Thursday, January 30, 2014

Capturing 'Cool'


[From August 2013 via EVG reader Marc]

Yesterday's item about the apparent arrest of graffiti writer SMELL reminded me of this post, which I never finished ... I had been documenting some of the Cool tags around the neighborhood... it's the work of "Drew," whose "Ross is Not Cool" tag on David Schwimmer's new East Sixth Street estate in August generated coverage everywhere from the supermarket tabloids to Vanity Fair.

Here are but a few Cool tags from recent months... Anyway, these tags — scourge of the city or a welcome part of the urban landscape?























at

19 comments:

  1. JMJanuary 30, 2014 at 8:38 AM

    I think it's cool. Always have and always will.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2014 at 10:05 AM

    Cool is so funny. It's so simple and 70'sish. And making it look like a cloud on the 9th ST building was awesome. Actually, the owners painting the building ilke that out of nowhere was awesome!

    ReplyDelete
  3. MakeoutJanuary 30, 2014 at 10:09 AM

    What's up with pics 5 & 7? The guy some sorta Doritos enthusiast?

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2014 at 10:21 AM

    10:09, I think they're candy corns. I was just about to come here and say I liked the candy corns! I enjoy COOL's seasonality and holiday themes. I find it charming, sue me.

    Much rather see graffiti than stupid American Apparel ads, liquor ads, ads for HBO's Girls, blah blah

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2014 at 10:23 AM

    It's sooo hip and edgy I looove it!!!

    -Meghan

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2014 at 10:36 AM

    Perhaps a better tag than Cool would be Not Cool/Not Art. Why? because it is not cool and it is not art. No sense of composition. No content. Nothing socially redeeming. No message. No understanding of color. Hmmm..maybe that is a better tag...."NO".

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. luFebruary 4, 2014 at 10:23 PM

      only an art student would give this.snide review. not an artist. you think in a box dude. keep cultural context in mind, professir

      Delete
  7. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2014 at 10:41 AM

    Painting a wall approved & paid for by the owner is cool. Painting someones building in the middle of the night without their approval is uncool and they should go to jail.

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2014 at 10:43 AM

    Ugh. Really? I hate the Cool tags.

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2014 at 11:50 AM

    Man. How did you miss 4th and Ave A.
    Not large but really stands out. Maybe more than any of these others in some way, given that they spent like a year refurbing and steaming all that brick (4th to 5th)

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2014 at 11:59 AM

    @makeout it was around halloween... candy corn!

    love cool!

    ReplyDelete
  11. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2014 at 12:04 PM

    self centered "scourge of the city"

    ReplyDelete
  12. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2014 at 12:51 PM

    There are several of these tags in LIC that have been there for a few years. They're all about to become obscured by a yet another batch of luxury apartments going up.

    ReplyDelete
  13. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2014 at 2:29 PM

    Cool is K3WL

    ReplyDelete
  14. Ken from Ken's KitchenJanuary 30, 2014 at 6:15 PM

    Whatever happened to Neckface?

    ReplyDelete
  15. BJJanuary 30, 2014 at 10:31 PM

    Cool is cool.

    ReplyDelete
  16. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2014 at 10:54 PM

    If you can't see the beauty in that melancholy-looking little candy corn then you are probably dead inside

    ReplyDelete
  17. AnonymousJanuary 31, 2014 at 12:56 AM

    love cool and the candy corn is my favorite!!:)

    ReplyDelete
  18. AnonymousNovember 25, 2014 at 2:05 PM

    Vandalism is not cool.

    I vote "Scourge of the city". Arrest the uncool vandal and punishment should be cleaning gum stains off all the side walks of the East Village.

    - East Villager

    ReplyDelete

Your remarks and lively debates are welcome, whether supportive or critical of the views herein. Your articulate, well-informed remarks that are relevant to an article are welcome.

However, commentary that is intended to "flame" or attack, that contains violence, racist comments and potential libel will not be published. Facts are helpful.

If you'd like to make personal attacks and libelous claims against people and businesses, then you may do so on your own social media accounts. Also, comments predicting when a new business will close ("I give it six weeks") will not be approved.