ARTICLES
Felipe Pantone: Metallic Contact opens April 7th in NYC
Apr 5, 2022
albertz benda is excited to present Felipe Pantone: Metallic Contact,the artist’s second solo show with the gallery, on view from April 7 to May 14, 2022.
KC Ortiz Documentary
Mar 24, 2022
Graffiti painter, prisoner, and war photographer. American artist KC Ortiz has always taken a different path of adventure and intrigue, but now he has moved to Denmark and become a father, it’s time for another change.
Trippy Art - Tripping Through History
Mar 16, 2022
Also known as psychedelic art, Trippy Art refers to visual displays, art, and graphics inspired by psychedelic hallucinations and experiences.
FREIGHT TRAIN GRAFFITI
Jan 21, 2022
Written by Ian Sattler & Shawna Kenney
The New York City subway system is arguably the primary catalyst for all modern graffiti. Every writer and crew’s dreams and perceptions have been filtered through the lens of that ’70s and ’80s heyday in some way. While graffiti has reportedly been seen on the streets of New York since the late ’60s, it took firm hold of the subway in 1970, with trains showcasing writers’ names throughout the city. Legend took root almost immediately, as the work of these vandals began appearing in mass media and imprinting itself on the millions of tourists riding the largest transit system in the world while visiting “the Big Apple.” There was so much documentation of who was writing and how they were doing it that the ripple effect continues to this day.
Rolling Like Thunder Now Streaming on Showtime
Dec 31, 2021
The documentary plunges into the secret underground world and history of freight train and graffiti culture, uncovering stories of myth-like artists, remarkable romances, competitive graffiti crews, and battles with the institution.
Barry McGee Art Career - Expanding Graffiti to Fine Art Continues in Paris
Nov 16, 2021
Barry McGee has always been a master of contracting and expanding, often in the same show, and even more so on just one painting. Space is key, dense patterns juxtaposed with intentional openess.
The "Cat's Cradle": Timothy Curtis' New Exhibition in New York City
Nov 10, 2021
So much has changed in the life and work of Timothy Curtis since starred on the scene in 2016.
1969 Super Sport Camaro: A New Print Drop from Lady Pink
Oct 26, 2021
When the gavel dropped on Lady Pink's iconic 1984 painting, 1969 Super Sport Camaro, it was already famed for being part of Keith Haring's personal collection.
The 15 Best Graffiti Art Books Everyone Should Have On Their Shelf
Oct 12, 2021
The history of graffiti is synonymous with the documentation of the art form. Inevitably, this means books. And there are a ton of books on the subject, so much so that after nearly 50 years, there are new titles each year that build even more lore of graffiti's impact.
The History of Spray Paint
Oct 11, 2021
When pioneering teenagers in both Philadelphia and New York City began spraying their names on walls, buses, trains and a variety of other surfaces, they had little idea that they’d have such an impact on modern culture and give birth to an art form with a billion-dollar plus reach. Similarly, spray paint itself has humble beginnings.
The Skull Will Never Die: LA Graffiti and 50 Years of Art History with Chaz Bojórquez
Oct 5, 2021
On the occasion of his print release with BEYOND THE STREETS, we spoke with Chaz about the evolving Los Angeles art world, how he sees his place in Los Angeles graffiti art history and his iconic iconography known the world over.
NTWRK X BEYOND THE STREETS Announcement
Sep 29, 2021
A TWO-DAY VIRTUAL ART FAIR OF RULE BREAKERS & MARK MAKERS — DEC 1 & 2, 2021
C.R Stecyk III's Mono Prints
Sep 22, 2021
C.R. Stecyk III’s mono print posters will be available for purchase exclusively on our webstore on Tuesday, September 28th at 9am PST.
Painting RUN DMC
Sep 8, 2021
In 1986, Chris Freedom received a call from the art director at Reading Rainbow, a popular show on PBS at the time, asking him to paint six handball courts in one night for a Run DMC video. He liked PBS, and he liked DMC so he took the job.
BEYOND THE STREETS on PAPER: 10 Questions with David "Mr StarCity" White
Aug 30, 2021
For BEYOND THE STREETS on PAPER, we were excited to have 3-massive works from David "Mr StarCity" White, whose infectious spirit and powerful visuals have turned his storytelling into essential reading.
BEYOND THE STREETS on PAPER: 10 Questions with Jasmine Monsegue, aka Spacebrat
Aug 30, 2021
You may know Houston, Texas raised Jasmine Monsegue from her own DIY fashion work, but you may also know her by the moniker Spacebrat for her airbrush paintings that straddle the line between fantasy and industrial surrealism...
BEYOND THE STREETS on PAPER: 10 Questions with DAZE
Aug 28, 2021
When it comes to the legends of graffiti and the international growth of the movement, Chris "DAZE" Ellis is one of the important and vital names of the scene. When it comes to creating a works on paper show, specifically our BEYOND THE STREETS on PAPER show now on view at the Southampton Arts Center, we considered those early pioneers, the sketchbooks they perfected their craft in and thought about how much the medium of paper has meant to culture at large. DAZE's work for BTS on PAPER is a refreshing amalgamation of tags, collage, environment, spray paint and playful nostalgia of the bygone era of graffiti.
