like Heartpocalypse and Love Comes Out of Your Butt are shot on location and include a sizeable cast and crew. (Some of his most memorable scenes included actors dressed as giant sheaves of corn stilt-walking under the Broadway el.) The fantastical films have a great cinematic flair. A recurring character is Man in White Dress: Matt as a misanthrope in a thrift-store wedding gown trying to spread a message of love.
“Love is a universal theme. It’s a good mythic adventure, like the search for the holy grail. For me it’s called the love portal. It’s the search for the love portal, to open it up. That would be amazing.”
He then tells me that his next film will involve a three-headed monster. His larger goals are just as ambitious.
“My project is to become that mythological clown character. I don’t know, over these years, one of the reasons I street-perform is because like I want to become a mythic hero. That would be fun before I’m dead. I mean, it would just be fun, you know? Becoming like a mythic clown. And just use it to make people laugh. I’m gonna do that.”
Back on the street Matt dashes across the heavy traffic on Broadway to take up a new post next to Popeye’s Chicken. He struts and crouches, jumps and dances. Some spectators call out, “Hey Batman!” and dance along with him. “Love is all you need!” he shouts.
Today if you drove down Flushing Ave you may have seen two men with three large dice. One shuffling them around in the ninty-five degree heat and the other across the street taking pictures in a four hundred degree black Jeep. Ad Deville's new project is a little stop action video that will be available here soon. It will be of these dice depicting the Bushwick autonym rolling around and looking basically awesome.
And the result:
The funny thing about BoS--or indeed any sort of open studios event--is that the artists participating can't go around and play visitor at other artists’ studios. So Bushwick Dream did the legwork for you. Here are some pearls of wisdom we observed from your comrades.
Free is good. Julia Colavita makes ethereal, airy sculptures and paintings that combine chance-driven methods with intricate line work. The results are as fragile and as beautiful as the human body. From her comes our final and most practical tip: how to score free acrylic paints, direct from the factory, without breaking the law.
Hidden away inside a buliding on Stewart Avenue where the hallways smell of fresh paint there is an artist with one hell of a vision. Cathy Choi has only been doing these pieces for about five months but her work clearly shows she has a serious eye for making something new and truly unique. Cathy's art is as if somehow she freeze framed the moment when a multi colored ocean wave breaks against the beach and it's truly stunning. With no predisposed idea of what it's going to end up looking like when it's completed, she mixes resin, glue and oil together (the recipe proportions and technique is highly gaurded) then with less than thirty-five minutes to finish due to the drying time she has a piece of artwork that Mother Nature herself would look at and say, "Goddamn."
The funny thing about BoS--or indeed any sort of open studios event--is that the artists participating can't go around and play visitor at other artists’ studios. So Bushwick Dream did the legwork for you. Here are some pearls of wisdom we observed from your comrades.
Mine your heritage--or someone else’s. Photographer and mixed-media artist Delphine Diaw Diallo is a Parisian with Senegalese heritage. While she has found inspiration in travels to her ancestral home of Senegal, she’s also been to places as exotic as Montana. Her Great Vision series was made on the Crow Indian Reservation, home every year to the world’s largest family reunion.
The funny thing about BoS--or indeed any sort of open studios event--is that the artists participating can't go around and play visitor at other artists’ studios. So Bushwick Dream did the legwork for you. Here are some pearls of wisdom we observed from your comrades.
Take pieces of the city, but don’t let the city take pieces of you. Nate Anspaugh came to New York six years ago with the intention, like many transplants, to have his own piece of the Apple. He took this literally and found himself tearing off and taking home the posters he found around town. Soon this expanded to the unavoidable advertisements that clog up our mental and physical space. Nate transforms these fragments into masks, commenting on on how our personae--the masks we wear--are being more and more shaped by media and a juggernaut consumer culture.
The funny thing about BoS--or indeed any sort of open studios event--is that the artists participating can't go around and play visitor at other artists’ studios. So Bushwick Dream did the legwork for you. Here are some pearls of wisdom we observed from your comrades.
Pro Tip: Be organized and make big plans. I took one look at Cojo’s workspace and wanted to invite him to organize my closets. This, my friends, is the mark of a productive mind. Even more impressive is his ambitious project wherein he made a new sketch--in his signature thick outline style--everyday for a whole year. Now he will combine the elements of these drawings into a series of ten 8-foot paintings. A great way to ensure that the art keeps coming.
