I was in the same area where I caught the work of a somewhat sloppy graffiti artist (see Off the Mark). The spray paint must have been the work of the same person. However, thinking outside the box, or drawing outside the lines is sign of originality and creative thinking. Three canvases were available: sidewalk, […]
In most cases, graffiti artists don’t have problems framing their tags. They like longevity and usually choose permanent edifices upon which to make their mark. The indelibility of the graffiti pictured below is limited to the portion sprayed on the sidewalk. Out here in California, the gardeners usually come one time a week, which means […]
You should have seen the first wash of this study. Very subtle contours and graded grays. The second wash was a curtain of gray drips. I decided to add color to the mass of gray, and started with a primary blue gouache. I echoed the gray drips and added a primary red . The red […]
At first glance this sign looks to be an exhortation to all who happen by with writing implements. Upon closer reading, it appears as if the building owner is addressing a specific person or persons. Note that the sign writer said “I promised”; ‘promised’ is in the past tense. The building owner already promised not to […]
This time I was the photographer and the graffiti artist! It was at the end of my shift. I don’t know how many times I told my colleagues, “Do not put open liquid containers in the garbage.” They never listen to me. I must have forgotten this fact because, after I swung the garbage bag into […]
I was just getting used to New York as my city in 1988, when I took the photo below. Everything about New York was new to me back then and I enjoyed the visual incongruences that I could capture in my camera. The scene below was taken in on 23rd Street and 5th Avenue looking […]
Imagine a world in which signs are obeyed. My photo below is a glimpse of such a world. The graffiti artist as well as would-be bill posters left the wall un-besmirched on this artfully-constructed wall. I guess the artist felt free to express him/herself on the federally-owned post office relay boxes. Or maybe I just got […]
It is getting harder and harder to read the news. I’m glad I’m old. This NYC graffiti from the 1990s is an apt comment on the state of affairs today.
The photo below came to mind as my posts of the past few days have progressed from representational to abstract (see Overdone?, Loquat Tree Detail, Nespoli, Abstract Nespoli, Nespol-Leaf Salad). I remember how cold it was that day in New York City. The sun was bright, however and the it was shining directly on the […]
I took many photographs of graffiti when I lived in New York City in the 1990s (see Listing of Previous Graffiti Sketches, NYC Graffiti Watercolors – For Sale). On one of my walks, I came across two extraordinary images. One was a cat that looked like it was wearing an overcoat, the other was a […]
