So Damn Beautiful - AVONE + TMNK
(24″ x 48″  61cm x 122cm Acrylic, enamel and silkscreen over Mr. Brainwash collage on wood)

Yup, we’re beast’n! Avone of Destroy and Rebuild NYC and TMNK were in the  Brooklyn studio today creating their uniquely  beautiful brand  of Street Art together. Beauty is a Bitch, worth sharing - and she’s So Damn Beautiful…

We recently learned that JESUS SAVES, the New York artists that uses the street as his canvas was experiencing some legal difficulties.

AVONE of Destroy Rebuild NYC, had the idea to  organizie a grassroots campaign/fundraiser by artists to help with his legal fees.

Each of the artists below have agreed to donate 100% of the proceeds of their auction toward JESUS SAVES legal expense. Thus Far artists Col, Matt Siren, TMNK and AVONE  have donated original paintings in support of their friend.

We hope you will too. Please check out the art below being auctioned.

All bids start at $200 – check the auctions below…

Col, untitled –

Matt Siren + AVONE Collaboration

AVONE + TMNK COllaboration

Damn….All the love I’m being shown kinda makes me feel like I’m a somebody. But yall should know back in the NYC, I get down with a cast of really talented cats. One of them is my boyeeee AVONE. We met the first day I hit the streets with my art, and our Collabos have been KICKING ASS worldwide ever since (like our collabo in the lobby of the Gansevoort Hotel in New York’s Meat Packing District). And like the song says, it ain’t no fun if my homey can’t have some. And Norway must have felt me on that, cause they featured a collabo – “entitled  ”UNCOMMON MAN” which features my boyyyyes RIP NY joint, as we pay tribute to Guru RIP in their newspaper.

And If Marte Jettestad has her way, you’ll be experiencing his special brand of street genius real soon (wink).

For the lucky collector who has this in their collection, this is the original words that were written by a Nobody like me to pay respect to this uncommon man of hip hop -

Keith Elam, aka GURU is no longer with us. He battled cancer , the way he battled “sucker MC’s” throughout his career, relentlessly,  before succumbing to the disease Monday, at the age of 43. I won’t forget you my brotha. You stepped to the mic with a Mind, a Voice, and a CONSCIENCE.  YOU mattered, because YOU left us with lyrics that mattered. THANK YOU. On hearing the news of your death, I began working, painting attempting to pay my last respects, one artist to another. I hope I did you justice. R.I.P. – TMNK

And brought about change. So, shout out to my dude “O” aka Mr. President, aka the HNIC (Head NOBODY In Charge of our country). But real talk, to REBUILD this nation, and our economy is going to require more than lip service. This message paid for by street artists that care (wink).

I have been inspired by a host of artist’s both living and dead, whose works made me stop and think about my creative process, or how I might create art a bit differently than I had before. My work at different stages/periods  have reflected the influences of artists such as Picasso, Romare Bearden, Francesco Scavullo, Keith Haring, Basquiat, and even my friend and at times collaborative partner AVONE. I have a voracious visual appetite, soaking up everything around me like a sponge, but then spitting it out in my own unique vernacular. For Instance, recently I have been doing works on brick panels, but the inspiration came from some new works I saw from AVONE. Imitation would have been to copy the central theme of his work, the medium, and executional elements and showcase them as my own. Instead, I drew from, got inspired by what I had saw, and began creating images that resonate with my own unique voice.

A great organization has assembled a great group of artists to use their talents to raise money and awareness for autism. Honored that my art could help contribute to such a worthy cause.

When you work wih other talented artists you can often get inspired. I was already working on my urban derivative series when I was inspired by my boyyyeee AVONE to begin using brick panels. Here are three new works from My Urban Derivative series. Let me know what you think. – TMNK

Positive Notes – (18″ x 24″ – Mixed Media on brick panel with rust oxidation)

Lately, I’ve been listening to a relatively unknown singer as I begin each day. (Her name is Sandra Small, a talented singer who was kind enough to give one of her CD’s to my son for his birthday. Well of course she now is his favorite singer.) One track in particular, is the inspiration for this painting, it’s entitled “What U Think About.” It has become the soundtrack for starting my/our day. Perhaps as you read the lyrics below you’ll understand as I do, the power of listening to positive notes.

Wat U think about

There is a secret,

to behold, to take hold of your life

To have whatever you want right now

Believe you’ll achieve your best dreams

Just think it and you’ll see it,

Believe it and you’ll be it

Your thoughts become your true reality

Your mind is both lock and it is key

Keep thinking positively,

your life is what you think it be

-
Believing, makes it materialize

What’s in your heart is what’s

driving your mind – (Repeat)

-
Chorus:
What u think about is what u be about

What u be about is what u think about

-
Here is the secret,

Revealed the answer to all your dreams

Whatever you want… Ask, believe, receive

Your minds creation is your souls vibration

This is the law of attraction

Your world can be whatever it is

you want it to be, yeah

Just close your eyes and visualize

Your life is your design

build it high, make it shine

Where your energy flows… All attention goes

-
Chorus…

Breakdown… Wat u thinkin about,

Wat u thinkin about, What do u think about

-
Chorus…

-
All Music and Lyrics

© Sandra Small – 2006-9

Smallworld Music, LLC

The Healing

The Healing – (18″ x 24″ – Mixed Media on brick panel with rust oxidation)
It could be me, in fact it once was, no place to sleep and nothing to eat. We grow from life’s painful experiences, but before the growth, then as now there is the healing. A difficult yet necessary period of adjustment. I am nobody, the physical manifestation of the healing. – TMNK

Freedom Of Expression – (18″ x 24″ – Mixed Media on brick panel with rust oxidation)
The human form is a beautiful creation worthy of celebration in all forms of art. Personally it’s not shocking or appalling that Erykah Badu would disrobe and prance down the street naked in the making of her video window seat. She was simply expressing herself, freely and without hatred or violence. And from where I sit, that’s a beautiful thing. – TMNK

They seemed to have payed off for Malcolm Rolling. He’s gone from an ambitious kid showing up on weekends for artistic mentoring, to a one of the featured artists in the group exhibition, entitled Show and Prove. This show featured a selected group of New York Artists that Avone of Destroy and Rebuild NYC, and New York Street artist TMNK felt deserved to have their own show. We told Malcolm, although  invited, there was no guarantee his work would be included in the exhibit. “This ain’t college, you’re gonna have to PROVE you’re ready to roll with the big dogs.” And that’s exactly what he did.

Tonight he proved that talent, hard work (and a good haircut) can get you places. Yo Malcolm you should be proud of yourself

, you SHOWED and PROVED. – TMNK

We’ve seen the future, and its talented artists like:

Pomer, Gus Fink, Arianne Zager, Shaneika Marson, Malcolm Rolling, Demetrius Felder, Victor Hall, Mark Never, Alicia Clark, Christopher Lynch, Tiffany Williams, Ben Angotti, and Miles Wickham

don’t just take my word for it, stop by tonight as these talented artists SHOWand PROVE. – TMNK

Happy to Announce that a certain Rich Bitch once seen on the streets of NYC,

has been acquired by a collector in Australia. If you happen to find yourself in the “Land Down Under,” stop by Boutique and get your groove on, you just may fina a Rich Bitch hanging around.