apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

That flurry of paintings on W.B'way is hideously blinding, but I *have* bought handmade sheets there. Go figure.
The woman sells in boutiques now.

Come to think of it, I got some amazing handcarved frames from an Iranian guy one year, and the odd Chinese bit of folded palm craft (for kids) too.
Okay, and maybe a small watercolor for my mom's bathroom...

Eyes open at all times!

Full disclosure: I am thoroughly dismissive of the art I pass by on a daily basis in Soho. I am one of those in the "I cannot stand it" camp. That said, I did buy a wool hat this year from a woman on the streets who I thought made the best hats I'd seen just about anywhere. But then again, that's not art. It's the art that drives me nuts.

where on w broadway can this flurry be found?

Actually last weekend I stumbled upon the poster prints of Michael Albert (and Mr. Albert himself.) I normally walk by art on the sidewalk but he was so engaging and friendly people were just drawn to him. He is the founder of Sir Real Juice and does these collages using letters from food packaging. He was giving his prints away for free... all he asked is that you stopped, looked and chose one you wanted thoughtfully. Art for art's sake. I found it so refreshing.

Click my name to see the sign he posted on the ground explaining his mission. In the next picture in the stream, he is signing a print for me. I ended up choosing a print of the Gettysburg Address comprised entirely out of food packaging letters. Sounds strange but visually it's quite lovely and colorful. You don't realize what it is until you focus on the letters and start reading across. My friend got the Pledge Of Allegiance made out of cereal box letters for her kindergarten class.

Back in the late 1980's I bought a woodcut print from a guy, and I still have it rolled up. Also, I bought some engravings of some scenes from Shakespeare plays, and I framed them, and I ended up giving two of them to the actor friend that I'm going to be hanging out this evening with, and another one to an actor couple I know. I was working at a frame shop at the time, and I worked up quite a ridiculously wonderful French mat for the frame for the couple. That was fun.

I have purchased "off the street" while traveling. Have never done so while home. There's not much art on the street in Nor. Cal. But I'll buy anywhere, it's the piece not the place where the piece hangs out that attracts me. And BTW, the piece you're showing is amazing.

The best art I've seen on West Broadway is from two vendors who are both on the east side of the street just above Spring. Ross Pilot is a pilot who takes aerial photos of the city in his own plane. His sense of light (he shoots in both B&W and color) is phenomenal. A few steps north of him is Ralph (can't remember his last name) who does these fantastic oil paintings. His work has appeared in Architectural Digest. I've worked in Soho for about 15 years and these are the 2 best I've seen.

For someone in Boston, can you please explain to me how this works? Do these folks just hang out on the streets selling art on certain days, or all the time? In a certain block? Also, why are some of you so opposed to it (other than the obvious increase in foot traffic)? We don't have this in Boston. I think it would be nice to see now and then. I remember one time I heard someone walking by a homeless person and they commented, "Jerk, why doesn't he work for his money?". Could it be that some of the folks selling art in SOHO would be homeless if they didn't promote themselves in this way? I just wonder if this open air sales approach is just a disguise for people that are genuinely struggling to feed themselves. Your comments?

Holly

Holly, I've been surprised by the animosity popping up in this ongoing art conversation toward artists and promotion. I think people find something intrinsically audacious in making art in the first place and when people who make it expect others to support them (their art) they often incur ridicule and contempt. Most people who make art feel a driven need to do so and precious few of those find any financial security. I wish I'd been there to admire those word collages and pick one. What a wonderful offer. I'm glad Priya appreciated it and showed us something interesting. I would love to go art hunting with Priya and Tash.

me too, kate!!

Kate(NC), Holly, it is funny how artists can be viewed as hucksters so often. I guess it's the proximity to the fake Prada bag stalls that could make this even worse in SoHo.

My favorite street-art find lately was on Spring below Broadway. There is a very sweet and accomodating woman whose name slips my sieve-like brain (Lisa?) who does Polaroid transfers on the spot. These make a nice gift for someone who, at a moments notice, you want to appear sentimental and loving to on any of those certain forgettable holidays like Father's Day. And for 20 bucks, she threw in all three attempts-all of which were just fine. If you click on my name here, you will see the attempt that made me look like a disapproving mother. My daughter and I gave them to her approving father.

Lori, wait til your daughter gives you that look! ha, I think its a charming shot and more meaningful than most anything you'd buy in a store.

Lori— I love that woman's work! She stands outside Balthazar, right? I got one done of me and my boyfriend that I absolutely love. I want to go back and take one with my sister. I took her card and have been searching my bag for it. Can't find it. I'll find it when I get home, I know i saved it.

A friend told me that she went to a wedding once and they had someone there doing polaroid transfers of the guests as gift favors, photobooth-style. I thought it was the cutest idea.

Does anyone remember in the 80s there was a Haitian man who sold beautiful paintings on wnd Ave in front of St Mark's Church. A lot of people I knew bought them and still have them hanging in their living rooms.

I am all for art in the street. There is an area of Dallas called Deep Ellum where it used to happen - not so much anymore, though.

Sometimes you see the occasional van on a street corner selling art - but they are awful, Days-Inn-room-decor black velvet paintings.

When I went back to Italy some years ago, I had a shopping plan: I bought a piece of art - screen prints or paintings; mostly from street artists - that pictured each town I visited. When I came back to the US, I had a record of each place, and I live with them every day in my home.

