An Artistic Afternoon in Bushwick

When I attended Bushwick Open Studios (BOS) June 1, I felt as if I had a special invitation into the sanctuaries of artists who were present and welcoming even in the midst of a 90 degree heat wave.

Completing its seventh year, BOS is a three-day arts and culture festival hosted by the volunteer organization Arts in Bushwick (AiB).  The purpose of the festival is to showcase the community’s arts scene while creating a relationship between local artists and residents.

This year, BOS was from May 31 to June 2, and according to their website, included 627 shows throughout Bushwick, Brooklyn.  The New York Times reports the festival extended into neighboring East Williamsburg, Bedford-Stuyvesant and Ridgewood, Queens.  The event was free and open to the public.

I was only in Bushwick for one afternoon, so I focused on one location and explored the open studios on the second and third floors of 1717 Troutman. On the outside, it only appears to be a huge, warehouse/industrial-looking building.

But inside there are studios housing artists who create a wide-range of art, from portrait painting to technology-based art to furniture design. You name it; you'll find it in that building. And, the rooftop has stunning views of the Manhattan skyline.

Below are photos of some of the studios I enjoyed visiting:

The studio of Julia Norton.

Bobby Hill's studio

Artwork by Bobby Hill

Todd Polenberg holds an orange ball, which determines the movement of the LED light

display. Polenberg is the associate creative director, technology and effects for the Blue Man Group.

  

Created by AppliedDesconstruction101

 

  

Tim Okamura's studio

  

Origami by Max Steiner Design

 

A view of the Manhattan skyline on a hot and hazy afternoon, including One World Trade Center, from the rooftop of 1717 Troutman.

A beautiful mural on the side of a building facing Troutman Street.

Boxing With Art

"Round Zero" artists' reception at The Art Directors Club in Manhattan.

Artistic painting and boxing are two activities most wouldn't pair together. But when you think about it, an artist and boxer do share many things in common. 

For starters, to be successful as a painter or boxer, one must have an innate talent. Sure, you can be taught how the direction of paint brush strokes influence the result of artwork. And, you can be taught how to throw a jab or an uppercut.

Though, there’s a difference between a painter who uses technique to enhance their vision, and a painter who uses technique, trying to create a vision. A boxer who follows rehearsed moves over and over again is no match for a boxer whose instinct and agility surpass anything they’ve learned.

Throughout history great artists such as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Pablo Picasso and Romare Bearden, to name a few, used their art as a form of social commentary. And, great boxers like Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali had a huge cultural impact on society. The boxer and artist each fight for their talent literally and figuratively. It’s a struggle that draws spectators.


Event poster featuring "Fist" by Taha Clayton

When I attended the artists’ reception for the fine art exhibition “Round Zero” on May 15 at the Art Directors Club in New York City, I saw the merging of the artist and boxer. The latest work of four Brooklyn-based figurative painters Joseph Adolphe, Taha Clayton, Tim Okamura and Jerome Lagarrigue were exhibited as a collection curated by Dexter Wimberly.  The artists used prize fighting as inspiration for their work.


I marveled at the vision each piece of art expressed. From Adolphe’s portrait of Muhammad Ali as a young fighter to Clayton’s painting of a fighter’s wrapped-fist in the air to Okamura’s interpretations of the female boxer to Lagarrigue’s three-part portrait of an actual boxer in training -- the expression of talent in the collection is abundant.

The well-attended reception was definitely a hit. It seemed as if there was a collective enthusiasm for the art and the artists. Living in South Florida, I’ve had the opportunity to attend annual art shows such as SCOPE Miami and PULSE Miami, where I was first introduced to Okamura’s work. The same excitement that exists at these shows, which occur simultaneously with Art Basel in Miami Beach, is the same excitement that filled the Art Directors Club for “Round Zero.”

In addition, artwork created by students from Brotherhood / Sister Sol, a Harlem-based youth organization, was on display at the event. A portion of proceeds will go to the organization.

There was also another layer to the artistic experience. Filmmaker and former amateur boxer Jeff Martini filmed the reception for the upcoming feature, “Heavyweightpaint.” The documentary showcases the four artists and their struggle to navigate the challenges of the art world and their attempt to create the “Round Zero” exhibition. The reception is the culmination of the film project.

Through a Kickstarter campaign, Martini and the artists raised money for the documentary. Further support for the film is welcome, click here.

If “Round Zero” is any indication of what we can expect in “Heavyweightpaint,” it will surely be a knockout.

Check out photos of some of the paintings as well as the film trailer below.

Tim Okamura: "Raw Potential (Slugger)" (detail), oil, mixed media on canvas, 36 x 48, 2012.

Joseph Adolphe: "Ali Forever" 2012 Oil on canvas 80 x 80 in



Jerome Lagarrigue: "Near Martin," 2012-2013, oil on linen 79 x 99 in.

Check out the trailer for "Heavyweightpaint":

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