Reading the Streets: Cost is in Brooklyn

NEW YORK – Cost has hit Brooklyn, plastering his posters throughout Greenpoint and Williamsburg. One of the artists instrumental in making wheatpasting a respected form of street art, he was also famously arrested in the ’90s for his grafitti – earning him fines and community service. The arrest put a damper on his graffiti efforts for several years, after a couple of decades of dominating the scene with partner Revs.

But he’s back now and his posters display stark graphics that are striking to the eye, especially in how the posters are displayed in multiples for an intense effect. Cost is old school in that his posters usually incorporate his name along with a message –former posters have claimed “Cost f-----d Madonna” and the unambiguous “Cost was here,” and even posting a phone number that he and Revs left messages on, changing them day to day.

Many of his pieces are also paired with a black-and-white animal image by artist Keely, who owns Pandemic, a gallery in the area. The wood-blocked dog is in line with Keely’s other fierce animal posters – often incorporating fish or bats in profile in the statement pieces.