Pages

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Wordless Wednesday - Fixer upper alley


Not quite home sweet home
London, ON, April 2008 [Click to embiggen]


I find this scene strangely comforting. I'm not entirely sure why.

Your turn: How do you find this scene?

One more thing: We're still taking captions for this week's Caption This photo contest. Click here to initiate the insanity.

66 comments:

  1. This reminded me to TiVo The Wire this week. It's a really good show.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think I find myself wanting to paint over it in bright colors to make it pretty.

    Not sure what that says about me...

    great shot and happy wednesday!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I like it. Very urban. The graffiti adds character. Let me tell you I detest most graffiti, but I have seen some that was incredible in NYC.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Kind of makes me feel wanted. I can almost hear voices saying, "Come back again and meet the artists. Anytime from 1-4 AM. You won't be ignored."

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love the graffiti! Very nice and I love art too;-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Kind of chaotic. Cool shot though.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Strangely, my first thought was "how lovely".

    My WW is up here, if you'd like to stop by:
    http://love2bhomeschoolersweeklymuse.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  8. definitely urban. sometimes i find it artsy. most times i find it scribble.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I hate graffiti. Unless it's commissioned, I hate it. And I hate that people try to support criminal behavior as artistic expression that needs to be understood and supported. Having said that, I do like this picture. Obviously it stirs something inside of me but I can also assess what I'm viewing. I love the old brick, the detail in the structures, and the idea of what this area was like before the graffiti.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Haha, i think i knew why it looked comforting as it kinda make the boring buildings alive!!

    Happy WW!

    ReplyDelete
  11. reminds me of my kids toy box when they were kids.
    Aqua color crayon ------

    ReplyDelete
  12. It makes you know you are not alone and the person w/ you is "creative"

    ReplyDelete
  13. Nice shot... so may layers and textures and the bright colors sort of accent and defy the dreariness simultaneously.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love street art. I hate urban decay and the lack of care in many inner cities today but the graffiti proves there is still life there and something worth saving.

    Happy WW! Stop by if you can.

    Just Some Thoughts

    ReplyDelete
  15. very nice photo. happy WW!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hey Carmi!

    Love this, so much going on. Guess it reminds me of my life!

    Have a good one!

    Hayley

    ReplyDelete
  17. It looks like a very creative space unless it's your space that others have expressed their creativity.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I find it comforting, too. But then, I love graffiti. This wall tells me there are young people with stories to tell.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Graffiti done well is a wonderful urban art form. Done badly, it's a mess!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I agree with comforting. Maybe it is the blue. No bright or garish colors here, just serene sea tones, an urban ocean. Here from Wordless Wednesday site, have a great day!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Y'know? I think this graffiti, tho sometimes gang related, is still a work of art.

    My W W is shared. I sure hope you can drop by. Some may quote a movie character from JAWS when they come over for a visit today ---"I think we need a bigger boat"

    Happy Wednesday

    ReplyDelete
  22. Its a show of free expression. Good catch.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hmm -- very decorative.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Yeah, this is attractive in an odd sort of way.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Love the raw feel of this shot.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Having lived and worked in NYC for a good deal of my life (yes I'm a native Noo Yawka), I don't find graffiti as disturbing as some people do. Some of it can be actually quite beautiful. So a lot of folks without a frame of reference for urban day-to-day life would look at this photo and be filled with dread and fear, perhaps. I look at it and think of my childhood, riding the buses and trains - this could be a scene I'm passing as I gaze out the windows of mass transit.

    Tink *~*~*
    My Mobile Adventures *~*~*

    ReplyDelete
  27. This is probably crazy, but I'm hearing Elvis sing "In the Ghetto"....

    ReplyDelete
  28. All we are saying is give peace a chance. :D

    ReplyDelete
  29. Carmi, I see a wall that's not finished. I see graffiti that's been washed off... There's activity here by persons wanting to fix things up. Yes! :)

    ReplyDelete
  30. Some graffiti is blatant defacing - though some is quite beautiful to look at. Who knew it could be art work? It is actually an inspiring shot.

    ReplyDelete
  31. It looks like Los Angeles!!

    ReplyDelete
  32. I don't find it comforting but I like the overall aesthetic, the contrast of the cool greys with the vibrant blues

    ReplyDelete
  33. Familiar is the word that comes to mind. It seems every town has a scene similar to this one. And I agree with mycrazylife - it does add character.

    ReplyDelete
  34. First word to mind was disrespect. Here in Wyoming we see very little graffiti, most of it done by some local kids who like to think they are a tough street gang. I always imagine it is my property that has been defaced and I have to pay to clean it off.

    Ouch, that makes me sound like an 85 year old man, yelling at the kids to get off my grass...

    ReplyDelete
  35. Wow. Urban decay indeed.

    Nope, not comforting. Stressful.

    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  36. I immediately liked it, too. There is something comforting about the colors and the round letters in this setting. Nicely shot.

