BIFUTEKI

NIKE OPENS NEW YORK MADE: STANTON STREET COURTS BY KAWS

Written by

Phil “philski” Gepty

Phil “philski” Gepty

Nike’s deep roots in New York City are represented in its latest campaign: New York Made. Made possible through partnership the New York City Parks and Recreation, Nike’s commitment to the city and its community’s is at heart of the program, which kicks-off through the opening of the New York MADE: Stanton Street Courts by Kaws.

Designed by Brooklyn-based, world-renowned artist Brian Donnelly, the court embodies the Nike’s drive to elevate sport, culture and community through innovative collaborations.

“I always think about when I was young and the things I had interaction with, whether it was skateboard graphics or magazines, and how art reached me. I’ve been conscious of how my work disseminates and reaches people. It could be a canvas in a museum…or it could be a court, a wall or a t-shirt,” says Kaws. “ I like the idea of public art because it reaches people in a casual way, and when they aren’t necessarily looking for it.”

The New York MADE: Stanton Street Courts by Kaws encompasses two side-by-side full basketball courts (approximately 116 by 80 feet), as well as four hoops.

“My approach to the courts was very similar to how I would work on canvas. I wanted to create something that was true to my language, but also considerate of this being a court that people are playing on,” he explains. “I wanted to find the sweet spot where it works visually and functionally — how its broken up by the game’s lines and works with my images. It will have an intimate effect on the players that use the court.”

Kaws first moved to Manhattan in 1996, and lived on the corner of Clinton and Stanton Street. His familiarity the Park and its neighborhood is thus extremely personal. ““The courts that we painted, I used to pass everyday,” he remembers. “I lived at the corner of Clinton and Stanton Street. I worked over in Soho, so I’d walk through…when I wasn’t taking Houston, I’d go through that park.”

The New York MADE: Stanton Street Courts by Kaws is located at Sara D. Roosevelt Park in Manhattan’s Lower East Side.