The Best Birthday Card Ever! Houston/Bowery Mural Honors & Celebrates Legendary Martha Cooper!

Legendary (graffiti) photographer Martha Cooper was honored for her 70th birthday with the best birthday card ever - a tribute mural honoring her located at Houston / Bowery Streets.  Some of the best graffiti  / street art writers of the past decades organized this special event to honor and give thanks to all she has done since the 70's photographing and documenting their work while keeping them fairly anonymous.   Martha "Marty" is a highly accomplished photographer with books such as the popular SUBWAY ART, New York State of Mind, Street Play, Name Tagging and a very hard to obtain pocket size Remembering 911 tribute  book (that I luckily bought in Miami two years ago.)  If you google her, you'll recognize her work immediately.  Yesterday afternoon, she arrived at the busy intersection (that receives a new commissioned-artist mural every few months), to see that it was HER being honored.

Here's how it all happened with artists Bio, Lady Pink, Free5, Crash, Daze, How & Nosm and Lady Aiko - and who am I forgetting??

Lady Pink, above and below

How & Nosm, in which order, not sure (twins.)

View of Martha and crew in middle of the street...

Lady Aiko above and below...

Lady Aiko...

One of the twins with Niko....

We all rushed to get this legendary shot of Martha and crew shooting the mural from mid-street...

 ...and this is how it looked!  The artists all gather - history in the making folks!

And another...

 

Brooklyn Street Art signing and Martha doing her thing...

Check this out ASAP on Houston / Bowery for an even more detailed look and pay tribute to the photographic legend!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARTHA COOPER!

Like Contemporary Art Mixed With Graffit-Style? Shinique Smith Brings "Bold As Love" To Chelsea!

One of my most favorite artists for many years has a new exhibit at James Cohen Gallery in Chelsea.  Shinique Smith presents "Bold As Love" as the artist's combines her combined inspirations from drawn calligraphy, music, fashion and dance in her sculptural pieces, and love of graffiti in her paintings.  If you love street art and graffiti, you will love her work!  Luckily, I met Smith two years ago in Atlanta as she lectured at SCAD and showed a group of her latest works (at the time) on paper.  (I spoke with her and she signed one of her articles from I believe, Marie Claire magazine. Very happy.)
Smith has also been commissioned by the New York City MTA Arts For Transit to create a permanent public work in the new Mother Clare Hale Bus Depot in Harlem (Lenox Ave/146th St.)   This extensive project features a large scale mosaic across the facade and laminated glass windows throughout measuring over 6,600 feet of artwork.  Have a look at the exhibit and my close ups to see all of the details!

No Key, No Question, 2013, Ink, acrylic, fabric and collage on canvas over panel, 60 x 60", see my CLOSE UP  detailed images below.  A must see in person.

The Oldest Love, 2013, Ink, acrylic, and fabric collage on canvas over panel, 60 x 60"

As artist Kehinde Wiley observes, “The work of Shinique Smith navigates the leading edge of the written word. Her installations of extremely mixed visual signifiers marry literature, Islamic architecture, and hip hop music to investigate and expound the narrative capabilities of the language.”

Left: Love is a Dreamer, 2013, Artist’s clothing, fiber-fill, ribbon and string, 37 x 21"

Within a detail, 2013, Acrylic and fabric collage on wood panel, 48 x 48"

Also, a solo exhibition will be mounted at the MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON from October 2014 to March 2015.

The James Cohen Gallery is located at 533 W26th St. in Chelsea and runs thry March 24, 2013 & visit: http://www.jamescohan.com

Bill Cunningham's NY Times Sunday Post - Artful Dressing!

A quick Monday morning post: My favorite thing about Sunday's - Bill Cunningham's ON THE STREET Profile.  These wardrobes represent the art in fashion for sure, as he captures every Sunday.  Lots of art-styled Prada and Marc Jacobs here....

...and now on tho the art fairs this week! Stay tuned....