Was told that Athens is considered to be a top graffiti city in Europe. Not hard to believe, given what is an impressive urban “gallery” space. So many dense inner city quarters, so many surfaces and structures. A thick patina covers the extensive collection provided by artists who are also curators. The arrangement of different works on the various surfaces in a particular area is a complex rich tapestry.
Night offers its own qualities to the works, from garishly lit to darkly emergent shadows. Endless nooks and crannies exploited over a complex warren of alleyway streets. This little collection shamefully does no justice at all to the trove one finds on an evening walk.
I dunno, Barcelona has pretty impressive graffiti and it is ubiquitous. Mind you it’s a smaller town. Pretty interesting though that perhaps the most iconic “classically” appointed city would now be deemed graffiti central. Must be some interesting juxtapositions.
Athens is AMONG the top. I would indeed figure Barcelona to be there too. They share ubiquity, for certain, and I imagine, the plethora of surfaces contiguous at random angles. Probably also shared is a pervasive, ironic Euro-melancholy.
Phil, your graffiti pics really do convey a visceral message in total. How you frame the shots adds context.
The overall chaotic visual chatter gives a collective primal scream to a democracy under siege.
It must be truely heart wrenching and by turns repulsive and compelling to walk through the streets and
allow oneself to be completely assaulted and submerganced in this phenomenon.