Local Graffiti

A short time ago I posted about graffiti and street art because I had just finished about book on the topic. Even more recently I have noticed more and more graffiti and other street art near our house and school. There are some newish pieces on the "Addiction" tattoo place. You can see them from Summitview Ave just before it connects with Yakima Ave. 

painting on the north side of Addiction

I first noticed the paint splatters when I was driving past. I think I noticed them because of the irregular shapes of the splatters on the white background and the color contrast of the greyscale with the bright flat red and blue. The whole piece looks very clean, an unusual descriptor for graffiti.

to the right of the paint splatter piece

A ways over, there is a glasses-wearing turtle in a doorway and around the corner, a woman's portrait. I like the portrait less than the paint splatters, but it is unusual to see this more realistic style of painting on the walls around here. I'm generally a fan of street art becoming more carefully crafted and more varied.

I think particularly the irises and the lips work well here.

Near the various medical facilities south of Yakima Regional Hospital there are several fish stickers on stop signs and other surfaces. My camera died before I got a picture, but there were several and I plan to get back there soon. The fish were pretty small, maybe 4 to 6 inches long and done on mailing labels. I've seen the mailing labels around for years, but the fish were more fun than what I have usually seen on the labels. They had cut out sections and the two or three I saw were each a little different.

winner!

Last week I walked back from YVCC via one particular road that doesn't have a sidewalk just to see the purple and green piece on the fence a few blocks east of the school. I found out this week that the piece was the winner in a graffiti battle. I didn't get a picture of the second place piece --I liked this one better. I think the color works well, the shapes are fun and I particularly like the cracking detail near the top. The piece caught my attention from a few blocks away and pulled me down the street to look. I found out about the competition from someone who lives near the battle scene and came home to see it in progress.