Ashley Harrell

Walking around the SoHo neighborhood daily -whether to or from work, in and out of meetings, or getting some shopping done on the weekend- I see street art everywhere. One of the things that makes SoHo unique are the dramatic facades and large windows, a happy accident when building construction in the industrial age of SoHo moved to using more affordable, durable cast iron construction. After the abandonment of the highway plan through SoHo, artists of the area (who prized their cheap lofts with natural light and convenient seclusion from the rest of Manhattan) fought to allow residential zoning. As a result, the neighborhood has long been associated with a community of artists… now the streets are dotted with Apple, Louis Vuitton, Top Shop, Prada, etc. Though most of these lofts have been converted into multi-million dollar residences for the Jon Bon Jovis of the world (seriously-he works out at my gym!), the spirit of young artists still lives. So on the note of art – I acquired an abandoned painting by happenstance about a year ago. This was actually when I was living in the East Village, but it moved West with me. Right now I have it mounted above my fireplace, but I don’t know quite what to do with it. There’s a website written on the back, and apparently it’s a reproduction that sells for about $300. I’m not particularly a huge fan of the piece, but I’m wondering if I can do something with it. I wish I was as talented as a friend from college, Kevin Best, who takes thrift store paintings and “remixes” them for the better. Check out his stuff! So – question is, what do I do with this?