Girls & Graffiti

I was a resident of Queens the first time I truly appreciated graffiti art. Before that, my exposure to graffiti art was via the monetization of graffiti rendered in art toys, one of the many products sold by Kid Robot. However, my true exposure to graffiti art, in gentrified SoHo times, came via a trip on the 7 train. The subway line most only take to watch tennis or baseball actually offers an amazing journey into modern art thanks to Five Points and PS1, both in Long Island City, Queens.

But, my first look at New York native Toofly’s work and Greenpoint, Brooklyn, was during the installation of art for an annual party for The Younity, an art initiative Toofly, aka Maria Castillo, created with another native New Yorker, Alice Mizrachi. Aimed at encouraging young women to create and giving them an outlet and access potential mentors, The Younity is a growing organization. Among the stars in the making present at the last The Younity event was Chanel Kennebrew, the maker of Junkprints, a collection of accessories made from scrap materials. Toofly recently announced new work on public edifices, among them, the above photos of Brooklyn rooftops. One weekend, trade your museum donation for a subway ride and check out her work in Queens and Brooklyn.