BEYOND THE STREETS on PAPER: 9 Questions with CRASH
Aug 27, 2021
As we looked through the last 18 months and finding an essential medium that spoke to artist's practice during this time, Crash's new works on paper felt like a breath of fresh air. An icon re-imagining his own iconography.
BEYOND THE STREETS on PAPER: 10 Questions with Umar Rashid aka Frohawk Two Feathers
Aug 26, 2021
"Freedom struggles happen all the time," Umar Rashid told me one afternoon prior to the opening of BEYOND THE STREETS on PAPER. "The whole world is full of popular misconceptions and horrible shit..."
BEYOND THE STREETS on PAPER: 10 Questions with Jamilla Okubo
Aug 25, 2021
Through her own sense of narrative, Okubo has always celebrated the "Black body in relation to movement, expression, ideology, and culture," and her works seem to have found a poetic pulse that has transformed her paintings into storytelling.
BEYOND THE STREETS on PAPER: 10 Questions with Nettie Wakefield
Aug 19, 2021
London-based Nettie Wakefield has been working on paper primarily for years, known for her pencil works and the reverse portrait series
BEYOND THE STREETS on PAPER: 10 Questions with Addam Yekutieli, aka Know Hope
Aug 17, 2021
For years now, Addam Yekutieli, known perhaps more for his monker, Know Hope, has struck a unique balance between political street works and a poetic humanism in his fine art.
BEYOND THE STREETS on PAPER: 10 Questions with Matt McCormick
Aug 14, 2021
"Cowboys are really interesting for a variety of reasons. They started for me when I was a child as the ultimate example of what 'a man' should be, hardened by the elements, able to defend and support themselves from the land and their bare hands."
BEYOND THE STREETS on PAPER: 10 Questions with Gustavo Zermeño Jr
Aug 11, 2021
If there was ever an artist who captures the aesthetic of Los Angeles sports in art it's Gustavo Zermeño Jr. His murals are now iconic with flashes of hyperrealism and airbrush mastery.
BEYOND THE STREETS on PAPER: 9 Questions with Yusuke Hanai
Aug 7, 2021
There has been a lot of art creating over the past year that speaks to the human condition, our uncertainty, our universal fears and concerns. Japanese-based artist Yusuke Hanai doesn't literally create art based on the current state of the world, or hit you in the face with a political message. His works are quiet, unifying in their simple emotions, often depicting a type of sadness or even care that is rare. Known for his collaborations and now and increasingly refined fine art practice, the surfing-crazed artist is beginning to make waves in the art world.
BEYOND THE STREETS on PAPER: 10 Questions with Icy & Sot
Jul 31, 2021
Today, we speak with the Iran-born, Brooklyn-based artists Icy & Sot about urgency in their works, reducing stress and their best playlist.
BEYOND THE STREETS on PAPER: 10 Questions with Shepard Fairey
Jul 26, 2021
In conjunction with our newest exhibition, BEYOND THE STREETS on PAPER, on view at the Southampton Arts Center in Southampton, New York from July 17—August 28, 2021, we compiled a series of interviews themed around the idea of "back to the drawing board."
TAKI 183: 50 Year Anniversary
Jul 21, 2021
50 years ago today, July 21, 1971 The New York Times published an article that would forever change graffiti. Having taken notice to the growing graffiti culture and the one name that they had seen the most all over the city a writer from the NYT tracked down TAKI 183 for an interview. The article has been a point of reference for countless research on the graffiti culture and has made TAKI 183 one of the most iconic graffiti writers ever. Is TAKI 183 still out there getting up … maybe.
BEYOND THE STREETS on PAPER at Southampton Arts Center this summer!
Jun 28, 2021
Opening on July 17, 2021, in Southampton, BEYOND THE STREETS on PAPER, is a new exhibition featuring over 500 works from over 100 artists. The exhibition brings together an alternative perspective on the shifting dialogues in contemporary art. Hosting the show is the Southampton Arts Center, a non-profit in an historic 150 year-old building with over 6,000 square feet of exhibition space and over three acres of grounds.
Black and Blue: Lee Quiñones Returns to Los Angeles
Jun 20, 2021
Lee Quiñones contributions to street culture are vast and expansive, so much so that he is one of the rare artists whose graffiti walls are etched into the historical lexicon.
DABSMYLA
Jun 15, 2021
Written by Alec Banks
The inside of the Los Angeles studio of husband-and-wife visual artists DABSMYLA feels like a movie montage, with an eclectic musical soundtrack playing over the top of a steady stream of ideas flowing so effortlessly that words are rarely required, as the two swap paintings back and forth in a pendulum of creative expression.
Barry McGee Builds "Tar Pit" at Eighteen Gallery, Copenhagen
Jun 12, 2021
Barry McGee has been building bridges for his entire career. From graffiti to gallery, bohemian culture to museum culture, folk art to vandalism, surfing to street life and back again and around and around.
