<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>Street Art | 6sqft</title> <atom:link href="https://www.6sqft.com/tag/street-art/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://www.6sqft.com</link> <description>NYC Real Estate news and information</description> <lastBuildDate>Wed, 02 Aug 2023 00:27:46 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.5</generator> <item> <title>The world’s largest street art exhibition arrives in Williamsburg</title> <link>https://www.6sqft.com/the-worlds-largest-street-art-exhibition-arrives-in-williamsburg/</link> <comments>https://www.6sqft.com/the-worlds-largest-street-art-exhibition-arrives-in-williamsburg/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Nicole Mondrus]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 20 Jun 2019 18:15:10 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Events & Things To Do]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Graffiti]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Street Art]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.6sqft.com/?p=168756</guid> <description><![CDATA[<img width="1024" height="632" src="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/20102903/IMG_6914-e1561048205420.jpg?w=768&format=webp" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="graffiti, street art, sculpture" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" srcset="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/20102903/IMG_6914-e1561048205420.jpg?w=1040&format=webp 1040w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/20102903/IMG_6914-e1561048205420.jpg?w=300&format=webp 300w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/20102903/IMG_6914-e1561048205420.jpg?w=768&format=webp 768w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/20102903/IMG_6914-e1561048205420.jpg?w=440&format=webp 440w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/20102903/IMG_6914-e1561048205420.jpg?w=90&format=webp 90w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/20102903/IMG_6914-e1561048205420.jpg?w=280&format=webp 280w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/20102903/IMG_6914-e1561048205420.jpg?w=679&format=webp 679w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/20102903/IMG_6914-e1561048205420.jpg?w=2000&format=webp 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 840px) 100vw, 500px" /><p>From June 21 to sometime in August, LA’s premier street art and graffiti exhibit will call Brooklyn home. “BEYOND THE STREETS” is a multimedia art exhibition that takes up two floors of 25 Kent Avenue in Williamsburg and is the biggest showcase of street art to date. With art by the likes of Fab 5 Freddy, The [...]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.6sqft.com/the-worlds-largest-street-art-exhibition-arrives-in-williamsburg/">The world’s largest street art exhibition arrives in Williamsburg</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.6sqft.com">6sqft</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="1024" height="632" src="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/20102903/IMG_6914-e1561048205420.jpg?w=768&format=webp" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="graffiti, street art, sculpture" decoding="async" srcset="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/20102903/IMG_6914-e1561048205420.jpg?w=1040&format=webp 1040w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/20102903/IMG_6914-e1561048205420.jpg?w=300&format=webp 300w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/20102903/IMG_6914-e1561048205420.jpg?w=768&format=webp 768w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/20102903/IMG_6914-e1561048205420.jpg?w=440&format=webp 440w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/20102903/IMG_6914-e1561048205420.jpg?w=90&format=webp 90w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/20102903/IMG_6914-e1561048205420.jpg?w=280&format=webp 280w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/20102903/IMG_6914-e1561048205420.jpg?w=679&format=webp 679w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/20102903/IMG_6914-e1561048205420.jpg?w=2000&format=webp 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 840px) 100vw, 500px" /><p>From June 21 to sometime in August, LA’s premier street art and graffiti exhibit will call Brooklyn home. “BEYOND THE STREETS” is a multimedia art exhibition that takes up two floors of <a href="https://www.6sqft.com/williamsburgs-first-ground-up-commercial-space-in-over-40-years-tops-out/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">25 Kent Avenue</a> in <a href="https://www.6sqft.com/category/neighborhoods/brooklyn/williamsburg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Williamsburg</a> and is the biggest showcase of street art to date. With art by the likes of Fab 5 Freddy, The Beastie Boys, and the late Keith Haring, the exhibition celebrates the history of graffiti and street art and also examines public art as a means of protest and self-expression.</p> <p><span id="more-51334"></span></p> <p><img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-51338" src="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/20100953/IMG_6867-e1561048253787.jpg?w=1560&format=webp" alt="mural, graffiti, street art" width="2000" height="1500" /></p> <p><img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-51344" src="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/20103552/IMG_6897-e1561048239435.jpg?w=1560&format=webp" alt="graffiti, street art, installation" width="2000" height="1500" /></p> <p>“BEYOND THE STREETS examines the fundamental human need for public self-expression, highlighting artists with roots in graffiti and street art whose work has evolved into highly disciplined studio practices, alongside important cultural figures inspired by these art forms,” the team stated.</p> <p>Curated by Roger Gastman, graffiti historian and urban anthropologist, the exhibition features over 100 artists. The exhibits take the form of murals, mixed-media sculpture, and even a fully functional tattoo parlor. BEYOND THE STREETS also marks the US debut of “Facing the Giant: 3 Decades of Dissent,” by Shepard Fairley, as well as a special installation featuring artifacts and ephemera from the Beastie Boys.</p> <p><img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-51346" src="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/20103557/IMG_6900-e1561048229781.jpg?w=1560&format=webp" alt="graffiti, street art, mural" width="2000" height="1500" /></p> <p><img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-51342" src="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/20103035/IMG_6898-e1561048269437.jpg?w=1560&format=webp" alt="street art, graffiti, installation" width="1024" height="768" /></p> <p>“You only get a chance to debut in New York once, so we wanted to do it right,” said Gastman in an opening speech.</p> <p>Those interested in seeing “BEYOND THE STREETS” can visit their <a href="https://beyondthestreets.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">website and book tickets here.