Dumbo NYC

After the Water Street ‘wall’ was painted by the Concrete Alchemy group in May, looks like the wall is being readied for another new mural/street art. No word yet on when or who but we’re looking forward to some new visuals soon.

{Water Street Art Vandalized, 10June2008}
{Concrete Alchemy Street Art Displays Their Talent on Water Street, 17May2008}
{Revok, Retna, Saber Live Wall Painting on Water Street, 06Aug2007}

Only three weeks after the Concrete Alchemy collaborative painted the Water Street wall, it was vandalized by presumably a rival person or group. White paint was splashed over the street art with the black spray painted words “Treat others how you want to be treated!” We don’t know the back story, but it’s too bad that this skillful street art is ruined by a few splashes of paint. The paint doesn’t have the characteristic large splatters of the infamous splasher, but who knows.

{Concrete Alchemy Street Art Displays Their Talent on Water Street, 17May2008}
{Revok, Retna, Saber Live Wall Painting on Water Street, 06Aug2007}

[Update: For full photo set, visit DumboNYC's Flickr set]

A group of 15 visual artists called Concrete Alchemy painted the wall on Water Street (@ Pearl St) in Dumbo on Thursday and Friday. The 15′H x 50′W previously had street artist work done by Revok, Saber, Retna, And the Mac. The Concrete Alchemy collaborative includes well known muralists, fine artists, and street artists. The collaboration has great detail and worth a visit in the area. Some pictures below. (Aside from the first “before” photo, thanks to our friend Amy Donoghue for these great photos.):

 Previous Revok, Saber, Retna, And the Mac street art. (Photo courtesy of Atomic LLC)

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More info: {albuscav.us/concretealchemy/}
{dailysession Photos}
Concrete Alchemy Flickr pool: {flickr.com/groups/concretealchemy/}
Previously: {Revok, Retna, Saber Live Wall Painting on Water Street, 06Aug2007}

Here’s an underground show you don’t normally see in a shop/gallery. It’s one in Bed-Stuy for Fokused and Plasma Slugs called Str8 From Brooklyn. You’ve seen Plasma Slugs around Dumbo and on DumboNYC before. The show is at Tiny Cup at 301 Clifton Pl., Brooklyn [GMaps] and runs until February. This one is highly recommended for underground street art. A few sneak peeks:

Located on Nostrand and Clifton. Take the *G* Train to Bedford and Nostrand, exit at Nostrand Ave and walk up one block to Clifton. At Tiny Cup, 301 Clifton Pl., Brooklyn.

Previously: {Wooden Board Art in Dumbo, 29May2007}

West Coast street artists Revok, Retna, Saber, and Ewok have been hard at work over the weekend on a live wall painting on Water Street (@ Pearl St) in Dumbo Brooklyn. Check it out for yourself. Lots of great detail to see. The work is in collaboration with a PowerHouse Arena show called All Writers Reserved. Some photos from the weekend:

Gallery Show (Revok, Retna, Saber) at PowerHouse Arena (37 Main St, Dumbo, Brooklyn) between: August 11 - September 7 2007
Opening Reception: August 11th 7pm-11pm

{Google Street View of Water Street (Between Pearl and Jay Street)}
{Boost Mobile presents REVOK, RETNA, SABER and EWOK, Knowngallery.com}
{theseventhletter.com}

 Opening Saturday, July 21st: 5 - 9 pm

One of my favorite street artists, Gaia has an opening showing at Halcyon (57 Pearl Street). His linoleum-cut art can be seen around Dumbo (all painstakingly hand-drawn and cut). Also check out his work on his flickr site. This is your chance to buy your own Gaia prints (if they’re still available).

The show runs through August 19th.

