If you have walked through the East Village in the last couple of years you have probably come across a garbage can bearing inspirational words or two lovesick fish in separate bowls drawn in chalk on the sidewalk. These are just a couple of the mediums that James De La Vega used to display his unique artwork.
Originally from Spanish Harlem, where he still lives and sometimes works, De La Vega moved his storefront operation to the East Village after high rents and police resistance to his street art became too much for him.
On moving to the East Village, De La Vega says “It’s easier for me to work here now.”
Often known as a “guerilla street artist” De La Vega has had many run-ins with the law, including perhaps his most widely publicized trial, in which he was sentenced to 50 hours probation after he refused to state that his intentions in drawing a mural on a blank wall was to damage the property.
All of this may cause people to believe that De La Vega is a rough character, hard to approach. However, De La Vega can often be seen sitting in front of his store at St. Marks Place with a group of friends and often, his mother. He is always willing to talk to any interested passersby and always makes time to converse with customers.
De La Vega attended Cornell University’s fine arts program with a scholarship and after graduating in 1994, split his time between teaching Puerto Rican studies at secondary school, Central Park East, and his street art.
De La Vega’s career as an artist began in the early 1990s when he created a series of wall paintings of Latino men and women as a way to celebrate his Puerto Rican heritage.
Today, De La Vega’s artwork ranges from paitings on garbage cans to murals on the side of pizza shops.
Perhaps his best known pieces of art are the inspirational sayings that pop up all over the neighborhood, ranging from “Be Mindful, Even if Your Mind is Full” and “Don’t Let Idiots Ruin Your Day.”
When asked about the motivation behind his artwork, De La Vega says, “I like the idea of the artist going out into the world and creating a dialogue, so I try to write something I think people need to hear or rehear. Something to make them think, to be in that moment.”
This is the ultimate interest of James De La Vega’s artwork– the melding together of seemingly discordant ideas, philosophies, ethnicities, and neighborhoods, bridging the divide and seeking to reach the everyday person.
The Galeria De La Vega is located at 102 St. Mark’s Place and is open seven days a week from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Friday and 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday.