The photo above? It's from the scaffolding around the development going up at 99 Havemeyer Street in Williamsburg. What's interesting, though, is that it landed in our inbox courtesy of the developer, who is upset both that someone put it up there and because it's "dark negative art." Of the Burg's street artists he asks, "How about a 'bright yellow sun and blue birds singing'?" The dark art is down and now hanging in the developer's office.
Here's the email developer Chaim Z. Sommer of Mayer Sommer Banerjee sent with the photo of the "dark negative" street art at 99 Havemeyer:
As a former Art major and Architectural student in Boston, I do appreciate art. What I do not appreciate is the fact that some one had to climb up on a sidewalk shed...I hope that with all the creativity in Williamsburg someone will give all of those who are "striving to be artist or activist" a place to exhibit. I am not sure what the real definition is, could be "activart"? Any way we have installed cameras now and we hope to become filmmakers". And we can join your "active art" movement. Does all this have to be such dark negative art? How about a "bright yellow sun and blue birds singing"?"
The art work was carefully removed and is currently on exhibit in our offices in Williamsburg.
Of course, they could always commission some art, like the developer of 125 N. 10th Street.
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