One of my most proud moments as a native of Boston was knowing Massachusetts was the first state to legalize gay marriage. One of the most shameful moments was the harassment acclaimed painter Shepard Fairey withstood when a mural he painted turned into a legal battle. The whole situation was messy and of course Mayor Menino was embarrassed since it happened around the time the artist had a big show at Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art.

Eventually Fairey, also a husband and father of two, settled the case because it was a waste of time and taxing. Now, Fairey has a show at in NYC’s SoHo neighborhood, at the historical Deitch Projects. The baby boomer owner, Jeffrey Deitch, was a pioneer gallery owner and collector, having worked with Andy Warhol and Jean Michel Basquiat. He now runs two spaces in SoHo and another in Long Island City, Queens.

An opening at Deitch means something. And an opening in SoHo reminds us that SoHo, like many other once-gritty ‘hoods, was developed and cleaned up by the artists. Most neighborhoods in NYC that people never stepped foot in 20 to 30 years ago were first inhabited by bums, drunks and junkies, and then daringly inhabited by artists and upwardly mobile gays. Decades later we can all enjoy Alphabet City, West Chelsea and SoHo, among other areas, such as parts of Brooklyn, because the artists and gays pioneered those spots for us.

Of the course the irony of Fairey’s current situation is that while we might have expected Boston to not fully understand art and the boundaries it should not be subject to, we didn’t expect this from NYC. Now, the Department of Buildings is saying that Fairey’s amazing mural on the corner or Bowery and Houston is “advertising” not art and that it was painted without a permit, according to The New York Post. Naturally, they are forcing the owner to comply with whatever action they take and Fairey is once again stifled.

Shepard Fairey image courtesy of obeygiant.com

This situation is ironic because without artists, most of us wouldn’t walk to Bowery and Houston, where there is now the ultimate sign of yuppification—a Whole Foods. And yet, he is once again forced to deal with the bureaucracy that should be spending its time dealing with safe housing, tenant rights and affordable living spaces, rather than policing SoHo to remove great art.

This is especially surprising as these days, graffiti artists get licensing deals with big retail brands. The message it sends is that art is to be translated into the only thing America values—a product to be consumed. Art as a think piece and a statement on society and culture is no longer welcome. It should be locked away in galleries so the masses don’t see it and start thinking.

There was once a time when America was unique partially because of the first amendment and the freedoms it allowed the American people. Now the “American dream” seems to be rooted wholly in capitalism. What’s even more ironic about this situation is that Fairey’s best known works, such as his iconic Hope print of President Barack Obama, will likely sell for millions one day at Sotheby’s, to wealthy New Yorkers, like, oh say Michael Bloomberg.

Click here for the article from The New York Post

Many artists were “green” before they realized what green meant simply because canvases cost money many don’t have. Those artists that have long struggled to make ends meet were automatically green because when there was no money for new canvases, they turned to wood, cardboard and walls. The green classification is just a label for a characteristic of progressive culture that always existed, from art on skateboards to composting for free soil. But, in its modern, labeled state, its use is meant to help the average individual internalize the greening of every day life and to then apply those practices to their own existence. In art, we have the all female art collective The Younity to explain this to us.

The Younity is the brainchild of two native New Yorkers and artists, Alice Mizrachi and Toofly. While Toofly remains consistent, with roots in street art, now often transformed for products via licensing deals, Mizrachi’s work also shows a unique voice, and traces of influences that include Frida Kahlo, Picasso and, as evident in some sketches, Jean-Michel Basquiat. As her work progresses, her paintings and sketches tell a story of American culture and the struggles of minority groups, be they blacks or women.

All of this is why The Younity results in group shows that are both poetic and political. They make you grateful, happy and sad, because the vision of great work reminds us that the desired middle ground success state is nearly impossible to maintain, for any artist or performer. How does one achieve a state where they have the disposable income, time and freedom to pursue the projects they wish to, without escalating to the point where too much attention pushes them to star-factor level? How do they gain recognition but avoid rising to the level where too much fame turns their work into a manifestation of their celebrity, or just another product?

The Younity is a group working to ensure that women artists will have their day and their voices will continue to be heard. Projects like this ensure their visions will remain honest and organic. Among the collection of work being exhibited at 107 Suffolk in the Lower East Side, through Oct. 24, we connected with many pieces, which run the gamut from painted decks to portraits on recycled wood to handmade bags made from tossed fabric scraps. This is the new-old eco rendering, where art and product meet in an attempt to consume less, buy less, waste less and yet create more.

One young artist we think has a bright future across many artistic genres is Chanel Kennebrew. For this show, she exhibited two handmade duffles  compiled from fabric scraps. But, she also makes clothing and hot necklaces cut from old records.

Marthalicia Matarrita’s Environmental Escape. Is this the future?

Niz has been reusing for years, tapping old skateboard decks instead of walls or canvases for her artwork.

Kerri O’Connell’s work is a study in woodwork and modern street-inspired jewelry.

