Get "Brainwashed" in NYC

"Everything is beautiful. Pop is everything," said one of the greatest Pop Artists of all time, Andy Warhol.

I don’t think anyone will disagree, that when it comes to art, there is no right or wrong. The mere thought that a piece of “art” is either fascinating or boring is objective.

What one person sees as a beautiful work of art, another may see as dull. And what one sees as stimulating, another may see as downright terrible.

I like to believe that is the beauty of art-and its subjectivity is what makes it so unique. Remember that drawing of a turkey you brought home during kindergarten? Your mom and dad hung it on the fridge for the rest of the year and you thought you were on your way to becoming the next Picasso. And there is no disputing the fact that Picasso was one of the best artists of all time, but I like the fact that art has transformed over the years.

Pop Art is one of my favorites. Largely in fact because it’s relatable to the everyday life we live in. Pop Art is and continues to be the complete opposite of what “traditional” art was once known to be. Today, Pop Art is so much more than it was ten years ago, as it continues to speak loudly to that of visually communicating the every day life that is, the “American dream”- which for all of us can mean different things. However, we all agree that the “American Dream” can somewhat be described as the concept of a forever optimist, a dreamer, hopeful, idealistic, creative, positive and overall at times a bit naïve.

New York is FULL of Pop art and some of the most famous include artists of the early 60’s such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, James Rosenquist, and Claes Oldenburg. But today, the mass media and pop culture have shifted the concept of Pop Art and it is identified with everyday life. In fact, a lot of the art displayed in my apartment is from Pop street artists like Bansky, who I love!

Banksy "Girl With a Balloon."- There is Always Hope.

I recently discovered the work of Street Pop Artist Mr. Brainwash. Mr. Brainwash is the moniker of Street Pop artist Thierry Guetta. Born in France and based in Los Angeles, Mr. Brainwash has been pushing pop culture's envelope for almost a decade, bringing his art to the street, the gallery, and onscreen. Armed with wheat paste, spray cans, brushes and paint buckets, Mr. Brainwash began attacking the streets in 2006 with stencils and posters of beloved icons and quickly becoming a renowned figure in the burgeoning underground art scene. Now, Mr. Brainwash has brought his street art to six continents and attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors to his massive, multi-story warehouse solo art shows. He has created cover artwork and album campaigns for Madonna, Michael Jackson, Rick Ross, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Black Keys, and others. He starred and was the subject of Banksy's 2010's Academy Award nominated film "Exit Through The Gift Shop."

One of my favorites can be seen while walking along the Highline in NYC. It is that of Albert Einstein (one of Guetta’s favorite idols) and simply states, “Love is the Answer”.

Mr. Brainwash art seen on the Highline "Love is the Answer"

But most recently, Mr. Brainwash has opened up a pop-up gallery exhibition titled “Life is Beautiful” and it is a compilation of some of his classics, mixed with modern day.