</a></p> <p><em>All photos by Nicole Mondrus for 6sqft</em></p><p>The post <a href="https://www.6sqft.com/the-worlds-largest-street-art-exhibition-arrives-in-williamsburg/">The world’s largest street art exhibition arrives in Williamsburg</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.6sqft.com">6sqft</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.6sqft.com/the-worlds-largest-street-art-exhibition-arrives-in-williamsburg/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Artist JR takes over Houston Bowery Wall with a thought-provoking mural about guns in America</title> <link>https://www.6sqft.com/artist-jr-takes-over-houston-bowery-wall-with-a-poignant-mural-about-guns-in-america/</link> <comments>https://www.6sqft.com/artist-jr-takes-over-houston-bowery-wall-with-a-poignant-mural-about-guns-in-america/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Michelle Cohen]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 30 Oct 2018 13:13:06 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Events & Things To Do]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Street Art]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.6sqft.com/?p=142587</guid> <description><![CDATA[<img width="1024" height="683" src="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083100/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-1.jpg?w=768&format=webp" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083100/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-1.jpg?w=1040&format=webp 1040w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083100/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-1.jpg?w=300&format=webp 300w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083100/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-1.jpg?w=768&format=webp 768w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083100/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-1.jpg?w=440&format=webp 440w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083100/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-1.jpg?w=90&format=webp 90w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083100/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-1.jpg?w=280&format=webp 280w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083100/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-1.jpg?w=679&format=webp 679w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083100/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-1.jpg?w=1200&format=webp 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 840px) 100vw, 500px" /><p>French street artist JR and TIME magazine have paired up for a collaborative project, “The Gun Chronicles: A Story of America,” consisting of a special issue due out on November 5, as well as a video mural to be featured in exhibits throughout the country and an interactive web feature at Time.com. The topic–the larger-than-life [...]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.6sqft.com/artist-jr-takes-over-houston-bowery-wall-with-a-poignant-mural-about-guns-in-america/">Artist JR takes over Houston Bowery Wall with a thought-provoking mural about guns in America</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.6sqft.com">6sqft</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="1024" height="683" src="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083100/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-1.jpg?w=768&format=webp" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083100/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-1.jpg?w=1040&format=webp 1040w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083100/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-1.jpg?w=300&format=webp 300w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083100/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-1.jpg?w=768&format=webp 768w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083100/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-1.jpg?w=440&format=webp 440w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083100/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-1.jpg?w=90&format=webp 90w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083100/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-1.jpg?w=280&format=webp 280w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083100/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-1.jpg?w=679&format=webp 679w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083100/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-1.jpg?w=1200&format=webp 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 840px) 100vw, 500px" /><p>French street artist <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JR_(artist)" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">JR</a> and TIME magazine have paired up for a collaborative project, “The Gun Chronicles: A Story of America,” consisting of a special issue due out on November 5, as well as a video mural to be featured in exhibits throughout the country and an interactive web feature at <a href="http://time.com/guns-in-america/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Time.com</a>. The topic–the larger-than-life relationship America has with guns–needs little explanation; last Friday the “The Gun Chronicles” was installed on the Houston Bowery Wall in Soho. The building-sized cover story image is comprised of portraits photographed by the artist.</p> <p><span id="more-65262"></span></p> <p><img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-65278" src="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083106/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-3.jpg?w=1560&format=webp" alt="" width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083106/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-3.jpg?w=1200&format=webp 1200w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083106/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-3.jpg?w=300&format=webp 300w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083106/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-3.jpg?w=768&format=webp 768w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083106/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-3.jpg?w=1040&format=webp 1040w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083106/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-3.jpg?w=440&format=webp 440w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083106/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-3.jpg?w=90&format=webp 90w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083106/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-3.jpg?w=280&format=webp 280w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083106/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-3.jpg?w=679&format=webp 679w" sizes="(max-width: 1040px) 100vw, 1040px" /></p> <p><img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-65277" src="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083103/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-2.jpg?w=1560&format=webp" alt="" width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083103/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-2.jpg?w=1200&format=webp 1200w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083103/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-2.jpg?w=300&format=webp 300w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083103/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-2.jpg?w=768&format=webp 768w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083103/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-2.jpg?w=1040&format=webp 1040w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083103/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-2.jpg?w=440&format=webp 440w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083103/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-2.jpg?w=90&format=webp 90w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083103/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-2.jpg?w=280&format=webp 280w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30083103/JR-The-Gun-Chronicles-2.jpg?w=679&format=webp 679w" sizes="(max-width: 1040px) 100vw, 1040px" /><br /> <em><small>Photos © Martha Cooper for Goldman Properties</small></em></p> <p>In creating the project, TIME and JR visited Dallas, St. Louis and Washington, D.C.–cities deeply affected by guns–and asked people to discuss their views and experiences on the topic. Included are the words of Americans of all ages and from all sides of the issue from anti-gun activists and teachers to hunters and police officers, trauma surgeons and politicians, parents and children. In all, JR photographed 245 people in an attempt to capture the human stories behind the supercharged saga of guns in America.