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.
This reminded me to TiVo The Wire this week. It's a really good show.
ReplyDeleteI think I find myself wanting to paint over it in bright colors to make it pretty.
ReplyDeleteNot sure what that says about me...
great shot and happy wednesday!
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.
ReplyDeleteKind 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."
ReplyDeleteI love the graffiti! Very nice and I love art too;-)
ReplyDeleteKind of chaotic. Cool shot though.
ReplyDeleteStrangely, my first thought was "how lovely".
ReplyDeleteMy WW is up here, if you'd like to stop by:
http://love2bhomeschoolersweeklymuse.blogspot.com/
definitely urban. sometimes i find it artsy. most times i find it scribble.
ReplyDeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteHaha, i think i knew why it looked comforting as it kinda make the boring buildings alive!!
ReplyDeleteHappy WW!
reminds me of my kids toy box when they were kids.
ReplyDeleteAqua color crayon ------
It makes you know you are not alone and the person w/ you is "creative"
ReplyDeleteNice shot... so may layers and textures and the bright colors sort of accent and defy the dreariness simultaneously.
ReplyDeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteHappy WW! Stop by if you can.
Just Some Thoughts
Great title you chose!
ReplyDeleteChief Storekeeper
very nice photo. happy WW!
ReplyDeleteHey Carmi!
ReplyDeleteLove this, so much going on. Guess it reminds me of my life!
Have a good one!
Hayley
It looks like a very creative space unless it's your space that others have expressed their creativity.
ReplyDeleteI find it comforting, too. But then, I love graffiti. This wall tells me there are young people with stories to tell.
ReplyDeleteGraffiti done well is a wonderful urban art form. Done badly, it's a mess!
ReplyDeleteI 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!
ReplyDeleteY'know? I think this graffiti, tho sometimes gang related, is still a work of art.
ReplyDeleteMy 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
Its a show of free expression. Good catch.
ReplyDeleteHmm -- very decorative.
ReplyDeleteYeah, this is attractive in an odd sort of way.
ReplyDeleteLove the raw feel of this shot.
ReplyDeleteHaving 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.
ReplyDeleteTink *~*~*
My Mobile Adventures *~*~*
This is probably crazy, but I'm hearing Elvis sing "In the Ghetto"....
ReplyDeleteAll we are saying is give peace a chance. :D
ReplyDeleteyes, i agree i find it comforting too...it must be the colors?
ReplyDeletemine is up too. hope u can check it out:
http://www.myplanetpurple.com/2008/05/wordless-wednesday-6-lets-play.html
http://howellabie.blogspot.com/2008/05/wordless-wednesday-1-discovery.html
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! :)
ReplyDeleteSome 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.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like Los Angeles!!
ReplyDeleteI don't find it comforting but I like the overall aesthetic, the contrast of the cool greys with the vibrant blues
ReplyDeleteFamiliar 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.
ReplyDeleteFirst 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.
ReplyDeleteOuch, that makes me sound like an 85 year old man, yelling at the kids to get off my grass...
Wow. Urban decay indeed.
ReplyDeleteNope, not comforting. Stressful.
Thanks!
I immediately liked it, too. There is something comforting about the colors and the round letters in this setting. Nicely shot.
ReplyDeleteWe're always trying to find ways to put a positive spin on our local graffiti artists...
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...
ReplyDeletegreat shot!
I believe there is a story there......
ReplyDeletehttp://wanderingwonderinggypsy.blogspot.com/
It is empty and light..somehow seems rather serene but a little sad. Metaphor for end of childhood? (Good grief enough pretention from me!)
ReplyDeleteChimera
Rightly named looks like a lot of scrubbing
ReplyDeleteActually, 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.
ReplyDeleteHey 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. :)
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Holly
I see it as being full of energy and activity. Not necessarily good activities, but definitely not all bad. I do like it :)
ReplyDeleteI love it! There's no place like home. That is what it reminds me of!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure why either?? LOL!
ReplyDeletebut it is interesting....
It makes me want to protect the children living there. It's a Grandma Thing.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me wonder what stories this alley could tell. What things have happened there?
ReplyDeleteGraffiti 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.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me a bit sad. Talent such as this should not be wasted in vandalism.
ReplyDeleteat first look.... 'graffiti-esque with flare'....
ReplyDeletei 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...
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.
ReplyDeleteMy 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
i echo carrie's comment..i'd want to paint over it too..bright colors..
ReplyDeletehappy WW!
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.
ReplyDeleteHappy WW!
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.
ReplyDeleteGreat shot -- something about that bright pop of blue that draws the eye, although I agree -- definitely a 'fixer upper' :)
ReplyDeleteHappy WW!
Very nice job of presenting an otherwise ugly subject.
ReplyDeleteOffended 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.
ReplyDeleteThat'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.
Where you at buddy?? I didn't hear nothin' from you today!! Quite the quiet one!!
ReplyDeleteI like this pic. So many graffiti "artists" are way talented. I love rolling through the city and seeing huge, detailed pieces of art.
This is great...art in the purest form...
ReplyDeleteit scares me......:)
ReplyDeleteNice colors! I agree that there is something comforting about it, but can't quite put my finger on it.
ReplyDeletePerhaps it's a feeling of familiarity? It could almost be any wall in any city.
ReplyDeleteGreat 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.
Regentrification waiting to happen.
ReplyDeleteIt is art though when I look at it through a lens.
Reminds me of the TV show Roc... SjP
ReplyDelete