Olivié Ponce works in the sun. His landscapes, inspired by the scenes of Mexico City, are abstracted. The hard lines of buildings, streets and poles have become organic and ghost like, fading into the distance as if in a thick fog. Detail is not his concern but rather distance and depth, creating worlds vaguely familiar as if from a long forgotten dream.
His space will be open June 4th, noon - 6pm.
Outdoor photos courtesy of Olivié Ponce.
Not even the vagaries of the MTA’s maintenance schedule could stop the 5th annual Bushwick Open Studios from getting off to a cracking start. Did you check out Curbs and Stoops Active Spaces and their 3 curated rooms, including “Stay Gold” by Throwaway Art and our own lovely Robin Grearson? Did you watch CA Conrad get smashed between two giant heels at Brooklyn Fireproof’s YR Friday Nite? Did you find the pot of gold left for you by Hack Interactive? Finally, did you heave with the sweaty masses at the official BoS Launch Party at Pinebox Rock Shop? No? Well, you've two more days to redeem yourself. Get to it!
As the days count down to Bushwick Open Studios our neighborhood is buzzing with creative energy. The people are at work. Art is being made.
As the days count down to Bushwick Open Studios our neighborhood is buzzing with creative energy. The people are at work. Art is being made.
Columbia born artist Jessica Angel plays with the building blocks of information, breaking down our forms of communication to their abstract vessels. She strips language, maps, and cityscapes of there meaning, opting to utilize their form and visual strength; rebuilding and redefining. 300 characters become a picture thats worth a 1000 words. Think about that.
Jessica Angel will be sharing her space all three days of BOS; June3 - 5th, noon - 7pm.
As the days count down to Bushwick Open Studios our neighborhood is buzzing with creative energy. The people are at work. Art is being made.
Indecision can be a blessing. Jon Lewis loved both painting and photography, and found it difficult to choose either. He now melds the two by using gum bichromate, a painterly photographic technique from the 19th century. Visit Jon during his first BOS to see these timeless yet thoroughly modern portraits (85 Meserole Street).
As the days count down to Bushwick Open Studios our neighborhood is buzzing with creative energy. The people are at work. Art is being made.
Adam Distenfield takes only what the earth gives him, sculpting large rocks donated to him by construction sites. His Brooklyn Rockwerks studio on 129 Noll Street is a shelter for the unloved boulders edged out in the name of progress. Go visit him this weekend to see how he's breathing new life into New York’s native granite. (P.S.: Be sure to check out his amazing roof garden!)
We headed over to Brooklyn Fire Proof to get some pictures of the installation of art for Fireside Follies' Yr Friday Nite, and discovered there was a slight delay in installation, so we couldn't get the sneak peek we wanted to show you. But we did get a chance to talk with co-curators Eric Nelson and Mike Lala about the Follies' Friday night plans, and here's what Mike told The Bushwick Dream.
Q. Fireside Follies began as a reading series but it's expanded into other creative areas. What is it now?
A. Fireside is now "Yr Friday Nite," a multidisciplinary, immersive arts event, where we take the Brooklyn Fire Proof space we normally use and fill it with fine art and projections, then do a reading, have performance and video screenings, and host musicians in the midst of it. I think people will really get an amazing sense of how many different kinds of talented artists there are in Bushwick, and there really will be nothing else like this at Bushwick Open Studios this year.
Q. Have you been part of Bushwick Open Studios events in the past? What can we expect for this one?
A. Yes, last year we hosted a reading at Northeast Kingdom. This will be 10 times bigger than that.
Q: You're not reading at your own events, but you're both writers. Why not?
A. We thought about it, and then thought about it again. It just seems a little crass to perform at your own events. We know people who do it, and they do have wonderful events, but Eric and I have made the decision to not do it this season, in order to give other writers the opportunity to read.
Q: So what is going on with your own writing lately?
A. I just finished assembling a chapbook of poems that will be out on Knickerbocker Circus in June. Eric's working on a novel that he's sending out to agents and publishers, and I'm 30-ish Word pages into a new poetry manuscript.
Q. It's finally getting warm lately. Have you considered changing the name to Poolside Follies?
Find us a pool. We're there.
Q. Anything else coming up?
I just got word that I'll be curating a reading for the New York Poetry Society's festival out on Governor's Island later in July, so stay tuned!
