Knickerbocker Mural Paints 400 Feet of History
There’s a new art zine on the scene called ArtCal and in it I review the new major mural that went up in Bushwick.
Incorporating the barrios’ German past, fire filled not-so-distant past, hipster present and still undecided future, there’s a lot going on in this color display that may be the first public attempt by members of the non-hipster community to comment on Bushwick then, now and tomorrow. Here’s an excerpt and check out the full post here:
A few weeks ago a new mural entitled, “Time Flies: A History of Bushwick” was unveiled at the corner of Woodbine and Knickerbocker in the heart of Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood. The 400-foot painting wraps around a corner and gives the site a warm inviting presence that most street corners in the area lack.
Created by artists and students from the Academy of Urban Planning, El Puente Academy, and Groundswell Community Mural Project, the mammoth project was under the direction of muralist Joe Matunis and continues a tradition that has long been a Bushwick tradition — community murals.
In 1992, an earlier mural stood at this otherwise quiet corner and symptomatic of the time, it confronted issues of drugs, crime and social justice–which grappled this community.
Fast forward to 2007 and Bushwick has changed from the front lines of the city’s drug wars to the next up-and-coming neighborhood. While the new wave of highly-educated hipsters homestead in this north Brooklyn neighborhood, “Time Flies” is one of the first public efforts by the predominantly black and Hispanic citizens of Bushwick to articulate their own thoughts about the neighborhood’s future…
Check out the full article on ArtCal.
October 19th, 2007 at 9:44 pm
It’s a lovely mural, and I’m keeping my fingers cross no one marks it. They should have cameras on that thing. Love how it’s above the recess area above.
October 25th, 2007 at 9:00 am
It’s a lovely mural, and I’m keeping my fingers cross no one marks it. They should have cameras on that thing. Love how it’s above the recess area above.
Leave a Reply yeah…it will be marked by one of the “so called”, long time resident. (whatever that means!???) the mural doesn’t depict a “RIP” theme! you know the drill; some thug getting shot over drug deal going bad or giving someone a dirty look probably!!!
June 11th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Thanks for the comprehensive and insightful review of this mural. I just came across the piece on ArtCal today. Much of the style of the painting was determined by the collective, 5 adult artists and 20 youth. The themes were decided through a process of community forums, research by students at the Academy for Urban Planning, and 6 months of design meetings. Rolando Almonte, Crstal Bruno, and Alfred Cervantes lead the design of significant parts of the mural. It is true that not every one’s story and perspective was told. It is definitely a selective history. We did try to honor the voices of the participants and be true to the community’s rich history and cultures. There is only so much one can cram into a mural and have it remain visually and narratively coherent, (unless you’re Diego Rivera…) The parodic figure of the hipster/vulture was our attempt to humorously portray the current status of Bushwick as New York’s latest coolest zip code. As a long term Williamsburg resident and observer of the gentrification of Brooklyn’s neighborhoods, I felt that the hipsters could stand a little ribbing. I don’t equate the artist community with the hipster community. I do hope the new artists who are making their homes in Bushwick are reaching out and building bridges with their “indigenous” neighbors. I did meet a few during the summer who were doing just that.
FYI, I also directed “Livin’ In Peace”, the mural that was painted at this location in 1993.