Photos By Gail
New York City commuters were treated to a moment of unexpected wit recently at the street-level subway entrance on 34th Street and Eighth Avenue, adjacent to the Moynihan Train Hall. What normally reads simply as Subway in its stoic, Helvetica signage had been slyly altered to say something far cheekier: Subvert.
Whether this was the work of a renegade graphic designer, a conceptual artist with a MetroCard, or simply someone with a roll of black tape and a dream, the modification caused us to pause and smirk — a rare feat in this city. Continue reading Subversive Subway Signage →
Untitled (2007) by David Hammons is a conceptual and found-object artwork that consists of a luxurious fox fur coat defaced with spray paint. This piece is a striking example of Hammons’ ongoing critique of race, class, and the art market.
Continue reading Modern Art Monday Presents: David Hammons Untitled (Fur Coat) →
The Unfinished Oceanwide Plaza Development in Downtown Los Angeles. (Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Downtown LA has recently been captivated by an unexpected sight: towers covered in vibrant graffiti, drawing more attention than the usual urban attractions. Nearby, a statue of a famous basketball player gathered crowds, and a live rock concert saw fans queuing early. However, the main attraction for many was the striking graffiti adorning an abandoned real estate project at a busy downtown intersection. One visitor mentioned he was compelled to visit after seeing it on television, noting that even his typically anti-graffiti mother thought it was worth navigating the traffic to see.
Continue reading Is this Los Angeles Tourist Attraction Art or Vandalism? →
Photo By Gail
I definitely feel for any business owner whose security gate gets tagged repeatedly. They aren’t easy to clean off, and most of the time the spray-painted tags are illegible and just plan ugly. The owners of Trinity Unisex Salon, located on 14th Street between Avenues B and C (cheap haircuts, ladies!) can take some comfort at least in the fact that their gate was tagged with a fun, hungry Shark, which in turn has supplied me with the image for this post. I’m all about finding a silver lining.
Shark Attack on the storefront!
It is no secret that I am a huge lover of art. Specifically, I tend to favor modern and contemporary art over marble statues and oil paintings of zaftig nudes and bowls of fruit. All due props to Michelangelo and Matisse, that stuff doesn’t really ‘yank my chain,’ as they say; but put me in a museum full of Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans and Jeff Koons’ gigantic, painted steel Balloon Dog sculptures and I’m in heaven. Being blessed with someone like Geoffrey as a BFF, it only stands to reason that I would have become a bit fond of the Street Art — because if Geoffrey is any kind of gay, he is completely and totally GAY FOR THE STREET ART. Just being serious.
Continue reading Must See Film: Exit Through The Gift Shop →
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