THE STREETS - Issue Ten

THE STREETS

ISSUE TEN

"When you see graffiti, it's really a sign of many more interesting creative things going on. Historically, graffiti artists were kids from poor neighborhoods, working class families, who didn't have resources, and the city became their canvas. I think that that's an important part of the ecology of the city."

– Elizabeth Currid-Halkett, Economist www.fastcodesign.com

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Begr @_begr_ Photograph by Henry J Parsons

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Who is in THE STREETS

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EDITOR’S LETTER

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PERSPECTIVES 12 Henry J Parsons 30 Drew Brucker 46 Courtney Jones 54 Howard Levenson

INTERSECTIONS 72 Won't You Be My Neighbor?

80 olive47 96 Female Warriors

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Who is in THE STREETS

"What interests me is authenticity, genuine creative experiences, with meaningful individuals, in uncommon spaces." – Henry J Parsons

"The thing that I love the most is that photography gives us a voice that speaks a universal language. " – Drew Brucker

"How many people can say they get to do what they love and feel like a warrior?"

– Lela Brunet and Janice Rago

"The differences between us and the world’s crosspollination of ideas and cultures are what I find most engaging."

– Howard Levenson

"I really want anybody viewing my photos to feel like they’re apart of the experience that’s taking place."

– Courtney Jones

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"Tell your friends you love them often."

– olive47

Front cover photo Drew Brucker Back cover photo Meredith M Howard Editor and Creative Director Meredith M Howard Creative and Digital Assistant Eva Howard Contributors and collaborators Henry J Parsons Drew Brucker Courtney Jones Howard Levenson Krista Gill olive47 Mary Farmer Lela Brunet Janice Rago Website www.thestreetsmag.com Email info@thestreetsmag.com Instagram @thestreetsmagazine Publisher Meredith M Howard LLC ISSN 2476-0927

All work is copyrighted to the photographer, artist, or author.

No part of this magazine may be used without permission of THE STREETS.

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E D I T O R ’ S

L E T T E R

We are all rich . . . . . . in different ways. We are all born with assets and something to offer to the world. Some of our gifts are more obvious than others, but we all have them. On the flipside, most of us also live with some sort of poverty – material, physical, emotional, relational, spiritual.

Once again, some kinds of poverty are more obvious than others.

"some people only have money . . . poverty."

– mikeflo, Musician Six word story

Last winter, my daughter and I heard McElroy playing a piano in Midtown. He sang us some songs that he had written and told us that he taught himself how to play as a child. He is homeless but still carries a richness of music. I pictured him as a boy teaching himself how to play. I wondered what change in his life had brought him to this place . . . and what change in his life could possibly take him to a different place.

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Editor’s Letter The theme of Issue Ten is "Change." What changes us? And how can we affect change in the world? How can we change homelessness without changing what people already possess? How can we creatively collaborate to help each other flourish?

I have hope for this kind of change because I can already see it happening – People slowing down to relate to others as human beings and spending their time, resources, and gifts to help and encourage others (page 12). People becoming neighbors to strategic communities in Atlanta to work toward sustainable flourishing (page 72). Artists using their gifts to beautify the city (page 12, 80, and 96). I hope this Issue encourages you to see the richness in others and to use your assets creatively.

– Meredith

"I don't become like you, you don't become like me, but we become something new together."

– Dan Crane, Remerge

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Photograph by Courtney Jones

Perspectives Perspectives Perspectives Perspectives Perspectives Perspectives THE STREETS

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Henry J Parsons

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Henry J Parsons

Photograph

by Henry J Parsons 13 THE STREETS

Henry J Parsons

HENRY J PARSONS P h o t o g r a p h e r

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Henry J Parsons

How did you get into photography and then how did you start photographing graffiti artists?

I have always enjoyed looking at photos of the earth’s surface, satellite imagery and other remote sensing systems. I learned the technical aspects of imaging systems though my professional career.

When I first began my career, I worked for a firm conducting larger scale projects of entire cities for Google Maps. In 2010 I was recruited by a digital mapping company and moved from Georgia to California after completing my undergrad. The project team I was working with used Adobe Lightroom to edit high resolution images taken from aerial platforms – typically a Cessna fixed wing aircraft.

It was during this time that I learned the technical facets of cameras and processing digital photography. Living in California exposed me to an elevated amount of graffiti in a urban landscape I had not seen growing up in Atlanta – entire billboards and alleys covered with detailed pieces. It was then I started photographing graffiti as I would visit family in Los Angeles.

Above: Photograph of Nels One WAI @grafilthy_art Previous page: Photograph of Poest FSA @ggone_poestal

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Henry J Parsons After a few years I moved back to Atlanta and the semi-legal version street art conference Living Walls had begun. At that time, from an outsider's perspective the introduction of street art into Atlanta’s urban landscape intensified the existing graffiti culture. I took notice of both visual art forms and began documenting street art and graffiti in Atlanta as a full-time hobby with two friends I had met through @weloveatl meet ups. I would link up with them and explore abandoned parts of Atlanta, rail lines, tunnels, and underpasses.

This was before Georgia became a center for film studios, and the “Hunger Games” effect had not yet taken hold of the city's prime industrial abandoned locations. We just covered as much ground and documented as much as we could every weekend. My photographic aesthetic and ability to find hidden locations caught the attention of a writer that moved to Atlanta from New York. He saw something with me that I didn't even know existed. He began allowing me to photograph him painting and mentoring me in the art/culture of graffiti.

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Henry J Parsons

Do you have any crazy stories from hanging out with the graffiti artists or is it usually pretty chill?

Hanging out is one thing, which is usually pretty chill. Graff artists like the same things you and I do, and some of my closest friends have developed out of this culture. Documenting someone and artist writing can be something different. It can be chill, depending on the mission. And documenting and assisting in the production of graffiti is most def a mission. It all depends on the location and medium the writer you are working with has chosen. All the tactical elements are there – you lay out a time, meeting points, strategy, supplies, and recon where you are painting. Often the role of the photographer is to provide an extra set of eyes, carry ladders, rollers or bags of paint. I've been chased out of abandoned warehouses by police, hopped barbed wire fences at construction sites between security shift changes, ducked around security dogs, clawed my way through freshly clipped rips in fences, and had to talk my way out of a trespassing violation more than once. It’s all a part of the mission.

The authenticity of what you are doing is so uncommon, witnessing creation of a truly American art form that is anthropological in a sense. Graffiti is the modern form of parietal art.

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Henry J Parsons

That being said, I would not advise someone to take this up as a hobby. It’s often dangerous – people die painting graffiti, walking train lines, or falling through entire floors of a structurally unsound building. Additionally, as an outsider you are dealing with an element of society that already does not respect the law, and extreme risk-taking behaviors are the norm. What is done on these missions is not safe or advisable to anyone with a reasonable amount of risk aversion.

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Above and next page: Wane COD @waneonecod

Henry J Parsons

"The authenticity of what you are doing is so uncommon – witnessing creation in a truly American art form that is anthropological in a sense."

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Henry J Parsons

Who or what inspires you?

