Exploring Street Art In Brooklyn, New York, USA

Abhishikta
Contributing Writer
Updated
| 4 min read
street art in brooklyn

Creativity has many avenues of expression with one of them being fine arts. An image speaks a thousand words so when there is something to be expressed but no appropriate words to convey it, arts come to the rescue. Brush strokes on canvas and charcoal sketches on paper have relayed many unsaid emotions, ideas, and events, but the nature of creativity is to be limitless and so are its methods of expression limitless as well. Canvas and paper are traditional platforms of art. This platform is that outer wall of the factory, the pavement in front of your house, the culvert at the corner of the street or the lamp post that shows people the way after dark. This platform houses the unsanctioned street art of anonymous artists who have something to express. Let us explore street art in Brooklyn, New York, USA. Take a walk through the streets of the world’s largest open-air art gallery.

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1. Wythe Avenue

Whyte Avenue
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Alexscuccato used under CC BY-SA 4.0

Williamsburg has become a center of creativity with street art adorning almost every wall in the area. The last 15 years saw this place gradually transformed into the Mecca of street art with famous street artists decorating its walls with their art. Chief among these artists are Icy and Sot, two Iranian stencil artists whose work deals with human rights issues and social, political and ecological justice. Their most famous art in Williamsburg is a huge mural gracing a wall in Wythe Avenue. The mural depicts a group of smiling children looking up at the sky.

Whythe Avenue

Address: Wythe Ave, Brooklyn, NY, USA

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2. Moore Street

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

The most famous art in this street is of Christina Angelina’s feminist mural that shows two women covering faces and showing a tag that runs “some things never change”. Angelina wanted to uphold the feeling of powerlessness that women feel universally. This is quite thought-provoking and pessimistic but that cannot be said about the other artwork present on Moore Street. L'Amour Suprim has also let his brush do the talking here with colorful, bizarre and comical paintings of monsters. Such art represents whimsical and eccentric behavior, two elements responsible for both negative and marvelous results.

Moore Street

Address: N Moore St New York, NY 10013, USA

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3. York Street (DUMBO Walls)

Dumbo Walls
Source: Photo by Flickr user dumbonyc used under CC BY-SA 2.0

The DUMBO Walls is an extensive project that involves a series of eight murals adorning the walls of a four-block perimeter along the BQE. It was created in 2012 when the DUMBO Improvement District, with Two Trees Management Co., came into a partnership with NYCDOT( New York City Department of Transportation Urban Art Program) and the Jonathan Levine Gallery. The murals are done by artists MOMO, CAM, Yuko Shizimu and Stefan Steigmaster. The Jonathan Levine Gallery presented the works of artists like DaLeast, Eltono, Faith 47 and Shepard Fairey.

York Street ( DUMBO WALLS)

Address: 64 York Street (Between Washington Street and Adams Street), Brooklyn, NY 11201, United States

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4. North 9th Street

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

Two street artists who have graced North 9th Street with their art are Brazilian artist Eduardo Kobra and Belgium artist ROA. Kobra’s famous mural in the corner of North 9th Street depicts Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, inspired by the famous photograph of these two superstars with their arms raised in a crisscross and wearing boxing gloves. Kobra wanted to spread the message of the right to creative expression through his mural. ROA, on the other hand, paints vivid and captivating images of animals. North 9th Street showcases one of his famous mural which is a giant totem of rodents sleeping. It is painted in black and white and is very realistic.

North 9th Street

Address: North 9th Street Brooklyn, NY, USA

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5. Pioneer Street

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

In Pioneer Street, you can find art created by Haring. He believes that art can be showcased in even the most unlikely of public spaces. The Pioneer street art of Haring’s depict issues on sexuality, birth, death, drug abuse, exploitation, and other social evils. His art has a pop-graffiti essence with stark outlines and bold colors to depict emotions. Since these paintings are intimately related to the common people, it is only natural that such art is found in places thronged by the common folks. The walls seem to scream the emotions and thoughts of the common man walking on the street.

Pioneer Street

Address: Pioneer St. Brooklyn, NY 11231, USA

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6. Stillwell Avenue

Millie at wall art alley in Coney Island
Source: Photo by Flickr user Dennis Harper used under CC BY-ND 2.0

Stillwell Avenue has been graced by the interesting art of identical twins Otavio and Gustavo Pandolfo. These creators have achieved worldwide fame for their psychedelic and surreal paintings. These brothers had painted a colorful and eerie graffiti on the wall just opposite the subway station of Stillwell Avenue. These paintings might not depict any situation in reality but can make you introspect. Such street art is bright, bold and is a riot of colors.

Stillwell Avenue

Address: Stillwell Ave, Brooklyn, NY, USA

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7. Troutman Street

Wyckoff and Troutman, Bushwick Collective street art
Source: Photo by Flickr user Mr Seb used under CC BY-ND 2.0

On this street, you would find works of art from artists like Danielle Mastrion, Aquarela Sabol and Wellington Spiros. you will also find here D*Face’s sombre take on Roy Lichtenstein’s art. You will be in awe of this woman as she personifies the true essence of sensuality and mystery.

Troutman Street

Address: Troutman StNew York, NY, USA

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8. F. East Williamsburg

Street art in Brooklyn 22
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Monk used under CC BY-SA 4.0

Williamsburg is like an outdoor gallery where talented street artists showcase their art. Large wall spaces in this particular part of New York enable artists to paint their ideas and imaginations on them. Though Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg is a more popular place for street art, F. East Williamsburg is not far behind. The art collection that can be seen on the walls of F. East Williamsburg are large scale murals painted by artists from all around the globe.

F. East Williamsburg

Address: East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY, United States

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9. Bedford Avenue

Bedford Avenue
Source: Photo by Flickr user Aurélien Michaud used under CC BY 2.0

Bedford Avenue is the most popular street in Williamsburg and about every corner of it has wheat-paste ups and murals. A mural at the corner of N8 and Bedford was painted by Gaia for the “Delivering Wow Mural Tour”.

Bedford Avenue

Address: Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY, USA

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10. Johnson Avenue off Bogart Street, Bushwick, Brooklyn

Street art in Brooklyn 01
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Monk used under CC BY-SA 4.0

This street falls in an industrial district in Bushwick and thus there are many wall spaces appropriate for street art. The prolific industrial buildings and factories provide dull and dreary looking walls that can be transformed into canvases for some of the brightest and most colorful graffiti. The warehouse walls in this avenue showcase colorful murals by artists like Jersey Joe, Tones One and Host 18. The murals mostly depict content that are caricatures.

Johnson Avenue off Bogart Street, Bushwick, Brooklyn

Address: Johnson Avenue off Bogart Street, Bushwick, Brooklyn, NY, United States

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A colorful walk

<div class="fn">
Street Art Brooklyn</div>
Source: Photo by user Steven Martin used under CC BY 3.0

The walls are like a podium for the common man to voice their thoughts, times, moods and opinions, and street artists give them expression with paints and motifs. Street art is like a documentation of the emotions of our times. The 10 streets mentioned above in Brooklyn has art that would transport your senses to a new consciousness. Wait no more and go ahead to experience it.

Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
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