Joe saw the change in his neighborhood, seeing the hookers and junkies move out and be replaced with hipsters and artists.  However, as the world around Joe was improving, his mothers health was deteriorating.  She spoke Sicilian Italian, which is a very ancient and far removed dialect from the proper Italian.  Not knowing how to speak English well, she could not fully explain to the doctors how sick she felt and she was constantly misdiagnosed, never realizing that cancer was inside and growing.  Two years ago, Joe’s mom passed away and it led Joe into a deep state of depression.  All he wanted to do was become a recluse and being awake was painfully agonizing.  I knew this feeling, I went through the same thing when my father died.  It is the most terrible feeling of permanent loss, knowing you will never see your parent again.

Joe lost his father when he was a child and his mom was all he had left.  She was a strong woman who was about bettering one’s self.  she was a motivator for positive change, always encouraging to set goals, achieving them and moving forward with a set of new goals.  She was all about CARPE DIEM.  Last year on Joe’s first Mother’s Day without her, he invited several artists he carefully but randomly choose online to come and paint some murals in the neighborhood for a festival he was having.  After watching the process, he was inspired and felt motivated again.  This sparked an idea to contribute more art to his neighborhood and he opened up more empty wall spaces, mostly filled with graffiti tags, slurs, profane language and throw-ups, for artists to beautify with professional quality looking murals.  Being raised all his life in Bushwick with a family operated business there, it wasn’t difficult for Joe to acquire walls for fine art.  He shared with me that spearheading the mural collective has helped him to break out of his sadness and back into living life in a positive light.  The light of art extinguished the darkness of depression and he felt the good energy that public art provided to his neighborhood and himself.

The day I met Joe, we walked around as he showed me the murals and the former crack house now as livable apartments.  During our stroll through the amusement park of murals, we stopped as Joe, who speaks fluent Sicilian, introduced himself to a hispanic owner of a warehouse and acquired another wall speaking fluent Spanish (which reminds me of my Grampa).  Joe gave me a few wall spot choices and when we came full circle back to the corner of Troutman and St. Nicholas, I decided next to Danielle Mastrion’s ‘Biggie’ mural would be my ideal spot.  After all I learned about Joe’s mom and her being his inspiration to create positive change in his neighborhood, I was compelled to paint the portrait of his mom.  I incorporated the Table Series logo to represent family and how family can be a very inspirational motivation in one’s life.  I wanted to incorporate my grafstract designs for the background and had room for a face which I based off of Joe.  It took days to complete and I had a lot of fun doing it.  I plan on going back to pay tribute to my Grampa.

I would like to say ‘thank you’ to those who came by to visit, those who drove by with a good-energy-beep and pulled over to express their gratitude.  I would also like to thank Joe for picking himself up out of the ashes to resurrect himself and his neighborhood as a tribute to his loving mom.  He is a good hearted guy full of life and is happy to see the change he has made for us all.  It is because of them that we have a special place in Brooklyn called The Bushwick Collective.  I said it before and I will say it again…”art brings people together”..in life and death.

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Fumeroism at the Musket Room from Miskos Production on Vimeo.

The centennial anniversary for The Armory Show – Fountain Art Fair 2013 and A Bowl of Mixed Art was a huge success!There were over 70 international exhibitors and special events including a tribute to Marcel Duchamp presented by Creamhotel.

The energy of the fair was tremendous.  I was able to take a little time to walk around and see the incredible artwork being exhibited by many different galleries and it was always packed inside the 69th Regiment Armory.  It was a thrill for all of us that attended.

A Bowl Of Mixed Art

I was honored to be exhibiting with my New York artist friends, Brian Kirhagis, Juan Carlos Pinto, Raquel Echanique, SinXero and fine art photographer, Judy Mauer.  Frankie Velez was the curator extraordinaire who brought together a powerful collection.  It was truly an honor to be a part of this group whom I respect and admire.

I was proud of our booth and like a bowl of mixed fruit served different visual flavors for the spectators to indulge on.  We were all excited to see the constant flow of friends and fans, and thank YOU for sharing your time with us.