Photograph of Poest FSA @ggone_poestal

My close friends, nature, the artists I am able document. Having authentic friendships with those that will bring out the best in you, pushing you creatively and spiritually and to live with integrity. Trustworthy individuals that are invested in you are hard to find in this world. I try to live every day with gratitude to be doing what I am doing. To travel, to interact with the writers and illustrators, to experience something John Q Public scoffs at or ignores, to walk the line as a outsider/civilian to observe and document this American art form and subculture.

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Henry J Parsons You always seem to post a quote (usually from a song) with your Instagram photos. Do you write down the quotes when you find them or do they pop into your head when you are posting?

I am a very moody person. Music and literature have been a staple of my life for a long time. I am usually quoting directly from what I am reading or listening to. When I am editing in Lightroom I always listen to music, so I may pull a quote from one of the lyrics. In the case of literature I find something I want to read over again, so I will mark it in the book and come back to it later, and trying to make the quote/caption tie into the narrative of the photography. Right now I am listening to a lot of J. Cole, Radiohead, Anderson Paak, Kendrick Lamar, & Odezza.

Photograph of Xaust CBS MFK @heavyhandsx

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Henry J Parsons In your Instagram profile, you have the quote from Valparaiso by Don DeLillo – “ I don’t want your candor. I want your soul in a silver thimble.” What does this quote mean to you?

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Don DeLillo is an often overlooked American fiction author. His novels are epic staples of post modern fiction, and often question the things we readily accept as reality and the fabric of our society.

What this quote means to me, is this: There are people in this world that are wearing facades, disingenuous, self centered, and opportunistic in how they build relationships. I am not interested in wasting my precious and finite time in listening to someone's deepest desires, ambitions, and how much they want to "help" me with mine, entertaining what is interesting to them. I've reached a point in my life where I carry a different set of values than most.

What interests me is authenticity, genuine creative experiences, with meaningful individuals, in uncommon spaces. The soul is the representation for the higher self, our inner divinity. This quote means don’t give me your ego's bullshit. Give tiny sips of your true self.

Reveal to me who you really are because I will find out eventually.

ISSUE TEN Photograph of HJP taken by @progressive_disclosure

Henry J Parsons

Photograph of Delvs Few and Far, FS LP @devls102

"Reveal to me who you really are because I will find out eventually."

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Henry J Parsons

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Henry J Parsons

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Henry J Parsons

The theme of this magazine Issue is “Change”. Can you tell us about a situation or moment that was life changing for you?

Change is the only thing we can count on in life. A moment that changed me is last year after my grandmother had passed away and I had just gone through a divorce, I went on a trip to Indonesia with one of my closest friends. On part of the trip, we hiked at dawn to the top of an active volcano in eastern Java. It was on the descent that when I realized my real worth, what I am truly capable of accomplishing, the well of resiliency within me. When I meditate I often think of a place that is just like that volcano, standing on the side overlooking the journey that was behind me, realizing that the moment I was experiencing was because of conscious choice – every choice I made up to that point had led me to the volcano in the south pacific. It was this day I found my higher consciousness and tapped into the universe inside of me.

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Henry J Parsons

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Henry J Parsons

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Henry J Parsons

Photograph of Mr. Never Satisfied @dis_satifsfied and Das @das.bk

Follow Henry J Parsons on Instagram @h_j_parsons

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Drew Brucker

Drew Brucker P h o t o g r a p h e r

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Drew Brucker How did you get into photography?

For me, I really got into photography after our Iceland trip last summer. After seeing larger-than-life waterfalls, witnessing massive geyser eruptions, trekking on glaciers, and snowmobiling down massive mountainsides, it became clear that my iPhone wasn’t cutting it anymore. I had gotten photos, videos, and snaps on the trip – but they didn’t do the trip justice. Iceland was one of the most unique and captivating experiences I’d ever had, and I felt like I couldn't capture its beauty like I’d hoped.

It really struck me when I got home, showing friends and family photos from the trip. I remember saying, “You should have seen it” and “It was even better in person” over and over again. That really kind of bugged me. I wanted to capture things in a way that others felt like they were there in the present.

I had no photography experience, but I knew that I wanted to learn more. So for the next month or so, I started watching YouTube videos and Lynda courses to learn the basics of photography: aperture, shutter speed, ISO – I had no clue what they meant. I wanted to buy a camera immediately, but I also wanted to make sure I’d still be interested in photography for a little while before I went out and bought expensive camera equipment. Several weeks went by, and I was still just as curious and obsessed as I was at the beginning, so I bought one – and the rest is history.

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Drew Brucker

Who or what inspires you?

I think the art of photography in general inspires me. There’s so much to learn and lessons are found just about everywhere.

The thing that I love the most is that photography gives us a voice that speaks a universal language while also allowing the person behind the camera to be completely unique and different.

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Drew Brucker

Can you tell us about a situation or moment that was life changing for you?

Over the years, there have been several life-altering moments for me. Most recently though, I’ve become a home owner, landed a key marketing job with a tech unicorn, and married the girl of my dreams. Not too bad!

What is one change (in mindset or gear) that you have made over the course of your photographic journey that helps you make better photographs?

One of the most important things I’ve learned, and subsequently has helped me take better photographs, is to let your intuition speak.

Some of my best photos come from sudden and disguised moments that I wasn’t expecting. Almost a “right place, right time” kind of moment, really. Those are the opportunities I look for and seek out.

These are the kind of photos that happen when they happen, and disappear forever if you’re not prepared to shoot them.

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Drew Brucker

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Drew Brucker Can you tell us about your n e v e r / h o m e [project]? Why did you start it and what do you hope to accomplish?

The idea behind the n e v e r / h o m e [project] was essentially formed from an encounter I had while shooting street content in downtown Atlanta.

I crossed paths with a homeless man who was urging me to photograph him after seeing my camera in-hand. He was a very lively kind of guy, and we got into a pretty engaging conversation while I photographed him. After that, I realized that downtown Atlanta had some lost stories to tell by the people most don’t see.

I wanted to step into their world and shine some light on their situations. In order to do that, I knew I had to do something more, and shortly after, I started a GoFundMe page where 100% of the donations will go toward food and clothing for Atlanta’s displaced.

My original goal was to collect $250 or so – collecting donations from a few people in my inner circle. Then social media jumped in, and we surpassed $500 in donations relatively overnight. The new goal is now set at $1,000. We’re about 75% of the way there.

Once we hit that number, myself and a few others are planning to personally deliver food and clothing directly to these folks. That will be an amazingly rewarding experience.

I’d never organized a fund raiser before. And that’s essentially the beauty of it. Photography and the stories being told through my lens essentially made that happen.

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Drew Brucker

Jermaine

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Drew Brucker

My encounter with Jermaine was really the jumping off point for the fund raiser. He was all smiles but had the most incredibly heart-breaking stories to tell. Two kids but no relationship with them because of the mother, HIV positive, sexually assaulted and abused . . . the list went on and on but he was incredibly transparent about everything – and somehow mostly unfazed by all those transgressions.

