Tag Archives: street art

Luna’s 2012 Personal Faves

Now that it’s thankfully almost over, I’ll admit that for largely personal reasons, 2012 was not a banner year. I would have liked to travel and photograph more, but that simply wasn’t in the cards. I’ve selected 30 of my favorite photographs from 2012, which includes both sanctioned and unsanctioned work I shot in New York, Toronto and Boston. These choices highlight outstanding work that resonated with me throughout the year.

This slideshow was made possible by the likes of Steve Powers, Elik, Irgh, OverUnder, Gen2, Oze108, Muk123, Sp One, Skid, Sev, Vyels, Won, Secr, JR, Evoke, Lexr, Ewok 5MH, Rubin, Paeday, Reverend, Olek, Revs, Swoon, Swampy, Rime, Wane, Stay, Roa, Kuma, Elbow-Toe, Smells, Cash4, JA, Flying Fortress, Nychos, Chris RWK, Veng RWK, Score, Most, Barry McGee, Celso, Skewville, Judith Supine, Read More Books, Cost, Keely, How & Nosm, Os Gemeos, Noxer and many more. Thank you for continuing to inspire.

M-City Returns to Welling Court

M-City in progress (photo by Luna Park)

Three years after he first painted at Welling Court, Polish stencil artist M-City returned to the quiet Queens neighborhood yesterday to paint another one of his signature, large-scale murals. Tirelessly working against the clock in a race against the setting winter sun, M-City signed off on his stenciled carousel at dusk, having taken roughly five hours to complete. Up next he paints a massive wall in the South Bronx – when it’s done, I promise you won’t be able to miss it.

M-City in progress (photo by Luna Park)

M-City in progress (photo by Luna Park)

M-City in progress (photo by Luna Park)

M-City signing his piece (photo by Luna Park)

M-City carousel (photo by Luna Park)

Elbow-Toe’s Street Cat Looks Back in Anger

Elbow-Toe (photo by Luna Park)

It’s been a while since he last graced the streets of Brooklyn with new work, but Elbow-Toe has returned to form with a fabulous, large-scale, feline piece titled Look Back in Anger. Click here to see the original, cut-paper collage upon which this piece is based. Fans of his work will recall that he put up an equally impressive, large-scale dog almost two years ago to the day.

Elbow-Toe (photo by Luna Park)

Elbow-Toe (photo by Luna Park)

Elbow-Toe (photo by Luna Park)

Phlegm in New York

Phlegm dances with Know Hope (photo by Luna Park)

After first seeing his work in person in Bristol a couple years ago, I’m very pleased that Sheffield-based artist Phlegm has finally come through New York. He made a playful addition to a figure Know Hope painted in March on an East Village wall organized by the MaNY Project (above). And he did up a huge wall next to a playground in Chelsea that’s sure to please kids as well as adults (below).

Phlegm (photo by Luna Park)

Phlegm (photo by Luna Park)

Phlegm (photo by Luna Park)

Phlegm (photo by Luna Park)

Phlegm (photo by Luna Park)

Phlegm (photo by Luna Park)

Phlegm (photo by Luna Park)

Impressions from 2012 Welling Court

Olek for Welling Court 2012 (photo by Luna Park)

This past weekend’s third iteration of the Welling Court block party, organized by the tireless Alison and Garrison Buxton, was a huge success. The total number of walls now painted in this corner of Astoria has almost reached 100! Here’s a small taste of what went down on Saturday…

Toofly (photo by Luna Park)

Sheryo in action (photo by Luna Park)

Never and The Yok pieces in progress (photo by Luna Park)

Score and Flying Fortress in progress (photo by Luna Park)

Skewville piece in progress (photo by Luna Park)

Chris RWK in action (photo by Luna Park)

Veng in action (photo by Luna Park)

John Fekner & Don Leicht (photo by Luna Park)

Ellis G in the foreground w/Sinned in progress (photo by Luna Park)

Fumero in action (photo by Luna Park)

Taking in Joe Iurato’s finished piece (photo by Luna Park)

SpOne (photo by Luna Park)

Cost, Darkcloud and Keely (photo by Luna Park)

Admiring Chris Stain and Billy Mode’s work (photo by Luna Park)

Cekis (photo by Luna Park)

URNewYork in action (photo by Luna Park)

Cern’s balloons (photo by Luna Park)

Score by night (photo by Luna Park)

Click through for The Street Spot’s coverage of Welling Court in 2011 and 2010.

