Exclusive | Meet the NYC artist turning Manhattan’s streets into viral masterpieces: ‘A lot of people know me now’

Exclusive | Meet the NYC artist turning Manhattan’s streets into viral masterpieces: ‘A lot of people know me now’

For this artist, New York City is the only canvas big enough. When Benny Cruz picked up a paintbrush for the first time, he had no idea that his art would catapult him to the highest heights of social media. “I always wanted to be a painter, until I reached a point where I wasn’t … Read more

Banksy takes credit for new west London goat artwork — as fans rush to site

Banksy takes credit for new west London goat artwork — as fans rush to site

A new Banksy has appeared in west London — showing a goat balancing precariously on a tall, thin wall.  The animal appears to be moments from falling — with rocks and rubble tumbling down from the height.  Soon after the artwork appeared at Kew Bridge, Banksy confirmed that it was his by sharing a photograph … Read more

Rogue street artist plasters pink on Angelina Jolie’s NYC fashion shop and former studio of Jean-Michel Basquiat

Rogue street artist plasters pink on Angelina Jolie’s NYC fashion shop and former studio of Jean-Michel Basquiat

A rogue street artist plastered pink paper mache over an iconic downtown façade that was once the studio of legendary painter Jean-Michel Basquiat. The face of 57 Great Jones Street in NoHo, which is now home to Angelina Jolie’s luxury fashion venture, has long been a mecca for those who consider street art an essential … Read more

New Banksy mural sprouts beside a cropped tree in London — what’s its message?

New Banksy mural sprouts beside a cropped tree in London — what’s its message?

A new Banksy mural drew crowds to a London street on Monday, even before the elusive graffiti artist confirmed that the work was his. The artwork in the Finsbury Park neighborhood covers the wall of a four-story building and shows a small figure holding a pressure hose beside a large cherry tree. Green paint has been sprayed … Read more

Street artist Banksy confirms his name for the first time ever in lost interview

Street artist Banksy confirms his name for the first time ever in lost interview

After decades of speculation, the elusive street artist known only by his pseudonym Banksy has revealed his name. When asked if he goes by “Robert Banks” in a lost — and recently rediscovered — BBC interview from 20 years ago, the graffitist admitted: “It’s Robbie.” The artist has remained largely anonymous over the years, despite his … Read more

‘Writing on the stall’ Comedian writes musical based on bathroom graffiti

‘Writing on the stall’ Comedian writes musical based on bathroom graffiti

She finds inspiration during her bathroom breaks. Bed-Stuy resident Caitlin Cook wrote an entire musical based on quotes she found scrawled on bathroom stalls. After college, the art history major grew tired of how pretentious that world could be, and became fascinated with bathroom graffiti. “I loved the idea that if you take all that … Read more

What a card! NYPL marks 50 years of hip-hop in ‘Wild Style’

What a card! NYPL marks 50 years of hip-hop in ‘Wild Style’

As director of the first hip-hop movie, “Wild Style,” Charlie Ahearn needed a fresh way to brand his indie film to appeal to a world that wasn’t yet hip to the cultural movement, born in the South Bronx 50 years ago. So, one summer night in 1983, three graffiti artists created the “Wild Style” mural … Read more