I noticed he seemed to hang out around this Rise and Roll (in the background of the photo). I asked him if there was a particular reason and he explained it was so he could get Wi-Fi for his mobile phone. It just so happened to reach a few feet outside of the shop, reaching just far enough for him to keep up with the outside world.

Jermaine and I have remained in touch, often communicating through Facebook Messenger. He has finally found a home and is making moves to better his situation.

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Drew Brucker

Digger

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Drew Brucker

Digger is another one of those individuals that just struck me immediately when I saw him. His character just seemed to yell out at me. I knew he had some stories to tell.

As a nearly blind vet living nomadically, Digger’s life is something we can only imagine in our nightmares. He often sleeps outside, but sometimes will ask shop owners in the Five Points area for a place inside to lay his head. But for him, home is a matter of perspective.

I spent about a half hour with Digger, talking about anything and everything he wanted to talked about. Often times, like with Digger, I find myself just listening. I think that’s what displaced folks enjoy the most about our encounters – I just lend an ear and spend more time listening than talking.

"I just lend an ear and spend more time listening than talking."

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Drew Brucker

Anthony lives outside, under a church in downtown Atlanta. But you wouldn’t know that meeting him. His character seemed invincible to the trials confronted him, and his smile was as infectious as they come. I spent a good bit of time with Anthony, getting to know some of his story.

I was amazed to learn that in his heyday he used to perform Michael Jackson acts in Las Vegas. Not only did he put those moves on display for me, he also rapped a full-length original song he had written. And pretty well too!

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Drew Brucker

Anthony

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Drew Brucker

Randy Every once in awhile I’ll have encounters that are really abrupt – that was the case with Randy. I had seem him strolling the streets of downtown Atlanta a few times in the past but never had gotten a chance to photograph him. As you might imagine, his beard was what stood out most to me.

There was sort of this underlying carefree smirk that I picked up on that just hit me. The story on his face was telling. We didn’t talk long but felt this picture truly captured the hope and perseverance he carried with him.

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Drew Brucker

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Drew Brucker

Darrell

" The two things that stood out the most to me about Darrell were his unselfish nature and his unfazed joy.”

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Drew Brucker

I met Darrell in East Atlanta Village as he was idling in a local shop’s back parking lot. As with all my subjects in this project, he had an overabundance of unfortunate events that foretold his state of homelessness. While talking to him, I quickly noticed that he was more curious about what I had to say, and getting to know me, rather than going into detail about his downfalls. One thing he did address, was the often misguided perception of who he is based on his current state of displacement.

“A lot of folks out here are confused. They look at me and think I’m out here raising hell. I don’t rob. I don’t steal. I don’t take. I don’t hurt nobody. God loves us all. I’m a child of God. We’re supposed to be out here lovin' one another.”

The two things that stood out the most to me about Darrell were his unselfish nature and his unfazed joy. Because of that, I wanted to capture and present an image that best represented his soul. I felt like this one did just that.

Follow Drew on Instagram @dcbruck, and donate to the never/home [project] through the gofundme link in his profile.

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Courtney Jones

Courtney Jones P h o t o g r a p h e r

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Courtney Jones How did you get into photography?

I have two people that inspired me to get into photography. A friend of mine, Asia Dunn, has been into photography since she was a child. Her work always moves me. My second inspiration is Gordon Parks. I went to a Gordon Parks exhibit a few years ago. His photos evoked so many emotions within me that I decided it was time for me to take a shot. My mom surprised me by buying my first DSLR camera. My boyfriend purchased my first lens. I’ve come to love photography ever since. It’s really helped me in many ways as being an outlet for self expression.

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Courtney Jones

Most of your photographs have a sense of nostalgia. Do you feel that when you take them or edit them?

Honestly when taking photos, I aim to take something so simple and make it beautiful. I really want anybody viewing my photos to feel like they’re apart of the experience that’s taking place.

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Courtney Jones

Can you tell us a little about your trip to Valladolid, Mexico?

I went to Mexico for a quick vacation. While I was there, I went to Chichen Itza, which is an archaeological site built by the Mayan people. Valladolid was a small town that was nearby, and I completely fell in love with how authentic this town felt. I ended up spending a couple hours walking around trying to capture as much as possible.

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Courtney Jones

What was Coney Island like?

Coney Island was definitely a lot of fun! It literally felt I was a kid again. There was so much to do there. You could get on rides, play games, go to the beach, and eat delicious junk food. It was a truly great experience.

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Courtney Jones

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Courtney Jones

In this Issue, we are talking about change. What is one thing that you would like to see change in the world?

It’s really disheartening when you hear every day that another black person has been killed or is being treated unfairly because of how society perceives us. I’m tired of the constant suffering of darker skinned people. I’m tired of feeling that black lives don’t matter. I’m tired of racism. It’s been long overdue for society to change the way it thinks. One change I would love to see, not only here in the United States but in the world, is racial equality.

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Courtney Jones How would you like to change in the future to become a better person and/or photographer?

As far as being a better photographer, I definitely would like to challenge myself to take more risks and experiment with other photography genres. Becoming a better person is a work in progress. Everyday I strive to be better than the person I was the day before.

Follow Courtney on Instagram @courttakesphotos

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Howard Levenson

Los Angeles, Early 90s

Howard Levenson P h o t o g r a p h e r

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Howard Levenson

Sunday on Broadway, Los Angeles, early 90s

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Howard Levenson Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I was born in Brooklyn. I grew up on Long Island. As an adult I have lived in Washington DC, New York City, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Brooklyn, and the British Virgin Islands. I currently live with my beautiful wife and two dogs in Atlanta. Most of what there is to know about me is tied to the places I have lived, my family, and the friends I spent time with along the way.

Cinque Terre, Italy, 2001

How did you originally get into photography?

Close friends of my parents gave me my first camera for my 13th birthday. It was a Canon Canonet rangefinder. For sure that was what planted the seed. Seven years later, when attending college at The New School, I took a single darkroom class at Parsons. In that class I learned how to process and print black and white film. That class definitely inspired me to take a lot more photos. It was during this time that I realized I had an affinity for street photography. A few years later I purchased a bunch of used darkroom equipment. That’s when it all started coming together.

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Howard Levenson

Lisbon, Portugal, 2011

What inspires you?

I strongly believe that art, music, and culture make the world a more beautiful and interesting place. The differences between us and the world’s cross-pollination of ideas and cultures are what I find most engaging. Korean-tacos are a good contemporary example.

Musical mash-ups featuring rock and rap artists is another. The world is a better place as a result of both of these phenomenon, and they are just two very small examples of a much broader concept.

I am inspired by the premise that in a post-Trump world the backlash from his divisive, racist, and shortsighted policies will result in swift and meaningful steps towards a more just, tolerant, and egalitarian society.

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Howard Levenson

Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands, 2014

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Howard Levenson

Portland, Oregon, 2013

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Howard Levenson

What is Real Cool Vibe and how did you decide to start that business?

