In the spring of this year, with the snow melting away and a somewhat recent move downtown, I started to notice something. Writing. On the street. Political messages, artistic graffiti, guerilla marketing. New York is a city of carless walkers which makes sidewalks an effective medium if you want to spread a message. As a sign of the times, I saw an enormous amount of anti-war/anti-bush sentiment stencilled onto the sidewalks. I remember seeing a cryptic face plastered all over the East Village. And then one day on Broadway I saw a stencil that seemed to be calling to us for racial tolerance. It simply stated “They’re only black people.” It was then that I said to myself, “I should be documenting these.”
In April, I started photographing “street writing”. I plan to continue to photograph it and to post the photos. The permanent link is in the right hand column under “Projects”.
You’re going to see real fast that my shoes are way boring.
16 responses so far ↓
1 tien // Jun 4, 2003 at 9:42 am
not only do we get to look at your shoes (i count 3 pairs), but we also get to see the pants!!
btw, the air guitar thing is great.
2 rachelle // Jun 4, 2003 at 10:21 am
can i just say…. ENOUGH OF THIS M FLUBBIN RAIN ALREADY!!!!!!!!! this morning i was walking to work in the pouring rain, trying desperately not to get too drenched. I was standing on the corner of 6th/Houston when this blue car screeched around some traffic and into a deep puddle that showered me from head to foot. I screamed a few, choice curse words, tried to brush off my face, jacket and pants, and continued on my way to work. on King St. a guy gave me an odd look so I wrestled my mirror out of my bag and took a look… MUD ALL OVER MY FOREHEAD. ENOUGH!!!!
And, wtf is going on with Field Day.
I just want to go back to bed!
3 Walt // Jun 4, 2003 at 11:12 am
“M FLUBBIN”? That’s a new one. =-)
4 Alaina // Jun 4, 2003 at 3:12 pm
Rachelle - You might want to check out the Wooster Collective (”A celebration of street art”) - http://www.woostercollective.com/
5 Fred2000 // Jun 4, 2003 at 3:33 pm
Do you carry your camera 24 hours a day? I have the S110 and even it’s too big to carry everywhere.
Plus I don’t want to take a $400 camera to bars and other fun places where I will drop or lose it in a drunken stupor.
Maybe it’s because girls can have purses, which can double as camera bags.
6 rachelle // Jun 4, 2003 at 4:02 pm
Alaina - Thanks for the link, I’ll have to dig into that site when I get a chance. It looks awesome.
Fred - I do carry my camera 24 hours a day and I do use my purse as a camera case
My camera is pretty small, as is the S110, but without my purse/camera case I’d be really paranoid about dropping it or losing it. I lose and drop everything. My poor camera has a nice ding in it from when I dropped it on the sidewalk outside of a deli right after taking this photo. I was kind of drunk though.
7 Fred2000 // Jun 4, 2003 at 4:07 pm
I recently bought a camera phone and wrote some software that automatically posts pictures I take with it.
It’s fun to always have a camera, and even more fun to post pictures from anywhere.
Of course, it’s not a 2.1 megapixel S110…
Also, will you marry me?
8 rachelle // Jun 4, 2003 at 4:46 pm
Well, Fred (if that is your real name), I’ve never met you but what the hell.
9 Fred2000 // Jun 4, 2003 at 5:27 pm
Sounds like a plan!
I don’t know if it’s real or not, but my name includes 2000, which means I’m cutting edge, to the max!
10 rachelle // Jun 4, 2003 at 5:42 pm
Cool. I always wondered what it felt like to be engaged. Actually, I feel the same as I did 10 minutes ago. Fred2000, do you also go by Super Guy 5000? .. cuz.. um.. you know, that’s only 3000 away.. hmm.
11 Fred2000 // Jun 4, 2003 at 5:56 pm
That’s very possible, because in addition to being cutting edge, I’m also super!
The only difference is that where I’m cutting edge to the max, I’m super to the extreme!
12 Jeannette // Jun 4, 2003 at 6:03 pm
oh guys - get a room!
13 rachelle // Jun 4, 2003 at 6:06 pm
fred2000, i’m confused. the engagment is off!!!!
14 fred2000 // Jun 4, 2003 at 6:55 pm
That’s what they always say!
15 Sam // Jun 5, 2003 at 9:29 am
The engagement is off? And here I was about to ask where you kids were registered
16 joel // Jun 5, 2003 at 11:28 am
fred, would you, by any chance, be related to PimpBot? He’s, like, the most famous 2000 in the 2000 family tree!!
All on Conan Obrien n stuff.
sshhhheeeeeit.