May 2010: Brooklyn

Congrats to the class of 2010! I'm impressed, guys; you succeeded in making me cry. Today's the first day of summer vacation and I don't really know what to do with myself. No exams to give, papers to edit, or grammar to explain? I admit that I feel a bit lost. Well, at least I actually have time to post my own photos now. Here's a collection of shots that I snapped last month in BK.

This piece was around the corner from the Brooklyn Brewery. Nearby, two visibly hammered guys were draped over railings trying to sober up. We saw them at 6 pm. If they were having a good day beforehand, I doubt they felt that way once the booze wore off.
A little ways away, we found this creepy wheat paste/stencil combo. We stopped at a vintage store and met two hilarious Italian children "standing guard" at the front door. They had their routine down (even demanding passwords for exiting the building).
Then we ran into a giant Pussy Ham.
Later on, Daffy and Bugs tried to outdo the other with this wheat paste series. I appreciate the patience of my company for letting me dart across streets and sidewalks to take these photos. I think I kept my obsession in check, but it's got to be annoying when I disappear for a minute and people can't find me.
Perhaps this shot is my favorite. My friend Mawena (in that gorgeous rainbow dress) poses in front of some Faile wheatpastes. After we took this picture, the lot of us went for drinks and snacks. I feel like this was one of those perfect day situations: delicious food, wonderful company, and ideal weather for roaming around. I'm thrilled to relocate to Brooklyn this August. Can't wait!

Friday ProFile: Imminent Disaster

In the late 1800s, the Victorian Era represented a long period of prosperity and the rise of the middle class. With rapid industrialization, urban areas swelled and slum areas developed. Imminent Disaster’s linoleum prints ironically represent a prosperous period against the backdrop of our own era’s economic difficulties. Posted up in the back alleys of Brooklyn, these ruffled beauties contrast sharply with the ragged walls they decorate.

Imminent Disaster began her wheatpasting missions back in 2006 with a series culture jamming local chain storefronts. Since then, she’s roamed the country and the world leaving a trail of wheatpastes in her wake. “I've put up my stuff all over,” she says, “but unfortunately the stuff that gets the most hype has to be in a big city with a graff/street art scene. I hitchhiked across the country and put stuff up in Georgia, rural Illinois, South Florida, and Staten Island. I took wheatpastes with me to Peru and Chile. Those moments off the beaten path are probably the most important and the least recorded.”
While she enjoys the vibe of group efforts, most of Imminent Disaster's projects are completed solo. "Real collaborations are hard to come by," she admits. "I love organizing mural painting projects, but that's collective energy more so than collaboration. Most of my real work is done on my own terms."
Working off-canvas has its own share of environmental and occupational risks. "There's a quarry in upstate New York with several semi-submerged buildings," she recalls. "I tore a ligament in a my knee jumping off a cliff, then hobbled over to one of the buildings to paint until the sun went down. I would go back over to finish that piece any day." Law enforcement also makes her work difficult. However, a little quick thinking can get her out of an jam. "Once the cops rolled up, and I convinced them I was supposed to be there," she laughs. "I showed them the piece, and they sat and watched for 15 minutes or so while I put it up."

“Refuge,” her joint show with Armsrock, opens at Thinkspace in LA on March 12. While the road was long, Imminent Disaster finally feels like she's arrived on the scene. "I'm synthesizing everything I am inspired by into my own voice," she insists. "It's taken a while to go from copying and appropriation to real transformation, but I think I'm finally there."

Thanks so much! For more wheatpaste documentation, take a look at her Flickr. That's all for now! If you're in the CT area and are free on Saturday night, there's going to be a cool show at The Warehouse: Teeth Mountain, D. Gookin, and some other cats that I'm going to listen to this week. Should be good stuff! Perhaps I'll see you there...

September 2009: Gaia in Brooklyn

Over the summer, I headed down to Brooklyn to check out the Willoughby Windows project. Sponsored by Ad-Hoc, the exhibit featured work by Chris Stain, Michael De Feo, Ellis G., and other Illicit favorites. Each storefront housed a different artist's unique piece. In the midst of so many great works, Gaia's style stood out. Mixing animals and humans together, her characters left a big impression on me. That's why I'm so glad she agreed to put a post together. She writes:

"I am a Brooklyn and Baltimore based street artist with a background in printmaking and sculpture."
"Marrying the animal and the human form, Gaia conjures mysterious figures that carry a heavy sense of mythology and recall a past when man and nature were once united."
"These romantic creatures stand in relief to the urban environment as they lurk and beckon from within the city’s forgotten and neglected spaces."
"The conveyance of their story relies on the chance coincidence with a passerby, and even in that intimate moment, their narrative is precarious and delicate."
Thanks, Gaia! For more photos, check out her Flickr.