El Mac Van in The Mission.

19 05 2010

El Mac Van in The Mission

I stumbled across this gem in The Mission and was stoked beyond words. El Mac is one of my favorite street artists so whenever I come across one of his pieces it’s like discovering a Picasso in an Easter Egg hunt.

This is another one of his murals in the high traffic area of Haight and Fillmore.

elmac.net on Haight and Fillmore

And then there’s this one, also in SF, which I believe has already been covered up.

Such is the occupational hazard of temporary street art.

EL MAC

Photo courtesy of Troy Holden

El Mac does large scale pieces all over the planet. Here’s his Margulies piece in Miami, a collaboration with Retna

Photo courtesy of El Mac.net

That’s El Mac and Retna standing off on the left hand side.

The Knight in LA

Photo courtesy of El Mac.net

An amazing piece in Italy

Photo courtesy of El Mac.net

And then back to Miami.

Photo courtesy of El Mac.net

Hawaii

Photo courtesy of El Mac.net

VietNam

I love how kids in the Mission look exactly like kids in Vietnam when they are just hanging out and enduring some dork who is taking pictures around them.

Photo courtesy of El Mac.net

Ireland

Photo courtesy of El Mac.net

At 30-years-young, El Mac is still a really young artist and one of those people you want to keep your eye on.

The kid has a lot of talent and I think some of his best work is still ahead of him.

RELATED POSTS –

Amazing Turk Street Mural


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Categories : San Francisco art and adventure

Oh, oh, and I almost forgot. Ahh, I’m also gonna need you to go ahead and come in on Sunday, too…

27 03 2010

Because its die muthafucka, die muthafucka still fool 1

Because its die muthafucka, die muthafucka still fool 2

It took me a while to source it, but I believe this stencil is from the classic printer beat-down scene in Office Space. I really love how it plays off the colors in this mural.

As seen on the Seventh Letter Crew + Boost Mobile mural in SF.


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Categories : San Francisco Murals, San Francisco Stencil Art

I am a man who will fight for your honor. I’ll be the hero you’re dreaming of. We’re gonna live forever, knowing together that we did it all for the glory of love.

16 11 2009

Explosion of Karate Kid stencils on the back of Amoeba

Explosion of Karate Kid stencils on the back of Amoeba in San Francisco.


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Categories : San Francisco Murals, San Francisco Stencil Art

Windows of Opportunity on The Upper Haight.

12 11 2009

Windows of Opportunity on The Upper Haight

This neat robot mural was from a just a few years ago on the side of the Amoeba building, close to the sidewalk. It has since been covered over with a horrible cartoon-style thug. I’m not really a fan of those cartoon-style thug murals.

I like this piece a lot. The robot design is very simple but he has great character. I also love the colors in the background a lot. It brings out a really fresh contrast and is easy on the eyes.

But the best part of this pictures is the pose the littles are striking.

It’s that “I’ve HAD it with you! I can’t stand to look you in the face or even in the same direction anymore” body language. Total rock star picture. I remember thinking “C’mon guys. Who do you think you are, Oasis? It’s not that bad. I’m just took you to Amoeba and now we’re off to get some Fat Slice pizza. It’s not that bad.”

I love this picture. It’s one of my all time favorites. It personifies this idea that there are these windows of opportunity that you have with everything; murals, business, people. You have this window of opportunity that you think will last awhile and then in a heartbeat that moment is gone.


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Categories : San Francisco Murals

New Cole Street Smoke Shop Mural.

11 11 2009

NEW COLE STREET SMOKE SHOP MURAL 2

I like it.

We could always use more images of strong females.

And she’s got a sword! Loves it!

Here’s the previous Cole Street Smoke Shop mural.

Old Cole Street Smoke Shop Mural 1

…which looks like it was painted by a 12 year old.

A zombie skelton kid with fresh Adidas just hanging around, spare-changing, and listening to a temple of doom boom box?

Uh, OK….

Not going to miss that mural at all.

UPDATE # 1

cole st smoke shop mural 7

I like the patterns that they added to her kimono.

cole st smoke shop mural 11

And that part of her kimono is flowing out in the form of a green dragon.

