New Graffiti Book - Fresh Paint

There is a new street art book in town and it is called Fresh Paint. The book has over 400 eye-popping photos provide a decade-long tour of graffiti in New York City. Walls, trucks, and subway cars are featured with graffiti by the crews X-Men, KD, TNB, 156, RIS, AOK, TC-5, FAME CITY, COD, XTC, TFP, MCI, IF, DYM, 718, TD4, SMART, TATS CRU, FLY-ID, GFR, AKB, and many more.

Because New York City has made a concerted effort to remove graffiti from the city, the images captured here will never be seen again. Walls were repainted and some buildings were demolished, keeping graffiti crews working fast to keep ahead of the trend. The author worked even faster to capture their ephemeral efforts. If you have a fascination with urban life and colorful expression, this book is definitely for you.

The author of this book also has a good blog

If you love these types of books check out this link - graffiti art books

Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child

Here is a last minute announcement -

Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child

Opens at the Film Forum July 21st Screenings daily 1:15, 3:15, 6:00, 8:00, 10:00

Tickets available online beginning July 14

Q&A with Director Tamra Davis after the 8:00 show on Wednesday, July 21st and Thursday July 22nd Q&A with Fab 5 Freddy to follow the 8:00 show on Friday, July 23rd

Centered on a rare interview that director and friend Tamra Davis shot with Basquiat over twenty years ago, this definitive documentary chronicles the meteoric rise and fall of the young artist. In the crime-ridden NYC of the 1970s, he covers the city with the graffiti tag SAMO.

The artist was 25 years old at the height of his career, and today his canvases sell for more than a million dollars. With compassion and psychological insight, Tamra Davis details the mysteries that surround this charismatic young man, an artist of enormous talent whose fortunes mirrored the rollercoaster quality of the downtown scene he seemed to embody.

Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child features interviews with Julian Schnabel, Larry Gagosian, Bruno Bischofberger, Tony Shafrazi, Fab 5 Freddy, Jeffrey Deitch, Glenn O'Brien, Maripol, Kai Eric, Nicholas Taylor, Fred Hoffmann, Michael Holman, Diego Cortez, Annina Nosei, Suzanne Mallouk, Rene Ricard, Kenny Scharf, among many others.

USA • 2010 • 90 MINS. • ARTHOUSE FILMS • FILM FORUM • 209 W Houston St, New York, NY 10014

GROUPS SALES IN NEW YORK: Tickets at the Film Forum are half price ($6 instead of $12) for nonprofit and educational organizations bringing groups of 12 or more, Mon-Thu at 1:15 & 3:15. To arrange a group sale please contact [email protected]

Connect with The Radiant Child: • Website & Trailer: http://jean-michelbasquiattheradiantchild.com/ • The Film Forum: http://www.filmforum.org/films/basquiat.html • Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jmb#!/pages/Jean-Michel-Basquiat-The-Radiant-Child/292115143175?ref=ts • Twitter: https://twitter.com/BasquiatDoc

Clate Korsant - Opening on July 30, 2010 - Invitation

Clate Korsant is showing his recent photographs of graffiti artists taken in Sao Paulo, Brazil.  These photographs are stunning celebrations of the artistic talents that find their creative canvases on the often decaying walls of this city.

Along with his photographs, Clate is hosting a great party with Deejays "Chances with wolves", wine, and light Brazilian fare.  Clate will also donate ten percent of his photo sales to Human Action - a very effective Haitian relief organization.

When: July 30th, Friday - from 6 - 9 PM.

Where: Rogue Space Gallery

             Chelsea Fine Arts Building

             526 West 26th Street (between 10th and 11th Avenues)

             Suite 9E-9F

A Guide to New York City's Best Street Art Neighborhoods

When I first started to photograph street art here in NYC, almost any neighborhood had a wonderful array of graffiti, stencil, wheatpaste, paint, aerosol and sticker. Walk down almost any downtown street and you could see Shepard Fairey's Andre the Giant, or a Judith Supine collage or even a Banksy or two. But like anything good, it soon disappears and now there are much fewer neighborhoods worthy of a special trek to see the street art. In fact I really can't think of any NYC nabes that match the passion, variety and style of the early 2000s here in NYC. But rather than curse the gentrifiers, let's try to embrace what is left.

There is a site that boasts "the best neighborhoods that visitors to NYC to see street art. Unsurprisingly, it is called the Best Neighborhoods for Street Art but in my opinion, even in these neighborhoods, there is very little left. Chelsea? One or two walls at the most and they aren't close to what used to be there. Williamsburg? Less and less every trip. Long Island City - we are talking about 5 pointz only. That is a great place. Let's hope it survives. I would have added 59th Street and the Hudson River but I just passed there the other day and it is all gone. ;-(

As for my favorite spots that still have something resembling the past glories? Email me and I'll tell you. 

Da Bakery - Street Art Fashion and Gallery

This has already been reported in several sources but it deserves an update.

One of the big trends in street art is fashion - street art / graffiti designed hats, shirts and sneakers. But do some designs clash? Is it time to coordinate your hat with your shirt with your shoes? The answer is definitely yes. And Da Bakery in the Bronx is one place where you can custom coordinate.

Da Bakery is also a gallery space for street artists. This month they highlight a female street artist, Shiro, who is from Japan.

There are simply not enough street art inspired galleries here in NYC and it is nice to know that Da Bakery offers graffiti artists a place to show their work.

Da Bakery is located at 1700 Southern Boulevard in the Bronx right near the 174th Street subway stop of the 2 and 5 trains.

Show your support.