August 09, 2017
If you spend any time looking at the ground around Soho or the Lower East Side in New York City you’ve likely noticed drip painted portraits of rather dapper looking men in bow ties. These are the work of street artist Paul Richard, a Boston native living in New York since 1997. He recently had his first solo gallery exhibition in 5 years at 212 Arts in the East Village. A client who purchased a piece brought it to us for framing and we gave it a polished gallery look by floating the work on museum board with rice paste and mulberry paper hinges. The look was completed with a black frame moulding and museum glass.
The Paul Richard portrait framed in our studio
Richard works out of Greenpoint Brooklyn and has participated in the Greenpoint Open Studios. Apart from taking to the streets with his work he often shows in unusual spaces, for example his sold out exhibition at the Astor Place K-Mart. Richard is a quirky and enigmatic artist. His street art practice also includes a project he refers to as “Designated Art”. He places official looking gallery labels and plaques on objects in the world like tree stumps, fire hydrants and lampposts. He takes credit as the creating artist and often includes a price. Surprisingly, Paul is also an accomplished figurative oil painter. His paintings are often whimsical for example, men in tutus, but can be equally serious as with an official portrait for a local judge. His website features the diversity of his styles and work and also showcases his self-deprecating whit.
Examples of Richards' street art: a drop painting and work of "Designated Art"But it is his drip paintings that stand out as his trademark. The work we framed is also currently featured prominently as a t-shirt design on his website. A number of celebrities have commissioned his work including Christina Aguilera, Jay Z, Beyoncé and Justin Bieber. The Frames and Stretchers studio is often fortunate to work with artworks from many of the better-known street artists in the NYC community and it was great fun to have Paul’s work in the house.
Richards' recent portrait of Justin Beiber
