Welcome to Greenpoint II

          This previously dilapidated wall has now become the canvas for six different groups of artists, united in India Street, past the West Street intersection in Brooklyn, with the goal to revitalize the community through their street art. The second art piece, created by Skewville, reads, “Welcome to… Greenpoint”, under which the two enlarged letters BK contain depictions of an areas history. The “B” shows a pirate smiling warmly to its viewers, with illustrations of Greenpoint’s past waterborne commerce through a sailing ship, seagulls, and further aspects of marine life. Eleven men and boys crowd the first half of the letter “K”, and one boy stands amidst emptiness in the other half. Together, they reconstitute Greenpoint’s historical immigrant based community. The piece is visually stimulating, integrates and improves its environment and reminisces about New York’s history.

         Five other oeuvres stand tall. The one closest to the East River takes place on water, as three struggling humans arch over on a boat to each support three other people also on a boat. The embedded meaning is their work, picked up generation after generation to remove the oil spill from the 1950’s, present in the creation as black drops. Next, an abstract black and white Indian boombox brings some silent music to the area. A brick wall contrasts the original grey wall, and certain observers take a minute to realize it is one of the featured pieces and that it is a replication of the opposite wall. A further piece contains an antiquated turtle, representative of the Brooklyn fires that removed some of its landmarks. These five pieces are completed by the last, a rocket ship taking off into the unknown, paralleling our present journey to the future.

         Skewville says that street art’s association with illegality can be modified and used in affiliation with government organizations to change a place for the better. Focus once set on barbed wires above the wall, and accumulated trash by the water is now funneled towards art, attempts to decipher its meaning, and hope that the promised projects for the Bushwick neighborhood will be as successful. The difficult times remembered in today’s economic crisis have borrowed the utilization of hardships as a source of inspiration to renovate today and promise tomorrow. Thanks to Chris Soria and Marc Evan- artist of antiquated turtle piece- for taking the time to discuss their project.

Comments

[anne]

looks beautiful. can't wait to walk by and check it out!