[Photoset] Brooklyn’s Finest @ The NU Hotel, Brooklyn

I was invited to come to the Brooklyn’s Finest exhibition by Shelley Worrell of CariBBEing, a really great site dedicated to showcasing film and the creative arts from a Caribbean perspective.

NU Hotel Brooklyn, the borough’s greenest and most artist friendly hotel. Selected pieces spanning the artists’ three decades long and running careers will be on display in the lobby and café area of the hotel. Additionally, each artist will have his respective works featured in one of the hotel’s innovative, custom-designed guest rooms.

On display on the night were works from one of my favourite photographers Jamel Shabazz, graffiti artist James Top, Duro and Archer as well as live paintings from Danielle Mastrion and airbrush artist CJ Cureton.

Having walked around for a a few moments I was introduced to James Top…you know those moments when you meet someone you’ve been told is legendary but don’t know who they are? – this was one of those moments (I was later to find out he was a founding member of graffiti collective the Odd Partners.) We spoke for a moment about his work and also about thenublack which he seemed to really appreciate.

Noting the progression graffiti art has made from its original environment of subway cars and buildings to the walls of an environmentally conscious hotel was a question I brought up with Mr. Top to which he commented on the relationship between the creators and consumers of hip hop and having to bring his work to people in order for it to make sense/be less threatening to them.

Shelley and I then went on a tour of the rest of the hotel which featured more work from Brooklynites in each of the rooms which included a blackboard wall in the bathroom on which a lyric from the Beastie Boys was scrawled ‘No Sleep Til’ Brooklyn’.

Thenublack at The NU Hotel seemed to be the perfect match as I definitely met and mingled with Brooklyn’s Finest that night 🙂



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