I started Real Cool Vibe (www.realcoolvibe.com) in the summer of 2017. I sell things like artist designed t-shirts, art prints, stickers, and decorative magnets. It was my full-time job for about six months but it has since evolved into something more akin to my side hustle.

I am interested in evolving trends in branding, digital culture, and ecommerce and used this business to do a deep dive on those subjects. I learned a lot and I enjoy having a long-term project that I can nurture. Of course to make the project fun I focus on content that I personally find interesting. Our brand is all about cool art and sharing it with a like-minded audience.

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Howard Levenson

Flea, Roxy, Los Angeles, early 90s

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Howard Levenson Can you tell us about living in the East Village of Manhattan and about your neighbor that you photographed?

I lived on Avenue B, between 3rd and 4th streets, from 1988 to 1990. It was a really vibrant and diverse neighborhood with an interesting mix of residents. I lived in a four story walk-up building that had four apartments per floor. Most of my neighbors were Hispanic families – some with three generations living in a single apartment. My next-door neighbor was a 93-year-old retired Jewish mobster with life-long ties to lower Manhattan. We became fast friends. He told me lots of stories about the history of our neighborhood and his life in crime. Sometimes when he’d talk I’d take photographs.

Abe, New York, New York, 1990

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Howard Levenson

One of Abe’s claims-to-fame was his contention that he invented the insurance scam where flop artists would fall in front of a moving vehicle. With lawyers, doctors, and cons on his payroll, Abe claimed to have staged hundreds of accidents and profited handsomely for his efforts.

I feel fortunate to have lived in this neighborhood when I did. There were dozens of clubs, bars, music venues, and art galleries right at my doorstep. It all left a meaningful impression.

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Howard Levenson When you lived in Phoenix, why did you decide to photograph the women on the street, and what did they tell you about themselves?

I moved to central Phoenix in the summer of 1993 and stayed for almost seven years. I lived in older urban neighborhoods close to the city’s downtown. I cannot say these were good neighborhoods. My various houses were robbed 4 or 5 different times during my time in Phoenix – too many Meth heads.

There is an East-West street that runs through Phoenix called Van Buren Street. It was only a few blocks south of where I was living. I haven’t been back in a while, but back in the day, the street was lined with budget motels that were ground zero for sex workers, their pimps, and their clients. I had lived in other big cities, but I had never seen a place where the sex trade was so blatant and exposed.

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Doireen, Phoenix, Arizona

Howard Levenson

Mindy, Phoenix, Arizona

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Howard Levenson

During my time in Phoenix, I met and photographed a few dozen sex workers. As you might expect, they typically told stories of being down on their luck. My best photographs are of those individuals who were most willing to tell their story. I found that once my subject was distracted in conversation they were more likely to drop their guard. When they did, I was able to capture more engaging images.

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Howard Levenson

Ronnie, Phoenix, Arizona

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Howard Levenson This Issue is about change. Can you tell us about a life changing experience or moment?

I believe people are a product of their collective experience and that is certainly true in my case. I lived a few blocks from Tompkins Square Park in the late 1980s during the famous Tompkin’s Square Riots. A few years later, I lived in Los Angeles during the Rodney King Riots. Both of these events were triggered by social injustice and were influential in shaping my world-view.

"To ensure the American Dream exists for future generations we need to take deliberate steps to level the playing field."

I think the most divisive issue in today’s society is income inequality.

Minimum wage has not kept up with inflation, and the bottom rung has become way too slippery and unforgiving. Schools and services in low-income neighborhoods are lacking and so poverty becomes generational.

As a country, we need to acknowledge the fact that the deck is stacked. Our laws are made by wealthy lobbyists and politicians who have done everything they can to consolidate power, increase the wealth gap and promote the status quo. If we do not demand CHANGE from our elected officials, the repercussions on both a national and international front are going to be significant. To ensure the American Dream exists for future generations we need to take deliberate steps to level the playing field.

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Howard Levenson

Echo Park, Los Angeles, early 90s

Follow Howard on Instagram @realcoolvibe and on his website at www.realcoolvibe.com.

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Photograph by Meredith M Howard Mural by JR @jr "In this country you can do anything you try.

But can I live next door to you?"

I I I I I I I I I

They are right there in the street, everywhere around you.”

INTERSECTIONS INTERSECTIONS INTERSECTIONS INTERSECTIONS INTERSECTIONS INTERSECTIONS INTERSECTIONS INTERSECTIONS INTERSECTIONS “The real heroes are sometimes not where you think th y are.

– JR (who created the mural on the previous page) as quoted in Stencil Revolution.

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Written by Meredith M Howard Edited by Krista Gill Photographs by Meredith M Howard

Atlanta is changing. Young professionals are moving to intown neighborhoods and restoring houses. The Beltline is leading the way for developers to buy old industrial buildings and create new housing and retail. All of this improves the quality of life, but as real estate values increase, long-time residents are being displaced.

Ryan Gravel, the visionary of the Beltline, actually resigned from the Atlanta Beltline Partnership in 2016 over this very issue. He felt that the city was not providing enough affordable housing in these new developments. How do you revitalize the city and neighborhoods without pushing out the those who cannot afford to pay the rising housing costs?

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Won't You Be My Neighbor I recently went on a tour of the neighborhood Historic South Atlanta where Focused Community Strategies (FCS) has been working since 2001. FCS has been gradually improving the neighborhood without displacing long-time residents. Jim Wehner, President of FCS, showed us photographs of houses that were vacant just a couple short years ago. "These were all houses that were boarded up. One had not been lived in for 15 years. The back half of that one was falling in. People could just get in and out of it. This is where most of the crime in our neighborhood happens – in vacant houses. The houses look pretty rough when we get them.”

"How do you revitalize the city and neighborhoods without pushing out the those who cannot afford to pay the rising housing costs?"

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Won't You Be My Neighbor

Mural by olive47

FCS purchased many of the vacant properties and renovated them, creating beautiful affordable houses. The homes are now owned by low- to moderate-income neighbors. Jim explained, "FCS acts as the bank, and families have 20-year no-interest mortgages with us.

Right now we’re managing about 50 mortgages.” FCS has been doing this work for a while now, so many families have paid off their mortgage loans and own their homes in full. With stable housing, families are free to invest in other areas of their lives and in their community.

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Won't You Be My Neighbor Housing is not the only thing that has changed in this neighborhood.

FCS has created several small businesses that provide needed goods and services and jobs for people in the community. Carver Market and Community Grounds provide healthy affordable food. Jim told us – "Between 8 and 10 am you can get a cup of coffee for $1. Anybody in our neighborhood can afford that. When we first opened, we saw a couple of teens sitting outside and asked them why they weren’t inside. They said, 'It’s too nice. We don’t think it’s for us.’ Of course, we brought them in. People aren’t required to buy anything to use the space, and it’s the only free Wi-Fi in the neighborhood.”

"People aren’t required to buy anything to use the space."

