Parting Shot
A graffiti writer armed with a fire extinguisher offers some advice to fellow vandals and New Yorkers in general from a Williamsburg rooftop. (Photo: Luna Park/flickr)
The Drug Policy Alliance released its latest findings and calculated that the city is spending about $75 million a year to prosecute people for minor possession of pot. Curiously, many of these small time offenders, who happen to be black and Latino, should be given desk appearance tickets, per state law, but that rarely happens. Read more »
NYC’s forthcoming smoking ban is already starting to set bad precedents as its totalitarian influence begins to waft onto private property and soon, some people may not be able to light up in their own apartments.
D*Face’s ‘Going Nowhere Fast’
UK-based street artist and sculptor D*Face will be exhibiting brand new “aPOPcalyptic” celebrity death portraits at LA’s Corey Helford Gallery, from Andy Warhol to Michael Jackson to this delightfully morbid, skully take on Roy Lichtenstein’s Kiss V. Also on view: Flutterdies series of real butterflies and beetles, updated postmortem with found spray can caps… and more skulls. “Going Nowhere Fast,” D*Face, Apr 9 – Apr 27, Corey Helford Gallery, Los Angeles
There is only one constant in graffiti since its inception and that is the black book. Throughout the years, some of the outlaw art form’s greatest work has been drawn in black books. Highlighting that time honored tradition, DirtyPilot curated an exhibit featuring pages from some of NYC’s most legendary writers from the likes of IZ the WIZ, TRACY 168, KAVES, QUIK, REVOLT, COPE2, T-KID, and GHOST among others.
Art Bikes: Ai Weiwei’s Smashed Hollander, Damien Hirst’s Rainbow
Neither Ai Weiwei’s symbolically crushed bike nor Damien Hirst’s festive disaster on wheels appears fit to ride, but both are for sale. Come to think of it, maybe it would be fun to straddle that neon-splattered Hirstcycle around town. Maybe Hirst should give up art and take on painting modes of transportation full time? Read more »
According to the Wall Street Journal, the use of oxycodone, a more socially acceptable form of heroin that allows pharmaceutical companies and drug dealers alike to profit off it, has risen sharply in NYC. In the past three years, oxy consumption has reportedly doubled and a city narcotics prosecutor said that over 1 million prescriptions of the drug were filled in 2010 alone. Wow: That doesn’t even take the illicit market into account. Not surprisingly, this surge in opiates is mostly Staten Island’s fault.
These movie fan art gallery shenanigans usually go down in Los Angeles, but if you’re itching to geek out over Quentin Tarantino and Coen brothers tribute art or pick up girls dressed as Mia Wallace, you’re in luck. Spoke Art is following up on their Wes Anderson Bad Dad extravaganza with a group show 100 artists strong. Judging by this video, it will be fun. “Quentin vs. Coen,” Group Show, Apr 7 – Apr 9, Bold Hype Gallery, NYC
Kenny Sharf’s Mural Bombed Again and Again
After enjoying a relatively long reprieve from vandalism, the Bowery Mural has once again been enhanced. According to LES mainstay Clayton Patterson, graffiti writer and Keith Haring collaborator who has never been given due credit, LAII, tagged the wall sometime last week. He says Team Scharf quickly fixed it. Then on Monday night, REMO once again returned to king the spot (The above photo shows what the wall currently looks like.). Read more »
Ukrainian activist troupe FEMEN erred in judgment before, but this is just strange. Here’s their latest topless antic on the streets of Kiev honoring the strength of the Japanese people in crisis. It involves a “Shake Boobs Not Earth” sign and said boobs resting on samurai swords. NSFW. Read more »
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