Frankie Velez – Curator

Frankie began promoting and curating art shows in 2007, and in the six years since, has established himself as one of New York’s prominent independent curators.  His roster of artists is varied in both style and experience; featuring established, mid-career, and emerging artists.  His work ethic and promotional tact are unrivaled, gaining him access to a wide range of collectors and art aficionados.  With a keen eye for talent and unique ability to connect artists with buyers, he provides a much needed independent perspective to the New York art scene.

His website FrankieVelez.com functions as a 24/7/365 online gallery.

Brian Kirhagis – Artist

With powerful work that consistently generates new collectors and fans, BK leaves an indelible mark on art aficionados and casual viewers alike.  His ability to weave together double images and hidden elements gives his art a unique and distinct feel that has become BK’s signature style.  Also a gifted writer, selected works have descriptions which provide an additional perspective on the inspiration for and meaning behind the art.  — BrikArt.net We also have a previous article about BK >>here<<

Juan Carlos Pinto – Artist

Juan Carlos Pinto is a self represented artist from Guatemala who has been working for the past 10 years in New York, and his art is as expressive as his native and lush, colorful Central American nation.  Pinto’s artwork is also poignantly aggressive and projects a revolutionary declaration.  The scope of his art covers abstract painting, tile work, wood word, stencil spray and use of non-biodegradable plastic and glass.  Most of Pinto’s media comes from salvaged material and found objects.  His art exudes confidence, energy and challenge.  It draws one into a dual world of playfullness and social responsiblity.  His legacy, as he sees it, is to be known as an artist who demands change to a Green Revolution. – JCarlosPinto.com and ours >>here<<

Judy Mauer – Artist

The lone photographer in the bunch, Judy Mauer captures the images of dolls – mannequins in store windows along with the architecture and the scene on the street. Each image is a reflection, with no post production or manipulation.  As you see her images is how she has seen them on the street.  After years of being a collaborative artist, she now devotes her full time to photography.  You can see more of her work at – www.JudyMauer.com

Raquel Echanique – Artist

Raquel’s life in New York has made a great impact in her visual style as she adopted the graffiti art gestures that flooded neighborhood streets as one of the most distinctive characteristics in her portraits.  Her semi-abstractions are stirred up by swirls that pull, twine, divide and modify anatomy in different directions, resulting in a sight of hypnotic relaxation.  Every part of these built faces seems to be knitted by a centripetal force that enters the scene like a chaotic Prometheus.  Raquel has mastered the art of blending spray and oil paint on canvas as her main medium.  You can see more of her work at — Raquelechanique.tumbler.com

SinXero – Artist

Nuyorican born artist SinXero’s (SX) artistic style utilizes raw imagery, creative text and a palette of colors upon layers of mixed media in retrospect to the early 80s, when NYC’s billboards and posters were being put up, torn down and a graffiti writer’s canvas.  With his artistic weapons of choice SX pays an “Ode to the Streets” by capturing an authentic period golden to the Hip Hop Era as he produces urban landscapes & textures reminiscent of the front of old school bodegas, handball courts and NYC streets, as well as, bombed MTA trains.   I invite you to read more about SinXero, his art and works at — www.SinXero.com

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Before the weekend was over, myself and SinXero had the fortunate opportunity to work with En Masse.

EN MASSE: (from French) “as a whole” or “all together”.  En Masse is a Montreal based, multi-artist collaborative drawing project.  It draws life from the many creative individuals who take part in the project to create large-scale, highly spontaneous drawings in black and white.  En Masse explores the creation of a collective vision; works created together that are greater than any one person could create alone.  Under the direction of  Jason Botkin, Rupert Bottenberg and Fred Caron, the initiative has worked with nearly 250+ artists internationally.  You should check out their work at — EnMasse.info

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The opening night reception is Friday, March 8 at 7 p.m. and is displayed until 7 p.m. on March 10th.

Fumero describes his style as Grafstract Expressionism.  He combines the art forms of cartooning, graffiti, graphic design and caricature, then fuses them together to form this artist’s life long journey to create an entirely new representation for line, shape and color.  The integrity of his creations have a unique quality that is easily recognizable and has steadily gained momentum and notoriety in the public eye with his street art, gallery showings and mural events.  This is his 2nd year exhibiting here at Fountain Armory NYC.  Born in New York, he graduated from SVA  and holds a Master’s Degree in Art Education.

