Street art enthusiasts seem to have a thing for destructive fanaticism, but I’m not sure they realize how destructive it can be. They exuberantly consume the latest street artworks like hungry piranhas, hyping the artist and his products until there’s nothing left but an embarrassing skeleton. They get inexplicably ramped up about artists who have produced one provocative wheatpaste or had a single clever idea.
Shepard Fairey
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Targeting Shepard Fairey’s “May Day” Mural
Animal New York has been documenting the steady stream of defacement that artist Shepard Fairey’s May Day exhibition mural on Houston Avenue has been subject to. First it was targeted by a graffiti writer, then holes, and now a clever “Target” logo.
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Review of Banksy’s “Exit Through the Gift Shop”
As a film, Exit Through the Gift Shop is funny, interesting, and quirky, but you don’t walk away feeling like you experienced a film as much as a really long DIY online video. Some parts are very compelling, and there are some real laughs, but the movie often drags, making you wish you could fast forward to the good parts.
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The Emergence of Real Pop Art: Jeffrey Deitch & Street Art
As the reality of Deitch’s appointment to MOCA sinks in, let’s take a step back and look at his role as a street art advocate. Was he the prophet for the scene or just one of many fans? And where could this all lead?
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Shepard Fairey Is Shopping For New York Wall Space
The OBEY crew is looking for wall space. So, if you want a “genuine Shepard Fairey/OBEY mural” for free join the “OBEY phenomenon” and help contribute to the “enhancement of the urban landscape.”
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Pittsburgh: The Great Deceiver (Part Two)
The next morning I took the T (aka, the trolley) into the city, and walked across the bridge to The Warhol. I love The Warhol. (Hate the NO PHOTOS policy though.) It never lets me down. Feels a bit like Mecca to me. Even when I know what’s on, I always come across surprises. The first one greeted me in the 1st floor museum intro room. For the first time, I saw the “Album of a Mat Queen” (1962), Warhol’s silkscreen of the writer and painter Rosalyn Drexler from her days as a professional wrestler. (SORRY. NO PHOTOS.) A huge fan of Drexler, I had only read about this image. This is standard operating procedure at The Warhol. Surprises from their deep collection around every corner. (SORRY. NO PHOTOS.)
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The Collaborative Mess: Keanu Reeves & Street Art
The concept of artistic collaboration is slippery. New York Magazine’s 31st reason to love New York City in 2009 is “Because Our Street Art is Collaborative.” Maybe they don’t really understand the notion of collaboration.
