Read the Writing on the Wall: 1134nyc's "Morning Haze"

Words: Kristopher Monroe

Tasty things are happening at OlivoDoce, Capitol Hill’s most exciting new art space. Located almost directly across from the Capitol Hill Arts Center, the new gallery has been showing the work of forward thinking artists in the graphic design and urban arts arenas since July of last year. This month they’re bringing back New York graffiti writers/visual artists MINT and SERF of 1134nyc for their exhibition “Morning Haze,” an installation that covers the entire gallery—floor, walls and ceiling—with their trademark “urban jungle” flora and tags. 1134nyc is a collection of NY artists and designers who, among other things, produced the book “Autograf,” an indispensable document of NYC taggers and graffiti artists.

MINT and SERF say they’re trying to bring a fine art element to their exhibitions while staying real to the spirit of what motivates true graf writters, namely the guerilla ethos of street art vandalism. The show brings together the grit of the city with the beauty of the natural world in what is described as, “a post-party hangover, an early stroll through the urban jungle.” And just like that first joint the morning after, what a sweet hangover that haze is! MINT says he’s tired of the hype surrounding so-called “urban artists” and can’t wait until the hype dies down to see who’s left standing. As for their show at OlivoDoce, they’re definitely bringing street art to the Northwest true-school.

“Morning Haze” runs through February 28 at OlivoDoce Art Space, 1203 E Olive St (corner of 12th & Olive).