Brooklyn art - The Lardner Report

(Pic #1) Brooklyn surprise. Weathered wall and signage — instant abstraction.

It’s a legal high I can’t fully explain. While I’ve had the opportunity to visit some of the most extraordinary museums all over the world, there’s nothing like discovering an exciting image on weathered urban walls, sidewalks, or curbs. There’s something I love about “unintended” art — the kind that appears with age or years of neglect.

(Pic #2) One of Jackson Pollock’s early 1950s “Black paintings.”

The above “painting” I suspect started out as a parking sign glued to the building in historic Red Hook, Brooklyn. The white curvy lines would be where the glue was placed. What makes this work for me is the contrasting background colors of dark blue and black. Also, that the unpainted top beige strip appears inside the painting as well. It’s almost as if the whole thing was planned.

The next place my brain visits is my mental catalogue of key images in art history. Truth is, I don’t need to liken one decrepit old wall with a legit artist — but it just happens in my head. It just might be a way to “justify” my find.

In this case, I took a deep dive back into the work of abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock, who made a series of black-and-white paintings before he became known for his multi-colored “action” or “drip” works.

The lesson, each time I explore the streets of any urban landscape, is that art is in fact, everywhere.

(Pic #1) Detail from an elaborate block-long mural in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn

The streets of Brooklyn offer miles and miles of eye-popping art and design — and it’s all free to see.

Last week I mentioned to the concierge at my hotel in NYC that I was a fan of really good graffiti, and he said, “Brooklyn has the best.” As an exceptional concierge should, he nailed it. There wasn’t nearly enough time, but he guided me through blocks and blocks of pure Brooklyn creativity. Wall after wall — covered with clever works of art — or, in some cases, freestyle vandalism.

Oddly, I find myself drawn to the layers of defacing as much as the beautiful renderings underneath. To me, the more “in your face,” the better. I was as fascinated by the trashed up doorways (see below) as I was with the well-planned, strategically designed, site specific ambien murals, like the one above. I totally love the way artists incorporate electrical boxes, window sills, air conditioners, and unkempt cables into their overall compositions. Sometimes, it’s even hard to tell what’s real and what’s not. (See “Trompe L’oeil”).

Bushwick has long been a working class neighborhood, and now it is suddenly cool. And colorful. Dozens of art studios and galleries pepper the neighborhood, and much of the public art you see on the street is created by the artists in “The Bushwick Collective,” an open-air gallery of street art centered at the corner of St. Nicholas Avenue and Troutman Street.

Check out the “walking tours” and self-guided apps — Brooklyn just may be the hottest place to see great art. Click here for more on the “Walking tour of Bushwick street art” Click here to view the “Self-guided (app) tour.” From poignant and political, to simply whimsical — prepare to be blown away.