 Fairey - Water Street @ Pearl (Photo by DumboNYC)

Shepard Fairey week in Dumbo - The following are selected links from this past week on blogs and websites with discussion about Dumbo (and its neighboring areas):

• Conference Sounds the Alarm On Brooklyn Industrial Waterfront, 18June07, Brooklyn Daily Eagle
• Developers Find a ‘Mini-Manhattan’ in Brooklyn, 18June07, The New York Sun
• Take That, Splasher!, 21June07, NY Mag
• Shepard Fairey, Street Artist, 21June07, Gothamist
• One Not To Miss: Shepard Fairey At Jonathan LeVine Gallery, 14June07, Wooster Collective
• Blogger Launches Petititon to Revive Dormant Subway Tracks, 22June07, Streetsblog
• Trust: Borough’s Waterfront Threatened, 22June07, Queens Ledger
• Can I get an express F, please?, 23June07, The Brooklyn Paper
• Brooklyn///Shepard’s Eve Of Destruction…, 22June07, Supertouch
• Photos: Shepard Fairey’s DUMBO Show, 22June07, Juxtapoz
• 84th Precinct Meeting to Discuss North Brooklyn ‘Crime Wave’, 18June07, McBrooklyn
• BH Beach Coming Soon, 22June07, Brooklyn Heights Blog

From woostercollective.com, it seems that the alleged Splasher was caught tonight while trying to sabotage Shepard Fairey’s high profile opening tonight in Dumbo Brooklyn. From Wooster Collective:

Two young guys entered Shepard Fairey’s opening night party at 81 Front Street in Dumbo with a backpack. Moments later they were seen attempting to light a homemade stink and smoke bomb that was hidden in a coffee can. As they were setting it off, two guys nearby saw what was happening and managed to stop the guys from igniting it before it went off. Seeing the scuffle, the security guys hired for the evening caught one of the two guys (shown above) while the other was able to get away.

We’ll see if this story is true. In any case, the opening was packed with people waiting in line to get in. The line wrapped around the block. If you didn’t have the chance to go, the exhibition in Dumbo will be on view until July 6th.

[UPDATE: ABC reports about this incident. Also there's no real tie between the Splasher and the guys who attempted the stink bomb.
NY Daily News names stink-bomber and Fairey confronts him saying: "I put a lot of time and energy into this," Fairey told Cooper. "What's your problem?"]

The crowd waiting to get in near the entrance.

The queue around Washington and Water Street isn’t for the ATM at the bank, but for the Shepard Fairey’s opening.

 Could this be the Splasher? (Photo courtesy of Wooster Collective).

For show details, go to jonathanlevinegallery.com/shepardfairey/. More of Shepard Fairey’s work after the jump.

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What: Lost, Lonely and Vicious Exhibition by Flo Schapiro
When: Exhibition will be on view until July 15th
Where: Halcyon (57 pearl St. @ Water St.), Brooklyn

“Lost, Lonely and Vicious is a collection of fragmentary observations of New York’s streets… its people, places and pandemonium. Taken mostly in Brooklyn, the Bronx and lower Manhattan, the photographs of this series are an attempt to capture the soul, the beauty and the griminess of this amazing city, which continues to shine above luxury condos and Starbucks.” Her photos capture NYC people on the urban streets doing what they love doing.

Flo Schapiro is a Brooklyn-based photographer. She spends most of her free time wandering the streets of New York, photographing whatever catches her eye, engaging in endless conversations with strangers and getting in trouble. She is obsessively drawn towards urban and industrial decay, tunnels, graffiti, street photography, abandoned buildings, old signs, trains and rust. See more images at fuzzyvision-ny.blogspot.com.

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[UPDATE: Click for opening night photos and the stink bomb incident.]

The Jonathan Levine Gallery of Chelsea is joining us in Dumbo for a month-long exhibit of Shepard Fairey’s work. The opening party is tomorrow, Thursday 6/21 7-10pm at 81 Front St. Info & RSVP list at www.jonathanlevinegallery.com/shepardfairey.

What: Jonathan LeVine Gallery in Dumbo Exhibits Shepard Fairey
When: Opening Reception, Thu, 6/21, 7-10pm; Exhibition will be on view until July 6th
Where: 81 Front Street at the corner of Washington Street, Brooklyn

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