marissa bea
A short ride on the 7 train takes you from Manhattan into the heart of Long Island City, and most people are not really sure what to expect there. You have probably heard about P.S. 1, the old schoolhouse turned museum. But have you heard about the free outdoor art exhibit, only a few short blocks away? The best view can be had from inside a 7 train, which rides above roof level and allows the viewer to see angles of the building unavailable on the ground.
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This place is called 5Pointz, and it’s a commercial factory building, converted into a free, public work of art from a run down factory space called the Phun Phactory; its distinguishing feature? Graffiti art. But not just any old graffiti, these are large pieces, carefully thought out and executed by artists who were specifically chosen by Meres One, the founder. You are not allowed to add to it if you just feel like it, these are serious artists, with skill beyond most imaginations, and they even post a notice on their Web site stating that you will be arrested for traversing the roof without permission. Rightly done, because just like any museum or great work of art, these things are really meant to be looked at and admired, with care not to deface them in any way.
Meres One took the Phun Phactory in 2001 and through the help of donations, volunteers and his own will and ambition, transformed the space from the dilapidated place it was before. Meres works as a freelance artist all over NYC and the country. A school for aspiring graffiti artists (more technically known as aerosol writers) is also under way.
The pieces on this building are really very astounding, something right out of graffiti dreams. Everyone has heard about large, beautiful wall art, but how many people have seen them up close? The individual pieces range from large-scale tags, to specific messages, to portraits and beyond. This is such a short distance from the city, it’s free and it rivals any art in any NYC museums nowadays. Just because the medium and style are different, and the artists may come from a different background than “tradition,” doesn’t mean the art is any less mature or skillful. One of the wonderful things about the space is that all the pieces eventually get covered, whether because of time or space issues, the artwork is always moving and changing, a constant amoeba of aerosol paint. This means the work is consistently contemporary, commenting on today, today. This is one of the art exhibits that tourists don’t get to see very often, which is unfortunate, because just like other arts, graffiti art exists all over the world, in small and large scale. Catch a glimpse of 5Pointz, and simply be wowed. Spend time with it, and you’ll become speechless.
One Comment
holy shit