As we walked into Carver Market, we ran into a lady who was just leaving with a bag of groceries. She overflowed with praises for the Market – "When I moved into this area I was struggling with my diabetes. I took some cooking classes here which taught me to eat more vegetables. Now my diabetes is under control and I don’t have to take insulin anymore – all because of what this store does. If it wasn’t for Carver, I wouldn’t be eating vegetables.” Carver Market is the neighborhood’s only grocery store and offers fresh healthy foods at an affordable price.

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Mural by olive47

FCS is also working with outside partners to help the neighborhood flourish. "The public schools in our neighborhood are in Year Two of a contract with Purpose Built Schools.” Purpose Built Schools works with the Atlanta Public School system to transform under-performing schools into high-performing schools that put children on a trajectory for success. Jim predicted,“We’re just a few years away from having really stellar schools in the neighborhood.”

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Won't You Be My Neighbor At the center of FCS’s strategy is neighboring. About half of the people working at FCS live in the neighborhood they serve. This helps the staff really understand what the neighborhood needs and wants. Living in the neighborhood builds trust and respect – two necessary ingredients for neighborhood transformation. FCS staff and leadership experience life in the neighborhood and develop genuine relationships with their neighbors. It makes all the difference.

"Living in the neighborhood builds trust and respect - two necessary ingredients for neighborhood transformation."

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Won't You Be My Neighbor People and organizations all over the country are starting to take note. They began knocking on FCS’s door looking for help with their own charitable efforts. In response to this need, FCS launched the Lupton Center. "The Lupton Center guides people towards a healthier understanding of poverty and how to address it.” FCS trains, equips and partners with other organizations to address the underlying causes of poverty and to help people flourish as human beings. They view each neighbor as an individual created by God who has gifts and abilities that can be used in the cooperative rebuilding of the neighborhood.

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Anja Williams teaching at class at the Lupton Center

Won't You Be My Neighbor

Mural by olive47

Jim described their approach – “It’s really intentional. It’s a long deep dive into a community.” FCS has combined smart, generous real estate planning with intentional, long-term neighboring to affect positive change in Historic South Atlanta. Consequently, neighbors who have been here for generations are still here enjoying the benefits of a healthier community.

To learn more, visit www.fcsministries.org and follow them on Instagram @fcsministries.

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olive47

Mural in East Atlanta Village. Photograph by Mary Farmer @mferphotography and www.mferphotography.com

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olive47 After touring Historic South Atlanta (see page 72), I had to find out who was painting the colorfully happy murals that appear all over the neighborhood and signing them "olive47 loves you." I discovered that olive47's murals brighten walls in many other areas of Atlanta and Los Angeles. So, I contacted her to talk about her art and inspiration.

– Interview and photographs by Meredith M Howard, unless otherwise noted

We have to start with the tattoo on your back. You say on your website that it is based on the Theory of Reflection. What is that theory, why do you like it, and can you send us a picture it?

First off, one thing anyone should understand about me is that I am a major geek on a lot of levels. According to Merriam-Webster's definition of the law of reflection : "a statement in optics: when light falls upon a plane surface it is so reflected that the angle of reflection is equal to the angle of incidence and that the incident ray, reflected ray, and normal ray all lie in the plane of incidence." The tattoo on my back is literally an illustration from a vintage science book which was explaining a photo of a cat reflecting in a glass, but I added little antennae to pay homage to "That Darn Cat". The reason I chose to get that particular one on my back is because the only way I can see it is to look in a mirror.

In art history, a source of light – a candle, lantern, etc. – traditionally symbolizes the presence of god. I actually have three tattoos all regarding light in some depiction. The first one I got indicates luminosity, the back tattoo is about reflection and the other is about refraction. I think as humans, particularly in this day and age, one of our main challenges is to protect our inner light and knowledge of the higher energies beyond ourselves, and my tattoos serve as personal reminders to myself.

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olive47

Mural at Happy Tabby Cat Cafe, Atlanta

Your street art started with collages made from 1950s science books. Is this related to your love of Buckminster Fuller? Do you have any photos of these collages you posted on telephone poles?

As a kid, I could read before I was two. I'm a visual learner. I have a photographic memory and was a voracious reader. I read all our encyclopedias, how-to books, art books, and any and all books about mythology and ancient cultures – particularly Egyptology and hieroglyphics – and also UFO theory. I would pick up these paperbacks for 25-50¢ every time we went to used bookstores. A lot of the books about science and nature I found were already 20-30 years outdated in theory, and there's something about the naivety of the thought and sense of wonder and possibility that these books captured that appeals to me. So, I would xerox them and make these new narratives and theories.

olive47

When I was putting these up on telephone poles and in the free mag/flyer holders you used to find in record/counterculture stores in the 90s, obviously digital cameras weren't around and "streetart" wasn't a thing. I didn't even think about documenting them. I was just doing it for myself because it amused me. Unfortunately, when I moved from Los Angeles to London in 2007, my subletter threw out a ton of my belongings, which included all my old sketchbooks, paperbacks and copies of the collages, so it's all gone – most likely rotting away in a landfill.

In a way, I suppose it is loosely related to my love of Buckminster Fuller – the whole modern futuristic aesthetic and such. My appreciation for Fuller lies in his lucid visions of a better world and the holistic ideas he brought to art and design. He was a true problem solver and didn't just limit his vision to a single field and truly wanted to solve our problems on a global scale to make our planet sustainable. He was all about the possibilities.

"He was all about the possibilities."

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Mural on the Atlanta Beltline

"When we see something cute... it instantly softens our demeanor and puts us in a more relaxed/ better state of mind."

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olive47 Your murals are so happy, childlike, colorful and cute. Can you tell us a little about your interest in the “psychology of cute?”

Hearing people describe my work as childlike always makes me bristle a bit as I feel like it discounts all the thought and consideration I put into my work and others don't take what I am doing seriously.

But then, as artists, we can't really control how others see our work once we put it out there, and it doesn’t just belong to us anymore.

I see what I am doing as taking common symbols from various cultures and breaking them down into the most basic shapes to form narratives usually dealing with protection, community and the higher calling of nature in itself. Throughout history, many cultures have covered themselves with animal/nature drawings when in ceremony to promote communication with our ancestral spirits. In the best situations without distraction, I am able to go into a meditative state when working, and I aspire to channel/infuse my intent into the piece I am working on – much like a “visual prayer“ or sigil.

I push the cute thing on some of my platforms because it's a quick visceral way to illicit instant sympathetic emotion. When we see something cute, whether it's a kitten or design object, it instantly ignites brain activity in regions such as the orbitofrontal cortex, which are linked to sympathetic emotion and pleasure. It instantly softens our demeanor and puts us in a more relaxed/better state of mind. A lot of companies use this to drive sales (like talking babies in car commercials) or even trying to change the perception of a corporation through use of animals in their logos or advertising.

In my work, I’m attempting to trigger this on a number of levels through form, colour and symbolic narrative to illicit an immediate emotional response of happiness and release of our worries, even if it's just for a moment.

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olive47 I read in an interview in Drifter Media that your tag “olive47” was a name you made up in 1994 for use in AOL chatrooms. Is your name actually Olive and why don’t you want to attach your real name to your art?