    We're always trying to find ways to put a positive spin on our local graffiti artists...

    ReplyDelete
  37. So much there--the old brick, the new satellite, the mix of graffiti, the "AUTHORIZED PARKING ONLY" sign (who authorized the graffiti?), the overturned chair...

    great shot!

    ReplyDelete
  38. I believe there is a story there......

    http://wanderingwonderinggypsy.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  39. It is empty and light..somehow seems rather serene but a little sad. Metaphor for end of childhood? (Good grief enough pretention from me!)
    Chimera

    ReplyDelete
  40. Rightly named looks like a lot of scrubbing

    ReplyDelete
  41. Actually, the gritty alley with graffiti has a certain charm for me. I guess I just like very urban settings. I do sometimes try to find interest side alleys or concrete passages during my frequent walks.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Hey you made it to the #1 WW slot! Congrats! I'd probably have to get up at 2AM to do that. :) Hee hee. I think the strange comfort comes from knowing there are people here...at least for me. :)

    Hugs,
    Holly

    ReplyDelete
  43. I see it as being full of energy and activity. Not necessarily good activities, but definitely not all bad. I do like it :)

    ReplyDelete
  44. I love it! There's no place like home. That is what it reminds me of!

    ReplyDelete
  45. I'm not sure why either?? LOL!
    but it is interesting....

    ReplyDelete
  46. It makes me want to protect the children living there. It's a Grandma Thing.

    ReplyDelete
  47. It makes me wonder what stories this alley could tell. What things have happened there?

    ReplyDelete
  48. Graffiti is a form of art.... but we shouldn't have to be subjugated to offensive material. We don't get much graffiti in our small town but we see it cruise by on the trains. My oldest likes the graffiti style and draws.. on paper.

    ReplyDelete
  49. It makes me a bit sad. Talent such as this should not be wasted in vandalism.

    ReplyDelete
  50. at first look.... 'graffiti-esque with flare'....

    i liked the colors and wonder where these people are now...

    and i agree with mycrazylife that there are some that are amazing, so much talent... on a scale of 1 to 10... i would say this is a 5...

    ReplyDelete
  51. Hi Carmi, playing catchup again. This picture gives me a sense of desolation, quietness and neglect and I think I can understand why that would give you a sense of calm.

    My you have been busy since I last visited. Hope you and the family are all well including your little doglette can't remember his name, know he is a mini schnauzer ... Frazier? I have also been struggling to keep up my blog, last year it was such fun but for some reason this year I am just not finding the time to keep it up on a daily basis.

    Take care.

    Lori

    ReplyDelete
  52. i echo carrie's comment..i'd want to paint over it too..bright colors..

    happy WW!

    ReplyDelete
  53. Reminds me of my hometown, Chicago, lots of graffiti, some ok some amazing. Grafitti can tell a story, so I always take the time to see if I can read it.

    Happy WW!

    ReplyDelete
  54. I like it too. I think the color combination is comforting for some reason, which adds to the feeling that some bored human youth have claimed the spot as their own.

    ReplyDelete
  55. Great shot -- something about that bright pop of blue that draws the eye, although I agree -- definitely a 'fixer upper' :)

    Happy WW!

    ReplyDelete
  56. Very nice job of presenting an otherwise ugly subject.

    ReplyDelete
  57. Offended and annoyed - my typical response to graffiti. The fact that someone thinks it's okay to vandalize the property of others bugs me. Find a canvas of your own, I say.

    That's not to say that there aren't some gifted and talented artists who express themselves through this medium. I know there are. But the art appreciation factor is diminshed when it's at the expense of someone else's space.

    Does that sound haughty? I don't think I am, but I've always found it disturbing when people have little to no concern for the rights and property of others.

    ReplyDelete
  58. Where you at buddy?? I didn't hear nothin' from you today!! Quite the quiet one!!

    I like this pic. So many graffiti "artists" are way talented. I love rolling through the city and seeing huge, detailed pieces of art.

    ReplyDelete
  59. This is great...art in the purest form...

    ReplyDelete
  60. Nice colors! I agree that there is something comforting about it, but can't quite put my finger on it.

    ReplyDelete
  61. Perhaps it's a feeling of familiarity? It could almost be any wall in any city.

    Great shot as ever. I have added your blog to my new photo blog blogroll.

    Michele send her best and hopes you have had good news. As do I.

    ReplyDelete
  62. Regentrification waiting to happen.

    It is art though when I look at it through a lens.

    ReplyDelete
  63. Reminds me of the TV show Roc... SjP

    ReplyDelete

Please note that Written Inc. has been set up so that all comments must first be moderated before they go live on the blog. I apologize for the inconvenience, but this is to ensure bots and trolls don't muck up the works. If you have any difficulty leaving a comment here as a result, please feel free to email it to carmilevy AT gmail DOT com. Thank you for your understanding.