Fireside Follies
YR Friday Nite
Brooklyn Fire Proof
119 Ingraham St.
More event info, here and here.
A sly, mischievous entry in the BOS directory came to our attention and we just needed to know more about the "Waterboard Spa" that will be set up on Morgan on Saturday. Here's what Waterboard Spa co-conspirator Dolan Morgan told us.
Q. What happens if someone dies by accident?
Q. The L-train will be down all weekend and you're going to be in front of the Morgan stop. Did you think about moving over to a bus stop instead? Isn't riding the L-train shuttle kind of like torture?
As the days count down to Bushwick Open Studios our neighborhood is buzzing with creative energy. The people are at work. Art is being made.
Nestled away in her studio in Bushwick, long time NYC resident Lisa Corinne Davis creates the topography of self. Touching on race and identity, her paintings' underlining geometric structures give rise to chaotic organic shapes and color. The myriad of forms contained within are familiar yet defy definition, with a semblance of microbes, plant life and crystalline formations. A look at a Lisa Corinne Davis painting could just as easily be a view through a microscope as a look out of a plane window. These maps of self contain no key, no markers, no hints of scale. Try not to get lost.
She will be sharing her space on June 4-5th, noon-7pm.
As the days count down to Bushwick Open Studios our neighborhood is buzzing with creative energy. The people are at work. Art is being made.
The BluBox is a place where alchemy is performed. Within its cavernous space three internationally known artists Peter Simon Mühlhäußer, John O’Reilly and Stephen Shaheen bind material, process, expression and form. The result is a collection of sculptures beautiful in execution and evocative in subject. This is certainly a place where one can go to marvel. The BluBox will be sharing their space Fri - Sun, noon - 7pm.
As the days count down to Bushwick Open Studios our neighborhood is buzzing with creative energy. The people are at work. Art is being made.
Gavin Sewell makes mixed media pieces on canvas in studio 409 at 119 Ingraham Street. Sand, plaster, paint, photographs, magazine fragments--these are just some of the materials he uses to create his richly textured pieces. Gavin is “aiming for longevity”--the longer you look, the more surprises you’ll discover in each piece.
Factory Fresh is not messing around when it comes to their plans for the upcoming BOS. Inside their walls goes up their newest show Surrealism, curated in conjunction with Jason Andrew of Norte Maar, featuring a staggering 20 artists as they delve into their unconscious. And just ouside on Vandervoort Pl they will be showcasing their proposed Bushwick Art Park complete with a street art sculpture garden. There is a lot of major preparation in the works. Here is an inside look at whats going up:
As the days count down to Bushwick Open Studios our neighborhood is buzzing with creative energy. The people are at work. Art is being made.
Carolanne Leslie has surrounded herself with glass. Scouring the streets for broken window panes, smashed bottles and cups, she builds portals of fragmented light and color; gateways into self fused with chakra energy and resin. What is broken, rebuilt. What is solid dances with fluidity.
Carolanne Leslie will be opening her studio on Sunday June 5th, noon-7pm, and will be enacting a multimedia performance; Muladhara on the corner of Jefferson St and St Nicholas at 2pm. You should go.
If you are reading this now you've already missed it. Last evening for a period of a couple hours California based Find Art Magazine opened their mobile art gallery to the people of Bushwick as part of their nation wide tour. Their custom-made truck unfolded to reveal some incredible artwork, and their most recent issue was being handed out; a pocket sized mag stuffed with vibrant photos of art, and great articles and interviews. They will be in NYC for the rest of the day, so go find them.
"While wandering during this week of rain and rapture, I was lucky enough to stumble across these ... wheatpastes around Bushwick, Brooklyn. Young girls carrying some heavy shit. While the concept could easily look cheesy, they instead are quite striking, due to their realism, and the piercing expression in the girl's eyes. The jeans skirt and the pajama onesie are comforting images of innocence, but the bandanas betray our assumptions. I like to think of them as our lost idealism taking us to task."
Content via Throw Away Art
Last night(5-14) English Kills Gallery opened to reveal The Mother Ship; a diverse collection of art from twenty members of the English Kills family and friends. It was a fulfilling night through aesthetics and libations.
Show runs till June 19th English Kills 114 Forrest St. Ground Floor Brooklyn, NY 11206
Today in the back courtyard of Factory Fresh Brooklyn based sculptor/street artist known as Leon Reid IV and his associate known simply as "Joe" are putting together something uniquely engaging. It's all part of the driving force behind Bushwick Art Park and a show opening on May 7 at New Museum called, Festival of Ideas for a New City. Here's a sneak peak....