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF;border: 0;border-radius: 3px;margin: 1px;max-width: 540px;min-width: 326px;padding: 0;width: calc(100% - 2px)" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BparMaPhfAD/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px"> <p> </p> <div style="flex-direction: row;align-items: center"></div> <div style="padding: 19% 0"></div> <div style="height: 50px;margin: 0 auto 12px;width: 50px"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px"> <div style="color: #3897f0;font-family: Arial,sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-weight: 550;line-height: 18px">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0"></div> <div style="flex-direction: row;margin-bottom: 14px;align-items: center"></div> <p> </p> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0;padding: 0 4px"><a style="color: #000;font-family: Arial,sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-weight: normal;line-height: 17px;text-decoration: none" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BparMaPhfAD/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">How would an artist, one whose body of work explores the world’s most complex social issues, approach the topic of guns in America today? TIME’s Editor-in-Chief, Edward Felsenthal, asked that question in the From the Editor letter in this week’s special report: Guns in America. “If he were @jr, a native of Paris,” writes Felsenthal, “it would be with fresh eyes (behind his trademark sunglasses) and an open mind. His latest work—extraordinary murals that bring together on one canvas people from all points of view and walks of life—is about our common humanity. His message, powerful and regrettably rare at this cultural moment, landed him on this year’s TIME 100 list of the world’s most influential people.” @jr’s mural—pasted on the Houston Bowery Wall on Oct. 26, through Nov. 15—envisions the cover of TIME as a table, the kind of setting where we might actually listen to one another. Over five months, he and his team, along with a group of TIME journalists, traveled to three cities—St. Louis; Washington, D.C.; and Dallas—to film, photograph and record, one by one, people who represent the vast range of voices in our gun debate. The final result brought together 245 people from every imaginable vantage point: veterans and teachers, hunters and doctors, people afraid that guns may kill their children and people afraid they won’t have guns to protect their children. The participants in this project “will always be part of the same mural even if they don’t share the same ideas,” says the artist. “I really hope they will actually listen to each other, and I hope that people will join this conversation.” Explore all 245 voices in this @time and @jr project at TIME.com/guns-in-america. Photographs by @claramokriphoto for @time</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd;font-family: Arial,sans-serif;font-size: 14px;line-height: 17px;margin-bottom: 0;margin-top: 8px;overflow: hidden;padding: 8px 0 7px;text-align: center">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd;font-family: Arial,sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-weight: normal;line-height: 17px" href="https://www.instagram.com/time/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> TIME</a> (@time) on Oct 26, 2018 at 5:41pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The resulting video mural offers a snapshot of each individual interviewed for the project and a composite, animated film comprised of the entire group. The mural will travel to additional venues throughout the U.S. It can also be experienced on an interactive <a href="http://time.com/guns-in-america/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">website </a>that invites visitors to engage in a nationwide dialogue.</p> <p><img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-65289" src="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30085536/JR-Houston-Bowery-Wall-The-Gun-Chronicles-3-e1540904214130.jpg?w=1560&format=webp" alt="" width="2000" height="1500" /></p> <p><em><img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-65293" src="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30085544/JR-Houston-Bowery-Wall-The-Gun-Chronicles-4-e1540904261474.jpg?w=1560&format=webp" alt="" width="1500" height="2000" srcset="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30085544/JR-Houston-Bowery-Wall-The-Gun-Chronicles-4-e1540904261474.jpg?w=1500&format=webp 1500w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30085544/JR-Houston-Bowery-Wall-The-Gun-Chronicles-4-e1540904261474.jpg?w=225&format=webp 225w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30085544/JR-Houston-Bowery-Wall-The-Gun-Chronicles-4-e1540904261474.jpg?w=768&format=webp 768w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30085544/JR-Houston-Bowery-Wall-The-Gun-Chronicles-4-e1540904261474.jpg?w=440&format=webp 440w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30085544/JR-Houston-Bowery-Wall-The-Gun-Chronicles-4-e1540904261474.jpg?w=90&format=webp 90w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30085544/JR-Houston-Bowery-Wall-The-Gun-Chronicles-4-e1540904261474.jpg?w=280&format=webp 280w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30085544/JR-Houston-Bowery-Wall-The-Gun-Chronicles-4-e1540904261474.jpg?w=679&format=webp 679w" sizes="(max-width: 1040px) 100vw, 1040px" /></em></p> <p><em><small><img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-65287" src="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/30085529/JR-Houston-Bowery-Wall-The-Gun-Chronicles-2-e1540904205723.jpg?w=1560&format=webp" alt="" width="2000" height="1500" />Photos © 6sqft</small></em></p> <p>Some 24 hours after it was installed on the Houston Bowery wall, someone had tagged the black-and-white mural with a crimson number “11,” representing those murdered in the tragic Pittsburgh synagogue shooting (h/t <a href="https://www.boweryboogie.com/2018/10/jrs-anti-gun-mural-on-the-bowery-tagged-in-response-to-pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bowery Boogie</a>). The Houston Street mural will remain up for the next few weeks. “The Gun Chronicles: A Story of America,” is also <a href="https://www.pacegallery.com/exhibitions/12968/guns-in-america-a-time-and-jr-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">on view</a> at Pace Gallery at 537 West 24th Street from October 26 – November 3, 2018.</p> <p>Watch the Time video here:</p> <p><iframe loading="lazy" title="Guns In America: Behind The Making Of The JRxTIME Cover | TIME" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BuMVZOYCdKk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></p> <p><strong>RELATED:</strong></p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.6sqft.com/music-fan-behind-aretha-signs-at-franklin-ave-subway-aims-for-permanent-tribute-mural/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Music fan behind ‘Aretha’ signs at Franklin Ave subway aims for permanent tribute mural</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.6sqft.com/more-banksy-work-pops-up-in-brooklyn-this-time-commenting-on-capitalism-and-real-estate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">More Banksy work pops up in Brooklyn, this time commenting on capitalism and real estate</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.6sqft.com/banksy-unveils-mural-at-historic-houston-bowery-wall-protesting-turkish-artists-imprisonment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Banksy unveils mural at historic Houston Bowery Wall protesting Turkish artist’s imprisonment</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.6sqft.com/a-brooklyn-artist-is-bringing-street-art-down-to-a-first-grade-reading-level/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> A Brooklyn artist is bringing street art down to a first-grade reading level</a></li> </ul><p>The post <a