Monthly Archives: March 2006

Nicole duFresne Shrine, Lower East Side – Image No. 1

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It’s been over a year since the murder of actress and playwright Nicole duFresne. Her tragic, killing happened in the early morning after-hours of January 27, 20005, in the Lower East Side of New York City. The murder was shocking to us in part because it took place just a few blocks away from the former Global Graphica HQ and in part because the area had become mostly a crime-free neighborhood in recent years, especially as the nabe went through rapid gentrification. In the days and weeks that followed, a shrine marking the location of her senseless death began to appear at the southwest corner of Rivington and Clinton streets. This series of images show the makeshift tribute of flowers, candles, messages, mementos and objects left by her friends, family and residents of the L.E.S. Note the pages from New York Post newspaper that have been posted on the wall at the left of the image — the pages contain follow-up news articles reporting the police capture of Nicole’s murderer. (See the New York Times Article about the murder of Nicole duFresne.)

Ivan Corsa Photo

Fresh Work From “Faro Inc.” in SoHo, NYC

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The street artist (or group of artists?) who goes by the moniker “Faro Inc.” has made a name for himself with a body of work that consists of wheat-pastes depicting his signature mummy character in various guises and permutations. Here’s some fresh work on Prince St., between Broadway and Mercer St., in Soho. This mummy has a sort of B-boy-hipster look, with high-top kicks, trucker hat with a rifle sihlouetted on the front, headphones and a mysterious photo-real image on his chest. Detail shots of the street artwork follow.

Ivan Corsa Photo

Banksy on Melbourne’s Disappearing Stencil Art

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There is an interesting article today in U.K. newspaper the Guardian about the changing urban landscape of Melbourne, Australia, as the city tidied itself in preparation of the Commonwealth Games. The clean-up is a result of an initiative to remove graffiti and street art. The report, titled “The writing on the wall,” was penned by the well-known British street artist “Banksy.” According to the story, Melbourne’s effort to paint over its rich tapestry of urban art is enforced by the city’s new official zero-tolerance stance on anything that constitutes graffiti. This includes stencil art for which Australia’s second city has become famous internationally among followers and creators of street art. (Props to Robin for the tip.)

“Jane” Tag on Postal Label, Soho

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A clever bit of efficiency in stealth tagging is the practice of using markers to write the tag on a blank U.S. Postal Service adhesive label, then sticking the label to target surface/location. Above is a detail-shot of an example we recently spotted on the Uptown “C” Train platform at Spring St. subway station in Soho, in New York City. The tag, which we’re reading as “JANE,” is ordinary but effective.

Ivan Corsa Photo

NoHo Sky Graf 4 – “Grate”

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This graf by “Grate” adds some unqiue, stylistic symetry to the tag by curling the first and last letters.

Background Note
There’s lots of skyline and rooftop graf in that semi-real, un-neighborhood-like downtown Manhattan neighborhood known as NoHo (for “NOrth of HOuston St.,” as opposed to SoHo and “SOuth of HOuston St.”). Here’s a good example. The nabe’s chic decrepitude and broken-up cobblestone streets are a vermeer of authenticity behind which are some of the largest, most expensive and well-appointed lofts and condos in all of New York City. Thoroughly gentrified and spacious, NoHo is a tiny enclave (of mostly converted 19th-century industrial buildings) that has managed to retain several generations of graf and street art new and old, in spite of the moneyed shops, bars, restaurants and residents that call the area their home.

Ivan Corsa Photo

NoHo Sky Graf 3 – “On Time”

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We’re not sure how to decipher this tag in Noho, NYC. Our best guess is that it’s either “On Time” or “One Time.” In any case, we’ve never seen a tag resembling it anywhere else in lower Manhattan. The angular styling of the letters makes this one stand out from the rest.

Background Note
There’s lots of skyline and rooftop graf in that semi-real, un-neighborhood-like downtown Manhattan neighborhood known as NoHo (for “NOrth of HOuston St.,” as opposed to SoHo and “SOuth of HOuston St.”). Here’s a good example. The nabe’s chic decrepitude and broken-up cobblestone streets are a vermeer of authenticity behind which are some of the largest, most expensive and well-appointed lofts and condos in all of New York City. Thoroughly gentrified and spacious, NoHo is a tiny enclave (of mostly converted 19th-century industrial buildings) that has managed to retain several generations of graf and street art new and old, in spite of the moneyed shops, bars, restaurants and residents that call the area their home.

Ivan Corsa Photo

NoHo Sky Graf 2 – “Fyter”

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“Fyter” sky graf just east of Lafayette St., in NoHo, in downtown Manhattan, NYC. Love the spelling of the tag and the pink hue of Krylon.

Background Note
There’s lots of skyline and rooftop graf in that semi-real, un-neighborhood-like downtown Manhattan neighborhood known as NoHo (for “NOrth of HOuston St.,” as opposed to SoHo and “SOuth of HOuston St.”). Here’s a good example. The nabe’s chic decrepitude and broken-up cobblestone streets are a vermeer of authenticity behind which are some of the largest, most expensive and well-appointed lofts and condos in all of New York City. Thoroughly gentrified and spacious, NoHo is a tiny enclave (of mostly converted 19th-century industrial buildings) that has managed to retain several generations of graf and street art new and old, in spite of the moneyed shops, bars, restaurants and residents that call the area their home.

Ivan Corsa Photo

NoHo Sky Graf No. 1

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There’s lots of skyline and rooftop graf in that semi-real, un-neighborhood-like downtown Manhattan neighborhood known as NoHo (for “NOrth of HOuston St.,” as opposed to SoHo and “SOuth of HOuston St.”). Here’s a good example. The nabe’s chic decrepitude and broken-up cobblestone streets are a vermeer of authenticity behind which are some of the largest, most expensive and well-appointed lofts and condos in all of New York City. Thoroughly gentrified and spacious, NoHo is a tiny enclave (of mostly converted 19th-century industrial buildings) that has managed to retain several generations of graf and street art new and old, in spite of the moneyed shops, bars, restaurants and residents that call the area their home.

Ivan Corsa Photo

“DaysFares” Graf by Pigs Crew, NYC

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This popular graf spot in an abandoned downtown NYC lot has been heating up with new ups recently like “DaysFares” above. There a “Pigs Crew” tag embedded in the initial “D,” but we haven’t seen their tags before. This is a massive up, and this location at East 1st St. and 2nd Avenue, in the East Village, has the kind of space required for large scale graf and street art. The lot is on the corner of a block that was one of the last undeveloped stretches of Lower Manhattan and full of aerosol art and paste-ups. Now, several massive luxury condo buildings have sprung up on the block. It’s only a matter of time before this spot is occupied by a new real estate development and huge tags like “DaysFares” are hidden behind brick and mortar.

Ivan Corsa Photo

Bombed “No Parking” Sign, Soho, NYC

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In the Hudson Square area of downtown Manhattan, otherwise known as the far west end of Soho, we found this lightly bombed “No Parking” sign amid the high-end media offices, lofts and luxury condos. What really got our attention is the monster head art in the lower-left corner of the sign. C’est cool, non?

Ivan Corsa Photo

“Hour Dr. Sex” Rooftop Graf in Chinatown, NYC – No. 2

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“Dr. Sex” strikes again with this recent, daring tag atop a tall building along Canal Street in Chinatown, New York City. Note that the moniker is rendered here as “HOURDRSX,” without the “E,” but we’ve seen the tag elsewhere in downtown Manhattan as either “HOLLRDRSEX” or just “DRSEX.” We love the juxtoposition of the tag and the Chinese billboard underneath it. Great stuff.

Ivan Corsa Photo