Last night Famous Accountants opened up with their newest offering, the magic black of an open barn door on a really sunny summer day, when you just cannot see into it by Matthew Miller; a collection of exquisite, haunting self portraits that follow you with their eyes as you move through the space. The work is certainly worth a look but not for too long or you risk having nightmares.
Show runs till June 5th
Famous Accountants
1673 Gates Avenue, Bushwick BK
Last night (4/29) Factory Fresh put a grin on the people of Bushwick with their first opening of the year; Dark Horse by Sweet Toof, a showing of chompers galore. Now remember, floss.
If you pass by Vandevoort Place often enough, you may already know two things: 1. You’re not in Kansas anymore, and 2., Sweet Toof is in town.
The artist known for his signature hot-pink gums and gleaming choppers (with gold tooth) painted what he called his longest row of teeth ever across a building nearly a block long this week. In doing so, he covered the “You’re Not In Kansas Anymore” roll-down painted by Skewville in the same space during a block party last November. This isn’t Sweet Toof’s first visit to Brooklyn, or Bushwick; he’s hit walls and roofs on previous visits, and a couple years ago sunk his teeth into the entrance of Ad Hoc’s space, when it was Ad Hoc’s space. But what’s brought him back to Bushwick this time is his first New York solo exhibition, Dark Horse, which opens Friday at Factory Fresh.
I sat in the gallery’s studio with the artist talking about his new work. The series of classic oil paintings reflect Sweet Toof’s fine-art training and nod to 16th century Vanitas paintings. The classical settings feature modern themes that playfully reference what the artist dubs “the Battle of the Buff.” His characters, well-dressed skeletons who sport the familiar bubble-gum-pink gums and teeth, engage in polo-field battles on horseback with paint rollers. Sometimes characters are invading Trojan-horse style, striving heroically to bring color and lightness to drab, colorless environments; in other scenes, a painter dodges the vandal squad, skeleton horse replacing the modern bicycle as the mode of escape. The skulls and skeletons convey his affection for Mexico’s Day of the Dead traditions, which feature skulls as symbols of life and rebirth, but are also a gesture of respect for friends who have passed away.
An art teacher once told Sweet Toof, “the only thing about art is that you never retire,” but the warning was more an inducement than a deterrent for the artist, who’s been engaged in his own battle of the buff since writing his first tag in ’86. What began as letterforms and characters evolved into drawing and comics, and led him to art school, but he never stopped painting in the streets. In fact, the signature Sweet Toof gums and teeth didn’t start showing up around London and other cities until around 2005.
One inevitable consequence of waging a decades-long battle is that the artist is shy and cautious about his name and image, a caution that sometimes even prevents him from attending his own openings. And Sweet Toof’s concern for privacy has likely only increased since footage of him with friends (and now-former crew) Burning Candy was included in Exit Through the Gift Shop.
Despite the risks, Sweet Toof likely won’t give up painting in the streets anytime soon, if ever. He says looking for a spot is primal, and compares the search to an animal’s hunting instinct. Moonlight, danger and adrenaline mix in with a street artist’s paint to become elements of the final painting as much as the pigment itself. As the art teacher said, you never retire from art. But unlike gallery art, street art is a habit that becomes harder and harder to pursue, a predicament even Sweet Toof concedes has him slowing down--a little; walking more, running less. “I’m not as crazy as I used to be, I’ve got a lot more to lose these days.”
Four days before the opening, the Factory Fresh space seems to be nearly ready. The long outside wall is finished, as is a set of teeth that completely covers the walls of the gallery’s outdoor alcove space; the interior doorways are similarly painted, creating a tunnel of teeth. The canvases, which were shipped from Sweet Toof’s East London home base and stretched on frames in the gallery’s studio, are already hanging in place. There are plans to re-stretch one large canvas, but otherwise the artist hopes prep work will be wrapped up soon, so he will have a couple of days before the opening to relax, check out the neighborhood.