My name is not actually olive, though that's what most people call me these days because explaining over and over gets old. olive47 (all lower case and one word) was basically an online troll name that I would use to mess with people in chatrooms. For instance, there’d be a chatroom titled "Three's Company" (people looking for threesomes) and I would go in raving about Ms. Roper's caftans or whether Mr. Furley was hot. It was just totally stupid stoner fun, to be honest.

I chose the name olive because my housemate was helping me think up a name and asked what vegetable I hate. Even though it's technically a fruit, I hate olives. They're disgusting, and I have no need for them.

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olive47

I don't use my real name for several reasons. I originally started using it for my art because I didn't want people to be affected by attaching a person to the work, and rather the work would stand on its own, and not be about me, as art often is. This isn't an ego thing for me. Second, I have had way more than my fair share of stalkers and #metoo situations, so it was a way to be able to make myself harder to find and separate myself from that a little. People seem to think if one is an even remotely attractive woman, that they belong to the world, and my privacy has been breached enough that my government name is reserved for actual friends and municipal utility companies only. Finally, these days there is another artist/muralist here in Southern California who shares my real name (but it's a guy), so it's just easier to avoid confusion.

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olive47 I read in that same interview that you came up with Miss Cupcake in 2005 at the beginning of the cupcake trend. You stuck Miss Cupcake up everywhere as you traveled, and then a producer asked if you wanted to make a toy. How did you decide if that was the right project for you to do, and what is the process of actually producing and distributing the toy? And then you just released a DIY Miss Cupcake and also mentioned a possible artist series. Is that still in the works?

Honestly, the answer to this stuff is super boring and the producer handles all the getting it produced at a factory in China and to a distributor here in the states that gets them to all the stores . . . Also, I got really lucky in that it wasn't something I was really pursuing but was presented to me. Obviously it's interesting to see one's work in new formats. I didn't deal with anything but the design end on that stuff. There was actually a DIY version of Miss Cupcake released back in 2009 with the rest of the original series, and those were sold in Urban Outfitters and a bunch of toy stores as well. The original artist series was cancelled due to the producer overextending his company and not being able to focus on his projects, which really sucked, to be honest. When you trust someone to produce your work and they don't care to give it the attention that it needs to come to fruition, it can really muck things up.

The new cupcake is an XL version of that toy by a different production company. So, if the original was the size of a regular cupcake, the new size is that of one of those giant muffins.

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olive47

Miss Cupcake at Zimmer Museum in Los Angeles. Photograph by olive47.

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olive47 You mentioned on Instagram that April 2018 was the first time you ever painted Miss Cupcake big because everyone kept asking you to do it but you are a contrarian so you kept saying "No". I’m a contrarian, too, so I’m wondering – How has being a contrarian helped or hindered you? And sometimes it seems like an artist can be more commercially successful when they stick with one thing – i.e. doubling down on Miss Cupcake vs. doing random projects that may interest you. What are your thoughts on that?

I originally drew Miss Cupcake to make fun of the ladies in my office that were obsessed with the cupcake craze of the mid 2000s. Even though she's "super cute" and visually enticing, if you really look at her expression, she's completely banal, which is what I think of people who follow most food trends (or trends in general.) In a way, it's kind of ironic that of all my stuff, it's one of the things that got the most response.

In regards to doubling down on painting her in hopes of more commercial success, imagine being told you have to paint the most meaningless thing you've ever created over and over for years. That seems like a special sort of Hell. No thanks. If I was going to paint the same thing over and over, it never would have been her. That said, I don't mind painting her every now and then these days. If I had to choose one symbol, I would just paint the one-eyed sperm EVERYWHERE, as sperm are meaningful facets in the creation of life, yet hilarious and super fun for me to paint. However, a lot of stupid sex-scared people find the idea of them to be gross, so my dream of painting a pink sperm covered building will have to wait. For now.

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olive47

Mural on the side of the Lupton Center

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olive47

"Life is about exploring all the levels of ourselves and how we react to the changes of the world, not repeating the same thing endlessly or screaming into an echo chamber."

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olive47

Yeah, it’s definitely a fact that the most successful people in art, street art in particular, have figured out a gimmick. However, a lot of the time, it seems that it doesn't matter if the thought behind the work is original or clever or even if the work is technically good. People like to see the familiar. They are comfortable seeing the same thing over and over because it isn't challenging to thought.

A lot of people just don't like to think for themselves. They like to be told what's cool, who to listen to, how to dress, what to think, who to follow. And a lot of "artists" doing this aren't even interested in truly immersing themselves in the dialogue of art. They just see that it's a quick way to the fame quotient and Instagram "likes" that everyone is obsessed with these days. And honestly, that's pretty f**king sad.

I certainly struggle with this sometimes, as I've often been told I should find my gimmick by others. I know it would probably make me more instantly accessible or categorized. But that’s not my path, nor the point of art for me nor why I am compelled to make work, and certainly not what drives my soul. I find it boring and think often limits growth. My art heroes are Paul Klee and Buckminster Fuller.

They never limited their work like that, and I don't want to either.

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olive47

"There's no reason to hold back from doing the things you desire because you could be gone in a matter of just one wrong step."

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olive47 The theme of Issue Ten is “Change”. Can you tell us about a situation or moment that was life changing for you?

The last day of my freshman year of art school, one of my best friends was urban exploring in a building across from our dorm and accidentally fell three stories after stepping onto a ledge that crumbled beneath her feet. Berni was in a coma for a week before she passed. It wasn't the first time I had dealt with death in my life, but it was the first time it seemed completely senseless. It changed my whole approach to life in a profound way. I lost a lot of fear in my life. There's no reason to hold back from doing the things you desire because you could be gone in a matter of just one wrong step. Not that I've always made the best decisions, but that's what life is about – learning from our mistakes and missteps, whether in our art or just on a day-to-day basis. Life is ever changing so if stuff is going shitty for you, it can turn around in an instant because tomorrow is always going to be different from yesterday. And tell your friends you love them often.

Follow olive47 on Instagram @olive47 and on her website at olive47.com.

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Female Warriors

Female Warriors This is a HUGE WALL. Painting the wall in one week while battling the cold wind and navigating a lift around a staircase and strings of lights was not for the faint of heart. But these two strong and creative women got it done – beautifully. In the middle of this project, I sat down to talk to Lela Brunet and Janice Rago about how they met, how they collaborated on this project, and their thoughts on being women in the Atlanta art scene.

Interview and photographs by Meredith M Howard

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Female Warriors Meredith: How did you meet and then how did you decide you wanted to do a project together?

Janice: We met at Drink and Doodle for ABV Gallery. They choose 12 artists every few months, and we were two of the artists there one night.

Lela: I had gone through the list of artists and saw that you are friends with Caitlin on Facebook, so I thought I should say “Hey.” Janice: So, we had fun at Drink and Doodle talking and hanging out. We both do figurative. My figures are all oils. I do a lot of mixed media in my backgrounds. And then Lela does figures, too, but mainly graphite.

