UP Magazine's Favorite Articles Of 2020

Written by the UP Mag Staff

2020 has truly demonstrated the power of solidarity, with creative innovators gathering around the world to combat a global pandemic, widespread economic inequality, and racial injustices. Through it all, UP Magazine strived to stay at the forefront of our community, demonstrating how street art can inspire awareness and action, just as it can be inspire beauty and awe.

We put together a highlight list of our ‘favorite’ articles, the ones that best captured the hellish rollercoaster spirit of 2020. In no particular order, here are our favorite articles of the year!

 

Behind The Flame: An Interview With FireFlower

by Ana Candelaria // Published June 25th, 2020

Ana interviews NYC street artist FireFlower to learn more about the creative inspiration behind her boldly-colored artworks.

 

Bushwick Art Club: Lucky Rabbit

by Savannah James // Published October 31st, 2020

Savannah interviews Lucky Rabbit in the third and final in the Bushwick Art Club Series 1 — a collaborative project between UP Magazine & the Bushwick Daily.

 

Ups and Downs: Street Art, PTSD, and Hitting it Big with skl0  

by Griffin Suber // Published July 23rd, 2020

Griffin interviews vandal, artist, Singaporean, Sticker Lady Sam Lo, who knows all about labels and has had their fair share foisted on them over the years.

 

Demanding Justice: Minneapolis Protests For George Floyd

by Tyler Bruett // Published July 2nd, 2020

Tyler Bruett’s account on his hometown protests, as the city became ground zero for an international civil rights movement.

 

It’s Great To Create: Jon Burgerman’s Doodle Dynasty

by Christina Elia // Published January 27th, 2020

Christina fangirls over Jon Burgerman, purveyor of doodles and other mixed-media work.

 

A Brief History of Spray Paint

by Pramila Baisya // Published December 7th, 2020

Prim details a brief history of spray paint, covering the train era and the golden days of graffiti writing.

 

The Revolution Through Images: Subverting Rapid Processing

by Whitney Graham // Published July 13th, 2020

Whitney examines street art’s role in the revolution while critiquing our culture’s increasing obsession with hollow imagery, a phenomenon she dubs “rapid processing.”

 

Bringing Art to PLG

by Caitlin Sowers // Published September 7th, 2020

Caitlin discusses moving to Prospect Lefferts Garden, and discovering and becoming involved with a new project curated by J. Lotus Gallery.

Even Flowers Must Die: Infinite At 3RD Ethos

by Vittoria Benzine // Published November 12th, 2020

Vittoria interviews Italian graffiti artist Infinite for his show Even Flowers Must Die, which opened at 3RD Ethos Gallery this past November.

 

Roosevelt Island Fall For Arts Festival: Reclaiming Our Time

by Emma Riva // Published October 5th, 2020

Emma investigates this year’s Fall For Arts Festival on Roosevelt Island, aimed at promoting social justice.

 

Max Sansing: The Key to Community is Giving Back

by Jeff Mancilla // Published August 17th, 2020

Max Sansing, a Chicago-based artist known for his large-scale murals and fine art paintings, is one of the country’s most prolific and proficient artists. His vibrant works have been featured in galleries and on walls across the United States. However, this impressive two decade career started from humble origins.

Appreciate the Pain: The Next Chapter of Phobik

by Brian Bloss // Published March 9th, 2020

Brian interviews Phobik, to discuss how a near-death injury lead the artist to turn the page to next chapter of both life and art.