June 7–13, 2019 Brooklyn Paper • www.BrooklynPaper.com • (718) 260-2500 AWP 11
Where culture
is king
June 19
The Lonely Island
1027 FLATBUSH AVENUE
BROOKLYN NY 11226
TICKETS FROM
KINGSTHEATRE.COM
June 15
June 22
Street smarts: (clockwise
graffiti exhibit “Beyond
Crazy Legs in Riverside
1980s. Photojournalist
Martha Cooper also
contributed the above
photograph of a graffiti
car. Danish street artist
Husk Mit Navn contributed
‘Partner in Crime,’ to
the exhibit.
EXHIBIT
from left) The
the Street” features
this photo of Lil’
Park during the
covered subway
this work, titled
SIP THE
BLACK DIRT
SATURDAY, JUNE 22
Hop on the bus and sample brews, spirits, and
wines from the historic black dirt region —
famous for its exceptionally fertile soil.
Tickets pour-tour.com
or 845-469-9000
$95
dirt
Sponsored by
By Aidan Graham
Brooklyn Paper
This show will spray it and say it!
A new exhibit in Williamsburg
celebrates graffiti artists and rule
breakers with a massive display of street
art. “Beyond the Streets,” opening on
June 21 in a newly built, soon-to-be office
building, showcases more than 150
of the world’s most important street artists,
with a special focus on the Brooklyn
artists who turned spraying paint on the
side of a subway car into a global phenomenon,
said the show’s curator.
“We have a lot of New York-focused
pieces, and a lot of work that is historical,”
said Roger Gastman. “There’s a
section that is very hip-hop oriented, and
there’s a section on activism, highlighting
artists that have used street art to
draw attention to specific causes.”
The gallery, which will be open for
about two months, includes special sections
devoted to counter-culture figures,
with a tribute to the 30-year career
of Shepard Fairey, whose work
includes the ubiquitous stickers “Andre
the Giant has a posse” and the Barack
Obama “Hope” poster. Another
installation is devoted to Brooklyn’s
own Beastie Boys, featuring never-before
seen artifacts, song lyrics, and artwork
inspired by the band.
“There are so many great Beastie
Boys surprises that you’ve never seen
before,” said Gastman. “We worked really
closely with Adam Ad-Rock and
Mike Mike D on the Beastie Boys exhibit.
They were in the process of putting
out a book, so they went through
their archives, and they have saved up
a lot of incredible things.”
The two-story exhibit takes up almost
as much space as a Manhattan
city block, and its sprawling array of
paintings, pictures, and immersive installations
means that people will likely
visit the massive space multiple times,
said Gastman.
“It’s hard to claim definitively that
it’s the biggest street art show ever, but
it probably is,” he said. “There’s a lot to
see. One visit alone will not give you a
view of the whole show.”
Gastman said that Brooklyn provides
the perfect backdrop for this expansive
look at the medium, because the art is
deeply rooted in the city.
“New York is so intertwined with
the art form,” he said. “New York City
didn’t start graffiti, but it made graffiti
famous, so it’s amazing to bring it here
and show how huge this culture is.”
Throughout the summer, the gallery
will host artist talks and panel discussions
on the past and future of street
art, according to Gastman, who said the
vast endeavour proves the mainstream
viability of an art style often dismissed
as vandalism.
“This art form is not just a subculture,
or a blip in our culture,” he said. “It’s a
full-blown art form, and it’s gotten bigger,
bolder, and more innovative.”
Street dreams
Giant graffi ti exhibition takes
over Williamsburg building
“Beyond the Streets” at Twenty
Five Kent 25 Kent Ave. between N.
12th and N. 13th streets in Williamsburg,
(718) 213–8554, www.beyondthestreets.
com. On display June
21–July 31. Wed–Sun, 11 a.m.–8
p.m. $25.
Husk Mit Navn Martha Cooper
Martha Cooper
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