The Remains of Industry

Demolition, Stencils, Street Art, Urban Decay No Comments

The Remains of Industry is painted at the abandoned Trunz Meat Factory in Greenpoint, Brooklyn with assistance from two brothers who were squatting in the building.

 

Toxic Junkie

Stencils, Street Art, Toxic Wastes, Urban Decay No Comments

In the 80s, manifestations of toxicity was rampant not only by the poisoning of the planet by deliberate and careless dumping, but by those who chose a complete disregard for one’s existence with the recreational use of hard drugs. Toxic Junkie was spray painted on a well-used drug den on 2nd Street between Avenues B & C in conjunction with The Black and White Show at Kenkeleba Gallery, Lorraine O’Grady, Curator.

 

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Decay 1978 to 1983

Cash for Clunkers, Guerilla Art, Projects, Stencils, Street Art, Urban Decay No Comments

Fekner’s first environmental projects include Decay and Decay and Abandoned on neglected properties in Queens. They also appear on the East River bridges that were in state of disrepair.

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The Wall Blood Series

Projects, The Wall Blood Series, Urban Decay No Comments

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The Wall Blood Series was a two part project that began indoors at P.S. 1 in 1976 with Mementoes of a Schoolbuilding and continued outdoors with Rust Decay through 1981. Indoors,  I used handmade paper pulp to cast walls, doors, sewer covers, plumbing fixtures and other architectural elements. Outdoors, I used the same technique on cars, trucks and other outdoor surfaces.

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Demolition Leftovers 1978

Demolition, Projects, Urban Decay Comments Off

Fekner_DemolitionLeftovers06

The purpose of the Demolition Leftovers project was to bring attention to ninety abandoned construction fence poles that circled the United States Pavilion demolition site. Although the site was seeded and new grass was growing, rusted demolition poles were hazardous and remained standing for months after the work crew left the area. I painted the poles bright fluorescent orange, not only as an attempt to draw attention to their existence, but functioned as a temporary artwork to visitors to the park. Eventually, after writing a few letters, the poles were completed removed from the site, bringing the park back to its natural state of existence. Read the rest of this entry »

Eco Art Projects-Warning Signs 4U2C

Demolition, Projects, Stencils, Street Art, Toxic Wastes, Urban Decay 7 Comments

4U2C

“As a painter, act as the eye of the community, for the community.”

“In the 70s, I made a conscious choice of changing the formal aesthetics I was taught in art school. No longer interested in working within the spatial restrictions of a white canvas, I embraced the outdoors, reducing the value of an art object to that of a shared visual experience for the general public. At the same time, the formal ‘blankness’ of a typical gallery, devoid of any distinctive character, no longer held interest for me.”

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That Was Then…This Is Now

Exhibitions, Projects, Stencils, Street Art, Urban Decay, Wheels Over Indian Trails No Comments

PS1Exhibition

Group Show @ PS1

That Was Then…This Is Now

June 22 – September 24 2008
Organized by P.S.1 Director Alanna Heiss

The Glitches Series

Stencils, Urban Decay, Video No Comments

These 2 short conceptual videos are part of the Glitches series, made by John Fekner in 2002.

Once Upon A Time

Decay Glitches

Charlotte Street, South Bronx, NY August 1980

Collaborations, Don Leicht, Political Art, Stencils, Urban Decay 1 Comment

Broken Promises

The Charlotte Street Stencils were painted during the last week of July and the first week of August 1980. John Fekner stencils Broken Promises, Falsas Promesas, Decay, Broken Treaties, Last Hope and Save Our School on the walls and buildings of Charlotte Street in the South Bronx. The message of Fekner’s stencils focus on pointing out the deteriorating conditions and issues that have plagued the community since the 1960s. Fekner’s purpose is to call attention to inadequate housing, poor services and the deplorable social problems afflicting the neighborhood residents for the past two decades.

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John Fekner’s Top 50 Clunkers

Stencils, Street Art, Urban Decay No Comments

Where have all the clunkers gone?
Once the junk is removed,
progress will be defined only
by the limits of the human spirit.
And as always, for now and the forever,
growth will always supersede decay.

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