RIPO Shouts Back

Everytime I check in on Ripo I'm amazed at the amount of work he's put out. Like this rad new piece slapped up on the banks of the Barcelona port.

Aside from Ripo's clean lettering is his success in saying something with his letters. Here's an excerpt from Ripo's site about the below pic.

For years this was a spot I could go to paint with friends and visitors with little stress except the wind blowing our pieces across the wall. Literally hundreds of artists had painted this kilometer stretch of cement (front and back) separating the Barcelona port from the Mediterranean Sea. Layer upon layer of beautiful artwork was created, faded by the sun and seawater, and repainted, giving life, color, meaning, and history to what would have been a barren stretch of cement. That is until they finished constructing the new towering W Hotel a few months ago. Along with this luxury hotel came one of the biggest washes of Grey paint and powerblasting I’ve ever seen. The ENTIRE wall, front and back, was cleaned to a boring grey slab. So Much History had been Erased so that those at the hotel can feel like we were never there.

Beacon of light

Took the train with Tae up to Dia:Beacon and made the good move of bringing our bikes. Didn't seem like a good idea as we were swimming upstream through Grand Central, but as soon as we touched ground in Beacon it was awesome.

First off everyone should take the train to Beacon. It's around an hour, leaves regularly, and follows the Hudson which has crazy cliffs, islands with castles, and old Cope2 throw ups. Once to the station it's a quick walk, bike, crawl to Dia which was originally the National Biscuit Carton Making and Printing Plant designed by Nabisco’s staff architect Louis N. Wirshing, Jr. and built in 1927. Now it houses conceptual, minimal, and land art by Beuys, Heizer, Lewitt, Smithson, Serra, etc...

Once out of Dia we explored the length of Main and stumbled upon Electric Windows, which just won the 2008 Dutchess County Executive's Arts Award for "Art in Public Places". We then were soliciting around the front of OpenSpace Gallery when Dan of Thundercut (new site / old site)came across us and showed us around the gallery/studio. We was such an awesome guy and also just returned from teaching a street art/signage/mural class in the Dominican Republic through Parsons, The New School Univ. Coincidence? I think not. Anyways, if you ever get a chance definitely check it out. The show up right now is Gaetane Michaux & Sighn which is amazing handcut stencils in bamboo, cloth, and paper. See more of the show here.

Freestyle painting for Maya Hayuk

Stopped by Monster Island in Williamsburg a few weeks back and met some cool south and central american painters along with Maya Hayuk. Came back that weekend and painted this mural alongside Ripo, Santo, and others. If you want to see it it's on the front of Mollosk Surf Shop(directions).

About a near drowning in Rio where loose lips sink ships and undertows make thunder flow. Scrap can hail mary.