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    Sprawling Floral Installations Spill Over Garbage Cans and Phone Booths on New York City Streets

    
    Art

    #flowers
    #installation
    #New York
    #public art
    #street art

    August 7, 2020
    Grace Ebert

    All images © Lewis Miller Design, shared with permisison
    Thanks to Lewis Miller Design, those passing through New York City have gotten some respite from the rank smells and soggy refuse of streetside garbage cans. For years, the florist (previously) has been planting guerilla installations of sunflowers, hydrangeas, and peonies in public areas, transforming trash receptacles, construction zones, and lampposts with sprawling assemblages. Check out some of the recent “Flower Flashes” below, and follow the designer on Instagram to see where the temporary bouquets pop up next.

    #flowers
    #installation
    #New York
    #public art
    #street art

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    Opulent Kintsugi Installation by Artist Victor Solomon Gilds Dilapidated Basketball Court in Los Angeles

    
    Art

    #basketball
    #gold
    #installation
    #kintsugi
    #public art
    #sports

    August 4, 2020
    Grace Ebert

    All images by Shafik Kadi and © Victor Solomon, shared with permission
    Celebrating the restorative qualities of sports and basketball’s return this past week, Victor Solomon has repaired a deteriorated court in South Los Angeles through the ancient art of Kintsugi—the Japanese method of repairing broken pottery by using metallic substances to mend the fractures. The artist filled cracks in the cement with gold-dust resin, highlighting the years of use “to accentuate the healing as a formative part of its journey,” he says. “Sport can entertain, inspire, and distract, but more apropos than all, the platform of sport can help us heal.” Titled “Kintsugi Court,” the gilded installation has similarly lavish backboards and hoops.
    The restored court is just one of Solomon’s explorations into the sport and the ways it intersects with luxury. For more of his embellished projects, head to Instagram. (via The Kids Should See This)

    

    #basketball
    #gold
    #installation
    #kintsugi
    #public art
    #sports

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    A Massive Flower Splays Across Six Surfaces in a New Mural by Artist Mona Caron

    
    Art

    #flowers
    #murals
    #public art
    #street art

    August 3, 2020
    Grace Ebert

    “⁣Limonium.” All images © Mona Caron, shared with permission
    An enormous flower overtakes the San José’s cultural affairs building in a multi-plane mural by artist Mona Caron (previously). Titled “Limonium,” the delicate, pink-and-green leaves spread out across the structure’s facade, transcending a single side. Wrapped around six walls and across four planes, the flower appears to be growing continuously from multiple angles.
    The San Francisco-based artist says determining the spatial logistics was straightforward. She added reference points to the wall and superimposed her botanical piece to a photo, which guided her through the process. In a video posted to Instagram, Caron walks around the pastel mural to capture its illusory qualities. “The main plant faces the entrance to the Convention Center on Market Street, but to its left, there is a semi-enclosed cove, which is the entrance to the garage, and there’s another plant in there, with a flower stem that calculatedly appears to be a part of whichever plant you’re looking at,” she shares with Colossal. “Similarly, I carefully drafted the rightmost flower stem (and) leaves to appear continuous when seen both from the street and from the upper terrace.”

    #flowers
    #murals
    #public art
    #street art

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    Bright Elephants Squeeze Into Their Surroundings in Site-Specific Murals by Artist Falko One

    
    Art

    #elephants
    #murals
    #public art
    #street art

    July 22, 2020
    Grace Ebert

    “Everybody wants to be down with the dude on top the stairs” (2019), Cape Town, South Africa. All images © Falko One, shared with permission
    For decades, Falko One (previously) has been transforming blank staircases and piles of refuse around South Africa into homes for his technicolor elephants. Despite their striking hues, each mural is site-specific, allowing it to blend in with the facades and surrounding environments. The artist might position the trunk along a ventilation duct or the torso atop cinder blocks and crates, creating an optical illusion within his vivid murals. “My approach is just to add a bit of color to the space without breaking the scenery,” he tells Colossal. “I try not to make them too intrusive. I always respect that for that moment I am just a tourist to that specific community.”
    Generally, the artist finds viewers are drawn in by the colors before considering the ways the elephant bends and conforms to the structured space. “The value for me is listening to the debate about it. At that moment, there are no wrong or right answers. What better way to get people to discuss something without telling them to discuss it. It’s not a formal discussion on the street but playful, honest banter. I like that the most,” he notes.
    Often sharing his latest murals on Instagram, the artist’s motivation for painting the massive pachyderms is simple and about accessibility. “Everyone loves an elephant,” he says.

    “Evergreen” (2018), Cape Town, South Africa
    “Brick Ross” (2020), Cape Town, South Africa
    “Broke back boat” (2019), Praia, Cape Verde Islands
    “Heavy metal” (2019), Johannesburg, South Africa
    “Homestead” (2016), Nkandla, South Africa
    “Perioscope” (2019), Johannesburg, South Africa
    “Welcome home” (2016), Coffee Bay, South Africa
    “What have you done for me lately” (2019), Cape Town, South Africa
    “Wheel of fortune” (2019), Praia, Cape Verde Islands

    #elephants
    #murals
    #public art
    #street art

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    Jolly Characters by Artist Jean Jullien Overrun the Jardin des Plantes in Nantes, France

    
    Art
    Illustration

    #installation
    #public art

    July 15, 2020
    Grace Ebert

    Photo by Jean Jullien. All images © Jean Jullien, shared with permission
    Take a stroll through Nantes’s Jardin des Plantes, and you’ll find a playful cast of characters floating in a fountain, raking the grass, and joining hands to hug a tree. Part of a new exhibition titled Filili Viridi in the French city, the colorful ensemble was created by Paris-based artist Jean Jullien (previously) for the botanic garden in his hometown. Each of the characters is massive—the blush-colored creature spans more than eight meters—and appears to utilize the lush grounds just like their human counterparts.
    If you’re in Nantes before November 2021, head to the park to hang out with the jolly group, to which Jullien plans to add a dozen (!) more of the spirited characters next fall. To dive further into his light-hearted projects, check out the artist’s Instagram and the range of books he’s illustrated, many of which are available from Bookshop. (via Juxtapoz)

    Photo by Jean Jullien
    Photo by Jean Jullien
    Photos by Jean Jullien
    Photo by Jean Jullien
    Photo by Jean-Felix Fayolle
    Photo by Jean-Felix Fayolle

    #installation
    #public art

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    A 3D Mural by Artist Leon Keer Wraps a French Housing Complex Like a Gift

     “Safe House” (2020). All images © Leon Keer, shared with permission Dutch artist Leon Keer is known for his large-scale anamorphic and Trompe-l’œil projects, transforming the sides of buildings and sidewalks into illusory public art. His latest mural, titled “Safe House,” turns the side of a housing complex in Morlaix, France, into a massive, […] More

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    Interactive Event with Paint Kartel Teaches Seniors to Create Bold Graffiti in Belgrade

     All images © Street Art Belgrad and Paint Kartel, by Nemanja Stojanović, shared with permission A recent workshop hosted by Street Art Belgrade paired up members of the Serbian collective Paint Kartel with seniors interested in the public art form. Throughout the interactive event, participants learned about graffiti and its history, in addition to some […] More

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    As a Tribute, Vhils Carves Ten Masked Healthcare Workers into a Hospital Wall in Porto

     All images © Vhils, by Expanding Roots, shared with permission To honor essential workers, Portuguese artist Alexandre Farto, who goes by Vhils (previously), recently completed an expansive public artwork at the São João University Hospital Centre in Porto. Vhils chiseled 10 masked figures into an outdoor wall at the facility, creating a permanent homage […] More