We walk outside and take his picture in front of a set of teeth and gums much larger than himself. As he conceals his face behind a plastic Halloween cow-mask and a masquerade-ball-style Sweet Toof row of teeth & gums, I ask if he’ll be doing other collaborations around the neighborhood while he’s in town. His face changes, and he looks anxious and hopeful, very much the self-described graffaholic who’s been at it since he was 13. He looks up at our fickle spring sky, which has turned gray and looks vaguely London-y. “Weather depending,” he says, smiling. Dark Horse, by Sweet Toof Opening April 29, 2001, 7-10 PM Closing May 22, 2011 Factory Fresh 1053 Flushing Avenue Bushwick, Brooklyn By Robin Grearson For shots of the up coming show see below:
Fresh from the mad genius web designers at Wefail comes Die Hipster, a humorous and interesting web game that centers on single hipster and his goal of suicide. The gameplay is a bit tricky and can be frustrating at times, but the detail and depth of the game itself is incredible; the landscape being nearly indistinguishable from certain spots in Morgantown. Its certainly fun to explore, to throw your character to his death over and over again, or to spend time furthering his hipter-fication in order to earn trophies in the afterlife. They say the hipster is dead. Go kill him.
If you happen to have the April edition of Juxtapoz Magazine, go ahead and turn to page 30. That photo looks familiar, yes? Thats because you're looking at the facade of Pine Box Rock Shop and the mural painted by Belgium born internationally known artist ROA.
For more images of ROAs work that hung in the Factory Fresh Gallery click HERE.
There is no better way to enjoy this extraordinary weather than a nice round of gallery hopping. Lucky for us the fifth installment of Beat Nite just happens to be going on tonight. Go get some fresh air and look at art. Its good for you.
He was a poster boy for fitness, and a crazy old man. Good luck, I hope you get in a fight with Frank Sinatra.
The same people who brought you this brilliant poster, bring you this other well stated anti-MTA statement.
Ever wish you were around in the good ol' days when Groucho Marx reigned supreme? Well, how about checking out a great live performance of a recreation of the late, great entertainer? Sound good? We thought so. Put on by the Bushwick Project for the Arts.
This Sunday is the pantsless subway ride. Show up with your idiotic friends at Maria Hernandez park at 3:00 to sign up. We here at TBD would like to say, "go commando, it's funnier."
Last night (12-10) those willing to brave Autumn's chill headed over to Factory Fresh to take in a night of art and drink during FF's newest offering; Speedy Wonderland, featuring wild vivid wood prints by Polish artist Roman Klonek and a diverse offering of strangely enthralling paintings by returning German artist Jim Avignon. Those attending also had a chance to have their photo taken adorned with props of Jim Avignon's design.
Here are some pictures of the competition. It was put on by The Gotham City Beard Alliance. It was hosted at Club Europa in Greenpoint. All proceeds went to the 9/11 first responders (via the Feelgood Foundation) whom are being totally fucked over by the very government they cleaned up voluntarily for. Enjoy.
Fuck You If You Don't Like Christmas by CRUDBUMP
Yesterday(12-4) the people flocked to 3rd Ward to check out their 4th annual Handmade Holiday Craft Fair, featuring an impressive two floors packed with venders, selling a cornucopia of handmade jewelry, clothing, art and craft. If you missed it, good luck fighting the tourists buying holiday gifts in Union Square.
Look, the perfect card to send off to your little Jewish grandmother in Florida while still representing your Brooklyn hipness. Go HERE to get a set.
Yesterday (11-21) the All City Street Art Block Party, hosted by Factory Fresh and All City, kicked off to great fanfare as Vandervoort Pl became a one day street art mecca, vibrating with booming music, the smell of spray paint amongst other things wafting through the air, as many esteemed artists from the neighborhood and abroad took on the challenge of covering 200+ ft of prime wall space. You were there, right?
In a neighborhood saturated by either outlandish noise bands or fuzzy atmospheric alt rock groups its easy to overlook Bushwicks other, potentially more interesting aural offerings, as exampled by singer/songwriter/pianoplayer Timatim Fitfits newest release; No How, a single discribing the plight of dealing with a slumlord and a slowly flooding apartment. Equal parts haunting and catchy, this playful anxiety driven song may make one require a Xanex after so many listens.
This Saturday (11-20) Factory Fresh is partnering up with graffiti app All City, taking over Vandervoort Pl to bring us a day of beer, tacos, music, a film premiere, and the live painting of a 200 ft wall. Fun times.
It really is a beautiful day out there. You would be best advised to take advantage of this weather and check out the BETA Spaces brought to you by Arts In Bushwick. Thirty Eight locations are open this day only showcasing art and performances by a plethora of Bushwick residents.
