Guerrilla Art Bucket List

The first time I was ever posted on a blog, it was anonymously. Last winter, I was bored. Lets face it, when it's cold, the winter hours of Brooklyn seem to drag. I did have one shinning moment in the lagging, slow-mo cold. I was with a few friends, it was the middle of the night, the streets were quiet. We created something beautiful. It was ART. We strung dozens of Garfield stuffed animals like delicate ornaments from the tower on the bridge. What else is there to do with one's beloved childhood collection. We can't very well keep them in our small city apartments? I don't even have a linen closet. The Garfields were posted on Gowanus Lounge. The next day, we read about the mysterious happening. It was my 30 minutes of fame as a Guerrilla Artist. In less then a week, the cats were gone.





I always appreciate good Guerrilla art, and I don't mean tagging your gang name on the subway or writing "Gowaanus is for lovers" with spray paint when you're drunk, I mean something smart, strange, or beautiful. I have some more ideas on the horizon for street art, one involves paperback romance novels. Here are some other Guerrilla artist's and Guerrilla art that I think is brilliant to inspire us all.





Swoon. She is a local NYC Artist which I discovered in 2004 while walking in Gowanus. Swoon creates and applies intricate paper cut outs to buildings. The portraits of friends that she creates possess hidden imagery nestled in their hair or clothing that often have political meaning. I have seen her work in the streets of Carroll Gardens, LES, The Bowery, inside the Brooklyn Museum and at Deitch Art Gallery in Soho. The piece above is located in the LES. I think it's beautiful the way her art deteriorates with time, though it lasts for several years.




Banksy, as he is know, is an English born self taught artist who also creates images by using a stencil. His work can be found either on interior or exterior walls. The subject matter of his work is satirical and ranges in topics such as culture, politics, and ethics. The image above is one of my favorites, and a good example of his work. It was created in New Orleans, after Katrina hit and is an obvious social commentary. The image below is also located in New Orleans and is adorable. Cultural Comment: Rats are scary!






Mantis created the piece to the left entitled We All Fall Down, located on Kent Street in London. I love this.











Before I die, I must do this following project. It begins by checking into any Best Western, Motel 6, Days Inn, or Holiday Inn off of I95. The cheaper and uglier the better, assuming if the hotel is ugly enough, no one will care what you're about to do to it. Pack the usual toiletries and clothes but also include pencils, sharpies, and paint. Try to pay for the room in cash, and be as anonymous as possible, maybe wear a disguise and give a fake name, because I am pretty sure this is illegal. Once checked into the hotel room, trace with a pencil around all the existing awful artwork and tacky furniture, then remove the artwork from the walls, and push the furniture aside. Fill is the tracing with art of your choice. Once dry, take a few digital snap shots, then return all furniture and art to it's original position. Leave.






I learned to knit in college but I never had a reason to dedicate time to the cause until I discovered Knitta Please, a group of folks (about 11 women soon to be 12) who aspire to cover the world in colorful sweater sleeves. This is brilliant! Never will an electrical post shiver again! Their work can be seen in exotic places such as The Great Wall of China, Paris, El Salvador, Seattle, and Harlem. Other people are doing this too, it is so contagious! For example, this tree cozy by Cleveland's Carol Hummel.