Jilly Ballistic tag on stairs for the 6th Ave L. (all images courtesy the artist)
Recently, I came across brand new work by street artist Jilly Ballistic on Flickr. Jilly Ballistic is self-described as “New York City’s most well-known unknown street and subway artist,” and she has been adhering black and white WWII-era imagery all over NYC for two years. The most recent images represent a new exploration into computer-inspired street art with light-hearted nods to how we interface with our computers. The images were posted recently, and I wanted to quickly ask Jilly Ballistic a few questions about her work.
Low Expectations on the Manhattan Bound Lorimer L stop.
BV: How and why did you get into street art?
JB: I started out two years ago, spray painting excerpts of fiction and literature across garbage — TVs, couches, fridges. Anything left on the side of the curb. It started as a small idea and I quickly got addicted; now I’m pushing myself to try and do more above and below ground.
“File > Move To Trash” on “That’s My Boy” movie poster, Manhattan bound L at Lorimer
BV: Tell me about your inspiration for the series of WWII-era tags.
JB: The historical images are disturbing and, when placed just right, humorous — in my mind anyway. They work with the subway environment and also change it, making a new context. Hopefully it’s enjoyed by the straphangers.
BV: Why the new series of digitally inspired works?
JB: It’s another idea I had while commuting and turned it into a project. They are a fast way of getting a point across that’s also recognizable by so many people who most likely feel the same way about an ad.
Jilly Ballistic, “Are you sure you want to remove this advertisement permanently?”
BV: Will we continue seeing more of these pieces?
JB: Of course. The historical pieces too. Keep watching and thanks for the support.