Last night Work That Beat, the forth installment of Norte Maars bi-annual Beat Nite events, got underway drawing bundled up art lovers out to tour the local galleries and art spaces. Heres a taste:
Tonight ten Bushwick Art spaces come alive for your viewing pleasure as organized by NORTE MAAR. Come, tour your neighborhood and take in some art. Its good for you.
New MTA signs, information that makes sense.
Factory Fresh opened its doors last night with its newest gathering of work entitled SEENOEVILSEENOEVILSEE EVIL featuring the art of Jeremiah Maddock, Daniel Trocchio and Amanda Wong. Its a fine collection indeed and moderately pried at that; certainly worth taking a look.
If you didn't hear about it you must not be paying attention. The first-annual Bushwick Block Party, smack dab in the middle of morgan town, had a special guest who brought a little hip-hop to Moore St.
Maybe not everybody is looking forward to the facebook movie.
So if you missed it, Eastern District woke up with a benefit art auction entitled Brooklyn Saves this past weekend (July 24th). Raising money for St. Baldrick's Foundation for Children's Cancer Research, these guys pulled out all the stops. Armed with a myriad of artworks, a number of interesting bands, mountains of beer and a tattoo exhibition, the opening night had a little bit going on for everybody. Bidding on artwork will be continuing at least for a few more days so you should stop by and try to pick something up for a good cause. Here are a few photos of early on opening night:
Why deal with all the ink and needles when you can just etch a design of your choice using a laser cutter?
Featuring work by Tim Kent, SHM Kim, Adam Collison, Amanda Nedham, Mary Kate Maher, Monika Zarzeczna and Paul D'Agostino.
Finally a practical use for the vuvuzela.
So cool. Found this beaut on Essex St.
Spotted on Bogart St.
Here are a few shots taken last weekend during Bushwick Open Studios. Great art. Great people. Great times.
So we hosted our very first live show this beautiful memorial day weekend, bringing in the undeniably talented Listener, flanked by Fienix and Homeless Gospel Choir. The weather was perfect. The bands were amazing. The burgers were tasty. The jungle juice was thoroughly consumed. A good time was had.
Thank you to Listener, Fienix, Homeless Gospel Choir, DJ B-Rad, and (((unartig)))
Last spotted at the Wreck Room, traded for two cigarettes.
Operation Design; an organization dedicated to giving public school children access to pick the minds of accomplished designers and architects, is currently holding a brilliant online benefit auction called Eames Inspiration. To be sold are a collection of classic Eames molded plywood chairs, each beautifully adorned by an individual street artist. Certainly a good buy for a good cause.
Well you should. Located in The Loom, the Bushwick version of a shopping mall, this new art space packs a wallop, as shown by their very first art opening featuring the likes of Alex Passapera and Dana Bunker. And yeah, they also had a sick blue grass band playing out front. You've got to love it.
Note: video and more photos of this show to come.
Here are a few shots of the newest show by Factory Fresh featuring ROA by way of Belgium. This incredible work will only be up till May 30th so you better get over there and take a look before you miss your chance.
It may be crude. It may be childish. It may be low brow. Regardless its fucking funny.
Damn you, damn you, goddamn you. You're like a Mr. Brainwash with less creativity. If it wasn't enough I have to read your stupid name everywhere I go, you put your asinine logo ov........ No. You know what? I'm not even gonna stoop to your level.
If you happen to take a stroll down Jefferson Street you may come across this sight. Legs and a hat. Simply odd, no?
This fucking genius.
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In honor of Joe Biden's eloquence, WNYC is hosting a haiku contest, with the middle line being "this is a big fucking deal." Take a listen for inspiration:
Scatterbrain; collection of art and objects created, found or stolen by D (Alden) Stover. Including artwork by Skewville, Bobby De Leonibus III, Karl Mann, Daniel Mitchell, Jim Avignon, and many still unidentified. Also, old books and shit for sale. Saturday & Sunday(13th-14th) @ 1-6pm
Boris Hoppek and Alex Diamond bring a show sure to be equally sexual, disturbing, and playful. courtesy of Factory Fresh and Heliumcowboy artspace.
Bushwick's Art Spaces will be open late. You should take advantage.
Pufferella's "i know u are but what am i" and Josh Mccutchen's Polymetrochromanticism
Opening this Fri.(12th) at Factory Fresh.