RELATED POSTS

Amazing Turk Street Mural by Mr. Maxx Moses

Ape Do Good Printing


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Categories : San Francisco Murals

Wolverine, John Stewart, Iron Man, Wonder Woman, Hulk, Spiderman, and Batman vs Joker, Catwoman, Lex Luther, Doctor Doom, Bizarro, and Mysterio.

30 06 2009

19th and Mission 1

19th and Mission 2

19th and Mission 5

19th and Mission 6

19th and Mission 7

19th and Mission 10

19th and Mission 12

19th and Mission 19

New Marvel vs DC mural over at 19th and Mission

Thank you to WHAT I’M SEEING DOT COM for the head’s up.


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Categories : San Francisco Murals

The Spectre Mobile

23 06 2009

The Spectre Van 1

The Spectre Van 2

The Spectre Van 3

The Spectre is a somewhat obscure reference, especially if you’re not familiar with DC comics, so this piece scores a few fanboy points for that fact alone.

If I was thinking of doing a “GO GREEN” theme from an aesthetic standpoint I probably would have gone with the Green Lantern Corps.

If I was thinking of doing a “GO GREEN” piece from an environmental perspective I definitely would have gone with Swamp Thing.

But putting a vengeance god in your piece changes the whole tone of “GO GREEN”

That’s not so much a suggestion anymore as it is a threat. When the Spirit of Vengeance, the deity that works as The Supreme Being’s hitman, the guy that guards the gates to Hell, has battles with archangels in Heaven, and just murdered Shazam is saying “GO GREEN” then you probably want to obey that command.


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Categories : The Outer Sunset

You play with words, you play with love. You can twist it around baby that aint enough cause girl I’m gonna know, If you’re letting me in or letting me go don’t lie, when you’re hurting inside, cause you can’t escape my…

22 06 2009

Hall and Oats mobile 1

There are few really neat graffiti vans and art cars that are indigenous to the Outer Sunset. We have all of these great curbs along Golden Gate Park or Sunset Boulevard that don’t have driveways so it’s the perfect habitat for larger vehicles.

Here’s one that I’ve come to known as the Hall and Oats mobile.

It’s always standing guard and keeping a watchful eye on Noriega Street.

Hall and Oats mobile 2

Hall and Oats mobile 7

Hall and Oats mobile 11

Hall and Oats mobile 22


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Categories : The Outer Sunset

Balmy Alley

1 06 2009

The genesis behind this week long field trip and open love letter to The Mission was Balmy Alley.

Balmy Alley is one of the more famous collections of murals in San Francisco, almost to the point of being a busy tourist destination.

On the one hand I felt very much like a tourist taking pictures here. On the other hand, it’s kind of neat that after living in San Francisco for 15 years there are still some parts of the city that are completely new to me. There are some parts of this town that I know like the back of my hand, but then travel just a few miles away and I’m a stranger in a strange land.

Balmy Alley 1

Balmy Alley 2

Balmy Alley 3

I like this contribution that was taped to the wall a lot. It’s very democratic.

Balmy Alley 10

Balmy Alley 4

Balmy Alley 11

Balmy Alley 12

Balmy Alley 13

Balmy Alley 20

Balmy Alley 40

Balmy Alley 30

The time of day that you take pictures out here makes all the difference in the world.

Unfortunately one of my favorite pieces, The Victorion, was cut off because of the mid afternoon shadows.

Balmy Alley 33

Balmy Alley 31

Balmy Alley 35


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Categories : San Francisco Murals

Wires, Murals, and The People Caught In-Between.

29 05 2009

Wires, Murals, and the people caught in-between 2

Wires, Murals, and the people caught in-between 3

Wires, Murals, and the people caught in-between 6

I love how this mural has incorporated all of the wires that were already attached to this building into its theme, even though I’m not quite sure how to read that.

Are they like razor sharp piano wire that is slicing that person into different pieces?

Or are they more like electrical organic wires that are creating that Pink Floyd assembly line creature below?

And what the Hell is going on down there?

It’s like one of Neil Gaiman’s nightmares that someone decided to put up on the side of their house.

I don’t know. Don’t ask me.

Wires, Murals, and the people caught in-between 10

This mural really compliments this building. The building itself is pretty haggard; it could stand to use a new paint job, yet that works with the mural that has a beautiful yet haggard feel to it. I think this is a great example of how a building doesn’t’ have to maintain a pristine paint job to work with its mural.

It’s a really interesting piece.


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Categories : San Francisco Murals

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