href="https://www.6sqft.com/artist-jr-takes-over-houston-bowery-wall-with-a-poignant-mural-about-guns-in-america/">Artist JR takes over Houston Bowery Wall with a thought-provoking mural about guns in America</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.6sqft.com">6sqft</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.6sqft.com/artist-jr-takes-over-houston-bowery-wall-with-a-poignant-mural-about-guns-in-america/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Owen Dippie Channels Both Renaissance and Modern Artists in His Bushwick Murals</title> <link>https://www.6sqft.com/owen-dippie-channels-both-renaissance-and-modern-artists-in-his-brooklyn-murals/</link> <comments>https://www.6sqft.com/owen-dippie-channels-both-renaissance-and-modern-artists-in-his-brooklyn-murals/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Shiloh Frederick]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 21 Jul 2015 17:30:42 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Events & Things To Do]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Renaissance Masters]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Street Art]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.6sqft.com/?p=44373</guid> <description><![CDATA[<img width="795" height="532" src="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211817/owne-dippie-ninja-turtles.jpg?w=768&format=webp" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Owen Dippie, Renaissance Masters, Ninjas Turtles, Radiant Madonna, Keith Haring" decoding="async" srcset="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211817/owne-dippie-ninja-turtles.jpg?w=795&format=webp 795w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211817/owne-dippie-ninja-turtles.jpg?w=300&format=webp 300w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211817/owne-dippie-ninja-turtles.jpg?w=90&format=webp 90w" sizes="(max-width: 840px) 100vw, 500px" /><p>Owen Dippie is starting a modern renaissance in Brooklyn. Within the past couple of months, the New Zealand-born street artist has put up two pieces in Bushwick that skillfully remix the work of the Renaissance masters and contemporary art and culture. Dippie’s clever pieces appeal to art lovers of all styles. For Dippie, creating these [...]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.6sqft.com/owen-dippie-channels-both-renaissance-and-modern-artists-in-his-brooklyn-murals/">Owen Dippie Channels Both Renaissance and Modern Artists in His Bushwick Murals</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.6sqft.com">6sqft</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="795" height="532" src="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211817/owne-dippie-ninja-turtles.jpg?w=768&format=webp" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Owen Dippie, Renaissance Masters, Ninjas Turtles, Radiant Madonna, Keith Haring" decoding="async" srcset="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211817/owne-dippie-ninja-turtles.jpg?w=795&format=webp 795w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211817/owne-dippie-ninja-turtles.jpg?w=300&format=webp 300w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211817/owne-dippie-ninja-turtles.jpg?w=90&format=webp 90w" sizes="(max-width: 840px) 100vw, 500px" /><p>Owen Dippie is starting a modern renaissance in Brooklyn. Within the past couple of months, the New Zealand-born street artist has put up two pieces in <a href="http://www.cityrealty.com/nyc/bushwick" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bushwick </a>that skillfully remix the work of the Renaissance masters and contemporary art and culture. Dippie’s clever pieces appeal to art lovers of all styles.</p> <p>For Dippie, creating these mashups is like paying homage to his idols. Growing up, Dippie’s biggest influences were Biggie Smalls, Tupac Shakur, Michael Jackson, <a href="http://www.6sqft.com/own-andy-warhols-former-montauk-compound-and-equestrian-farm-for-85-million/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andy Warhol</a>, <a href="http://www.6sqft.com/tag/jean-michel-basquiat/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Basquiat</a> and Keith Haring. As he grew older and became more exposed to other artists, the Renaissance masters began to grow on him as well. With such varying influences, it makes sense for Dippie to have created these pieces.</p> <p><span id="more-138969"></span></p> <p><img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-138989" src="http://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211818/owen-dippie.jpg?w=1560&format=webp" alt="Owen Dippie, Renaissance Masters, Ninjas Turtles, Radiant Madonna, Keith Haring" width="740" height="571" srcset="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211818/owen-dippie.jpg?w=740&format=webp 740w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211818/owen-dippie.jpg?w=300&format=webp 300w" sizes="(max-width: 1040px) 100vw, 1040px" /></p> <p><a href="http://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211825/Radiant-Madonna-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojoradianmaddona.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-138979" src="http://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211825/Radiant-Madonna-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojoradianmaddona.jpg?w=1560&format=webp" alt="Owen Dippie, Renaissance Masters, Ninjas Turtles, Radiant Madonna, Keith Haring" width="865" height="773" srcset="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211825/Radiant-Madonna-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojoradianmaddona.jpg?w=865&format=webp 865w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211825/Radiant-Madonna-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojoradianmaddona.jpg?w=300&format=webp 300w" sizes="(max-width: 1040px) 100vw, 1040px" /></a></p> <p>Dippie’s first mashup combines Raphael’s “Madonna del Granduca” with Keith Haring’s “Radiant Child.” Dippie calls it “Radiant Madonna.”</p> <p><img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-138972" src="http://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211828/Owen-Dippie-and-Turtle-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojo.jpg?w=1560&format=webp" alt="Owen Dippie, Renaissance Masters, Ninjas Turtles, Radiant Madonna, Keith Haring" width="865" height="669" srcset="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211828/Owen-Dippie-and-Turtle-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojo.jpg?w=865&format=webp 865w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211828/Owen-Dippie-and-Turtle-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojo.jpg?w=300&format=webp 300w" sizes="(max-width: 1040px) 100vw, 1040px" /></p> <p><img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-138985" src="http://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211822/Renaissance-Turtles-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojo-e1437497024156.jpg?w=1560&format=webp" alt="Owen Dippie, Renaissance Masters, Ninjas Turtles, Radiant Madonna, Keith Haring" width="795" height="488" srcset="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211822/Renaissance-Turtles-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojo-e1437497024156.jpg?w=795&format=webp 795w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211822/Renaissance-Turtles-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojo-e1437497024156.jpg?w=300&format=webp 300w" sizes="(max-width: 1040px) 100vw, 1040px" /></p> <p>Dippie’s second mashup, completed earlier this July, features the Renaissance masters themselves donning the masks of every ’90s child’s favorite reptilian heroes: the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The piece directly ties history with pop culture.</p> <p>See more of Owen Dippie’s work <a href="http://www.owendippie.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> and in our gallery below.