Created by artist Caleb Larsen, this unassuming black cube, titled "A Tool to Deceive and Slaughter", regularly connects to the internet and puts itself up for sale on ebay. Once sold, its current owner is required to ship it off to the winning bidder. If you would like to try to bid for it, go to www.atooltodeceiveandslaughter.com.
This just goes to show you, art/concept really can't be owned. Ha.
A little guide of the bushwick/east williamsburg area as created by Offmanhattan
View Brooklyn Graffiti Tour Part 2 (by offManhattan.com) in a larger map
Diesel's new campaign Be Stupid. i feel related personally. i feel related coz being stupid means doing things with less calculation like the majority does, which can lead to a fresh way to discover things that most ppl haven't discovered yet, which would bring the world more fun and diversity and maybe beauty accidentally. and i like the idea that a huge brand is selling this idea. but ya know, don't buy diesel because of these pretty stunts, it's all advertising, ya know
Listener - Ozark Empire, or a snake oil salesman comes to your town.
Die Antwoord - Zef Side
Heaven Can Wait by Charlotte Gainsbourg
A haunting animation by UK based Mie.
Located on Jefferson St. between Wyckoff and Irving is this banksy knockoff stencil. It is possible that the "S" was replaced by a "$" to imply that banksy has sold out. Wait...take it all in. It really makes you think doesn't it? Seriously, are there not more interesting statements to make? And maybe more clever ways to make them?
Fart funny as shit
AdFreak has compiled a nice list of the 30 freakiest commercials of 2009 , the majority of them being public service announcements. Be warned; these range from interestingly odd to completely twisted. Here is a taste (minus any taste):
Its always better late than never, yeah? Well, here is a selection of shots from the last opening at Factory Fresh, dubbed "Fresh Geezers"
On Friday the 13th Factory Fresh opened their doors to showcase the work of Armer, Darkcloud, Goreb and Deeker. No bad luck except for a slight drizzle outside. No one seemed to care.
A brilliant obscure gem from the BBC with a stinging commentary on all hipsterdom. It will make you laugh. It will make you cry. It may very well inspire you to set fire to all of williamsburg. Here is a taste:
Last weekend Factory Fresh held a grand opening. You didn't miss it, did you?
This can only mean one thing. A new show is coming. This Friday, October 23rd Factory Fresh will be opening "Grand Champions Forever, Never Say Die", featuring an impressive 30+ graffiti artists hiding under the guise of their real names. Why would you miss such a thing?
You know Goodbye Blue Mondays? No? It's a neat little bar/cafe tucked away on busy Broadway. Besides being an ode to ol' Kurt Vonnegut they have tall boys of PBR and live shows. Last night these blokes from the south called "Listener" played there, and they're fucking awesome. Besides having a raging singer/poet as a front man they have another guy who plays the washing machine. Check them out here.
Hidden away in our little neighborhood is a yard in which something is being constructed. The question is, what?
Well I guess it makes 'em harder to steal.
So you have some spare paint in a can in the corner. It has been there for a while and you have been meaning to use it. Pick it up, pop off the top, and pour its contents in the street. Go wild. Make a mess. Liven things up a bit. As example, here is maybe half a can of pink that has been artfully spread on Jefferson St between Irving and Knickerbocker, possibly signed Jay.
If you weren't at Factory Fresh this Friday, well, sorry. It was night of music, drinking, and dancing. In the line up: Larry Bang Bang, Kim Boekbinder, and Neoangin.
And a 30 day metro card is worth $89. Sooner more than later they'll be nearing or exceeding $100. Whoever did this is obviously speaking out against the shitty service, shitty prices and shitty smelling trains (mainly on the a, c, and e trains). That, or they just thought the next guy to walk by this masterpiece (on Waverly Pl. in The Village) would laugh his ass off. (I did.)
But cussing mother fuckers out is always worth every penny.
Curated by Jim Avignon, Factory Fresh hosted an opening Fri showcasing artist representing our near and dear Brooklyn and imports from across Europe. It was a night not only of sight but of sound, as a number of bands blew up FF's back court yard all night. The last performance of the evening was an indoor intimate affair by Jim Avignon and Jon Burgerman's freshly formed music due; Anxieteam. It was good times.
A fine example of graffiti editing on Thames. Technically, six of these people, you can in fact fuck with. The question is, in the end, who is going to end up on top?