New York, New Music 1980–1986 @ Museum of the City of New York
Jun 11, 2021
The music and imagery coming out of NYC in the late 1970s and into the early to mid 1980s has traveled and influenced global street culture probably a million times over. No hyperbole.
SNOEMAN's "New York Love"
Jun 10, 2021
"New York Love is an exhibition of new paintings inspired by my love for New York City.... The work highlights the small details of everyday life that I treasure and find beautiful."
LeRoy Neiman - America's Sports Artist
Jun 8, 2021
LeRoy Neiman was one of America’s most prominent and famous sports artists, documenting some of the most iconic athletes and moments in the 20th Century sports arena. From boxing, for which he as an artist-in-residence with Muhammad Ali, to baseball, basketball, racing and more, Neiman’s legacy is one that puts sports in the synonymous category of fine art. On his centennial birthdate, Beyond the Streets is proud to work with the LeRoy Neiman Foundation on special releases from the archives of one of the great painters of the last 100 years.
Umar Rashid, aka Frohawk Two Feathers, on Radio Juxtapoz
Jun 7, 2021
We often talk about artists as storytellers, moving from painting to painting like authors of their own universe...
S - Where did it come from?
Jun 4, 2021
We’ve come to understand that the allure of graffiti is different for everyone who has ever picked up a marker or spray can and decided to leave a remnant of themselves behind — real name, moniker, street, significant other, etc. — for others to then interpret as if signals from an unknown perpetrator, as stealthy as an extraterrestrial.
Eddie Martinez Explores His "Green Thumb" @ Blum & Poe
Jun 2, 2021
If you were to be called a "green thumb," chances are you have spent some time in a garden. Watching things grow, nurturing, tending to, patient, and caring.
MISTER CARTOON
Jun 1, 2021
Painting hellfire and horny Messiahs, the tattoo, lowrider and graffiti artist known as Mister Cartoon transmutes the lead bullets of Chicano L.A. into gold, in an alchemy fueled by cholo church eulogies for friends who’ve gone to their graves with nothing but the holy marks of his tattooist’s gun.
Swoon: Wholeness in Mind
May 28, 2021
Swoon has been an artist of empathy perhaps even before contemporary really stood face-to-face about what empathy in art looks like. She's an iconic force in storytelling, both about her own life and the people she encounters.
Ian Reid: A Few Days and Nights
May 25, 2021
Ian Reid was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. He is a photojournalist, filmmaker, visual artist and creative producer that began his earliest works while immersed in the world of skateboarding. His photos, while grounded in reality, constantly provoke imagination and the desire to uncover the true story behind each image.
Umar Rashid's Cosmic Journey in PER CAPITA
May 21, 2021
Umar Rashid's universe is immersive. And that universe expands and contracts with each show, narratives that reimagine time and space in a way that is rare for a contemporary artist.
FAITH XLVII: CHANT @ Everard Read, Cape Town
May 18, 2021
Of all the great legacies in the career of South African-born FAITH XLVII, whether in street art or installation works, is that she was always a bold outlier as more and more international attention was put upon her and her contemporaries.
Pat Phillips: Untitled (Works on Paper) @ M+B Gallery
May 12, 2021
It's incredible the amount of detail and pressure of layering that Pat Phillips puts into a piece of paper. It's almost as if eras and decades of influences and subconscious thoughts on each work, perhaps why he wanted to showcase a drawing show of works on paper as his first solo show since relocating to Philadelphia in 2020.
POSE
May 11, 2021
At its simplest, history painting in graffiti might mean rewriting someone’s name on the same wall where it once stood before the wall was repainted. Each “generation” of graffiti writers was often no more than two years younger than the one before them and learned directly at the hands of their elders. Given graffiti’s ephemeral, illegal nature, the recording, retelling and discussion of its history has always been in the hands of its own participants.
Lean On Me: The Intimate and Timely Works of Jon Key @ Steve Turner Los Angeles
May 7, 2021
The way that Jon Key paints his characters, intertwined, embracing and with a sense of love, there is an immediate connection. Whether you see yourself or friends in these works...
Garden of Eden: Todd James Spans His Career in New Show @ Ross + Kramer
May 6, 2021
When I think of Todd James' artwork, I think of the quintessential American artist. There are so many entry points, pop-cultural winks, sub-culture nods, a heritage of graffiti and cartoon, TV and even just mid-century abstraction.
MADSAKI's "Hello Darkness, My Old Friend (I’ve come to talk with you again) @ Perrotin NYC
May 2, 2021
When we first became introduced to MADSAKI's work, he was gaining critical and cultural attention with his Wannabie’s series, crude, graffiti-like interpretations of classic and famed artworks from the history books. Your Renoirs, Jasper Johns, even Matisses.
Kunle Martines Draws His Friends in New Solo Show in NYC
Apr 30, 2021
Even as one of the most renowned graffiti artists in NYC, in one of the most renowned graffiti crews in IRAK, there was something both raw and tender about Kunle Martins.
Niki de Saint Phalle: Structures for Life @ MoMA PS1
Apr 28, 2021
"I could do whatever I wanted, whether people liked it or not."