Aleksey Vaynshteyn - The Vitals

/>Age: 27
Hometown: Born: Voroshilovgrad,
Ukraine. Spent most of adult life in Brooklyn
Where do you now
live?: Brooklyn, NY
How long have you been creating street
art?: I have done some small projects for some time, but really made my
first organized street art project in 2001
What did you do last
night?: I gave my 1 month old daughter a bath.
What is
your favorite thing to eat for dinner?: Steak
Who is your
favorite fictional character?: Homer J Simpson
What do you
currently have in your pockets?: I am not wearing anything that has
pockets
If you were given “more time,” what would you do with it?:
Spend more time in my studio
Who do you love?: My
family

/>

Aleksey Vaynshteyn - The A’s to Our Q’s:

Wooster:
How did you get started in creating art for the street?

/>Aleksey: I always wanted to create art that doesn’t have to
pass through the filter of the art world
(galleries/curators/dealers/critics/etc).  Although is some cases these elements
are useful, and important, I feel that they place great limitations on
communication to the general public.  I wanted to create an experience for the
average person walking down the street.  I wanted an honest reaction to my work,
one not blurred by the confines of the white box.

Wooster:
Why mushrooms?

Aleksey: The following is my
statement on the paper bag mushroom installation in Central Park:
-
———
A MUSHROOM, BESIDES BEING A PHALLIC SYMBOL, IS A SYMBOL OF
FERTILITY, SINCE IT IS ONLY CAPABLE OF GROWING UNDER SPECIFIC CONDITIONS. UNLIKE
THE FOREST, WHERE MUSHROOMS ARE ABUNDANT BECAUSE THE ECOLOGY IS NOT DISTURBED BY
HUMAN INTERVENTION, PARKS ARE BARREN OF FUNGI. THIS IS BECAUSE STRICT MEASURES
ARE TAKEN IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN A BALANCE IN THE PARKS VEGETATION. THE
INSTALLATION OF PAPER BAG MUSHROOMS IS MY REACTION TO THE INFERTILITY OF CENTRAL
PARK, THIS IMPOTENCE OF A NATURE THAT IS UNDER RIGID CONTROL OF THE
CITY.
LIKE THE MUSHROOMS THAT I PLACE IN THE GROUND, THIS NATURE IS FAUX, BECAUSE IT
IS RESTRAINED FROM PURSUING ITS NATURAL COURSE. A PAPER BAG, THE MOST TYPICAL
FORM OF LITTER THAT IS FOUND IN PARKS IS MY MEDIUM OF CHOICE FOR ADDRESSING THE
ISSUES OF IMBALANCE IN THE PSEUDO-NATURAL SUPERFICIALITY OF THE PARK. BECAUSE
THESE FUNGI ARE MAN-MADE USING INDUSTRY-DERRIVED MATERIALS, THEY ARE A PART OF
THIS CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT, ARTICULATING THEIR POINT WITHOUT INTRUSION, AND
USING FAMILIAR VOCABULARY.
———-

/>Wooster: What other artists do you most admire and why?
/>
Aleksey: I love the work of Gordon Matta Clark.  I
feel that we have similar goals of deconstruction of what civilization has put
up.

Wooster: What’s your favorite city,
neighborhood, or block, to post and/or to see street art?

/>Aleksey: I love Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Many parts still
have the same Brooklyn charm that it used to, but my installations tend to last
longer because the public seems sympathetic to art.

Wooster:
What inspires you now?

Aleksey: Right now
my daughter is the biggest part of my life.  By raising her, I feel that I am
creating my greatest art project ever.

Wooster: How
would you describe your style:

Aleksey: Style is
for fashion designers.  I try to communicate rather than stylize

/>Wooster: What are you currently working on?  Can you give us
a sneak peek?

Aleksey: I currently have a show up
at the Transplant Gallery on the lower east side. However, at this time I have
no concrete plans for a street project.  I will be sure to let you know when one
comes up.

Here’s the info for my current show:

Really
Small Works at the Transplant Gallery
139 Orchard St. (btwn Rivington &
Delancey)
Wed - Sun 1-7 pm