They don't make them like they used to.
Located on Jefferson St between Wyckoff and Irving, this once majestic beast lies in ruin, its dismembered body hid amongst the greenery of the Trees Not Trash mini garden. This poor creature obviously met a gruesome fate. And to ad insult to injury, its head is placed on the edge of the street in open view, like a trophy to this abhorrent act. We never knew you, strange kinda purple elephant, but you will be missed.
Watch your step. Someone has taken the nuisance of people not curbing their dogs and highlighted it with a can of gold. One should note that once these guilded turds leave their landing sites, perfect golden outlines will remain; a reminder of their former presence.
As seen in this post here, someone is really stressing the point to read. In my heart of hearts I want this person to be a librarian whose job is on the ropes. That, or a just some dork with a lot of spray paint. Either way I am on his or her side for whatever he or she is trying to say. Having trouble starting? Try this.
a bunch of beer, a roof party, artists, a black marker and the drywall next to my bathroom? A divine dog by Dane. I like him, I named him ??????? ?????. Like him? Here's more of Dane's stuff
This a simple but important message: Read people. And really read. Surely this artist isn't suggesting you read Vice Magazine or TMZ.com. Read something informative, enlightening, or inspiring; something different that will make you a better person. Having a unique body of knowledge benefits everyone around you.
When you're all too awake do you have a smoke to calm your nerves? �Es usted un verde de dibujos animados con una guitarra y cigarrillos? This poster may be for you!!!
This box can be seen tucked in a small corner on vandervoort. Its hard to identify what this thing actually is. Standing on caster wheels, its has a strange tube thing sticking out of one side. On the other is a receded mirror box with a single wheel in the center. ...wtf? Take a look and tell me what it is.
Well thanks to a bunch of fucking morons with mediocre art and no sense of WHAT IS FUCKING SACRED, we no longer have the giant mural near the corner of Houston and Bowery that was done by Keith Haring in 1982. I'm told it's Brazilian artists named Os Gemeos. Portuguese for "the twins." Apparently, it's identical twin brothers. How people with such an original name choice could choose such an already painted spot, I'll never know. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying this art ain't okay. It's aight. I've seen the one in Coney Island, but, it sure of fuck didn't belong on top of of a Haring mural. It's like taking the fountain in front of Lincoln Center and replacing it with an open urinal. I'd probably even LIKE it if it were somewhere else. HEY! I GOT IT!!! Put it HERE!!! Here's a link to The Gothamist of them painting it.
Okay, I just saw this other day and I have been told by one of my investigative team members that it's been taken down already. Here is one of the odder street art/anti-Bloomberg pieces I've seen. I've only seen a few, but this one's neat because they used a horrifying picture of him. Also, I apologize for cutting off the words on the right in the second photo. If you use your brain just a little, you'll know what the words are supposed to say.
Once again a lively night filled with drinks, conversation and good art. Loro Verz, Apolo Torres & Mundano did some fantastic work and were amongst the most gracious and engaging artist, enthusiastically mingling and discussing their work with all that came. It was a lovely night that has left myself and I'm sure others with a well worth it hangover.
Here is a look at Factory Fresh one day before the opening of their new show LICHEN by Loro Verz,Apolo Torres & Mundano. See you there Fri(7-10-09) 7-10pm.
You strange funny bastard. What new madness is this that you have graced us with?
I know what you did this summer............
Always looking to keep things interesting, the people at Factory Fresh have yet again reached well beyond the borders of NYC, bringing in Brazilian artists Loro Verz, Apolo Torres & Mundano. Here is a peek at them at work as they prepare for the upcoming show, which opens Friday July 10th.
for more information, just check out Factory Fresh
It is completely understandable that you could be sick of all the Micheal Jackson tributes and such. Yes he was an amazing performer. Yes in his private life he was wildly and in some forms dangerously eccentric, possibly fucked in the head. Yes he is dead. How many times do we have to have to watch his life outlined in tv special after special to get it? regardless of your fan/nonfan/superfan status, you have to appreciate this:
possibly a mechanical serpent, a vine from the future, or maybe a stake of metal doughnuts. who's to say? decoration, its not just for christmas trees anymore.
How do you guarantee at least a minimal value to your artwork along with maximum exposure? Draw on money! In no way would we condone such an action. It is illegal, but well, you know.
This bill is worth five whole dollars.
