Top NY graffiti artist creates w MIT arts students

Click to enlarge
Krystle Tavai is one of two students at MIT’s School of Visual Arts selected to work with American graffiti artist Eric Orr.

Friday, 23 March 2007

Top New York graffiti artist creates with MIT arts students

American Eric Orr emerged from the subways of New York in the 1980s as a fully-fledged graffiti artist after his collaboration with pop artist Keith Haring. Now he is in New Zealand to lead a series of live painting collaborations, including the transformation of the new stage at Otara’s Fergusson Oaks Reserve into a public artwork.

Five students from local secondary schools and Manukau Institute of Technology will join forces with Orr to create a graffiti-inspired mural with an urban Pacific theme. The students have been sketching their own designs which they will combine to create the final overall image.

Krystle Tavai is one of two students at MIT’s School of Visual Arts selected for the project and she confesses she’s been painting on her walls at home for years. “I’ve always been interested in graffiti or street art and I’ve been designing my own characters for years so that’s probably why my tutor picked me for the project.

“I’m really into detail and cartooning and usually work with vivids, but this will be acrylic paint on concrete so it’s all new for me. I’ve never done a public artwork before and it’s my first time collaborating with an international artist.”

Orr has been brought to New Zealand by the Auckland Festival AK07. He
views the collaborations as a creative exchange with an emphasis on getting local artists to express their creativity in a positive way.

Krystle is looking forward to the long days painting with time to exchange ideas with Orr. “Eric designs his own characters too so it will be a good chance to talk to him about his ideas and techniques. He’s a really positive and down-to-earth person and I think he wants to present graffiti as something that can be really beautiful.

“The best thing though is that it really relates to what I do. I have lots of ideas about getting my characters on t-shirts and hoodies which will mean collaborating with people who make gear, so working in this partnership is good practice.”

The performance stage is located in the centre of the park with a main road, basketball courts and a playground nearby. “It’s right out there for everyone to drive past and see,” says Krystle.

The students will be working with Orr at the Oaks Reserve from Thursday, 22 March to Saturday, 24 March, 10am – 4pm.

ENDS