</p> <p>[Via <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jaime-rojo-steven-harrington/owen-dippie-street-art_b_7795326.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Huffington Post</a> and <a href="http://www.brooklynstreetart.com/theblog/2015/07/11/owen-dippie-radiant-madonna-unites-raphael-and-haring-in-brooklyn/#.Va8l6PlViko" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brooklyn Street Art</a>]</p> <p><strong>RELATED:</strong></p> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.6sqft.com/new-yorker-spotlight-al-diaz-on-nyc-street-art-and-working-with-jean-michel-basquiat/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Yorker Spotlight: Al Diaz on NYC Street Art and Working with Jean-Michel Basquiat</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.6sqft.com/take-a-peak-inside-hundreds-of-brooklyn-homes-in-the-1970s-including-where-basquiat-grew-up/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Take a Peek Inside Hundreds of Brooklyn Homes in the 1970s, Including Where Basquiat Grew Up</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.6sqft.com/new-yorker-spotlight-doug-steinberg-gets-creative-at-110-year-old-new-york-central-art-supply/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Yorker Spotlight: Doug Steinberg Keeps the Doors Open at 110-Year-Old New York Central Art Supply</a></li> </ul> <p><em>Photos © Jaime Rojo via Brooklyn Street Art</em></p> <a href='https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211817/owne-dippie-ninja-turtles.jpg'><img decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211817/owne-dippie-ninja-turtles.jpg?w=300&h=300&format=webp" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="Owen Dippie, Renaissance Masters, Ninjas Turtles, Radiant Madonna, Keith Haring" srcset="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211817/owne-dippie-ninja-turtles.jpg?w=150&h=150&format=webp 150w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211817/owne-dippie-ninja-turtles.jpg?w=100&h=100&format=webp 100w" sizes="(max-width: 1040px) 100vw, 1040px" /></a> <a href='https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211828/Owen-Dippie-Influences-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojoradianmaddona.jpg'><img decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211828/Owen-Dippie-Influences-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojoradianmaddona.jpg?w=300&h=300&format=webp" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="Owen Dippie, Renaissance Masters, Ninjas Turtles, Radiant Madonna, Keith Haring" srcset="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211828/Owen-Dippie-Influences-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojoradianmaddona.jpg?w=150&h=150&format=webp 150w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211828/Owen-Dippie-Influences-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojoradianmaddona.jpg?w=100&h=100&format=webp 100w" sizes="(max-width: 1040px) 100vw, 1040px" /></a> <a href='https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211818/owen-dippie.jpg'><img decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211818/owen-dippie.jpg?w=300&h=300&format=webp" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="Owen Dippie, Renaissance Masters, Ninjas Turtles, Radiant Madonna, Keith Haring" srcset="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211818/owen-dippie.jpg?w=150&h=150&format=webp 150w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211818/owen-dippie.jpg?w=100&h=100&format=webp 100w" sizes="(max-width: 1040px) 100vw, 1040px" /></a> <a href='https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211826/Radiant-Madonna-and-Owen-Dippie-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojoradianmaddona.jpg'><img decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211826/Radiant-Madonna-and-Owen-Dippie-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojoradianmaddona.jpg?w=300&h=300&format=webp" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="Owen Dippie, Renaissance Masters, Ninjas Turtles, Radiant Madonna, Keith Haring" srcset="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211826/Radiant-Madonna-and-Owen-Dippie-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojoradianmaddona.jpg?w=150&h=150&format=webp 150w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211826/Radiant-Madonna-and-Owen-Dippie-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojoradianmaddona.jpg?w=100&h=100&format=webp 100w" sizes="(max-width: 1040px) 100vw, 1040px" /></a> <a href='https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211825/Radiant-Madonna-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojoradianmaddona.jpg'><img decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211825/Radiant-Madonna-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojoradianmaddona.jpg?w=300&h=300&format=webp" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="Owen Dippie, Renaissance Masters, Ninjas Turtles, Radiant Madonna, Keith Haring" srcset="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211825/Radiant-Madonna-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojoradianmaddona.jpg?w=150&h=150&format=webp 150w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211825/Radiant-Madonna-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojoradianmaddona.jpg?w=100&h=100&format=webp 100w" sizes="(max-width: 1040px) 100vw, 1040px" /></a> <a href='https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211827/Owen-Dippie-Working-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojo.jpg'><img decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211827/Owen-Dippie-Working-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojo.jpg?w=300&h=300&format=webp" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="Owen Dippie, Renaissance Masters, Ninjas Turtles, Radiant Madonna, Keith Haring" srcset="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211827/Owen-Dippie-Working-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojo.jpg?w=150&h=150&format=webp 150w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211827/Owen-Dippie-Working-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojo.jpg?w=100&h=100&format=webp 100w" sizes="(max-width: 1040px) 100vw, 1040px" /></a> <a href='https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211828/Owen-Dippie-and-Turtle-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojo.jpg'><img decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211828/Owen-Dippie-and-Turtle-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojo.jpg?w=300&h=300&format=webp" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="Owen Dippie, Renaissance Masters, Ninjas Turtles, Radiant Madonna, Keith Haring" srcset="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211828/Owen-Dippie-and-Turtle-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojo.jpg?w=150&h=150&format=webp 150w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211828/Owen-Dippie-and-Turtle-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojo.jpg?w=100&h=100&format=webp 100w" sizes="(max-width: 1040px) 100vw, 1040px" /></a> <a href='https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211823/Renaissance-Turtles-2-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojo.jpg'><img decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211823/Renaissance-Turtles-2-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojo.jpg?w=300&h=300&format=webp" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="Owen Dippie, Renaissance Masters, Ninjas Turtles, Radiant Madonna, Keith Haring" srcset="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211823/Renaissance-Turtles-2-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojo.jpg?w=150&h=150&format=webp 150w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211823/Renaissance-Turtles-2-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojo.jpg?w=100&h=100&format=webp 