Reading the Streets: Faile and Bäst in Williamsburg

The work off of Wythe includes black stenciling on rectangular patches of white. Bäst’s cartoon magician pulls a Statue of Liberty out of a top hat. The artistic collective Faile combined a line from a hymn “No change my heart shall fear,” with the sexually charged image of two women kissing – a statement supporting gay rights.

Bäst is a Brooklyn native and his art reflects the borough’s gritty and ironic sensibility. His mainstream work has showed up in the fashion industry including a collaboration with Agnes B. He also created a collage for the label of the Greek olive oil brand Eleia.

Faile, made up of Patrick McNeil and Patrick Miller, both now based in Brooklyn, typically draw together images from pulp fiction into statement collages that speak to social issues.

The three artists have a history of working together, doing over a video arcade for a nostalgia-driven art installation in the Lower East Side called Deluxx Fluxx in 2010 and in other projects before. It’s great to have an example of their teamwork still hanging tight in northern Brooklyn.