Street Art Magazine – UP MAGAZINE

Soirée Henzo: A Grassroots Assault on Chelsea’s Elitist Gallery Culture

On a Thursday night in late November, a line formed outside an event space on W. 25th in the heart of the Chelsea Art District, snaking its way eastward for almost an entire block. This in itself was hardly unusual in a neighborhood known for spectacular gallery openings that can attract hundreds of art lovers and collectors on any given evening. But this particular line and the exhibition they were waiting to consume was different: it was at once an art opening, a party and an assault on Chelsea’s art establishment.

Lily Brick: Coloring the Streets with a Message of Reflection

Lleida, Spain, saw the birth of Lily Brick, a street artist who has transformed the city’s walls into canvases filled with color and meaning. In this interview, Lily Brick shares her inspiration, creative method, and the challenges she faces as a street artist.

Diamonds in the Rough – Dirty Jewels Berlin

The creative forces behind Dirty Jewels Berlin share their journey from fragment to fashion and their labor intensive process of upcycling graffiti walls into jewelry.

“It Comes Up, it’s Beautiful, and it Dies” – King Adz

For King Adz, street culture was street food, street art, street fashion and street sounds. They collided together to tell greater stories of subcultures that were as yet untouched by the mainstream. They were of the people, for the people. Through his films and books, King Adz told these stories to the public.

The Street Art of the Rainbow Nation: Walking in Cape Town, South Africa

There is nothing more thrilling than setting foot in a new country, so distant and different from your home. And nothing is more fulfilling than learning to understand the complicated history and culture of the community you enter. Perhaps one of the best ways to do it is through the city’s street art.

Spinning the Wheels of Positivity with Bikedesuro

The Spanish philosopher Ortega y Gasset stated: “I am myself and my circumstances.” And in this way, there are artists that reflect the personality of the city in which they emerge. This is the case of BikedeSuro, born from the convergence of several factors in Valencia: the wine culture of the Mediterranean, the tradition of cork obtained from our cork oak forests, the environmentalism that goes hand in hand with a passion for bicycles and recycling, and the open-mindedness of the city towards street art.

Street Aesthetics and Fine Art: UP Magazine’s Selection of Highlights from 2023 Armory Week

Earlier this month were the fantastical SPRING/BREAK Art Show and The Armory Show in New York City. UP Magazine contributing writer Alexandria Deters couldn’t help but reflect how the newest generation of art collectors taste and life experience has influenced the fine art world for the better. For your reading and viewing pleasure, she selected some works that highlight this realization.

The Eyes of Nikybotz

Nikybotz’s street art will make you look twice. Meet Nick of Nickybotz, an LA native and Los Angeles based collection designer and street artist on the rise. He is known for his colorful, uniquely shaped, jovial characters, with distinct almond shaped eyes.

The Renaissance of Long Beach, CA

Long Beach Wall has been bringing murals to Long beach for over 7 years with a mission to change the face of Long Beach through art, one wall at a time.

Pay Peanuts, Get Monkeys: The Devaluing of Public Art With Lucas Geor

“It’s funny the hand that artists play in gentrification. Artists will move into an area because the rent’s cheap, maybe the buildings are a bit run down so people don’t mind you painting on the walls. They make the area look cool, and people start to come, and then developers catch on to it. They put up apartment blocks. And then they run out all of the artists who live there. That’s kind of the cycle. As more and more of that happens, I guess people just seem to think that art is for free, you know?” – Lucas Geor