AM
Philosophy and philanthropy; to be an artist is to give of oneself. Every stroke of paint is a revelation of the artist’s mind and heart and to give candidly of one’s heart and mind is one of the most selfless acts of human nature. Every artist has their own source of inspiration, their own secrets silently spoken in each piece, with each paint stroke serving as a purgation. For AM, every work of art, no matter what surface it emerges from is a platform of self expression in it’s own right, “The most freeing thing about art is that I get to express myself,” she says of being a full time artist, “With my art I get to express myself and say what I what I feel.”
Imagination transpires from ones surroundings and the people who inhabit that world, “I have always been inspired by graffiti art and I’d have to say my biggest influence is Basquiat.” Anyone who is familiar with Jean Michelle Basquiat knows the impact this young Puerto Rican and Haitian artist made on New York’s contemporary art world while under Andy Warhol’s tutelage in the 80′s. And when perusing through AM’s artwork, it’s difficult to dispute that Basquiat’s eccentric and politically infused renderings and tags had an impact on her work. Growing up in New York also had a huge influence on AM, “I think your surroundings have a lot to do with who you are,” she says, “The textures, patters, sounds chaos and order; the towering buildings, parks streets, the graffiti, art, colors, the movement, the hustle and the constant ebb and flow,” she continues, “All of that is a part of me.”
Every artress leads her own quiet and personal revolution; standing up for their beliefs that are represented by the meanderings of a paintbrush. And though they are merely lines both straight and curved, bold and fine, with color splashed in between, each artress owns her unique aesthetic. AM’s is that of change, transformation and the willingness to discover new things, “I am constantly experimenting and spontaneous with my art,” says AM and her art, like her own personal revolution, is transient but still uses her core values as its compass, “I do what feels right in that moment,” she explains, “I try to always be creative and have fun.”
Through the adorned brick and mortar and AM’s vision, her city speaks.
Posted 1 week ago at 5:38 pm. Add a comment
Lady AM
“Blank walls bore me …”
She is the poet and the city speaks her prose. Alive and vibrant Queens, NY is the perfect dichotomy of artsy sophistication and uninhibited urban edge. Alice Mizrachi, better known as AM fits perfectly into the social mores of Q-Boro. She is a graffiti artress whose creative inclinations cannot help but explode from her fingertips and adhere to any smooth surface that can absorb aerosol, acrylic or tempera paint.
A running theme my readers will discover in the profiles of female graffiti artists is the abilityto stand for oneself and have their message, whatever it may be, heard clearly. Thus far, the women artists that I’ve interviewed have been trendsetters and trailblazers; Alice doesn’t stray from the path one bit.
Her stance is one that is gender-blind, even though some of her male counterparts tend not to be, “Sometimes, guys want to control you or hit on you,” she’s said of some of the men-folk she’s encountered in her industry, “I choose to move past it and keep creating,” she continues, “You are either part of the problem or part of the solution; I choose the solution.”
Being a part of the solution isn’t something that only pertains to AM’s craft, she also shows love to her city by giving back. Alice is co-founder (along with fellow graff artist, TOOFLY) of YOUNITY, whose purpose is to create a platform for female artists worldwide and connects them with would-be art collectors and appreciators. When she’s not using art as philanthropy, she’s also an educator, “I have managed to use my skills as an artist and spread it to others by being a teaching artist.”
Her craft is grounded in a love of organic creativity, “I am thankful for this because it allows me to reflect on myself when I’m outside of my studio. What I teach and how I teach is a reflection of myself.”
Powered by her philosophy and philanthropy, her stanzas echo loudly in the form of paint strokes across the city. They tell the story of her city and her purpose …
… Stay tuned for more …
Posted 1 month, 2 weeks ago at 8:07 pm. Add a comment
TOOFLY - In the West Coast
like any artist, TOOFLY must adapt to the changing times in order to remain current and create art that is relevant. but she sticks to her philosophy and doesn’t compromise her art, “I enjoy people who evolve and try something different with it.”
she must also strike a balance, “It’s a full time thing to be the artist and human being you want to be,” and she finds her equilibrium by grounding herself in her own projects, giving back to her community, “I have to continue to do what I love personally, work on projects to financially support myself, and continue to collaborate and work with a community that supports my work.”
still, a girl’s gotta eat. let’s be realistic, we’d all love to keep our pockets fat by emptying out a spraypaint can on a random, vacant wall; but with this craft comes responsibility. so aside from creating spray paint stories and collaboration with fellow writers, TOOFLY keeps busy with community projects such as Younity (which she founded in 2007 Alice Mizrachi) along with paid work to keep the lights on. “I enjoy painting large walls with aerosol paint and collaborate with my friends.”
the give and take, eb and flow of the world that is art can sometimes be lost in the abyss of mainstream and corporation. graffiti art has become somewhat of a white collar commodity, with companies now over burdoning the market graffiti-driven ad campaigns, “it’s a lot more than consuming something that has been mass produced.” TOOFLY finds herself also having to find a balance between using graffiti as it was meant to be and not getting wrapped up in its fantastical trendiness, “The art form we all love has been taken over by companies who flood the market and make graffiti feel over saturated.”
when it comes down to it, you won’t see her throwin’ some shit up on a brick wall just because it follows some trend, instead she follows her creative instincts while depicting the reality of our society’s faux pas and fine points. no cookie cutter images here, only genuine and original craft.
