here is some pretty stuff off the streets of New York. graffiti is banned in New York, which is unfortunate. good thing nobody cares to keep it under control in the industrial parts of Williamsburg – i am gloating every time i walk the dog. i cannot wait for the academia to stop being so prude and start gloating as well. 

not sure what's the name of this type of art, but this is not graffiti. you can see this piece at the intersection of Houston and Bowery.

this miserable thing appears on a fence at the cross of Bedford and N 7th in Williamsburg. a large pile of trash always accumulates in the corner right next to this piece.

large piece somewhere on Berry in Williamsburg

i really like this ad. it's all over town, but this particular one is somewhere in East Village

our dog loves to pee on the corner next to this alien cub. location: somewhere in Williamsburg

some idiot ruined this piece with yellow paint. this is somewhere on Berry street in Williamsburg.

The following have been found in Manhattan. Weirdos and no-English speakers of New York, I love you. Keep speaking up!

I am not in the business of making fun of the sick people, but after a friend who saw this asked me whether there is People without AIDS Plaza in New York, I had to post the pic online.

As many of you know, I am a dedicated follower of the kidney and love markets…

Clearly the economic slump is hitting even the most ancient of the professions.

Reading news headlines this morning and then locating this sign on one of the sidewalks of East Village I wondered if they might be related.

Now, happy living to all!

Fine, fine, here is a silver and gold lining.

The celebrity is vivacious and very friendly: dozens stopped to say hi in the 10 mins that I spent around him, and he did not snob one person. Barely moving (he is waiting to get a hip replacement and is in a lot of pain), but continuing to scrape the mix of human slobber and gum off the sidewalk right next to the lamppost, Jim told me that he is trying to raise $200,000 to hire artists as aids. His goal is to complete the trail and fix the mosaics that need a healing touch. To find more about what Jim is trying to accomplish, check out EmpowerJimPower.com.

As for me, I am a believer in East Village and its local quirks. It is Jim and people like him that make the Village what it is, and it would suck if they disappeared.

Astor Place, NYC

Manhattan from New Jersey

Far Rockaway beach in Queens, NY

then there was elmo, mom, sheep and what not. every time i waited for a seat at Mogador, i would check out the window of the De La Vega‘s shop. slowly checking out has become more systematic: i now take a stroll along St. Mark’s every Sat or Sun morning to see what’s new.

reading up on this young artist has revealed that his genius is not appreciated by the NYPD. i have nothing to say to this, but to remember my own encounter with NYPD, when i almost got arrested for sitting in a park late at night, talking about politics and economics with two friends. heh, NYPD and the law do not seem to have a sense of humor.

James De La Vega’s popularity is not only with the local police. if you walk thru east village or east harlem paying attention to what is around, you will be blown away how many businesses get this man to decorate their furniture, exteriors and what not.

The original:

Pablo Picasso. Guernica.  1937. Oil on canvas. 349 × 776 cm. Museo Reina Sofia, Madrid

East Village remix:

Must look up the artist. Filthy,vile. 2008. Spraypaint on brick. Around  200 x 200 cm. Outside of Mars Bar.