Monday's Marks

This week’s marks became singular when we encountered the street artist, self-renamed, Samuel Mark, hard at work off Greene St. His outfit and demeanor first recalled a 90’s rapper by the similar name, Marky Mark, more than artist; but the bright neon details in his spray painted depiction of Marilyn Monroe were what really caught our eye.  His choice to include the city in his artistic interpretations, using found objects like newspapers, furniture, and canvas marked up with acrylic spray paint and hung on street walls around him, really clicked with our desire to find a more inclusive artistic experience in New York. 

We are immersed in an era where street art is becoming increasingly less subversive; the lately ubiquitous graffiti artist Banksy just directed the opening sequence of the Simpsons and Shepard Fairey has created a wildly successful career from his street art roots. Samuel Mark seems poised to generate his own dialogue in New York, as he tackles subjects beyond the curves of Marilyn’s fine nose, or the edge of a spray paint can. 

He recently garnered some media attention for decorating disposed furniture with bed bugs and political messages, as well as placing a white package marked “suspicious package” on a Soho street. His untamed attention to color, shape and the issues of our times are impossible to ignore and we were inspired by his spontaneous sense of inspiration—a sentiment we ourselves feel as we wander these hectic streets. 

Here’s hoping Samuel Mark continues his interactive approach to marking the streets of NYC with art—check it out for yourself next time you’re in Soho or the East Village, where he has also been known to throw up a painted canvas or two.

Xo MS