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Female Warriors

Lela: And I do a lot of mixed media. So, we just start talking about all of that, and I was doing a lot of walls. It was starting to pick up a little bit. Oh, I remember. I was super pregnant, and I needed help. I thought – “Who is an amazing artist and would be able to execute this?” So, it kind of came about like that. We did two walls, and it was kind of a tester to see if we could work together.

Janice: We worked long hours.

Lela: We’re both chics, and I trust her. It was amazing. So, we’ve been wanting to do a project where we were going to get the wall 50/50 and start from ground zero. This was our first. We both do figurative, but we both have an abstract style that we like to play with. This was a really fun, playful one, too, where it’s not high stress figurative.

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Janice: We did a show in January that was collaborative, too. It was fun. I pulled out some paintings that I had kind of given up on.

I passed them to Lela and she was like – “OK, I’ve got it.” And then when she passed them back, I was like – “Oh, my God!” It’s fun passing a painting off and trusting someone to work on your work and not ruin it but make it better.

Lela: And it’s work that’s been in “Time Out” – where I just can’t look at it or don’t know what to do with it. So, giving it to someone and saying, “Just do whatever you want with it,” and having it come back and feeling like – “Yes!” – is awesome. That was another good way to collaborate. And our studios are in the same warehouse, so it's really fun to be able to knock on the door and ask – “What do you think about this?” Having a true collaborator and peer that you trust.

This is my biggest wall, and I wanted Janice on this project from the beginning. I fought really hard for that.

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Female Warriors Meredith: I’ve watched you do this very physical work all week.

How do you feel? Are you exhausted? Are you sore at the end of the day?

Janice: You kind of just push through it. I am tired, but it’s also exciting, and I think the adrenaline comes each day when you come back to it. You can do a big project and you’re tired and you think, “I’m not going to do it again for a while,” but then another project comes and you say, “I’ll take it!” You enjoy it, and I’d rather be doing this than sitting behind a desk every day.

Lela: We were here until 10:00 last night, crawled into bed, woke up, and then once I get here, I’m energized and I know I have all of this stuff to do. An outdoor mural is hard because our deadline is Tuesday, but it’s probably going to rain Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, so we have to use our time wisely. With indoor murals, too, we’ve worked all night. We did one for Fritti, and we would leave at like 8:00 in the morning. But you do it. You love it. How many people can say they get to do what they love and feel like a warrior?

Janice: Yeah!

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Female Warriors Lela: There are sacrifices, though. Like your dog – you were calling to make sure your boyfriend was taking care of the dog.

Meredith: But, Lela, you have a baby.

Janice: It is different.

Lela: Yes, my husband and my baby are feeling very neglected. I want to make sure I see my baby, and then I have to work. There’s this crushing feeling, but then I get to my wall, and I’m like – “You know what? I’ve got to do this.” It’s love.

"How many people can say they get to do what they love and feel like a warrior?"

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Female Warriors

Meredith: When you were coming up with concepts for this wall in particular, how did you work together?

Janice: Lela had done a lot of sketches on the computer prior to this.

And I had done a whole series of these diamonds in all different colors. We just took the images and played around with them.

Lela: Having someone there and being able to pull their images in and look at it, it’s nice. Those other sketches that we proposed for this project are going to stick around. We’re looking for more projects.

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Female Warriors Meredith: Where do you get inspiration from?

Lela: For me, I’ll take a break and go to another city and go to the art museums. Museums always get me super inspired. That’s why you’ll see certain influences in my series. “Wow, you must have been looking at a lot of Byzantine art.” Or –“You were totally in the Modern section.” A lot of times, I have to go exercise or meditate, and something will inspire me. I have to be careful of looking at other artists on Instagram because I get overwhelmed.

Janice: It can be discouraging.

Lela: We’ve talked about that. When I start looking at what other mural artists are doing, my mind gets blown. And I think, “I want to do that.” But then it freaks me out because I think, “How am I going to scale a 15 story building and also put a figure on it? How the hell am I going to do that?” And then, I tell myself – “Stop.” Like Hense just did that massive Midtown building with an installation.

Janice: But he also has that whole crew that helps.

Lela: Yeah, well, I want a crew.

Janice: I can’t afford a crew.

Lela: We’re each others’ crew. One day, we’ll have minions. Mark our words.

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Female Warriors

Meredith: I’m curious, from an artist’s perspective, does your art usually turn out how you pictured it, or does it evolve and become better, or does it fall short of your vision?

Janice and Lela: All of those.

Janice: It’s all of it, but I feel like I’ll have a picture planned but it becomes better. I’ll have a certain thing in mind, but then it changes because happy accidents happen. Then I just play off of that.

Lela: I admire that about her because my work hasn’t been able to do that in a while. If I have a series I have to get done, these days, I don’t have the time to make a mistake.

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Female Warriors Lela (continued): But that’s made me be more strategic, and my stuff is distinctively mine. I’ve discovered what works for me.

But that can be bad because I have to change as an artist.

How can you change but also still be “you.”

Janice: It’s hard.

Lela: Experiment – but still remain true to yourself. I admire Janice for her spontaneity.

Her work is a living thing. It’s growing as she does it. I love that.

Meredith: Janice, I’m interested in how you got into figurative art because I read in your interview in Voyage ATL that you were originally doing flowers and that you hated doing figures. How did start doing figures?

Janice: My last year of college is when I took on the challenge and thought, “OK, I’m going to start doing more figurative.” During high school, I did fashion design, so there’s a fascination in it because it’s so challenging. I actually grew to enjoy it.

Meredith: So, it got easier?

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Female Warriors Janice: Yeah, it got easier. And now knowing how shadows go, it’s kind of just second nature. I used to believe in not buying your blacks. I mixed all my colors from primaries. I bought my first blacks about four years ago. I used to always mix. Because you get your richest blacks from mixing. You can’t get that from a tube of paint.

So, I’ve always done that and the bigger my projects got, I finally had to let go.

Lela: Did a professor do that to you?

Janice: Yeah, I was trained like that. The thing is, if you mix your own blacks, you’ve got to mix enough. You have to get it done before it dries because you can’t remix the same color. But one time I was working on this eight foot painting in Austin, TX at one of the bars down there and I got it all done and got to the last day and the pigment changed on part of it. I looked at my roommate and said, “I am going to cry right now.” I stayed up all night and had to redo the entire painting.

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Female Warriors

Lela: I can’t hear that right now.

Janice: That sinking feeling was mortifying. I got it done, but now I just buy the black paint. I still enjoy it. On my Instagram feed you can see a color series I did. I just love color combinations. I’m fascinated with color. I think a lot of that came from mixing my own colors. It’s like a formula in your head.

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Female Warriors Meredith: How would you describe the Atlanta art scene as opposed to other cities?

Lela: I would say that we have a very special southern renaissance going on right now.

Janice: Yeah, that’s pretty big. From my perspective, I feel like it’s pretty diverse. There’s a whole range of artists – different mediums.

I was talking to somebody a week ago and in their opinion they didn’t think it was diverse at all, and I was taken aback. I see people thriving in all mediums – not just painting. I feel like everyone embraces it all. I think Atlanta is starting to figure it out a little bit more. It’s not New York or California . . .

