A large blue portrait of a woman, painted by Leticia Mandragora in 2020, dominates the center square in the small Italian town of Stornara.
Over the past few years, the organization Stornara Life, has been responsible for bringing artists to the town to paint murals. There are now more than 100 of them. Mandragora’s blue portraits are now on three of the walls in this town including this young girl on the side of a residential building. It was painted in 2023 as part of the annual Stramurales festival.
“Reginae Mater Natura” from August 2021
He is San Rocco, a 14th century pilgrim who was known for his ability to cure those with the plague…before he himself died of it
below: On the left is a little Nuno Costah character with a bird on its hand and the world on its back, all showing más love. Beside it is a portrait of Domenico Modugno by bio dpi (aka Fabio della Ratta). Domenico Modugno (1928-1994) was an Italian singer, actor and, then, a member of the Italian Parliament.
below: On the south side of the city is this old wall.
below: Two old reddish faces
below: A crab with its insides exposed takes on a squid
below: A boy and his cat.
below: A little black Qwerty figure partially obscured by a scowling blue man from Beijing Tattoo China.
below: Ti apprezzo – I cherish you.
below: Tiny coloured drawing of a young woman with three flowers, along with what looks like another woman in profile drawn with parallel black lines. Also, at the bottom, an AU OSCE sticker
below: And last, a little yellow feathery bird with skinny legs and a cap with a W.
below: A street in the Trastevere neighbourhood in Rome.
below: A collection of paste-ups (or wheatpastes) from a number of artists.
below: The large simplified guy has Frafimi written on his tummy while the blue hand says “Smile please” as it seems to reach for a skunk. Draw is on the run, The Chosen Few Worldwide show a fist and Horus, at the far right, has weird eyes.
below: T.A.C.I.M. Collective‘s black and white portrait of a woman with long hair beside a funny looking Jack’o’lantern (i.e. a pumpkin with a face carved into it).
below: Blackheart boy of The Chosen Few with another black and white woman’s portrait. She partially covers that strange image of the two men. ”Liebe” is on the screen at TV Clan. Liebe is love.
below: Urban ninja squadron from Toronto makes an appearance. There is also a circular drawing by Streetartee of a women’s leg emerging from a swirl of hair – being reborn. The I ‘heart’ mare is also one of hers. On the top left, with big lips and finny feet is Fishes Invasion (aka Merioone). This little fish gets around; I have seen his image in so many places!
below: A combination of streetartee (aka 11tee, or Tracey) and Alessandro Spun (aka spun29) and a large black and white Marilyn Monroe. This is one of those pieces that I struggle with but the fact that streetartee is female seems to make it easier for me to accept it. ”Vivi di gusto” is live with taste while “vivi disgusto” is experience disgust. An interesting play on words.
below: No Limits
below: Another wall, another collection.
below: Two faces with a heart in the middle. The face on the left is an example of pareidolia since the ripped paper forms two eyes, a forehead, and a mouth – our brains see those shapes and interprets it as a face. The other pieces are more paste-ups by streetartee.
below: It’s not a very good photo, but this little image of a woman lying on a cauliflower that has been cut in two is another Spun29 piece. The words, “pelle morta di ventisette anni” translate to “dead skin of twenty-seven years”. And I will leave you with that profound thought…..
Photos taken December 2019
If you are interested, there is a previous blog post from a couple of years ago with more Trastevere slaps
Amsterdam has a large museum/gallery dedicated to street art. It is located on the grounds of an old shipyard, a short ferry ride away from the central part of the city. Some of the murals are outside, along with a lot of graffiti that has been added over time. The works that I have included in this blogpost are what I saw around the outside of the entrance to STRAAT, the indoor gallery
below: A large metal door or gate that various people have left their mark on.
below: Top of the box, two portrait pasteups by Jeremy Novy, as well as two white hands.
below: Just smile on the frame of what once was a mirror. This was contributed to the space by navarriky.
below: A black and white image that is starting to peel.
below: On the other side of the entrance, is a wall that has served as a canvas for a few artists.
below: “The Asseastant” by FALCO, A nude but athletic thrower of life rings. Saving someone? On FALCO’s instagram page there is this description of the work: “”THE ASSEASTANT“ is a message of hope, altruism and activism. It highlights the media absence of hundreds of thousands of human beings who perish braving the seas to escape war, famine or misery vs 5 rich passengers on a touristic submarine cruise.”
below: A head of a large red heart, love, with a halo, the work of Faben,
There are two murals, bright eye catching red helping to hold up a bridge in Heerlen. They were both painted by Brazillian artist Finok, aka Raphael Sagarra, in 2014. The first mural is painted in mostly white, red, and green… three masks, a fish, and a chicken-like creature.
On the same bridge, across the street, is another Finok mural. It too is on a red background. Is the fish about to eat the white headed guy? Or like a genie, has he just been conjured from the fish’s mouth? Whatever the backstory is, the white headed guy looks rather frightened.
This is a post about collecting pictures of all the stickers and pasteups by the artist who goes by the name Sold Out Art Show. We found many as we walked around Brooklyn, the Lower East Side, and other parts of New York City. Sold Out’s characters all have multiple pairs of eyes, often six or seven eyes in total. They also all have a little red broken heart and the word OH! in a corner.
below: Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring”
Last year, canvases with paintings of these ‘portraits’ (and many others) were hung around the city and each was free to take. They are long gone now!
below: Multiple personalities in one place
below: Very recognizable as Leonardo Da Vinci’s “The Mona Lisa” even with the extra eyes and the pink hair.
below: This fellow ended up with 14 eyes and bright green hair.
below: And this shocked fellow still has the green hair, but his mustache is half green and half white.
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below: Collaboration with The Clay Universe aka Christopher G. Villano as well as Robots Will Kill – very blue and very hairy.
Another visit to Graffiti Alley to see what’s changed…..
below: Collage on the back of a sign with contributions by many.
below: An orange dragon graces a utility pole.
below:Sentient Cookie with “The words you’ve said to me a decade ago still echo in my brain”.
below: Another section of wall covered with the remains of stickers and slaps.
below: Truth, It’s that simple. Consume daily. “Free through an earnest volition. Side effects include decreased stress and increased mental clarity…. ” Dorian’s House.
below: Who do you love? Apparently someone loves his/her girlfriend while someone else loves, and misses, Stephanie Ann.
below: More ink additions, this time on a bird. Someone has written, “no phone no wife” – either he thinks that without a phone he can’t find/attract a wife (no tindr?) or he has neither a phone nor a wife (lucky man?). Interpret as you want. Also, there is Kone x Roc on his wing as well as Sari D. declaring her love forever.
below: Someone left their shoe behind… and that’s quite the reaction from Tips
below: 33wallflower33 wheatpaste – My body my choice
below: … and another
below: Urban Ninja Squadron running away with an angry bird…. and Adopt by Praxis in bright pink
below: An angry white cloud seems to hover hover a drawing by catchoo
Photos taken August 2023
Eyes on the Streets 