Artists paint lampposts in Little Italy to share artwork

LITTLE ITALY (WABC) -- The San Gennaro festival kicked off this week and as you're strolling around Little Italy, look for artwork displayed in an unusual place.

"Every time I see one that's not painted by me and J.P., I'm like, 'Oh that's so ugly,'" said B.D. White, an artist.

It's something we sort of ignore.

"I like painting on anything that will take the paint so light poles, why not?" said John Paul O'Grodnick, an artist.

That's right lamp posts! On Mulberry Street from Canal north, it's where we caught up O'Grodnick and White while they were touching up their work on the lower halves of 18 poles in Little Italy.

This project with the city is a way to showcase art in an unusual way.

"Mine is very like precise, while J.P. is emotional and raw," White said.

If John Paul looks familiar, it's because back in February we first met this rising artist. He had just nailed a big project with the GAP on a line of limited jeans with his markings on them. And now he's added this.

"It's been nonstop since then. People have stopped and take pictures and put it on Instagram and they Facebook, tagging us in them, it's been really exciting," O'Grodnick said.

White is passionately drawn to this powerful image.

"It's not about any specific conflicts so it could be the child that Boca Heron uses or just in our own impoverished communities where children are recruited to gangs as little as 11, 12 years old," White said.

John Paul's signature style thinks far beyond here. Right now he's about to land yet another big project.

"After our first interview a manufacturer contacted me and was just interested in working with me as using my art on their rain boots," O'Grodnick said.

As for this perfect pairing of artists, "I'm willing to keep working as hard if not harder than I was," O'Grodnick said.

All of the images on the Lampposts are also available on canvas.

This was all part of the LoMan Art Fest & the 2015 L.I.S.A. Project NYC public art program.

For more information on the artists, please visit:

http://www.bdwhite.net/

http://jpoart.com/