ShyMob Shrines on Rivington
For just a few short hours yesterday morning, an impressive assembly of street art was displayed on Rivington between Orchard and Ludlow. Six different hand-crafted shrines were hooked onto the perimeter fence of the overgrown lot where the old First Roumanian-American Congregation Synagogue once stood [RIP 2006].
This image has been archived or removed.
The shrines were carefully constructed with a distinct theme in mind – money, fame, love, youth, hope, and grace. And dangling from each was a laminated pink paper with a spiritual prayer. Everyone who passed by here stopped for a glimpse. It was unavoidable. Some even scrawled their own messages, the most moving of which was, “I want true love, not just a one night stand.”
This image has been archived or removed.
One man was casually sitting in the shade near the artwork. On a whim, we asked if he was the talent behind the piece, and he nodded. His name is Steve, but he goes by ShyMob. Steve told us that the shrines were months in the making, and that the overall inspiration was addressing our primal cravings and desires. The ultimate goal is to find someplace permanent for the collection.
This image has been archived or removed.
In the end, Steve said he was quite satisfied with the reception of yesterday’s exhibition. Witnessing the collective neighborhood reaction to his artwork from afar is something in which he takes pleasure. Check out his other work here.
This image has been archived or removed.
As a fitting post script, Steve left part of the Hope shrine in an effort to elicit discussion. A Sharpie hangs from the piece, inviting passersby to share their thoughts.
Recent Stories
‘Holy Ground’ Smokehouse Readies Pop-up Picnic in Vacant Ludlow Street Lot
The vacant lot might not have attracted a full-on food truck scene led by Schaller & Weber, but eats nevertheless are here at 159 Ludlow Street. Now that the gear from Sebastian ErraZuriz’s corporate space stunt is long gone, it’s apparently time for a cookout. Picnic tables and barbecues arrived in the resurfaced lot this […]
‘Mikey’s Burger’ on Ludlow Street is out of Business
Another Ludlow Street burger joint just called it quits. Six months shy of ten years on the block, Mikey’s Burger served its last. And rather suddenly, too. The gates are drawn at 134 Ludlow and topped with the token Misrahi Realty leasing signage. Mikey’s became something of a locals favorite after its debut in December […]
Here’s the First Rendering of the 7-Story New Museum Annex on the Bowery
For the New Museum, some headlines unrelated to the staff union. Indeed, the art hub on the Bowery yesterday announced the design of a new sidecar building on the property it acquired a decade ago. Designed by OMA/Shohei Shigematsu and Rem Koolhaas, the development at 231 Bowery is eleven years in the making. The New […]
Councilwoman Chin’s Open Space Game as Haven Green Goes to City Council Vote Today
While the fate of Elizabeth Street Garden will ultimately be decided in the courts, today’s City Council vote on the Haven Green affordable housing project set to rise on the Garden marks the final chapter in the city’s Uniform Land-Use Process (ULURP). Garden advocates fear the vote will be another rubber-stamp action by the City […]
New Museum Union Protests on the Bowery as Contract Negotiations Continue
Members of the nascent New Museum workers union congregated on the Bowery yesterday evening to protest alleged mistreatment by management. The vocal stunt went down as the institution’s summer exhibitions opened to the public. The disgruntled distributed leaflets alleging the New Museum had “disparaged” the group’s health care and wage proposals, and that the museum […]
