Stencil Street Art

I have been fortunate to have found some really wonderful -- and not too expensive -- artwork in various little galleries and at "art nights" here in Albany. Some of my favorites are from a street artist named Chris Stain, who currently resides in Brooklyn. He does incredible stencil work, inspired by his family's working class roots and growing-up environs in Baltimore. While buildings are clearly a preferred medium, he also does stuff on old signs, wood, and other materials. The pieces I own are stencil on pieces of metal that are framed out in wood. I wanted to share his work with all of you because I think it's wonderfully nuanced and powerful.

Through Chris, I've also learned about an interesting artist's collective, Just Seeds. "Justseeds/Visual Resistance Artists' Cooperative is a decentralized community of artists who have banded together to both sell their work online in a central location and to collaborate with and support each other and social movements. Our website is not just a place to shop, but also a destination to find out about current events in radical art and culture. Our blog covers political printmaking, socially engaged street art, and culture related to social movements. We believe in the power of personal expression in concert with collective action to transform society."

Wow. Sounds so positively 60s radical! Seriously, the various members have been involved in some interesting activities you can find out about on their site, but regardless of the political content, there's some wonderfully graphic and colorful and bold artwork there, especially for fans of stencils, blockprinted, and silkscreened stuff. Check it out.