There is an aquatic (and fisheries) themed mural that can be seen from the Pinellas Loop Trail in St. Petersburg. It was painted by PlasticBirdie (Jeremy Nichols) and BlaineFontana during the SHINE Mural Festival in 2019 in partnership with PangeaSeed Foundation’s Sea Walls. Funding was provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA). It is over 120 feet long and took eight days to paint. It’s title is “The 8th Funky Fish Town”.
below: Each of the 7 pegs describes one of Florida’s local fisheries. Number 1 is Madeira Beach and number 2 is Panama City …. followed by 3. Cortez, 4. Apalachicola (for oysters), 5.Steinhatchee (for scallops) 6. Matlacha and 7. Key West
below: A coral reef with a dark red grouper fish poking its head out. A gray manta ray is also pictured.
below: And last, a giant green eel with many arrows.
Visitors to Langs Lane (at Little Bourke) are greeted by a very large blue insect thanks to artist Louis Moore.
Langs Lane is a short alley that ends in a very narrow passage as it approaches Bourke Street.
At the narrowing of the alley there is a pink angel with curly black hair and red wings.
There is another blue painting here by Louis Moore – an image of a fish. Or more correctly, part of a fish as the fleshy part of its middle is missing. Just the spine and bones of the center section are still intact.
A man in a cap seems to survey the alley
This poor flower was trying to say something but someone had the audacity to rip her face.
There are a few other remnants of artwork on paper that had been on display here. From what I can tell, there was a series of photographic works titled “Phobias”. It was presented by the Stills Co-op back in 2018 and featured works depicting some of our deepest fears. Unfortunately, very little remains but of course that is what happens when art is left to the elements. It takes on a life of its own, beyond our control. Until someone comes along and paints or papers over the old – you may have noticed some of the Phobia papers behind Louis Moore’s blue fish.
Sometimes the resulting fragments that are still visible can catch our attention.
It was an interesting, and quite extensive, exhibit. Like many art exhibits, the originals live on the internet. See the video at Gavin John Photoography
Some of the other graffiti in Lang Lane is cartoonish. Some with known cartoon, or animated, characters such as Marge Simpson
… or Odie the dog from ‘Garfield’ (with more paper fragments behind).
On Via Regina Margherit in Stornara there is a large mural by Toni Espinar. It’s title is: “La gran mentira” (Triptico de la Consciencia) which translates to “The Big Lie (Triptych of Consciousness). Triptych refers to the fact that the mural is in three sections/scenes, each under its own arch. The arches resemble stonework found in church architecture.
The first frame is dominated by large purple creatures with big white teeth and shiny red eyes. Green biohazard symbols are in their mouths. A gargoyle-like human head with eyes closed is at the top of the arch.
Under the word “Utopia” is a very pregnant man with a tattoo that says “Respect” on his tummy. On his shoulder is another tattoo that combines the symbols for male and female. He is looking skyward, or perhaps heavenward. Is there a comparison to Christ that can be made here? Is there a resemblance to how the face of Jesus is often portrayed?
Tiger mom seems to push little tiger son into the boxing ring. The white words above the gremlins say “La grande bugia” which can also translate to “the big lie”. Across the top of the arch it says “cambiare mondo, non follia ma giustizia”, or “change the world, not madness but justice”
The chest tattoo is a winged red heart with the equation e=mc2, Einstein’s theory of relativity. There is also a series of keyholes on his chest.
On the far right of the mural, a school of green fish swim together.
Ihwa-dong is a neighbourhood, built on a hill (Mount Naksan) in Seoul. Some of the houses are literally built into the city walls. Because of its hilly nature, it is often referred to as a mountain village. In 2006 as a cultural project there was an effort to transform this relatively poor section of the city into an artistic landmark by adding public art – especially murals. Seventy artists were involved. The area became a tourist destination. It was also saved from demolition and redevelopment.
In 2016 the residents petitioned to have the art removed as they did not like the increase in tourist traffic. The local government didn’t do anything so some of the residents painted over a few of the more popular murals. There are also reports of murals being painted over in 2023 … or residents adding their own art
below: A woman walks down (very down!) a street in Ihwa-dong
below: A small neighbourhood behind a fence. Bright red shutters.
below: Girl with a red balloon at number 69.
below: Little puppy dogs and a friendly kitten by the hedge
below: Toucan and monkeys. The black car is blocking the shiny green car but he doesn’t seem to mind.
below: Watching time, but it’s always ten past two; watching each other but seeing nothing.
