Tag, You’re It

JAM came across something interesting to do.  We went down to the East Village along Houston Street (they mispronounce it here). But first…..

Across from Shimmels bakery is the 1^st Green Street Art Park. This is a line of walls where some of the most politico-socio relevant street artwork in New York City is on display.

Down the street about a block is where a Banksy painting appeared earlier this year.  Banksy is probably the most internationally famous street artist of the day.  The piece appeared magically overnight, making his trademark social statement.  No one saw him. His work is gone now.  These works have a short life expectancy.

Street art is everywhere.  All of the Villages, East, Greenwich and West, Lower East Side, Harlem, and over in Brooklyn and Queens, and our favorite, Welling Court in Astoria in Queens.  We recently spent a Saturday afternoon there watching a cadre of artists working with the community to brighten up the neighborhood.  Blocks and blocks of stop-in-your-tracks, jaw-dropping art.  It was fascinating watching these artists covering the brick walls. What talent.

We have been so impressed that these talents can sweep in under a veil of secrecy, put up the monumental pieces and then be gone.  It has such a romantic tone to it.

JAM has a penchant for researching stuff.   We usually find something interesting on the NYC websites, we go check it out, take pictures, JAM comes home and researches it on google and we end up with a blog entry.

This time she came across street art lessons, signed us up and there we met JCorp.

JCorp is a twenty-something street artist that is as perky, bright and bouncy as her trademark rainbows, butterflies and unicorns.  JCorp is well known in the local street art world, her artwork is fun and she taught JAM and I to spray.  And she gave us our tag names.  You pick your name and add a number of the street you are from.  eg. JAM52, Bandit.52.  Check out JCorp at http://www.jcorptm.com

Street artists have cases that carry about 24 cans of paint of various vibrant colors, with a bag of replacement nozzles.

We tagged New York City so I guess our work is about done here.  This is an experience that we will never forget.   Later, homie!