Joshua Allen Harris

Before subway

Anyone who has walked in New York City or any city that has a subway system, is obviously familiar with the subway grates that line the sidewalks. Girls avoid stepping on them when wearing heels and skirts while everyone else doesn't give them a second thought and just walks over them. That is until Joshua Harris came up with the idea of inflatable street art. Harris has taken garbage bags and turned them into something enjoyable for New York commuters.

Subway's here!

He starts by cutting the plastic bags then glues them together into whatever shape he plans on executing. He leaves the bottoms open and then ties them to the grates. When not inflated, people think the bags are simply garbage lying on the grates but the moment a subway passes underneath, art appears. The air coming up from the subway inflates the plastic bags and Harris' creatures are revealed. The most famous being his polar bear.
Not only is Harris creating an enjoyable and refreshing piece of art in an unexpected place but he is also helping the environment. The materials Harris uses are those he finds littered in the streets, such as garbage bags and plastic grocery bags.
The last installation that was seen from Harris was back in 2009 but people eagerly await for his return and the new animals he has in store for the streets of New York City.

Mark Jenkins

Giraffe; 2003

Just tape. Well packaging tape. That's all it takes for Jenkins to create his infamous street installations that can be found in Rio De Janeiro, New York, and Washington D.C. Jenkins made a name for himself in 2003 when he created his first piece of artwork; the tapemen. These pieces look like regular people clothed and sitting or standing throughout the city but made out of tape. Most passers-by think nothing of the "people" cloaked in sweat shirts and pants until they see a piece that is missing a head, then they realize that it is art. Most of his work consists of fake "living" statues and "sleeping" mannequins. He is often referred to as the prankster of art because half the time, viewers don't know whether the art is real or fake. When asked what each piece is to represent Jenkins replies, " each piece is an exploration of evolution within the realm of the absurd".

Born in 1970 and raised in Fairfax, Virginia, Jenkins has made it a point to travel to countries world wide sharing his unique type of art. He even offers classes and workshops to the cities he visits. Jenkins artwork can be found lying on top of billboards, street corners, or floating in the water and never cease to amaze and surprise the crowds.

Eric Grohe: Real life?

Eric Grohe was born in New York City in 1944 and soon moved out to the West Coast where you can find most of his artwork. Grohe has made a name for himself by creating murals on the side of buildings that are so realistic that people actually have to go up to the buildings and touch the brick to know that it's not real. Similar to Julian Beever, (posted earlier) Grohe creates a "trompe d'oeil" affect that fools the viewer that what they are seeing is real.
     He creates murals that transform the community and environment, often taking drab places and giving them his special effect. It is said that his artwork takes months to complete so the community gets to see the process and the building goes from bland to a masterpiece. He makes sure to use a special type of German paint, Kiem Mineral Paint so his work won't fade away. He is one of the few muralists in the country who is able to use this unique type of paint.
     You can find his work through out the country but is generally located on the West Coast with a few murals in the Midwest and East Coast. The closest mural to Hofstra would be his mural at Niagra Falls. Grohe is probably one of the few artist who have very few negative critics against him because what he is doing isn't considered "vandalism " to many people because in most cases, he is making it a better place.

Jeff Koons: Art on the larger scale

     Jeff Koons is most widely known for his exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago in the summer of 2008. The exhibition showed Koon's latest work which consisted of larger than life, everyday objects transformed into art. His most famous  pieces of art includes one of those balloon dogs that a clown would make for you at your friends birthday party and a handful of tulips; all of course enlarged. Almost all of his creations is made out of stainless steel and then coated with a mirror finish to give it the "balloon effect". It is said to be almost indistinguishable between his artwork and real balloon, other than the size difference. He makes the creases where you would tie the not and shines the part where the light would hit it giving it a realistic feel.
     While Koon holds the title of having the most expensive piece of artwork ever purchased at an auction($23. 6 million from the Gagosian Gallery in New York), many critics frown upon his art work and call him a joke. They believe that his idea of art is childish and foolish. Some say that just because he has embellished items such as a balloon dog doesn't qualify it as art because he is simply recreating something. Critics say that Koon isn't all the original and that his art work is insulting to "true" artists.
    Check to see more of Koon's work: http://www.jeffkoons.com/