Reading the Streets: Magda Love

Magda Love on Pacific Street, New York City. Photo by Lois Stavsky via streetartnyc.org.

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Construction sites are breeding grounds for street art. Before an apartment building or store or school is built in Brooklyn, fresh plywood practically breeds tags, stickers, stencils, ads for every event and project imaginable, and now, commissioned, legal murals.

Argentinian artist Magdalena Marcenaro, a k a Magda Love, with some help from the Pacific Street Block Association and other Brooklyn nonprofits has transformed a dusty, dreary site on Pacific Street between Court Street and Boerum Place into a surrealist garden.

The first panel features a woman standing in a garden, against the blue background of the construction site. The garden grows not only neon pink and orange flowers, but also a collection of clocks, and an adorable white rabbit hiding in the corner. The woman is painted in variations on off-white, with no discernable facial features, outlined in gray. Around her neck is a yellowish boa, but otherwise she’s naked and covering herself. Still, there’s nothing salacious about it. It’s as if she simply decided, “It’s a nice day. I think I’ll go outside. Clothes are overrated.” Clocks, however, will never be in short supply.

The next panel is a bright pink open mouth, with equally pink lips and gleaming white teeth. The mouth looks like it’s screaming at all of Brooklyn, or perhaps just the collection of black and white ears next to it. Pouring out of this mouth are curls of thick white smoke, with anonymous men’s faces nestled among them.

While a few construction sites have alerted me to exciting concerts, mostly they’re just trying to sell me jeans, which is why I hope this construction site as gallery trend continues, and hopefully, grows. Jeans are fine, but I’d much rather see some art.

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