A Bowl of Mixed Art will be in booth #A203 — come by and say hello.

“This collection of work expanding on the notion that everything and everyone has both good and evil.  Playing with the juxtaposition of singular and multiple images (all while using the same sized canvases), the show is a study on how these characters dispositions changes to the viewers prospective.  Adding to this study, this is the first time that Kid Lew (as a colorblind artist) has expanded his color palette beyond the usual black charaters found in all previous works.” — Sacred Gallery

These iconic Haloz characters create a wallpaper-like pattern filling up the animated compositions.  I took notice to the clean edges, bold shapes and high contrast, along with the graphic approach to the ‘less is more’ concept.  One could easily mistake Lew’s tight handling of brushwork with a computer generated graphic…his work is just that tight.  His fine art would make for some great tattoos of urban symbols.

Haloz Wuz Here will be on exhibit until February 28th at Sacred Gallery | 424 Broadway 2nd Floor | New York 10013

Want to see more?  Check out this link to  OneFive4Gallery.com with images from Photographer, Fine Artist and Jewelry Designer, Aimee Becker | beckerdesignz@gmail.com

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“The 4Mula”, a collection of art from the NYC members of the TD4 crew.  The crew came together for this 7 man show to celebrate creation and rep the arts.  Zeso, Bisco Smith, Zimad, Meres, Bishop203, Leias, and Just One were all in attendance.  Bishop203, owner of Low Brow Artique/TD4 member, and all around good fella hosted the show in his space, which if you’re in BK you should go check out.  There are monthly gallery shows, fresh paint and dope inspirations all around.”  –  5Ptz.com

This was a tight show, cohesive, flowing from one artists to the next and included masters of the aerosal can.

The Low Brow Artique is a graffiti shop where you can purchase items such as t-shirts, bags and tools for the modern day urban artists.  There is also an ever changing exterior thanks to some talented street/graffiti artists.

143 Central Ave., Brooklyn, NY  11211

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“Juan Carlos Pinto is a self represented artist from Guatamala who has been working for the past 12 years in New York.  Pinto’s artwork is also poignantly aggressive and projects a revolutionary declaration.  The scope of his art covers abstract painting, tile work, wood, stencil and the use of non-biodegradable plastic and glass found objects, reinforcing his strong belief in recycling.

Most of Pinto’s media comes from salvaged material and found objects.  He uses discarded plastic Metro Cards, which he dices and cuts into different shapes and pastes together to form pictures and messages.  Issues such as human and animal rights, environmental preservation and empowerment of minorities are frequently incorporated into Pinto’s work.”

I first came into contact with the work of Juan Carlos Pinto several years ago.  The skill and creativity seen in his work is unique.  As an appreciator of art history, I admire the modern use of the mosaic tradition that dates back to the classical era of the ancient Greeks.  The Romans also adopted mosaic which can be seen throughout their vast empire, from England, to North Africa and Asia Minor.  One of Rome’s greatest legacies is decreeing Christianity as the official religion of their empire and mosaic art represented this religious ism.  When the western Roman empire collapsed, the East flourished on with the Byzantines, who were the heirs to the Romans and also used mosaic art to decorate the glory of their empire.

“Pinto’s art exudes confidence, energy and challenge.  It draws one into a dual world of playfulness and social responsibility.  His legacy, as he sees it, is to be known as an artist who demands change to a Green Revolution.”   — JCarlosPinto.com

The new MetroCard mosaics Juan Carlos Pinto has created is worth a stop in to the salon.

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The exhibit is showing until March 4th at Le Salon d’ Art | 90 Stanton St., New York, NY

 

“This latest round of creativity is a celebration of the last year in Centre-fuge (link). What began as a simple project to beautify an otherwise drab mid-block trailer on East First Street has become an alternative center in the street art community. The canvas was barely large enough to house all the returning creatives. There are plans to expand the program well into 2013 with some surprises along the way. Be sure to stay tuned!”