100w" sizes="(max-width: 1040px) 100vw, 1040px" /></a> <a href='https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211822/Renaissance-Turtles-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojo-e1437497024156.jpg'><img decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211822/Renaissance-Turtles-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojo-e1437497024156.jpg?w=300&h=300&format=webp" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="Owen Dippie, Renaissance Masters, Ninjas Turtles, Radiant Madonna, Keith Haring" srcset="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211822/Renaissance-Turtles-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojo-e1437497024156.jpg?w=150&h=150&format=webp 150w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20211822/Renaissance-Turtles-brooklynstreetartowendippiejaimerojo-e1437497024156.jpg?w=100&h=100&format=webp 100w" sizes="(max-width: 1040px) 100vw, 1040px" /></a><p>The post <a href="https://www.6sqft.com/owen-dippie-channels-both-renaissance-and-modern-artists-in-his-brooklyn-murals/">Owen Dippie Channels Both Renaissance and Modern Artists in His Bushwick Murals</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.6sqft.com">6sqft</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.6sqft.com/owen-dippie-channels-both-renaissance-and-modern-artists-in-his-brooklyn-murals/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>1</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>New Yorker Spotlight: Al Diaz on NYC Street Art and Working with Jean-Michel Basquiat</title> <link>https://www.6sqft.com/new-yorker-spotlight-al-diaz-on-nyc-street-art-and-working-with-jean-michel-basquiat/</link> <comments>https://www.6sqft.com/new-yorker-spotlight-al-diaz-on-nyc-street-art-and-working-with-jean-michel-basquiat/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Dana Schulz]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 12 Jun 2015 21:00:41 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[City Living]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Events & Things To Do]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Where I Work]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Graffiti]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Street Art]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.6sqft.com/?p=40481</guid> <description><![CDATA[<img width="740" height="530" src="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231034/Al-Diaz-lead.jpg?w=768&format=webp" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Al Diaz, Jean-Michel Basquiat, SAMO, NYC street art" decoding="async" srcset="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231034/Al-Diaz-lead.jpg?w=740&format=webp 740w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231034/Al-Diaz-lead.jpg?w=300&format=webp 300w" sizes="(max-width: 840px) 100vw, 500px" /><p>Artist Al Diaz is often asked to speak at panel discussions about Jean-Michel Basquiat or to lend his expertise for new exhibits about the world-famous artist. But Diaz was just as much a part of the downtown street art movement as his buddy Basquiat; in fact, the two got involved with the art form together. They met [...]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.6sqft.com/new-yorker-spotlight-al-diaz-on-nyc-street-art-and-working-with-jean-michel-basquiat/">New Yorker Spotlight: Al Diaz on NYC Street Art and Working with Jean-Michel Basquiat</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.6sqft.com">6sqft</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="740" height="530" src="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231034/Al-Diaz-lead.jpg?w=768&format=webp" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Al Diaz, Jean-Michel Basquiat, SAMO, NYC street art" decoding="async" srcset="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231034/Al-Diaz-lead.jpg?w=740&format=webp 740w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231034/Al-Diaz-lead.jpg?w=300&format=webp 300w" sizes="(max-width: 840px) 100vw, 500px" /><p>Artist <a href="http://al-diaz.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Al Diaz</a> is often asked to speak at panel discussions about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Michel_Basquiat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jean-Michel Basquiat</a> or to lend his expertise for new exhibits about the world-famous artist. But Diaz was just as much a part of the downtown street art movement as his buddy Basquiat; in fact, the two got involved with the art form together. They met in high school and created the tag <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAMO" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SAMO©</a>, which appeared throughout lower Manhattan between 1977 and 1979 and put them on the map. They were first-generation NYC subway graffiti artists, and Diaz later became a text-oriented street artist. Today, you’ll see his hand in the subway again with his WET PAINT series, which uses individually-cut-out letters to create “clever, surreal and sometimes poignant anagrams.”</p> <p>We recently chatted with Al Diaz to get the inside scoop on street art history in New York City, what it was like to work with Basquiat, and how he and his art work are much more than a shadow of his famous friend.</p> <p><span id="more-141329"></span></p> <p><img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-141333" src="http://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231124/Al-Diaz.jpg?w=1560&format=webp" alt="Al Diaz" width="800" height="576" srcset="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231124/Al-Diaz.jpg?w=800&format=webp 800w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231124/Al-Diaz.jpg?w=300&format=webp 300w" sizes="(max-width: 1040px) 100vw, 1040px" /><br /> <em><small>Al Diaz (far right) and friends in high school circa 1975</small></em></p> <p><span><strong>Let’s start at the beginning. You grew up on the Lower East Side in the Jacob Riis public housing projects. What was it like there in the ’60s?</strong></span></p> <p>The LES was not exactly a “safe” neighborhood during the ’60s—I once overheard one of my neighbors shoot and kill her husband when I was five—but it was still somewhat tolerable. There was a variety of social programs available, such as day care/day camps, after-school centers, free art classes, a Boy’s Club, etc. An outdoor amphitheater was built in the center of the Riis Houses in the late ’60s, which featured big name acts like James Brown and Ray Barretto, to name a couple. It was a “poor” area but not “impoverished.”</p> <p>By the early ’70s the city was in financial demise, and it took its toll on the poorer areas throughout the city. Drugs, slums, poverty, and crime went out of control. In 1974 my parents moved us to Kensington, Brooklyn.</p> <p><span><strong>How did you first get involved in the subway graffiti movement in the 1970s? What was it like to be part of this revolutionary community?</strong></span></p> <p>I was first exposed to graffiti in 1971 through my cousin Gilbert, who grew up in Washington Heights—arguably the spawning ground for NYC graffiti culture. I met Gilbert’s friends who were doing it and was very impressed with the whole aesthetic. These guys, who were a few years older than myself, had a style of talking, dressing, and being, and I wanted to be part of it. I was 12 years old, not very good at sports, not quite “gang” material, so I felt very much at home with writing on walls. It was more of a sport than anything back then. I had the name “BOMB,” given to me by my childhood friend Mickey Kansco after panicking and pushing him into a bush, during a game of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringolevio" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ringolevio</a>. My career as an active graffiti artist lasted about six years. I made a fairly strong name for myself in both Manhattan and Brooklyn. I was mostly known for my “handstyle” or “tag,” as opposed to major “pieces” (i.e. BLADE, DONDI, LEE) or sheer volume (IZ ,CLIFF 159, IN).