Here at UP, we like to make sure we give credit where credit’s due. As a wrap-up to the year, alongside our most read articles we want to give a shoutout to some work that stood out this year for high-quality reporting, bold perspectives, and that zany, risk-taking je ne sais quoi that we know our readers look for. We’re proud to present our “Editor’s Choice” articles for 2021.
Choreographed Cause, Planned Effect – JM Rizzi at WallWorks New York by Alexandria Deters // Published on February 15, 2021
On view in the South Bronx, JM Rizzi Cause and Effect, a solo exhibition at the acclaimed gallery WallWorks New York. Bright street art assemblage works, while concurrent keeping the idealism of Abstract Expressionism in mind.
From Venus to The East Village: Lady Pink Rewrites Graffiti Herstory by Christina Elia // Published on May 10, 2021
Christina interviews graffiti legend Lady Pink to discuss her solo show Graffiti Herstory, on view at the Museum of Graffiti in Miami until May 20th.
The Magnetic Artistry of Megan Watters by Sierra Chapdelaine
Megan Watters, a multi-hyphenated artist, can recall initially taking to art through “finding ways to entertain herself” at a young age. But this was no mere preoccupation for Watters. “Art was magnetic for me,” she says, as she expressed how she continuously found herself creating.
It Felt like Awe: The Bob Gasoi Memorial Art Alleyway by Erin Hattamer // Published on May 31, 2021
Mind the Gap by Alessandro Pozzolo // Published on March 29, 2021
“Mind the Gap” is the first fiction piece published in UP Magazine.
Dream Until Your Its Reality: Why One NYC Artist Will Keep Writing on Sidewalks Until You Follow Your Dreams by Maddie Katz // Published August 23, 2021
Portrait of A Portrait Artist: 0H10M1ke by Tyler Bruett // Published on June 8, 2021
On Thursday, July 8th, 2021 0H10M1ke will be exhibiting work at 454 Broadway in Soho, New York City. This exhibit will feature 1,000 watercolors done by 0H10M1ke in his signature one-line-portrait style that has come to be an immediately recognizable phenomenon, developing for over a decade on the streets and in the galleries of Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Interview with Zabou: Claiming Identity with Signature Style by Candelaria Barandiarán
Artists are made from a combination of talent and mastering your craft through time. Come join me in exploring the flourishing of Zabou, a French artist, London resident, who has been in the scene of European street art for 12 years now. From stencils to realism, she found her style mixing photography and painting. Enjoy the ride!
Get Lost in the City with Santiago Villegas by Emma Riva // Published on May 5, 2021
When multimedia artist Santiago Villeges moved to New York from Colombia, he found that he identified with the rat. Now the minuscule, shiny rat stickers that are the protagonists of his 2020 art movement “Lost in the City” adorn poles across downtown Manhattan.
A History of Cameras & An Introduction to Photography by Chunbum Park // Published on September 13, 2021
Photography turned the traditional art world upside down when it was introduced in the 19th century. People at the time exclaimed, “How can a photograph equate to a painting? Photography cannot be art!”
Addicted to the Art: Tarbox by Brian Bloss // Published on April 12, 2021
Houston-based street artist Tarbox comes clean about living through heroin addiction and how he found salvation through street art.
Angelina Taylor’s Pastel Nostalgia World by Caitlin Sowers // Published on November 22, 2021
Brooklyn-based artist Angelina Taylor takes us through the stories behind her professional background and her unique art style full of pastel colors that are at turns both whimsical and thought-provoking.
How to Turn Your Favorite Mural into a Tattoo by Griffin Suber // Published on September 6, 2021
A perspective on a piece of art and its transformation from wall to skin. We talk to a regular dude, inspired by a mural, and the artist whose work inspired him.
The Hidden Street Exhibits of Toronto by Marlon Porter // Published on July 12, 2021
“It’s only when you work up the courage to get out there and actually search, that you realize that the city is a gallery within itself. A giant canvas made of brick and stone that contains a ubiquitous collection of paintings and murals hidden in plain sight for you to enjoy.
A Citizen of Outer Space — CTDZN the Alien by Moira Hampson // Published May 17, 2021
Landing in Portland in 2016, this extraterrestrial street artist is now considered a staple of the PDX street art community. CTDZN, pronounced ‘citizen,’ their work relays a message from the unknown, with an often-lime green alien face and other adaptations of a similar image spread across the city.
NFT: No Fast Treasure by Noah Daly // Published October 21, 2021
The non-fungible token continues to alter the art world as we know it, but what is the impact on street art?
The CAN(vas) Art Drop Gives Recycling Clout by Miranda Levingston // Published on September 13, 2021
No Love City, a street-art-inspired clothing brand, is hosting its first online art show in a new series featuring artwork on spray paint cans.
Bond Truluv: Synthesizing AR and Graffiti by Andrew Bell // Published on October 14, 2021
Internationally renowned muralist Bond uses his background in anthropology and interest in augmented reality to create the ultimate illusion.
Commodore (CDRE) Exhibition at Commuter Gallery by Kurt Boone // Published on Dec 1, 2021
The Commuter Gallery located at 15 Path Plaza presented a solo art exhibition by the street art & stencil artist Commodore (CDRE).
And a special shoutout to Malcolm’s Reign, our one-of-a-kind serialized graffiti comic narrative by Richard Santiago II.
We can’t say what 2022 will bring, but we can promise our writers will keep bringing you articles that make you think and make you feel. Happy new year to all of our readers!