Inspired by New York City’s “unexpected contours” and “elegant geometry,” street artist Aakash Nihalani uses brightly-colored sticker tape to highlight unlikely urban beauty in his work. (You might already know him as the artist who was ripped off in Vampire Weekend’s video for “Couzin.”)
“For however briefly, I am trying to offer people a chance to step into a different New York than they are used to seeing, and in turn, momentarily escape from routine schedules and lives,” he explains. “We all need the opportunity to see the city more playfully, as a world dominated by the interplay of very basic color and shape.” After the jump our friends at Babelgum join Nihalani as he brings 3D to his work for the first time, via use of mirrors and passers-by, and discusses why impermanence is important to the acceptance of street art.
Live on the West Coast? Nihalani has a solo exhibition, On & Off (Often On), opening tomorrow night at LA’s Carmichael Gallery.