</p> <p><img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-141336" src="http://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231123/SAMO-Basquiat.jpg?w=1560&format=webp" alt="Jean-Michel Basquiat, SAMO" width="685" height="462" srcset="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231123/SAMO-Basquiat.jpg?w=685&format=webp 685w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231123/SAMO-Basquiat.jpg?w=300&format=webp 300w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231123/SAMO-Basquiat.jpg?w=90&format=webp 90w" sizes="(max-width: 1040px) 100vw, 1040px" /><br /> <em><small>Jean-Michel Basquiat standing in front of a SAMO© tag</small></em></p> <p><span><strong>You met Jean-Michel Basquiat in high school. What was he like back then, and why did you two hit it off?</strong></span></p> <p>I first met Jean-Michel Basquiat while attending City-as-a-School when it was located in Brooklyn Heights. Jean was a bit awkward around graffiti writers and skaters, but had sense of style and was very clever. He often wore a beret and held his pants up with rainbow suspenders—it was the ’70s. He was very independent; he’d come and go without much hello/goodbye. He smoked a good deal of weed and was quite funny and a smart ass. We shared tastes in music and art and were both popular in our separate circles.</p> <p>In retrospect, I see that we also had a “thing” for language. We enjoyed speaking Spanglish, playing with words, and inventing our own slang. We would eventually start a school newspaper and pretty much run it as we wanted. It was through this project that SAMO© became a brand. What started as a private joke—SAMe Old shit—would end up as a satirical article Jean wrote about a “fills all the needs” religion. It would eventually become a vehicle for us to express our general dissatisfaction with the world we lived in. It was a logo to sign our messages. SAMO©… AS AN END 2 MASS PRODUCED INDIVIDUALITY & MEDIA CONTROLLED FADS…</p> <p><img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-141340" src="http://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231121/SAMO.jpg?w=1560&format=webp" alt="SAMO, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Al Diaz" width="800" height="548" srcset="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231121/SAMO.jpg?w=800&format=webp 800w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231121/SAMO.jpg?w=300&format=webp 300w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231121/SAMO.jpg?w=440&format=webp 440w" sizes="(max-width: 1040px) 100vw, 1040px" /></p> <p><span><strong>You really made it big with SAMO©. Can you tell us a bit about how it transformed into a celebrated piece of culture, and why you think it resonated with the neighborhoods of Soho and the East Village?</strong></span></p> <p>As far as I am concerned, SAMO© is not and never was “street art.” It was graffiti in the Greco/Roman tradition—commentary as opposed to one’s name. The art element is merely the fact that the art world was quite often the target. During our peak, there was a group of guys our age who were hanging actual oil paintings around Soho. They called themselves AVANT. Very shortly after we parted ways, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Hambleton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Richard Hambleton</a>‘s “body outlines” began to appear throughout downtown. And thus street art was born or reborn or made visible or whatever.</p> <p><img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-141338" src="http://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231122/SAMO-Is-Dead.jpg?w=1560&format=webp" alt="SAMO© is Dead, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Al Diaz" width="800" height="623" srcset="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231122/SAMO-Is-Dead.jpg?w=800&format=webp 800w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231122/SAMO-Is-Dead.jpg?w=300&format=webp 300w" sizes="(max-width: 1040px) 100vw, 1040px" /></p> <p><span><strong>Basquiat was very open about being one of the faces behind SAMO. He was also quite vocal about making a break from the tag, writing “SAMO© IS DEAD” at one point. This is often attributed to his rising fame. Do you agree?</strong></span></p> <p>The end of our collaboration followed shortly after the Village Voice published an interview with us in December 1978. We had a number of disagreements and reasons for being angry with each other. The Voice article only served to inflate our young egos. There was a brick wall between us, so we moved on to new things. SAMO© IS DEAD only appeared a few times, and this was long before Jean’s rise to fame. The media seems to love that one. Jean very soon began doing his stream-of-consciousness writings—Jimmy Best, Build a Fort, Plush Safe He Think. I immersed myself in making and playing percussion instruments.</p> <p><img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-141343" src="http://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231111/Al-Diaz-Jean-Michel-Basquiat.jpg?w=1560&format=webp" alt="Al Diaz, Jean-Michel Basquiat, SAMO" width="1200" height="807" srcset="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231111/Al-Diaz-Jean-Michel-Basquiat.jpg?w=1200&format=webp 1200w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231111/Al-Diaz-Jean-Michel-Basquiat.jpg?w=300&format=webp 300w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231111/Al-Diaz-Jean-Michel-Basquiat.jpg?w=1040&format=webp 1040w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231111/Al-Diaz-Jean-Michel-Basquiat.jpg?w=90&format=webp 90w" sizes="(max-width: 1040px) 100vw, 1040px" /><br /> <em><small>Basquiat and Diaz circa 1978 (L); Diaz’s tribute and visit to Basquiat’s grave in 2014, 26 years after his death (R)</small></em></p> <p><span><strong>After the rise and fall of SAMO, you faced some hard times and struggled with addiction. You even moved to Puerto Rico for several years in the ’90s and relapsed when you came back to New York. What was it that eventually inspired you to turn things around?</strong></span></p> <p>I had been drinking and abusing drugs from a very young age. In 1996, I left New York for Puerto Rico to try and change my life. My parents afforded me a chance to build myself a small house and live there, help oversee the construction of their house, and develop new and healthier habits. I stayed down there for two and a half years, studying electricity, making alters from exotic woods, and working on several construction projects. I have worked as a carpenter since I was 19.</p> <p>In 1999, I felt I was ready to go back to New York. A year later, I found a bag of heroin on the sidewalk and decided it was a good idea to open it up. Ten years later, at age 51, I found myself once again a full-fledged heroin addict/alcoholic with no future to look forward to. After seeing one too many alarming photos of myself and the interview I did for “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1568335/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Radiant Child</a>,” I decided it was time for a new beginning. I was done with slowly trying to kill myself. I’ve been clean now for close to five years.</p> <p><img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-141346" src="http://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231110/WET-PAINT.jpg?w=1560&format=webp" alt="WET PAINT, Al Diaz, NYC street art" width="1200" height="881" srcset="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231110/WET-PAINT.jpg?w=1200&format=webp 1200w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231110/WET-PAINT.jpg?w=300&format=webp 300w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231110/WET-PAINT.jpg?w=1040&format=webp 1040w" sizes="(max-width: 1040px) 100vw, 1040px" /></p> <p><span><strong>Your work now focuses on WET PAINT, signs used throughout the New York City subway system. How do you create these text-oriented works, and what do they mean to you?