Not Just for Refined Tastes

Roar! I know I often write about sweet art but this time the art isn't just sweet to look at but also to taste! Turns out Creativetime is presenting an amazing new sculpture series by Kara Walker that's housed in the old Domino Sugar Refinery in Williamsburg! This will probably be the last chance I get to go inside the factory before it's razed and turned into condos so I decided to head on over to the Williamsburg waterfront to check it out! Roar! 

Roar! Here I am outside of the Domino Sugar Refinery. Look at this huge line of people waiting to see the Kara Walker Domino! Give me a break! Turns out the line moves really fast and it didn't take more than half an hour for me to get inside. That is also pretty sweet! Roar!

Oh Henry! Kara Walker has sculpted a giant sugar sphinx in the center of the refinery! The full title of the installation is "A Subtlety or the Marvelous Sugar Baby an Homage to the unpaid and overworked Artisans who have refined our Sweet tastes from the cane fields to the Kitchens of the New World on the Occasion of the demolition of the Domino Sugar Refining Plant."  Woah! That is one serious title, though I've got to say there really isn't anything subtle about this installation. Roar! 

This pictures bound to get a few Snickers.  What can I say? I like, this, art, and I can not lie... this is incredible! I feel like I've hit PayDay at the Domino refinery, not only do I get to see this amazing art but I also get to check out the factory I've long admired from the Williamsburg bridge! Roar! 

There are a ton of other smaller sculptures through out the refinery. Everything is made of sugar and it's melting the whole time the show is up. I hope as this guy's arm melts he doesn't get butterfingers and drop what he's carrying! Roar! 

Here are a bunch of photos of the decaying interior of the refinery. Things are so decrepit in here, I can't help but think it's a long way from 5th Ave! Roar! 

There is also a bunch of old machinery in the refinery, this is, it's, it's a, you know... Whatchamacallit? Oh I forget! Roar! 

There is a lot of other stuff that's messed up in the refinery. Here you can see all the walls that have begun to Krackle. No wonder they are tearing this place down it would cost more than a 100 Grand to fix this place up! Roar! 

Here are a couple detail shots of some crumbling stairs and pipes and rotting insulation. Despite all of this decay it really is a great location to host an art installation. Kudos to Creativetime for organizing it. Roar!

Here you can see the sugar from the sculptures melting and dripping all over the floors. It certainly added to the ambiance of the place. I must say Kara Walker certainly hit a Grand Slam with this show! In an interview she said this was some of the most fun she's had making art and it shows in the work! Roar!

The looming Domino refinery will soon be no more. A Subtlety is a great piece of commentary on the dark aspects of the history of sugar and presents plenty of ideas that a person probably wouldn't think about when staring at this building while biking over the bridge. It's also a fitting send off to a building with it's own rich history that's become something of a Brooklyn icon. The show is up until July 6th so if you have time come down to the sugar refinery and Take 5 with some sweet art. Roar! 

Sweet Collage Days in Brooklyn

Roar! I was rummaging around my room and realized I still had all the collages I made last October that I failed to sell on Bedford Ave. I figured it would be fun to hang them up in places around Brooklyn as pieces of street art! The collages were all about celebrating the impermament nature of the city so I thought it would be nice to try and contrast some of my old scenes of Brooklyn with their modern day counterparts.

I hung this picture of a Brooklyn rail yard over by the Morgan Ave subway stop. This is the same place I hung some of my previous street art.

I put this scene of old Brooklyn up outside Roberta's over on Moore Street. I figured it would serve as a reminder of more crinoline days! Roar!

This collage of overbuilt, downtown Brooklyn I put up on a shipping warehouse on Johnson Street.

Roar! I put this scene of all the cool Brooklyn kids partying in the 1980's up in front of 3rd Ward. I'm pretty sure this is what goes on in there every night!

This picture of people break dancing downtown I hung up over on Union Street in Williamsburg. I still see this kind of stuff happening all the time over there!

The picture of old McCarren Park Pool I put up outside of the pool, which is currently undergoing renovation. I think it's fun to look at all the different uses this area has had over the years. From ice skating to swimming to concerts, and now, once the construction is done, back to swimming. It really makes you think about the nature of change in the city! Roar!

The collage of the pigeon at the owl bar on Barry Street I actually ended up hanging up over on Wythe Street across from a building that looked pretty similar. I was trying to find a place on Barry but it's mostly ugly condos now. Roar...

I tried to put this old scene of the Williamsburg Bridge in a place where it would be at the same viewing angle but that's pretty much impossible thanks to the BQE. It sure is crazy to see how this area has been transformed by the highway system. 

I put this collage of the construction of the Williamsburg Savings Bank Tower, now One Hanson Place, over on Schermerhorn street where there is a nice view of the tower!

The picture of the old Fulton Street Rocket Train I hung up right on the corner of Fulton and Adams in downtown Brookyln. It's crazy to see what a mess of overhead tracks this neighborhood used to be. While it's a lot more open now it would still be nice if there were actually trains that ran here from other parts of Brooklyn.  Especially rocket trains!

I put the diptych I made of the cockfight between Williamsburg and DUMBO up on the wall of a warehouse underneath the Manhattan Bridge in DUMBO. It looked great up on the wall and should help serve as a reminder to how this area used to be before it became so hip. Roar! 

I had a lot of fun putting all these pictures up around north Brooklyn. I know they won't be up for long but I feel that they really embrace the impermanent nature of street art. When you've been around as long as I have you learn you just need to enjoy it while it lasts! Roar!

More Art Adventures!

Roar! Today I tried to sell some collage art I made over on Bedford Ave in Willamsburg. It didn't go so well. I only sold one piece. The collages were a personal interpretation of some scenes of old Brooklyn. I thought they came out looking pretty cool and they generated a lot of interest but it turns out no one was buying. I hope I didn't scare everyone away because I am a dinosaur! It was really fun making the collages. I went over to the New York Public Library and did some research in their picture collection. I made a bunch of photocopies of the stuff I thought was the coolest then I went home and cut up all the pictures with my claws. Paper went everywhere! Then I glued them together into these surrealist scenes.

Here I am on Bedford Ave trying to sell my art. It was a really nice day out. Even though I didn't sell any art at least I had fun outside.

Here is a picture of the old Fulton Street Rocket Train. Unfortunately it didn't last very long.

This is what Brooklyn Heights used to look like! Roar!

This is in Dumbo over on Barry Street. That pigeon is looking a little nervous. I don't think he realized this was an owl bar. Not to mention the eyes of the Lindbergh kidnapper are gathering overhead! Spooky!

Roar! This is the only picture I sold. It's a back alley somewhere in Bushwick. I bet the the only reason I sold this one is that girl has a fixed gear bicycle.

Here is an old picture of the Williamsburg Savings Bank.

Roar! Crown Heights sure was crazy in the eighties!

Another one from Crown Heights. Just look at what everyone is wearing!

Here is what McCarren Park Pool used to look like in the winter time. I love ice skating! I don't even need skates I can just use my claws! Roar!

Woah! Check out the sweet fixie that guy is riding!

Here is the Williamsburg Bridge back when the old trolley lines used to run.

This railway yard in Brooklyn is CRAZY! Watch out for all the jazz on the left Mr. Choo Choo train! You don't want to get swept up in it! Roar!

Here is a diptych I made of a cock fight between Williamsburg and DUMBO. There are lots of pretty ladies watching! Roar!