The murals of Bushwick are as varied as its residents. From black-and-white wheat pastes to vivid cartoonish depictions, it is impossible to ignore their beauty and the stories they tell. Bushwick’s street art has its own distinct flavors and histories, of which most of us might not even be aware. This Thursday, New York City mural collective Artmakers Inc. will host a one of a kind guided tour of four of Bushwick’s murals, all inspired by the Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca’s beautiful and prophetic words.
The murals, located within a 15 square block area will be explored and explained by Artmakers’ Camille Perrottet and Jane Weissman, professor and translator Electa Arenal, and poet Edward Hirsch, who will provide a historical, critical and cross-cultural understanding of the murals and their significance. This is also a unique opportunity to pose questions directly to the murals’ creators and gain insight into the process of creating a public art project from start to finish.
Taking the words that Garcia Lorca committed to page over eighty years ago and integrating them with elements of the poet’s face, the murals celebrate Bushwick’s multiculturalism. They draw from both familiar sights around New York City, such as the Brooklyn Bridge, and cultural influences of Puerto Rico and other various origins of Bushwick residents. Delve into the murals’ world, where words and images coexist and harmonize, creating what Garcia Lorca referred to as duende, or the creative force that was responsible for his surrealist tendencies and images that defied rational explanation.
The FREE tour will commence on Starr Street, between Wyckoff and Irving Avenues on Thursday, July 18 at 10AM, and will continue until noon. For more information visit artmakersnyc.org or lorcamurals.blogspot.com.
Further reading: A Mural of a Spanish Poet in Bushwick, Confounding and Enchanting [New York Times]