-Bowery Boogie

It was an honor to take part in this notable project, and with the level of caliber of artists that participated.  For this cycle, the artists had a group of students that they could work with, and as an art educator, it was a pleasure to work with such eager talent.  I had the opportunity to work with Fernando, a student at Parson’s, who helped me with the stenciling. A big ‘thank you’ and much luck in your future.  This end of the year project will be up until February 2013.

Follow @Centrefuge on Twitter

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On the first day, fellow artist, AOM and I drove to the Wynwood district from the airport for our aerosol colors needed for the ‘Artists 4 Israel‘ event at The Yard on 29th Street.

“Artists 4 Isreal uses the powerful and universal messages of art to educate, support and provide awareness about Israel”

The Yard, a 7,000 sq. ft. pop up gallery, and curated by Craig Dershowitz, was full of life and talented artists sharing their gifts, including some of my NYC colleagues, Army of One, ENX, See One, Danielle Mastrion and AOM.  After 7 hours, my first portrait called “The Grandson” was completed.  I chose this self portrait to coincide with the Grampa.  Next to my 20′ wood panel wall where I was painting was Belin from Spain.  His huge mural was the centerpiece of the outdoor show.

The following day I went back to the wall we called the ‘New York Wall’ on NW 22nd St. and NW 2 Ave.  There Samuel Mark was back at it, creating his compostition of characters in homage to Keith Haring.  Next to Sam was Rob Fogle who was painting a ‘Maidmer’ (a mermaid with the upper body of a fish and the lower body of a female).  The face I painted interacted with Fogle’s piece.  AOM painted a portrait of Macho Man Randy Savage and above him, Adam Dare’s iconic Bunny.  Optimo Primo was next with his new Scarface Panda and ENX put her stenciled wolves on the gate.  The energy we all created was exciting and dynamic.

I worked on that portrait for two days and on Saturday night, WORDS, my friend from NYC put me on his wall with another group of talented artists, including Shiro from Japan.  I painted another portrait, this one without reference, just off the top of my head.  This mural was on the exterior wall of the LMG Gallery pop up show on the corner of 24th and N. Miami Ave.  As See One put it, “it is like painting outside on Broadway”.  The pedestrian traffic and caravan of cars slowly moving by in the congestion, bumper to bumper.  The sidewalks were full of people and the streets full of cars.  Saturday night was definitely the apex of Art Basel Miami as the Wynwood district was invaded by the world.

(Artist Note: A big “Thank You” to Miami Street Art and Montana Cans for the sponsorship)

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See more pictures on page 2 –>

It was great to work along side this 145′ wide x 20′ high building with my street/fine art colleagues…seeing wheat paste art next to spray and brush painted pieces.  Most of the artists were from NYC, but it’s all about love and sharing, so our friends; Free Humanity from Los Angeles, Stik from London and Iranian artists, Icy & Sot, with their mural titled “HOPE” all participated in this NY moment.

There was plenty of support from the public.  One man told me he saw the work while driving and had to come back to walk the wall with his daughter.  The local residents loved what was created and said they had never seen anything like it.

The events success was in large part due to the tireless efforts of the organizer, SinXero and his vision to beautify the Bronx.  Showing his love for this neighborhood, I thought he deserved some love back..so I created an 18 portrait of him titled, FuXero.  Now when people ask who made this happen, you can point and say, “he did!”

Sponsored by The Dorian Grey Gallery and Day in the Lyfe Magazine, the day also featured a film crew filming for a street art documentary and live Street Art Body Painting and photo shoot by professional makeup artist, Alexis Grafal from Mind over Makeup.  The models looked fantastic!

All the artists who participated: Adam Dare, AOM, Army of One/JC2, Bayoan, Choice Royce, The Cupcake Guy, Danielle Mastrion, Elle Deadsex, ENX, Free Humanity, Fumero, Icy & Sot, Muffin Man, Russell King, SinXero, STIK, Tone Tank, VEXTA and ZIMAD.

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We all send our thoughts and blessings to everyone affected by the recent hurricane Sandy.