ART IN THE UNDERPASS
Bloor Street Underpass, originally uploaded by the workroom.
Things like this make me smile on a daily basis. A huge and detailed mural was recently painted on the south side of the underpass just west of Lansdowne on Bloor Street West. It’s really quite pretty, mixing wallpaper imagery with trees, leaves and pine cones. I’m assuming that this is a sanctioned art piece, as it was put up gradually over a couple weeks, during the day. I walk along the underpass everyday and I think this is a brilliant way to improve a some-what unpleasant piece of the urban landscape.
I’m obsessed with the graffiti artist, Banksy. I wonder how much of this article is true. {via NOTCOT}
Also – Ellie told me about this a while ago, I really want to try it. I think this would be a good project for the workroom’s garden.
p.s. It’s my day off and it’s sunny, so I’m spending the day outside!
{AN ADDED NOTE – I did my research on the underpass artist, it’s Richard Mongiat. There is a great posting here about the project. Read through to the comments, I was really disappointed to hear people’s negative reactions to the lack of colour in the mural. I personally think that’s why it’s so refreshing.}
6 comments
I’d like to think that they’ll never really know who Banksy is. He’s sort of like a superhero like that.
I’ll have to go see that bridge for myself. It looks really pretty. (Is this the bridge between Value Village and Symington?)
Have a great day off in the sunshine!
Melinda – I agree. I love the mystery of Banksy and you’re so right – superhero is the perfect word to describe him.
That’s exactly the bridge, by the Value Village. Take a peek the next time you’re up there thrifting.
i’m so with you karyn – you know what a colour and pattern whore i am, but there is something so serene and natural and contemplative about this. it’s almost quietly subversive to do an underpass mural in white and grey – it totally breaks the rules of what public art “should” look like. thanks for sharing it.
Really nice. I love the quiet colour scheme.
It reminds me a little of this “reverse” grafitti: http://www.woostercollective.com/2008/06/mooses_reverse_graffiti.html
Jen – It’s definitely much more difficult to do subtle well and most people need to have something hit them in the face in order for it to make an impact. I’m so thankful when something like this piece gets to exist to make a quiet statement.
Siobhan – Thanks so much for the link! That video is fantastic. Reverse graffiti is so damn clever, I can hardly stand it.