Posted 3 months, 1 week ago at 10:48 pm. Add a comment
TOOFLY NYC
pure he(art)istry; the center point of TOOFLY’s aesthetic is a narrative of triumphant women of color. an ironic twist to her current state of affairs, being that most of her influences were male “I was influenced by my cousins, and dudes at school who were writing on walls.” her interest in strong female figures, fictional or real, is the backbone that allows her art to be emboldened and fearless, “I am particularly proud [that] my work represents women who rise up, and empower other women especially women of color.”
throwing up pieces of art are truly what have made sharpie dreams real, “I enjoy painting large walls with aerosol paint, and collaborate with my friends.” but trekking into unfamiliar terrain is what really inspires TOOFLY to experiment with new pieces, “but I enjoy doing things I haven’t done before. If you keep doing the same shit over and over at some point you simply outgrow it,” after all, art is nothing but experiencing the new and undiscovered.”
the gravity that keeps TOOFLY down to earth, is the same timeless weight that keeps her pieces so close and relevant to the communities they represent.
what comes through her fingertips is pure, genuine genius; that’s the way it’s been from the beginning, “I have always been confident in who I was, and never allowed myself to be put in a position where dudes had any right to disrespect me.” though her motives may have changed, honest to Goodness art has always been the end result. and just like when she was a youth drawing on school desks with permanent marker, it probably still feels good to make her mark.
Posted 4 months, 1 week ago at 8:23 pm. Add a comment
TOOFLY - Winter Painting
TOOFLY is one of NYC’s hottest graffiti artists. not only is she dope, but she’s a gal who’s holding down the graffiti scene amongst a scene that’s historically been dominated by men. legal or illegal, TOOFLY‘s art is has been a passion that’s driven her current career since she was knee high, “at one point in my youth I took a marker and wrote an alias name on a wall illegally,” says TOOFLY of an art career that first budded in Queens, “the mark I made years ago has grown to mean so much more.”
a self-taught savant of sorts, TOOFLY didn’t learn graffiti writing the conventional way, “I pretty much taught myself by looking at what I saw on walls, rooftops and black books,” says TOOFLY “there was never any old school head in particular who would take me under their wing and “school me.” instead, TOOFLY found herself admiring the work of LADY PINK from afar; from that, she found her signature style. at 15, TOOFLY’s eye caught the work of an artist named SABE “[he] did huge character illustrations with markers,” she says “I wanted to be the female version of what he did,” and hence the stage was set for what would become TOOFLY’s legacy.
in terms of her artistry, TOOFLY is only in the game to grow as an artist, sans the politics and bullshit, “It was great not to have to deal with a male writer trying to date you, make you part of their crew, or involve you in any graffiti gossip,” she says. the fact that she’s a female graffiti artist and title aside, it’s safe to say she’s doing it her way.
Posted 4 months, 3 weeks ago at 8:30 pm. Add a comment
painting Germany in red neon colors
Aleks Van Sputto - 2008 Painting Performance
urban art comes full circle and crosses seas.
i’m quite sure that had VanGogh been born in the 80’s, he would be the baddest graffiti writer to walk the streets of Paris. he would have hung with the illest crew of artists and misfits.
the ideologies of European street art, specifically that of Germany may not have stemmed of Hip Hop culture, but there’s still exists an element of rebellion and nonconformity, nonetheless. when i asked Aleks Van Sputto of the four member graffiti crew, The Pleasure Gang what fueled his childhood taste for graffiti, “as far as i can remember, it was just about doing rebellious stuff.”
graffiti means different things to different people. in Germany, graffiti isn’t even considered an urban thing. it has no connection to what Hip Hop culture. in fact, the young people putting the writing on the walls are simply trying to rebel. they’re busy banging their heads to grunge rock and skate boarding illegally down local alley ways, “we skateboarded heavily, looking ridiculous with long hair and so on. we listened to metal, punk rock stuff,headbangers ball.” Continue Reading…
Posted 7 months ago at 9:47 pm. Add a comment
blurring the lines between fine art and graffiti – to mainstream or not?
the bright and emboldened colors of street art speak the truth or protest that many inner city dwellers aren’t capable of articulating (not necessarily a result of lack of education or smarts). when the sun goes down and the street lights come up, the spotlight is on urban art forms and what messages their makers will bring. Continue Reading…
Posted 7 months, 1 week ago at 10:02 pm. 3 comments
from the art of aerosol legends like Dondi White and TAKI 183 to dope trendsetters like Krink, urban art, street culture and city life have gone hand in hand. the meaning of “urban” has expanded its text book definition, but creating something out of something already established by industry and corporation is how inner city youth have been taking back their domain since the first graffiti writer sprawled his pen name across the sides of buildings in the late 1960’s Continue Reading…
Posted 7 months, 2 weeks ago at 10:58 pm. Add a comment