Street Art Pop-Up Store at Bushwick Open Studios


For several years now, writer Robin Grearson has been a major champion of New York City based street artists. She has curated several shows featuring street artists at The Active Space and her writings featuring local talent have appeared in a variety of publications and blogs, such as Artlog, Bushwick Dream, Curbs & Stoops, and Brooklyn Rail. And starting today, for Bushwick Open Studios 2012, Robin will take the unique step of turning her writing studio into a Street Art Pop-Up Store. The “store” will feature at least twenty artists, including Chris Stain, Daniel Feral, Jon Burgerman, LNY, N’DA, Royce Bannon and Never. There will be everything from original drawings and paintings to prints, zines and posters available, and surprisingly (with names like these!) nothing will cost over $300. Events like this are always a great opportunity for collectors to pick up a piece of work by their favorite artist on the cheap, so don’t miss out on this one as you stumble your way through a PBR-induced-open-studio-party haze this weekend!

Dates/times:
Open to the public during Bushwick Open Studios, June 1 – 3, 2012
Friday, June 1: 2 – 7 PM
Saturday, June 2: 12 – 6 PM
Sunday, June 3: 12 – 7 PM

Location:
174 Bogart Street, #210
Brooklyn, NY 11206
L train to Montrose or Morgan stops

For more info:
Robin Grearson: artstore@robingrearson.com
Arts in Bushwick: BOS2012

Young New York: A Silent Art Auction & Fundraiser

Young New York SILENT ART AUCTION & FUNDRAISER
Curated by Natalie Trainor & LNY

Auction & Reception: Tuesday, May 29, 2012, 6-10 PM
Auction called at 9 PM

White Box, 329 Broome Street, New York, NY

Featuring Artists: Steven Holl, Steve ESPO Powers, NohJColey, Joe Iurato, Miguel Ovalle, Overunder, Gaia, Rudie Diaz, Marissa Paternoster, Ian Kuali’i, LNY, Blackmath, Doodles, Feral Child, Cake, ND’A, QRST, Sean 9 Lugo, Radical!, C215 from the Vandalog collection, Gilf, Beau Stanton, Rachel Hays, SUE works, Clown Soldier, Jill Cohen, Yulia Pinkusevich, Alyse Dunn, NEVER, Shane Nash, Jesse Hazelip, Sheryo, the YOK, ASVP, Labrona, Then One, Tom Smith, Day Le, Danielle Riechers, Jon Burgerman, Darnell Scott, Nathan Pickett, Joseph Grazi, John Breiner, Anne Grauso, SMURFO, Jamie Bruno, Luna Park, Sam Dylan Gordon, Fay Ku, Michael Bilsborough, NANOOK, Felipe Baeza, Sam Fleichner and more!

More information at youngnewyorkers.org.

Supporter Tickets: $50.00
General Admission: $25.00
Tickets: youngnewyork.eventbrite.com

JJ Veronis’ Sacred Heart

JJ Veronis (photo by Luna Park)

JJ Veronis‘ latest street piece is absolutely exquisite – a weeping St. Mary is surrounded by a circle of welded fire, while a sacred heart wrapped in barbed-wire dangles below. A very special shout-out to eagle-eyed Allan Mohlo for finding this.

JJ Veronis (photo by Luna Park)

JJ Veronis (photo by Luna Park)

JJ Veronis (photo by Luna Park)

3xHotTea

Hot Tea (photo by Luna Park)

Minneapolis artist/designer Hot Tea recently came through New York, leaving behind a string of yarn art pieces that cleverly make use of the structure of the standard chain-link fence to create seemingly three-dimensional letters.

The artist explained the origin and significance of Hot Tea on Vimeo:

“The two words hot and tea or more specifically the phrase “HOT TEA” was chosen to highlight the relationship between the two words. We so often over look the meaning behind what we say and how special some of these words and phrases really are.

These two words compliment each other both physically and grammatically. Without one or the other you wouldn’t have a phrase that evokes a sense of comfort, warmth and relaxation. In a physical sense without hot water all you have is tea, and without tea all you have is water, but when both put together you have “HOT TEA”. Hot tea is greater than the sum of its parts.

This idea was the basis for the HOT TEA project. There will always be a relationship between things and that interconnection we have with everything around us is the backbone for how HOT TEA navigates. The project is a comment on all relationships good and bad and the things that lie between them. Like the phrase itself Hot and Tea are two totally different words brought together to represent something new, which reflect on the media and surfaces that the project makes use of.”

Hot Tea (photo by Luna Park)

Hot Tea (photo by Luna Park)

More Cake, Please

Cake (photo by Luna Park)

The lovely and talented Cake recently installed three large portraits in the East Village. After hooking Know Hope up with a wall around the block, this is the second mural this year organized by the MaNY Project‘s seemingly tireless Keith Schweitzer for Fourth Arts Block‘s outdoor visual art program.

Cake (photo by Luna Park)


Cake (photo by Luna Park)

More Cake here, here, and here.