Photography - Bushwick Street Art 2013




A few years ago I started walking around Bushwick with my camera, capturing some of the pretty amazing street art that is around the area. There are spots that are covered in murals and paintings and words, entire blocks and walls that are vibrant in colour and meaning, and then spots where you will find a small piece of artwork, hidden amongst the brick walls of a house or a warehouse. I love living in Bushwick (which is probably why I haven't moved anywhere else over the past 5 years), but I haven't spent much time walking around the neighbourhood recently, and didn't even go to any of the events that were taking place during the Bushwick Collective 1 year anniversary party this past weekend. My room mate has been much better at becoming part of the community here than I have and knows everything that is going on, where the cool bars are and what restaurants are better than others. When we moved here over 5 years ago there wasn't much around except for a few bodegas, the gas station and KFC. Now there is a great selection of restaurants on Seamlessweb alone and a bunch of cool places to hang out in.

In any case, yesterday I took a visitor from Europe for a walk around the neighbourhood and was amazed by all of the new murals and artwork that exists on my street and the streets surrounding it. I noticed a lot of new pieces, but also old pieces that have been covered up by new ones. HERE is the link to the full collection of photos I took yesterday, mainly along Troutman St and Starr St. Below you will find links to different street art sets that I put together in 2011 and 2012.

For more information on The Bushwick Collective, check out their Facebook page HERE.

Bushwick (73)Bushwick (1)Bushwick (2)Bushwick (3)Bushwick (4)Bushwick (5)
Bushwick (6)Bushwick (7)Bushwick (8)Bushwick (9)Bushwick (10)Bushwick (11)
Bushwick (12)Bushwick (13)Bushwick (14)Bushwick (15)Bushwick (16)Bushwick (17)
Bushwick (18)Bushwick (19)Bushwick (20)Bushwick (21)Bushwick (22)Bushwick (23)

Photography: Through My Eyes - Jan & Feb 2012

BallerinaAbandonedAbandoned Lutheran schoolAnti-glamourBearBlue skies
Bushwick abandoned churchBushwick sunsetBushwick theatre buildingBushwick warehousesCaringchild dragon
china townchurch wallsConfettiDragonExotic fruitFace
Face on a postFace on a wallFlowersGarden muralGloomyHanging shoes

Through My Eyes - 1, a set on Flickr.

Taking a little break from novel writing today and compiling some random shots I have taken over the past few weeks. I found myself with a lot of photos that don't really fit into any category (area, place, show etc), but are all images of something that caught my eye when I was walking around.
I feel so lucky to live in a place where there is always something to take a photo of, however fleeting or permanent it may be...

Words on Walls

Freedom & EqualityLove LoveNot Responsible For Your LifeClairvoyant PsychicImaginePeace_And_Love
R1-07710-0014Wrong WayDanger No SwimmingR1-06168-011ADefaced WallAlways
Love is LoveHigh times in the LordBooks love the kidsAvoid ApathyGod's giftKeep it evil
L'art c'est un motLove 3SmileRevoltI dream of loveJesus light of the world

Words, a set on Flickr.

Over the past few weeks I have been trying to sort through hundred of photos, both digital and film, to see if I can sort them out by theme rather than date which is how they are currently sorted.

I finished this one last night, a collection of words on walls and signs in NYC, Long Island, London. I am sure I will add to it as I am always taking photos of random words that I see in random places.

On one of my walks I was taking pictures of a mural on Myrtle Ave, in Bushwick going towards Ridgewood. The mural took up the whole of a deli wall, and said "Jesus Saves Brooklyn". A couple of guys stopped to tell me that "Jesus Saves" was actually a grafitti artist and that was his name. So there... If you ever see "Jesus Saves" on walls around town, it's not someone telling you that Jesus saves, just an artist signing off on his work.

Anyway, to be continued...

Bushwick Street art - one set of many...

IMG_4185IMG_4054IMG_4056IMG_4059IMG_4060IMG_4061 IMG_4062IMG_4063IMG_4064IMG_4065IMG_4066IMG_4067 IMG_4068IMG_4069IMG_4070IMG_4072IMG_4073IMG_4074 IMG_4075IMG_4076IMG_4077IMG_4078IMG_4079IMG_4080

Just because I haven't had a chance to write this week, and because I won't until later this week...

Some pictures I took during one of my many early Saturday morning wanders around Bushwick.

More Bushwick street art!

I have not really had a moment to myself these past three weeks, and I keep seeing places that I want to photograph, and immediately forgetting them again (then again these places happen to be pieces of art along the railway tracks somewhere between Philadelphia and Penn Station, or Penn Station and Boston, so I really don't know how I would remember...).

In any case, I was in a car going home on Wednesday when I noticed some more great street art in Brooklyn, and this time remembered to put the cross streets down in my phone. I got up early yesterday morning, took a few cameras with me (I never know which one I am going to use until I actually decide I want to take a picture). I found the location I had gone past on Wednesday and started from there... Walking randomly for 90 minutes or so, I came across more and more great graffitti art... All portrayed HERE on my Flickr. A Bushwick street art stroll past Bogart & Boerum, Harrison & Morgan, Morgan & Grattan, Knickerbocker & Thames, Jefferson & Knickerbocker. I ended up just using the Canon Rebel Ti1 for all shots, just because there was so much to shoot and I didn't have enough colour film on me.

I've been reading up on the different crews and their history - it's really interesting.
Here is a great blog on NYC graffiti: Fresh Paint NYC
If there are any writings you want to know more about let me know - I tried to grab the signatures on all of them, so I could find out more about them.

East New York next week. Probably not the best idea in the world, but I'm sure I'll find some really cool spots.

This one is my new favourite, above one of the L train Morgan stop entrances:

Street Art - NYC

One of my favourite pastimes is to walk around the city for hours, and taking photos of wall murals, graffiti, even tags. There are some amazing street artists out there - you just have to keep your eyes open when you are walking around. I have found that Bushwick has some real gems, but Williamsburg isn't half bad either. I haven't found as many in Manhattan, but that's because I haven't walked around looking for a while either... Maybe today.

In any case here is my collection of photos as it is today... I will be adding more on an ongoing basis:
Street Art - NYC

Enjoy!

Street art?


Iconic, originally uploaded by lunajade.

I never leave the house without at least one camera in my bag. There is so much to see everywhere I go, especially in the city, where there are so many images painted and/or graffitied on walls, abandoned buildings, cars...

I love this one. Stalin depicted as Zeus. Interesting no?

I love things that make me THINK. This image has been stuck in my brain for a while.

There are others I have taken on my walks: Street Art