below: Motorcycle parcel delivery (although on closer inspection, it might be a trailer load of cardboard for recycling)
below: A great place to see views of Seoul…. but there are a lot of stairs!
below: Up a narrow street (no not street, just stairs), more paintings on the walls
below: Doorway conversation
below: Square head sitting with a woman with very, very long red hair
below: Fish by the door of the shop
… fish on the wall
… and fish kissing teapots.
below: A tired old faded bear sits by the road
below: Looking down to the layer below where people are sitting outside Espresso Bar Odeoksae Coffee. They are joined by a few silent people on the walls. To the left, two camels have wandered into the scene.
below: Rainbow stripes and some silhouette figures that look they belong in Alice in Wonderland – a trumpet blowing rabbit and the queen of hearts.
below: Slouching past with his mind on other things far away….
below: Yellow shirts and flowers
below: This is Son Heung-min who is the captain of the Tottenham Hotspurs as well the South Korea national team.
below: Off to the shops with her bright red purse and blue shopping bag
below: People on the boat, fish swimming under it.
There is a new mural (2022) in Toronto by Nick Sweetman featuring animals and plant life commonly found along Ontario’s rivers, especially the Don River that flows nearby. It adorns a wall/fence that runs the length of a new park, Riverside Square, which is southeast of Queen and the Don Valley Parkway.
below: The east end of the mural
below: A blue-fronted dancer damselfly (A very long name for a very small creature!)
below: Mink, toad, and a water insect called a water strider.
below: Catfish
below: A raccoon eyes the fish swimming past
below: A happy dog among friends, a raccoon and a cotton tail rabbit. If you look closely, there is a bridge in the background by the fox – Torontonians might recognize this bridge as one of the many that cross the Don River.
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.
below: Brazilian artist Eder Muniz’s mural features vibrantly coloured animals and fantasy creatures dancing and swimming along the wall in their own little parade Blue of water; blue of air.
below: One of the most human-like character in the mural carries a long serpentine pennon in front of an elephant that is either eating a tree or that has tusks growing into trees.
below: At the rear of the parade, a hummingbird (or similar small bird) rides on the back of the elephant.
below: A host of creatures in the mural’s mid-section – walking, sitting, swimming, floating.
below: Humanoid body; leaf head, all smaller than the long skinny bird legs.
below: Instead of leaves, this little guy has a head full of crystals.
below: Faces on creatures of fantasy. One with plumage like a bird and the other with squiggles and curls like nothing else. Eyes closed. Big lips.
below: Swimming together, a greenish fish and a striped snake.
below: More fish swimming in the blue bubbles.
below: Taking the lead in this little parade is a large green beaked bird character. Following along with the fish and the snake is a snail and a pinkish purple frog. There even seems to be a scuba diver.
below: Here’s a closer look at that grinning frog as well as the spotted iguana beside it.
below: And last, the long finned fish gracefully makes it way through the watery blue.
Most of these are old murals. In fact they were painted in 2013 as part of a Wall Therapy event. Just beyond the wall is a newer painting (that replaces one from 2013).
below: “When reading was a crime I taught myself… When slavery was inflicted, I bought myself… when the internet arrived I lost myself… Finally I’ve acknowledged my ancestors and reclaimed the Earth AS MINE!”
Although it is a city in its own right, Barreiro seems like a suburb of Lisbon. It is most easily accessed by a short ferry ride across the Tagus River from central Lisbon. The Barreiro train station is next to the ferry dock. There are now numerous murals in Barreiro in part because of a project called Art in Town run by the City Council and ADAO.
The building in the middle is ADAO Headquarters (Associação Desenvolvimento Artes e Ofícios, translation: Assoc for the Development of Arts and Crafts)
below: A hole in the concrete wall provides a short cut across the tracks as well as a different view of the murals painted by Gonçalo Mar (aka Gonçalo Ribeiro) and Odheit
below: On the fence, a owl keeps a watchful eye on passers-by
below: A closer view of the ADAO Headquarters mural . The fish-like figures swimming on the walls appear frequently in Mar’s work.
below: A head with long flowing grey and turquoise hair emerges from the hexagons.
below: Backyard view
below: Punk red feathers
below: Two street art portraits; the woman on the right was painted by Pedro Pinhal
below: A mermaid, octopus, paper sailboat, and fish bones
below: Ursa’s laptop and old flip phone has begun to sprout.
below: Old School Futuristes
below: Each one teach one
below: Rays of sunshine above with sharp angles of concrete below.
below: Back to the front of the ADAO Headquarters ….
below: …. where this beauty stands by the entrance.
Eyes on the Streets 