A super large mural with a ton of great color. The subject matter is good — individually — but it’s a bit chaotic together. My art director brain says there was a lot of “client feedback” which pulled this piece further and further from the original concept. I love the strong border and then having select elements break out beyond the edge.

West Side, Manhattan.

A classic mural and instantly recognizable to any New Yorker who’s been stuck in northbound traffic on the West Side highway. It’s tricky to get a good photo of it as it sits behind some trees and billboards, but it’s been on my list for years. Finally, I found myself walking by and managed to get right under it for this shot. The multi color shading on CP30’s surface is a really interesting choice. It defies the movie canon and aligns it with the artist’s own aesthetic. Perhaps it also frees it from copyright claims? Sadly it seems, the “stop wars” message still goes unheard. Painted by the muralist Eduardo Kobra.

West Side, Manhattan.

Such a nice little bit of street art. Simple lines which take advantage of the shapes in our environment to make an immediately relatable statement. I see the left and it makes me smile.

Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan

Just a solitary heart graffiti left for us to find.

West Side, Manhattan.

A really nice illustration. It may take a few extra seconds to figure out what’s going on though. The color is simple and bold. The killer part for me is the halftone shading. It’s amazing and gives all the depth the piece needs.

West Side, Manhattan.

A bit of gratitude for this holiday season. Here’s a giant mural on the side of one of the piers on the Hudson river. Don’t let the photo fool you — each letter is about 30 feet tall. As with any mural, and large lettering in particular, it’s always a feat to get the lines straight. Given the double drop shadow and overlapping text, this example is very well executed indeed. I don’t know the origin story and the pier itself is a bit worn down, but it’s a sentiment worth sharing.

West Side, Manhattan.

Outdoor advertising has always had an issue with staying current. In this case, the billboard is covered in large panels of black fabric. An interesting choice as it seems to impart a “world in grieving” kind of moment as if we’ve lost one of America’s great ads. Of course, I’m glad to see some enterprising artist has taken advantage of all that great empty space. As to what the image is or represents, as it often the case, I have no idea. Quite possibly, it’s a representation of knowledge as the enemy of religion, but using religious symbolism. Maybe? Instead of the tree of knowledge, we’re given a book with an odd symbol on the front. The text on the spine isn’t quite legible. The book is sprouting the snake who is menacing the apple which in turn has some illegible text in the white circle. On a technical level, it doesn’t look to be sprayed on, but hand painted. Given the location, climbing up scaffolding or out a window with paint buckets is very impressive. Sometimes with art, you may not know what’s going on, but you can still appreciate (and interpret for yourself), the impression, the detail and the meaning it impacts on you personally.

West Side, Manhattan.