Big Brother Is Watching

This photo was taken around the corner of a restaurant in Nolita where they put their garbage bins -- you can see the plastic lids at the bottom of the page. The restaurant placed a sign saying the area was under video camera surveillance and (I assumed) someone stenciled a picture of a guy in a suit walking by or away with a bag.

I've been photographing murals a lot lately. I don't know if it is because there are a lot more of them in the city lately or they are getting better, artistically.

Has this ever happen to you?

Tribal Mural

This young lady had more important things on her mind than admire the interesting tribal mural on the wall at Houston Street.

So have you ever been so engrossed with your electronic gadgets that your miss what is around you?

Dino Mural

This dino-mural, literally and figuratively speaking, is located on the 3rd to 5th floor of a building on 3rd Avenue between 13th and 14th Street. I don't know the significance of it but it definitely lights up the neighborhood.

So what brightens up your day?

Happy Thanksgiving

For those of you living in the US, whether you are staying home or visiting friends and/or families this Thanksgiving weekend, I wish you all a wonderful holiday. I will be joining my friends for lunch and then a movie.

So what is your favorite winter/autumn dish?

Election Day

It's election day today so I'm posting a photo of one of the candidates, Barack Obama. To be fair, I wanted to post a photo of John McCain too but finding a favorable drawing/mural/image of John McCain (or Sarah Palin, for that matter) in NYC is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

That said, I did post a flattering photo of John McCain and Sarah Palin lookalikes three days ago on here. In fact, those two looked positively presidential in the photo.

Because of the election, I have the day off from work. I plan to sleep in till 9 AM and then go out for a nice brunch.

The Other Rat Mural

Here is the other rat mural I saw last weekend in SoHo on Spring Street near West Broadway. This rat looked a lot cuter than the one I posted yesterday. He even has a 'I *heart* N Y' t-shirt. Apparently, he was caught red handed drawing a mural of a rat. How brilliant is this?

So what is your plan for the weekend?

N.B.: Apparently, the two rat murals are by British artist, Banksy. Here is his website: Banksy.

I Smell A Rat

I saw one of two amazingly produced rat murals in SoHo last weekend. This one is painted on the side of a building on the corner of Broadway and Howard Street in SoHo. Next to it was a slogan that read, "Let Them Eat Crack". I don't know if the slogan was written by the same people who made the mural or they were done by different people. Nonetheless, that is a nice looking rat

So are you afraid of rats? I am actually more grossed out by cockroaches than rats.

N.B.: Is anyone else having problems editing the photo image into the x-large format? It used to be very easy but today, I had to re-write the entire programing.

The Americans Are Coming

Last week, I posted a photo of a mural that was being installed and called it, The British Are Coming. Apparently I was wrong! This mural was paid for by the British Tourism Board to promote Britain. So I guess the Americans are coming.

So have you ever done a follow-up post to an old entry?

The British Are Coming

I saw this mural being installed on Spring Street between Prince and Crosby in SoHo last weekend. But it looked more like a painting than a poster so I was totally in awe at the qualtiy of work done here.

So what did you do this weekend?

Supermarket Mural

I saw this interesting mural on the side of a small supermarket on 16th Street between Park and 3rd Avenue a couple weeks ago. I thought it was interesting and especially appropriate since New York City is considering a proposal to increase the number of licences for fresh fruits and vegetable vendors in the city in an effort to combat the epidemic of obesity among inner city residents.

In addition, a University of Washington study reported in the New York Times found that a 2,000-calorie diet costs $3.52/day if it consisted of only junk food, while a similar caloric diet of fresh vegetables and fruits costs $36.32 a day, which is 10 times as expensive.

So are you eating your vegetables and fresh fruits?

And God Created Adam

I saw this mural depicting one of Leonardo da Vinci's work, The Creation of Adam on the side of a building on Lafayette near Bond Street in Nolita (North of Little Italy) last weekend. The interesting thing about this mural is that both Adam and God were drawn as black men here.

The original painting (a fresco) was drawn on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican City. I believe I saw the real painting when my parents took me to Italy when I was about 10 years old. I even tossed a couple of Italian liras into the Trevi Fountain in Rome hoping one day to go back to the city again.

So tell me, in which city did you have your best vacation?

Flower Power

I saw this elaborate mural outside a Mexican restaurant in the Lower East Side a couple weeks ago. It looked like the artist put a lot of time and effort into it and it's quite lovely. Sometimes, I wish I can draw but unfortunately, I'm still struggling with stick figure drawings.

What skills or talent do you wish you have?

Theme Photo: Graffiti or Street Mural

The theme for March's photo is graffiti or street mural. This photo above was taken from the elevated #7 train in Long Island City and it shows the graffitis that are plastered all over the surfaces of various buildings in the area. They are part of a permanent art project for PS1, an alternative, avant garde museum.

This month, 144 bloggers are participating in the theme photo. Check them out.