While few use VHS tapes for entertainment, some are using them as a surface to paint on.

What is a journey, a wonderland to you?

Wooden boxes + paint + leather = wearable art

goddess-cum-street queen

Mother Earth, au natural…

SoHo’s Deitch Projects is an example of how much impact an art lover can have on the global community. A member of the Baby Boomer generation, Jeffrey Deitch worked with famed artists including Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat and now, Kehinde Wiley, whose latest show is opening tonight at Deitch Projects in SoHo.

Don’t miss the Black Light opening, Thursday September 3, from 6 – 9 p.m. at the 76 Grand Street location.

For more information on Deitch Projects, click here.

The Dirt:
You might see the two pit bulls roaming the boutique of the surf-meets-street Greenpoint boutique Alphabeta and assume the folks that hang out are unapproachable. Walk through the back door to the enclosed event space and the outdoor area and you’ll find the dogs are right there with you, keeping everyone company. The painters are part of an art cooperative business of sorts called The Younity that was founded by Maria Castillo, AKA Toofly, and Alice Mizrachi. They are proof of the evolution of graffiti art and its offspring, namely one-dimensional installations, stencils and street art and their influence on fashion and jewelry design. Today, these particular graffiti artists are the roots of the female art consortium that is a grassroots initiative empowering female artists. From the outside, the sneaker-clad graffiti artists might appear fierce, but a look beyond their style shows they are merely rough around the edges, ensuring that outsiders understand their mission. Spray paint cans in hand, M.I.A. and Outkast’s Jazzy Belle blare as the sun shines on this nook of Brooklyn, just another work in progress. The end result will be a visualization of their souls and the world as they see it, in the form of painted outdoor walls to accompany the indoor group exhibition. To some it is street art and objects of desire; to others, a country in need of a revolution; and to all, a gender in need of raising up.

The artist’s struggle is well known in New York City, but the electronic age has pushed that struggle to the outer boroughs. Now that the days of Jean-Michel Basquiat spray painting lower Manhattan are long gone, replaced by shiny museums and boutiques, the artists have made their way to the few neighborhoods they can afford to live and work in, such as Brooklyn’s Bushwick, Greenpoint and Bedford-Stuyvesant; Sunnyside, Queens; and recently, in parts of the Bronx near Grand Concourse. The result is the creation of a hodge podge of characters coexisting in enclaves formerly inhabited by one or two ethnic groups, from the Polish in Greenpoint to the Puerto Ricans in the Bronx and the Caribbean natives in Bed-Stuy. The greater impact is the realization that what was once counter culture is now mainstream, with graffiti artists gaining licensing deals from brand names attempting to lure the new youth and their allowance.

That is not what The Younity is about. The for-profit artist collective started by Toofly and Mizrachi is about empowering women through art, and as Mizrachi explains, “it provides a platform.” These artists are just one group in the subculture that struggles to gain recognition without losing their voice, in a world dominated by consumerism and driven by technology and the jetsetera. But, what they share with all Americans is the aim to live by doing what they love and achieve the goal of getting outsiders to judge them for their work, not their appearance. For these women, it’s not about finding that perfect place between the unknown and the mainstream recognition; it’s about getting a message to other women and girls looking for an outlet where their art is welcome. According to Toofly, it’s about being “approachable as artists and to make ourselves available.” The canvas, be it a wall, a piece of metal or a skateboard, is just a material where they paint their dreams and thoughts.

Ironically, the hipsters of New York City, with their ubiquitous indie rock bands, skinny jeans, reincarnated 80s fashion styles, fags and coffee diet, and overpriced accessories, show us that the appetite for something meaningful and an audience all our own is a bonding factor—that and our vices. If alcohol was both the muse and sustenance for artists of the 50s; love and drugs for the 60s and 70s; graffiti, hip-hop and hard core drugs for the 80s; and the beginning of excess for the 90s, then the millennium feeds off the merging of opposites. This is seen in suits supporting artists, hipsters buying new condos, the cool struggle, fashionable chipped nails and finally, the art world’s appreciation for graffiti and its commercial byproducts: clothing and collectible adult toy trinkets.

This is just another reason we are impressed by Younity. Toofly and Mizrachi are the organizers and curators of the annual show and the first book (2008) showcasing the work of 60 artists. Structured as a book of perforated postcards with the artist’s name and title on the back, we suggest leaving the book intact. Years down the road when these women have created a conglomerate, an art-focused version of Marc Ecko’s empire, you’ll have a trinket of their mid-career work and the vision to appreciate their mission.

Bonus:
The group plans to create a nonprofit with a focus on youth programs, and to expand its partnerships, which include Black Girls Rule.

Where:
For more information on Younity, visit The Younity website. The book had a run of 200 but depending on opening night (10/17/08) sales, they might reprint. The $19.50 book will split its profits, with 70% going to the artists, and 15% each going to the gallery and the organization.