I stored everything flat in my suitcase and had it framed when I returned to Dallas.

Priya, thank you for sharing the Michael Albert prints. I have a thing for patchworky/collagey/mosaic-y stuff, and seeing Kristina's wallpaper-sample wall and M.Albert's work has given me the glimmering of an idea for an art project that will incorporate 'found' letters *and* all those paint chips I've been hoarding for years. Oooh, oooh, OOH!

Bugger it - should've been Kristian... NOT Kristina. Sorry!

Someone was asking earlier....She stands on the corner of Spring and West Broadway right in front of the Optician. We've bought several paitnings from her in the past couple years and were invited to her show coulpe of weeks ago. Different work all the time. She is not one of those "xerox" people out there that make the same painting 400 times in different sizes (you all know what I mean) and every time we came by all the work was totally different. Love the colors! and she has a e-mailing list too. We just got a letter saying she's having a solo show in Austria this Spring. Hey, I'm planning to retire on the art I buy from there artists in SoHo,(been doing this for about 15 years now) so this girl (with a terribly unpronouncable last name) is definitely helping. Definitely go and see her if she is there. She is a really wonderful and highly intelligent person. She shipped out last purchase to Dallas (4 paintings)and everything arrived in great shape, so just ask her.

I met Kristina Nazarevskaia during a visit to NY two years ago. Her passion for her cultural background, New York City and her vibrant love for the arts shine through in her exquisite collections.

I have two pieces from Kristina and cherish them very much. They bring serenity, modernity and character to our home.

Thank you Kris,

Shaghig

We are always looking for great things in New York. We live in Laguna Beach, California and it is very hard to find original contemporary art, until we found Kristina N. in Soho. We loved her art so much we are having her do all of the art in our home. Her work is so amazing, she should me in museums.

We met Kristina in NYC last summer and bought two pieces from her. She is a wonderful and honest person whose work is soothing to the eye. We handed her our money after knowing her for only minutes and put all our trust in her that she would come through. A week later we received our two paintings in perfect condition and they now hang in our living room. I cannot tell you how many compliments we receive on her work and I plan to see her again on our next trip to NYC with the hope of acquiring more pieces. For all the people who are against buying art on the streets, I say great....it is more for us who have an appreciative eye for talent!

My husband and I delight and thrive on the creative atmosphere of SoHo street art. We respect everyone's right to display their art, whether it is to our taste or not. As a student of art history and a painter for personal pleasure, I find the opportunity see other artists work in a more informal and accessible place than a gallery to be exhilarating. We have bought several pieces of superb quality paintings from talented artists, including the delightful Kristina Nazarevskaia (how wonderful to see her featured here). We are very thankful for the opportunity each day to enjoy and share in their passionate expression.

in response to Al posted above...Ross Pilot - is a good friend of mine and a fine Aerial Photographer...I am the other person he mentioned out there...

I am Ralph Turturro, a painter for 30 years.
This first site
www.ralphturturro.com/
is my original site started back in 2002...last update was in 2004...why that is is a long story...

This second site
http://ralph-turturros-stuff.blogspot.com/

is filled with my latest images and is constantly updated. It is an interactive site so any one can comment on images as well as go to the links listed there.

Hope this announcement finds you in a good place to receive my work and to possibly stir up more and more dialogues and interest for it.



Sincerely
Ralph Turturro
Artist/ Painter - 2006

...by the way...forgot to thank Al...for praises ...thanx Al...and to remind everyone especially that enjoys our efforts out there on the streets of so-ho...and elsewhere in Manhattan...that there are many who try to take away our first ammendment rights...try to find loop holes in the laws to run us out of town...and so often do they miss the forest for the trees...for we do bring beauty to the city...we do uphold a tradition of street art that has become synonymous with so-ho...with NYC...it is a draw...it is our culture...our right...

thanks to all who support their local and non - local artists everywhere...

sincerely
ralph turturro

I live in Soho, and I'm not real excited about the "crafts" and "art" and other crap that clog the streets of my neighborhood. That said, there is some good work down there, and by people who are legitimately "artists"

Holly, I must say I don't quite understand the thrust of your comment about are they artists or just hungry semi-homeless people. I mean, I'm trying to earn money and feed myself, too, but I'm a lawyer and no one has ever suggested that maybe this sitting in an office all day that I do is really a disguise for trying to feed myself-- which, in fact, is probably just as accurate a description as any.

Anyway, I guess your question is really more about-- why are they on the street? So here's why-- galleries are hard to get into, rents are high and if you sell something, you have to share the profit with the gallery owner. So, the artists' incentive is to find a rent-free space from which to sell their work. There is a ton of foot traffic in Soho, and the neighborhood has an art-market reputation. Plus, people have successfully asserted their first amendment rights to sell expressive products (like books and art) in public spaces like city sidewalks. All in all, you have the ingredients for a sidewalk art economy-- artists, customers, display space, and the constitutional right to be there.

In my living room there hangs a large abstract I got from an artist who has displayed on the West Broadway sidewalk between Spring and Prince for the past 20 years. It definitely feels like the real thing.

Margaret -- are you alluding to Jean Michel Basquiat, who used to sell his artwork on the street before he was discovered?

You really can't judge the quality of the art by its sales venue. Something brilliant could be sold on the street; utter crap can be sold in a fancy gallery.

BTW, when I wrote "you" I didn't mean Margaret; I meant the generic "you."