Lela: I don’t want it to be New York or California.

Janice: I don’t either, but it’s getting to that point where people are actually acknowledging it. A lot of cities still don’t want murals everywhere.

"We have a very special southern renaissance going on right now."

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Female Warriors

Lela: I think there are some heavy-hitters in Atlanta that are making some big moves and doing some really awesome stuff. Like Hense is a wonderful example. He’s all over the world. And then you have people like Peter Ferrari and Greg Mike and the galleries that are showing local, southern artists. We’re staying here and putting our stamp on the city. And people are moving here. The movie industry.

The technology industry. I just did the NCR building, and they said, “We want this to be the southern technology hub.” Music, food, and fashion. My sister lives in LA and is a fashion designer and she said, “Man, Atlanta. There’s some stuff happening there.” I make a fulltime living as a professional artist, and I’m busy. I can’t ask for more.

I will say that we’re a very welcoming city. If someone comes and wants to paint . . . like Greg Mike always brings in International artists. Peter Ferrari gave me my first wall for Forward Warrior, and I had never painted a wall. He’s doing that constantly with artists that are Atlanta-based. We were just talking about Forward Warrior. For murals and artist, I think it’s great. If you want to be a professional artist and you work hard enough, you can do it. The whole starving artist thing is not true. I’m making a full-time living and I’m a mom and I’m a woman. I think it’s a great place that’s thriving.

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Female Warriors Janice: I think it’s true on certain levels. I think we all go through that starving artist phase.

Lela: Yeah, and that’s important.

Janice: You grow from that.

Lela: I think in any profession, you start off with very little experience and having to work to get it.

Janice: I’ve gone through the phase of eating a banana and granola bar every day, but it’s worth it when you look back on it.

Lela: As a photographer, Meredith, what do you think? Yours is a different medium. What do you think about Atlanta?

Meredith: I think it’s great. Like what you were saying, Atlanta is very welcoming, and there is untapped opportunity. The art scene is actually growing. Whereas, I think if you were to go to New York, there are so many people packed into such a tight space that it’s much more competitive and harder to find your niche. Here, there is more space.

Lela: I went to the Midtown Alliance and they were talking about how fast the city is growing and how to make it more peoplefriendly. And one council woman said, “People love art. So, we should have art.” It’s funny to say it like that, but it’s true. Like Lauren Pallotta, she’s always doing things with the community and getting the neighborhoods involved.

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Female Warriors [I had the opportunity to interview Lela about her background in Issue Two, so I took this opportunity to find out more about Janice.]

Meredith: Janice, I read that you were born in Hawaii and that you also lived in Germany and England. Is that right?

Janice: Yes, my dad was in the Air Force. He was a Master Sergeant for 25 years.

Meredith: At what age did you move to Germany?

Janice: I moved to Germany when I was in First Grade. So, all of elementary school I was in Germany. Then, I moved to England in Middle School and part of High School.

Meredith: So, how was all of that moving around?

Janice: When I was younger, it was tough. I always hated it because you would have to make new friends every time you moved. We even moved bases within the countries, too. As I got older I learned to appreciate it, and then you miss it . . . [When we moved to the United States] it was a little bit of a culture shock because my mom wanted Texas, my dad wanted Colorado, but we got Valdosta, Georgia. Bible belt area. But I met some of the best people there, so it was great.

I went to college down there. Then, I moved to Austin, Texas for a couple of years. Then, I came back to Georgia.

And I’m glad.

Atlanta’s great.

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Mural

Meredith: Do you miss Germany?

Janice: I do. The food is so good. My all time favorite restaurant is there. It’s called El Perada. The owners were phenomenal. I miss the traveling. When you’re in Germany you can just drive and go to the countries all around it.

Every summer, we would go to Korea for three months. So, I’ve kind of always just been all over. My mom would leave my sister and I at my aunt’s house in Seoul, and mom would be an hour and half away at her mom’s house. My mom’s sister’s family can’t speak English. They are all Korean. So, you have to speak Korean or you can’t communicate. I’ve been going since I was a baby, so I would go and I would forget English and come back only speaking Korean . . . I was always just moving. I think that makes it easier for me to move – to kind of drop and go. In Austin, I didn’t know I was coming to Atlanta until three months prior, and I thought, “I’m just going to try out Atlanta.”

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Female Warriors Meredith: How do the murals compare to your studio work? Do you enjoy one more than the other?

Janice: I like the variety. You always miss the other, but then you get excited to do the other. For me, I need the challenge. If I don’t have the challenge, I get bored. I like these [murals] because it’s challenging. And it’s just fun . . . I haven’t even started on my personal work this year. I’ve been so busy with murals. Well, I did the show with Lela in January. And I’m working on work in a couple of restaurants . . . I just need to remember to schedule time to focus on my own work.

It’s hard for me to find the balance. My boyfriend is teaching me a lot in that area.

Meredith: Is he an artist?

Janice: No, he and his brother started King of Pops.

Meredith: Oh, I didn’t know that! I saw the mural you painted for them, and I didn’t realize that was your boyfriend's company.

Female Warriors Janice: Yeah, he’s been trying to teach me the business side. And he’s got a creative side to him, too. He doesn’t think so, but he’ll see things in my work that I never thought of . . . It was funny because I had just finished that Bishop’s wall in Chamblee on Friday afternoon, and I was talking to Nick later and saying, “The colors are just beautiful. Each diamond is kind of like it’s own painting in itself." And he said, “Do you think you could do one at the office?” (They have that new headquarters that’s massive.) And I said, “Sure.” And then he said, “But by Monday.” He wanted to surprise the employees.

And I was like – “What?!” But I had all of this paint left over, so I said, “Alright. Let’s do it.” So, I did that 30 foot mural right after I had just finished a 40 foot mural. But it was fun . . . I just love this diamond pattern. You can’t ever replicate the exact same thing.

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Female Warriors Meredith: So, Lela, while Janice is working on some restaurants and some personal work, what will you be doing next?

Lela: I just finished a wall at Soul Cycle and have one more before the Month of May is over. And of course Forward Warrior in June!

As the summer rolls in and the heat wave really starts, I will be moving indoors to work in my studio on a large series for a solo show that will be in August at Kai Lin Gallery. I am really aching to switch to smaller works compared to the massive walls and to have a little time to reflect and create in the privacy of my studio. Mural work is so physical demanding so while I work on walls I really don’t get in much running, which is a passion of mine. I look forward to having the time and energy to start training for my next half marathon. My mural schedule will pick back up in early September.

Follow Lela on Instagram @lelabrunetart and Janice @janiceragoart to find out where they will be painting next and make sure to visit them @forwardwarrior in Atlanta on June 16 - 17.

Turn the page to see the finished product . . .

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Female Warriors

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Female Warriors

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Not the end

Hang out with us in

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Not the end

Photograph by Meredith M Howard

Now, get back on the streets . . .

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Historic South Atlanta, Photograph by Meredith M Howard

ISSUE EIGHT