Category Archives: Photographs: Urban/Street

Peja Signs

Peja Signs
“Peja Signs” — An eclectic selection of advertisements, business signs, and stencils on wall in Peja, Kosovo.

There’s perhaps more going on in this photograph than meets the eye. Some elements didn’t fully register when I made the exposure, and in all likelihood there are more that I don’t yet understand. The photograph is from the Kosovo town of Peja, and “Birra Peja” is reportedly made from the water of the White Drin River, an important element of the Kosovo landscape with its source in the mountains just outside town.

The first thing that I noticed was the stenciled blue text on the white wall, along with the (hard to see) red stencil of a person whom I presume to be a Kosovo political figure of some sort. (The English text says “WHO ARE WE?!”) But the red signs, near and far, were also obviously part of the attraction of the scene, as were the particular products: the beer, a drink called “GO+,” and the smaller “Prima Pizza” sign. I’ll leave readers and viewers to ponder what else might be there.


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G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

NOW

NOW
“NOW” — An impromptu poster and other things on a wall in Brussels.

One thing that appeals to me about street art (and not everything about it always does!) is how it “lives” where it was made. It is created by people using a variety of media: paint, ink, paper, glue, you name it. They leave it behind on its own where it deteriorates, may be defaced, gets added to, and eventually is covered by someone else’s creation. Someone creates it, but the eventual effect is often out of their hands.

This sign, or what remained of it, was taped to a steel roll-up door along a Brussels street. The “NOW’ remains emphatic in all-upper-case and red, but what it was that was so timely is a mystery since the upper portion has been ripped. A closer look reveals a few more details that may (or may not) provide some clues.


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G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

Tourist Go Home

Tourist Go Home
“Tourist Go Home” — Graffiti and tags on a Brussels wall, including the slogan, “Tourists Go HOme.”

The “Tourist Go Home” tag is seen frequently in European cities these days. I have mixed feelings about it. I understand the frustration when housing has been taken from local residents to provide lodging for visitors, which has the secondary effect of raising the costs of the remaining units. In some of the extremely crowded places (especially in the summer high season) the streets are so full of visitors that the locals must feel overrun.

On the other hand, “go home” is what tourists do! So while I understand the sentiment being expressed and the reasons for it, it doesn’t carry quite the sting that they may intend. And, to answer the obvious question, do visitors in general feel hostility from local residents? We have not — though it may help that we now visit outside the main tourist season and make every effort to not be one of “those ” tourists.


Leave a comment or question using the form. (If you are reading this on the home page, click the article title to see the full article and the comment form.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

Brussels Wall Detail

Brussels Wall Detail
“Brussels Wall Detail” — Wall with tags, graffiti, and poster remnants, Brussels.

This is a small section of a wall in Brussels, Belgium. We passed it while out on a very long (almost all day) walk through the city. I’m fascinated by walls like this one, where layers of personal messages and markings have built up over time, juxtaposed in sometimes-surprising ways to produce a kind of found art.

These things often consist of some combination of actual “art” (often small, personal drawings), bits of text including tags and quotes, random smears of paint, remnants of paper fliers in the process of weathering and falling off. They become short-term time capsules as layers build up, with the newest material on top and the oldest visible through the newer materials in places.


Leave a comment or question using the form. (If you are reading this on the home page, click the article title to see the full article and the comment form.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.