</strong></span></p> <p>I have been working on and developing the WET PAINT series since 2009. The project sparked a renewed enthusiasm for text- and message-oriented work for me. It has been quite a challenge, but gratifying as well. Working with a “constrained” alphabet makes one really use their imagination. The possibilities often surprise me. I have incorporated the use of MTA “Service Change Alert” posters and now have a much larger alphabet, but I still have no H,K,O,X,V,or Y. The messages I write are developed in a variety of ways. I think of a topic I want to comment on. I create and think up the comment in my head, working with only the letters I have. This calls for a mental “thesaurus” and editing process. It is very good brain exercise. Sometimes they’ve come very easily, but not all that often.</p> <p><img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-141352" src="http://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231033/Al-Diaz-with-Jilly-Ballistic.jpg?w=1560&format=webp" alt="Al Diaz, Jilly Ballistic, WET PAINT" width="951" height="733" srcset="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231033/Al-Diaz-with-Jilly-Ballistic.jpg?w=951&format=webp 951w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231033/Al-Diaz-with-Jilly-Ballistic.jpg?w=300&format=webp 300w" sizes="(max-width: 1040px) 100vw, 1040px" /><br /> <em><small>Collaboration between Jilly Ballistic and Al Diaz, via <a href="http://jillyballistic.tumblr.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jilly Ballistic</a></small></em></p> <p><span><strong>Aside from WET PAINT, can you tell us about some of the other projects you’re working on?</strong></span></p> <p>Besides my own WET PAINT work, I have been collaborating with subway artist <a href="http://jillyballistic.tumblr.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jilly Ballistic</a> since last fall. We have done at least 17 subway installations throughout the city together. I had a solo pop-up show this past March at <a href="http://www.outlawartsnyc.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Outlaw Arts</a> on the Bowery and sold two pieces. One of those was a reproduction of one of my collaborations with Jilly. I am also presently curating a show on the history of NYC <a href="http://www.6sqft.com/landmarks-greenlights-190-bowery-restoration-plan-keeping-iconic-graffiti/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">graffiti culture</a> versus “street art” at the <a href="http://www.bishoponbedford.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bishop Gallery</a> in Bed-Stuy. We are presenting a timeline to remind the world that those two mediums are not one and the same. It will have photos and works of key periods and players in NYC graffiti and street art history. I’m participating in Larry Warsh’s panel this October discussing the Basquiat note books <a href="https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/basquiat_notebooks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">presently on display at the Brooklyn Museum</a>. Besides all that, I’m working on a 150-foot continuous sign of multiple messages and trying to find a gallery/space to install it.</p> <p><img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-141348" src="http://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231035/Ron-English-Temper-Tot.jpg?w=1560&format=webp" alt="Temper Tot, Ron English, Houston & Bowery wall" width="935" height="495" srcset="https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231035/Ron-English-Temper-Tot.jpg?w=935&format=webp 935w, https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20231035/Ron-English-Temper-Tot.jpg?w=300&format=webp 300w" sizes="(max-width: 1040px) 100vw, 1040px" /><br /> <em><small>Ron English’s “Temper Tot” on the legendary Houston & Bowery mural wall via <a href="http://jdotshots.com/2015/04/lifestyle-ron-english-takes-on-the-bowery-mural-wall/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">J Dot Shots</a></small></em></p> <p><span><strong>Today, you don’t see as much graffiti in the downtown neighborhoods as you used to. Do you think these areas–Soho, the East Village, the Lower East Side–have changed for the better or worse?</strong></span></p> <p>NYC has become absurdly expensive, sterile, and frigid. Neighborhoods have been destroyed and converted into “desirable” places to live. The city I grew up in has lost a great deal of character and flavor. Not much “New Yawk” left in NYC. It’s a bit painful for me to walk through the Lower East Side. High-rise buildings, hotels, and fancy eateries have replaced what I once called home. I am quite content living in a Brooklyn brownstone with a backyard and neighbors I know and speak to.</p> <p><span><strong>What are your thoughts on street art and public art today?</strong></span></p> <p>I see a very “decorative” <a href="http://www.6sqft.com/5pointz-artists-petition-against-developer-using-iconic-name-for-new-residential-towers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">street art in NYC</a> these days. I think there is much more energy as a whole coming out of places such as Mexico City and Berlin. I really enjoyed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_English_%28artist%29" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ron English</a>‘s “<a href="https://www.popaganda.com/news/temper-tot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Temper Tot</a>” when I saw it in Little Italy, but there are so many people doing murals that it’s easy to miss the good ones in the cluster. I don’t really follow the current graffiti world. It has very little, if any, relevance to me.</p> <p><span><strong>Okay, last question. What do you hope your legacy as an artist will be?</strong></span></p> <p>I would like to be remembered for my contributions to urban art, music, culture. I believe I have done a fair bit of creative and unique work so far. <strong>I DO NOT want to be remembered as “the guy who knew the guy”…</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center">***</p> <p style="text-align: left"><strong>Visit Al Diaz’s <a href="http://al-diaz.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">official website</a>. </strong></p> <p style="text-align: left"><em>[This interview has been edited]</em></p> <p style="text-align: left"><em>All images via Al Diaz unless otherwise noted</em></p> <p style="text-align: left"><strong>RELATED:</strong></p> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.6sqft.com/take-a-peak-inside-hundreds-of-brooklyn-homes-in-the-1970s-including-where-basquiat-grew-up/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Take a Peek Inside Hundreds of Brooklyn Homes in the 1970s, Including Where Basquiat Grew Up</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.6sqft.com/interview-marcelo-ertorteguy-and-sara-valente-of-stereotank-on-fusing-architecture-and-music/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INTERVIEW: Marcelo Ertorteguy and Sara Valente of Stereotank on Fusing Architecture and Music</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.6sqft.com/10-new-york-neighborhoods-for-artists-now/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">10 New York Neighborhoods for Artists Now</a></li> </ul><p>The post <a href="https://www.6sqft.com/new-yorker-spotlight-al-diaz-on-nyc-street-art-and-working-with-jean-michel-basquiat/">New Yorker Spotlight: Al Diaz on NYC Street Art and Working with Jean-Michel Basquiat</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.6sqft.com">6sqft</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.6sqft.com/new-yorker-spotlight-al-diaz-on-nyc-street-art-and-working-with-jean-michel-basquiat/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> </channel> </rss>