I hardly noticed when NYC’s gritty vibe, with graffiti ubiquitously peppering the subways, started fading away. I notice it more now, now that it has devolved into the realm of nostalgia, of how things used to be, and reemerged into a respected art form – enough to have mass-market appeal and allow a rebellious kid who went around tagging up to grow up and make a career out of these once seemingly aimless interests.
“Beyond The Streets,” an exhibition celebrating “street art, graffiti, and beyond” is the brainchild of Roger Gastman, born from his affinity for counter-culture. Underlying the grandiose scale at which the works of 150 artists show in over 100,000 sq ft of space at Williamsburg’s Twenty Five Kent, is a personal homage to the excitement and allure of those formative years that buttressed the evolution of his passions into a sold-out show in L.A. In its NYC debut, the array of art including new works from widely recognizable names like Shepard Fairey, show alongside ephemera for context and memorabilia from Roger’s personal collection.
The juxtaposition of underground and mainstream, of play and profound, sets a unique experience of discovery that appeals to visitors of all ages. One minute you stumble upon a collection of graffiti-ridden model trains by Tim Conlon and the next minute you will find yourself immersed in a beautiful installment of flowers by DabsMyla. The majority of artwork has been made exclusively for the show, and for those of us who are locals you might see some familiar names – FAILE, whose mural dons the brick wall in Transmitter Park, is one of the participating artists.
Local photographer and director Jackie Roman has been documenting the changing culture and cityscape of our East River waterfront for more than a decade. This Friday evening (7-10pm) at Quimby’s Bookstore (536 Metropolitan Ave), she will be showing large 16×20 and 11×17 prints from her ongoing project, which depicts street scenes and cityscapes of the rapidly developing Greenpoint waterfront.
Huxley Envelope Factory as seen from the waterfront at India Street, photo by Jackie RomanThe Domino Sugar factory, photo by Jackie Roman
She describes her images, saying: “A vista of Manhattan’s skyline taken from the roof of a factory building on Clay St. in 2010 is framed by trees, years before construction would begin on the “Greenpoint Landing,” a dramatic mega-complex of ten residential towers. A photo taken from the India St. ferry landing shows the single-story Huxley Envelope Factory—it contrasts with an abstract of the same site taken during the construction of a 40-story mixed-use condo building. These pictures, and others on display, are supplemental to the book Old Domino which documents the closings of DIY music and cultural spaces around the neighborhood’s historic Domino Sugar Refinery.”
The bat that has taken up residence outside Silk Road Cycles.
A bat has been posted up outside Silk Road Cycles (76 Franklin St.) all week. Someone at the shop reportedly contacted Animal Control 4 days ago and as of yesterday, the poor, apparently sick bat was still there.
Riverkeeper will be hosting a Newtown Creek Community Advisory Committee meeting on Thursday, Oct. 20. The EPA will be presenting an update.
A pro-Donald Trump art show was cancelled this week at a Williamsburg gallery.
No, Bill Murray has not announced any further bartending engagements, but his son’s restaurant, 21 Greenpoint got some good press this week! Continue reading →
After 2 months of recovery from a devastating fire accident, Greenpoint Gallery (390 McGuinness Blvd) is ready to resume their art shows. Tomorrow on Friday, March 4th at 8pm, they will be holding their first show of the year. The Fire Relief Salon Show will be a one night juried event where one exhibited artist has the chance to win $200. Open call submissions go until 11pm tonight for anyone interested in submitting pieces for the show. Continue reading →
Dex Fernandez @ Owen James Gallery (61 Greenpoint Ave) on view until 12/20
In conjunction with the 10th edition of Asia Contemporary Art Week, Owen James Gallery is holding an exhibition on Manila-based artist Dex Fernandez. The Southeast Asian artist is known for his eccentric expression through mixed media collages, murals, and sticker art. I had a chance to visit Owen and Isabel, the couple running the gallery to talk about Dex’s work and what drives them to the artists they seek.
GP: What is the story behind the gallery? Owen: I studied art history as an undergraduate, working for several galleries shortly after moving to New York. At a certain point I wanted to go back to emerging art and younger artists that I had personal interest in, as opposed to what other galleries were showing. At the same time, Isabel moved here and we got married. She’s a children’s illustrator and we have this back and forth relationship between New York and Manila, which is partly what this gallery’s about.Continue reading →
Why a group show? Just Friends at Greenpoint’s M. Carter space (141 Engert Ave) is a mix of small works by fifteen artists showing the shape-shifting looseness of group shows at a time when the white cube no longer distinguishes from the bricolage of the street. A poster on the window lists all of the brain storming suggestions for titles before circling the final name at the bottom – an invitation to enter the gallery before the actual art inside demonstrates the real interaction of variety more than a statement ever can. Continue reading →
Our very own talented Libby VanderPloeg is having an art show titled “Hard To Get” that is opening TONIGHT December 11, 2014 at 7pm at Brouwerij Lane (78 Greenpoint Ave). This will be a great show with great people! See you tonight, Greenpoint!
Last year around this time Jon (my fiancé) and I got domestic partnered, then had a boozy brunch then went to the Northside Senior Center Art Show – which ruled! It was some of the loveliest people around town making art for arts sake and selling it at affordable prices. Well it’s that time of year again…
Northside Senior Citizen Center will be hosting its annual Art Exhibit and Sale on Friday, June 13th, 12 noon to 3:00p.m. Continue reading →
On a recent Friday night I visited two art shows that both opened on Greenpoint Ave. Both artists, Maj Anya DeBear and Roxanne Palmer mentioned that honesty was one driving force behind their recent artworks. While being true to oneself creatively in a hard to please art world is difficult to attain, the resulting satisfaction and confidence that came through made for two stand-out openings on either side of McGuinness Blvd. Continue reading →
I’d heard the name but admittedly didn’t know who Taylor Swift is and somehow managed not to knowingly listen to her music. Are you a fan? Aside from Lena Dunham, main stream pop culture isn’t on Greenpoint’s map, but a show on view at Fowler Project Space titled “Who’s Taylor Swift Anyway?” seeks “to explore our relationship to celebrity through embodiments of the pop-fictional character, Taylor Swift.” Now I know.
At the opening there were paintings and interactive art installations. I instagrammed “D” the dog with a donut (#iamtaylorswift) while cruelly not letting her eat the art. The catchy tunes on repeat were familiar and got stuck in my head. I hate that! The night was capped off with this performance by Chris Tyler, who doesn’t need an introduction. Just watch.
