Early March 2021

Introduction

The street art I see is usually anonymous – that is, unsigned, or at least signed in a way I cannot understand. But that is not always the case. Some artists sign their work with Instagram tags, web addresses, Facebook identifiers. In this post, I’ll show a few works with identifiable artists and then provide some information about them.

David Zayas

I’ve noticed two works by this artist. I’ll show each before editing, and then after.

The artist David Zayas, not to be confused with the actor of the same name, received his Bachelor’s in Painting from the Escuela de Artes Plasticas de Puerto Rico in 2003. He is now a professor at the Universidad Metropolitan in San Juan. He teaches a course in Urban Art, probably the only course of that type offered in all of Puerto Rico.

Here is another example of his work. I’m not sure where it is physically located. Google ‘David Zayas art’ to see more.

If you want to see more of his work, click here. The link will take you to a another blog post (not mine).

The Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico celebrates Puerto Rican and other Hispanic artists. They devote a page on their website to David Zayas. They quote Zayas on that page:

I feel the responsibility of reaching (impacting) the people, to educate, and not only educate, but let them see my reality, what I think, what is happening, of how I see it… It is as if it was my own newspaper… I try to represent the times I live in.

Click here for the source of the quote.

Aside: Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico

By the way the Museum of Art, located on Avenida de Deigo in the Santurce section of San Juan, is well worth a visit. Originally a hospital, it was built in 1917. The high ceilings and large rooms made the transition to a museum seamless.

Danae Brissonnet

Ms. Brissonnet, from Quebec, Canada, is internationally known for her colorful, fantastical folk inspired public murals. In addition, shes does illustrations, mask making, and puppetry. She is also generous with her gifts – she frequently conducts workshops for local children when she is creating a mural. Click here to see more of her work.

Ms. Bissonnet is currently working on (it may be completed by now) a large mural on an Embassy Suites Hotel in the arts section of New Orleans. Click here to learn more. I’d love to see that – it features Mardi Gras, Louisiana snapping turtles, and oak trees, among other New Orleans icons. All, I’m sure, in her colorful, fanciful style.

Senkoe

The Mexican artist Senkoe studied pedagogy at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, located in the Coyoacan borough of southern Mexico City. He also studied graphic design and attended art workshops at the Academy of San Carlos, which was founded in 1781 and was the first major art academy and museum in the Americas. He now works full time and favors projects that support the recovery of public spaces.

Senkoe has an active Instagram presence. You can check that out here. If you do, you’ll see colorful, fantastical works often influenced by pre-Hispanic art. Here is one more example of his work.

Bronik

I took the image above on one of my walks through La Perla. I cropped it for display; when I examined the whole image I noticed the name Bronik in the upper left hand corner.

Bronik is an artist whose work started in Lima where she was inspired by pre-Hispanic Incan art. She has since moved to Barcelona and is currently in Australia. Here is another one of her works.

Conclusion

I started writing these pieces so I could learn something about the things I see here. I’ve learned about bulbous bows, brown algae, and cement, among other things.

But I have to admit I have lot to learn about street art. How is that a French Canadian, a Mexican, and a Peruvian by way of Spain all have works here in San Juan? What is the network that connects them? Is there a brokerage somewhere, where rights to walls are bought and sold, with the price in bitcoin per square meter? Are the brokers old men, and does the room smell of smoke from cheap cigars? How is it that Danae Brissonnet comes to work on the wall of an Embassy Suites in New Orleans? I’m not questioning her talent – that is obvious and manifest, and I look forward to seeing her creation. I just have no idea as to how these connections are made, and who is responsible for them, and who pays for them.

Guess I’ve still got a lot to learn.

Notes and Sources

The images are mine except where noted. Google the artists’ names for more information.

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