Urban canvas

I've had this interest in areas of space on a wall or even ground that allow for or "ask for" open posting and expression. In urban areas, a lot of the color and jazz comes from these dynamically changing pieces, whether is a continuous layered posting of advertisements, movie openings, lost pets or to the current extreme, Times Square, Tokyo and etc where technology replaces the physical tagging or stapling. I tend to prefer the physical rather that the big screens (call me ol'skool, though sometimes it's cool but can be overwhelming and poorly done). In the posting, you have the repetitious pattern created from arraying the posters along the area.
So I call it an urban canvas. I would hope to experiment in design a space that creatively allows for just an open canvas, beyond just a blank wall and locating it in the right place.

It's Time

Ok...this one I cheated on. The "plan" was (if you don't know already, I create plans only not follow them anyway) to take a set of images and post once a week. This one I actually took with the previous "Dunbar" post. I was walking around and basically thought I was taking a "shortcut" and ending getting lost through an alley. As I reorient myself, I find myself next to Logan's Hardware store which is where I ran into this poster. I was going to take this one eventually but the circumstances made me jump the gun.
I found this one to be very powerful. The use of strong graphics, intense color and depiction of a seemly strong message made me really like this one alot. Also the location, it's quite interesting as it's in a popular spot near Whole Foods and a few bars like Stoney's.
The image of the boy with weapon over the shoulder and towards the other end, a man in a gas mask, leads me to think this is some sort of war propaganda. I'm hoping to follow up on this one some more. There may be further meaning that I haven't been exposed to yet.

[Taken between 13th and 14th & P streets NW, on 2/11/09]

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Obama - Progress

This one has two, reason, kind of a special day, yeah I was the Inauguration 2009. It was really great seeing the city transform. Going to work was eerie as I rode in, passing military personnel who was making sure things were in order, streets filled with non-locals scrambling to find the best way to the Mall. I went to work for a few hours and ended up going down to the Mall and be part of this great event. It's the beginning and hopefully "change" will happen. Its going to be tough.
About this image, it's on the side of Marty's and has definitely caught my attention in passing. Another Shepard Fairley work (did Andre the Giant) where supposedly the image is based from a photo just after the Senator accepted to run as president. The poster is everywhere around DC. Here is a bit of a transformation from the early morning to the evening (4am). Bars, by the way, where open til 4am because of the Inauguration event. Ha, I didn't even notice the bike was still there throughout the day. I had a short conversation with a passerby photographer as I was taken the evening one. He ended up taking a couple of photos himself. The night one, took me a while and still not overly excited about it. Oh yeah...I was freaking cold. I had to take a couple of warming breaks between long exposure shots.
[Taken on U and 14th NW, on 1/20/09]

"ANDRE THE GIANT HAS A POSSE"

I find out that the poster is actually of Andre the Giant. Who would have figured? Curious if people know and it was just me who didn't. I find out through one of my buddies when we were hanging out drinking. I fished up the image from my camera and told me who he is. Reading up, it was a street art campaign started by Shepard Fairey where this poster (i guessed called "OBEY") and another graphic have posted around the world.

[Taken on H and 7th, on 1/12/09]