Adelaide, Australia by Gordon, Albuquerque (NM), USA by Helen, Aliso Viejo (CA), USA by Rodney, American Fork (UT), USA by Annie, Anderson (SC), USA by Lessie, Arradon, France by Alice, Ashton under Lyne, UK by Pennine, Athens, Greece by Debbie, Auckland, New Zealand by Lachezar, Austin (TX), USA by LB, Bandung, Indonesia by Guntur Purwanto, Baziège, France by PaB, Belgrade, Serbia by BgdPic, Bellefonte (PA), USA by Barb-n-PA, Bicheno, Australia by Greg, Boston (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Boston (MA), USA by Fenix, Boston (MA), USA by Sarah, Whit, & Leyre, Brighton, UK by Harvey, Bucaramanga, Colombia by Fernando, Budapest, Hungary by Isadora, Budapest, Hungary by Zannnie and Zsolt, Buenos Aires, Argentina by Karine, Canterbury, UK by Rose, Cape Town, South Africa by Kerry-Anne, Chandler (AZ), USA by Melindaduff, Chateaubriant, France by Bergson, Cheltenham, UK by Marley, Chicago (IL), USA by b.c., Chicago (IL), USA by U R us, Christchurch, New Zealand by Michelle, Clearwater (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Clearwater Beach (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Cleveland (OH), USA by iBlowfish, Cologne, Germany by April11, Coral Gables (FL), USA by Jnstropic, Detroit (MI), USA by Taittems, Dunedin (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Durban, South Africa by CrazyCow, Evry, France by Olivier, Forks (WA), USA by Corinne, Glasgow, Scotland by Jackie, Greenville (SC), USA by Denton, Grenoble, France by Bleeding Orange, Guelph, Canada by Pat, Helsinki, Finland by Kaa, Hobart, Australia by Greg, Hyde, UK by Gerald, Inverness (IL), USA by Neva, Jackson (MS), USA by Halcyon, Jefferson City (MO), USA by Chinamom2005, Joplin (MO), USA by Victoria, Juneau (AK), USA by Gwyn, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by Edwin, Kyoto, Japan by Tadamine, Larchmont (NY), USA by Marie-Noyale, Le Guilvinec, France by ds2944, Lisbon, Portugal by Sailor Girl, Lisbon, Portugal by Jsaltao, Lodz, Poland by ritalounge, London, UK by Ham, London, UK by Mo, Mainz, Germany by JB, Maple Ridge, Canada by Susan, Mazatlan, Mexico by Kate, Melbourne, Australia by Mblamo, Melbourne, Australia by John, Memphis (TN), USA by SouthernHeart, Menton, France by Jilly, Mexico, Mexico by Poly, Mexico City, Mexico by Carraol, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Mitch, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Greg, Monte Carlo, Monaco by Jilly, Montréal, Canada by Douber, Moscow, Russia by Irina, Mumbai, India by Kunalbhatia, Mumbai, India by MumbaiIteanu, Naples (FL), USA by Isabella, Nashville (TN), USA by Chris, Nelson, New Zealand by Meg and Ben, New Orleans (LA), USA by steve buser, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK by Cassie & Chris, Niamey, Niger by Dinabee, Norwich, UK by Goddess888, Nottingham, UK by Gail's Man, Ocean Township (NJ), USA by Josy, Paris, France by Eric, Pasadena (CA), USA by Can8ianben, Pasadena (CA), USA by Petrea, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia by Murphy_jay, Pilisvörösvár, Hungary by Elise, Port Angeles (WA), USA by Jelvistar, Port Elizabeth, South Africa by Sam, Port Vila, Vanuatu by Mblamo, Prague, Czech Republic by Honza03, Quincy (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Radonvilliers, France by Deslilas, Riga, Latvia by Prokur, Rome, Italy by Giovanni, Rotterdam, Netherlands by Ineke, Saarbrücken, Germany by LadyDemeter, Saint Louis (MO), USA by Strangetastes, Saint Paul (MN), USA by Kate, Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation by Lark, San Antonio (TX), USA by Kramer, San Diego (CA), USA by Felicia, San Diego (CA), USA by Zentmrs, Santa Fe (NM), USA by Randem, Seattle (WA), USA by Kim, Seattle (WA), USA by Chuck, Seguin (TX), USA by Thien, Selma (AL), USA by RamblingRound, Sesimbra, Portugal by Aldeia, Setúbal, Portugal by Maria Elisa, Sharon (CT), USA by Jenny, Silver Spring (MD), USA by John, Singapore, Singapore by Keropok, Sofia, Bulgaria by Antonia, St Francis, South Africa by Sam, Stavanger, Norway by Tanty, Stayton (OR), USA by Celine, Stockholm, Sweden by Stromsjo, Subang Jaya, Malaysia by JC, Sydney, Australia by Sally, Székesfehérvár, Hungary by Teomo, Terre Haute (IN), USA by Zann, Terrell (TX), USA by Bstexas, Terrell (TX), USA by Jim K, The Hague, Netherlands by Lezard, Tokyo, Japan by Tadamine, Torun, Poland by Torun Observer, Toulouse, France by Julia, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina by Jazzy, Twin Cities (MN), USA by Slinger, Vienna, Austria by G_mirage2, Wailea (HI), USA by Kuanyin, Wassenaar, Netherlands by Rich, Wellington, New Zealand by Jeremyb, West Paris (ME), USA by crittoria, West Sacramento (CA), USA by Barbara, Weston (FL), USA by WestonDailyPhoto, Wrocław, Poland by Loompi, Yardley (PA), USA by Mrlynn

Windows in SoHo

This new mural was being installed when I took a photo of it in SoHo a couple days ago. The workers, who are below the photo and out of sight, were putting final touches on it.

So how many real windows do you see?

Subway Mural

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), which operates the public transportation system, regularly supports artists and musicians in the city. One of its most visible projects sponsored by the organization is the Arts for Transit Program. Started in 1986, the program was established to incorporate public art into the renovation and preservation of the 100-year old plus subway system.

The mosaic mural in this photo, located under 5th Avenue and 42nd Street in Manhattan, is a permanent installation by Los Angeles-born, Brooklyn-based artist, Samm Kunce. The mural entitled, Under Bryant Park" won the 2002 Best Public Art Project by the New York Municipal Art Society.