Travel Around The World In 30 Murals
In this blog I will share with you just a few of the 1,000s of mural photos I have taken over the years. Well you won’t be travelling around the world you will go from Berlin to Portland, from Mexico City to Montreal an many points in between.
For me the streets of a city are the equivalent of a contemporary public art gallery. In many ways the streets reveal more about a city than curated art and museum exhibitions. The architecture, people, signage, street art, murals and graffiti combine to create a city’s unique sense of place. It is a city’s identity – good, bad or ugly.
The streets are full of urban surprises, you never know what will be around the next corner. It is the ultimate thrill of the hunt.
Today murals are everywhere, from small villages to big cities. In fact, many small towns have created mural programs to make their downtown’s more attractive to tourists. Chemainus, British Columbia, Canada is a great example and was probably one of the first.
Boise, Idaho has a fun “Freak Alley” with dozens of different street art paintings that has become a popular place for photo shoots by locals and tourists. Lacombe, Alberta’s downtown alleys have dozens of historical murals that recreate what the town looked like a 100 years ago. Perhaps the most famous mural program is the Berlin Wall.
Calgary has one of the most ambitious mural programs I am aware of - BUMP (Beltline Urban Mural Program) which has resulted in 50+ murals being added to the City Centre landscape over the past four years.
FYI: When you are travelling internationally, make sure you have the card with no foreign transaction fees and the best exchange rates.
Montreal, Canada
Lyon, France (FYI Lyon is home of French cuisine.)
Boise, USA, Freak Alley
Boise, USA, Freak Alley
Medicine Hat, Canada
Rome, Italy
Lacombe, Canada
Lacombe, Alberta
Victoria, Canada
Vernon, Canada
Vernon, Canada
Berlin, Germany
Vancouver, Canada
Portland, USA
London, Ontario
Berlin, Germany
Mexico City, Mexico
Seattle, USA
London, UK
London, UK
Austin, USA
Dublin, Ireland
Nashville, USA
Lipzig, Germany
Berlin Wall, Germany
Montreal, Canada
Montreal, Canada
Ottawa, Canada
Buffalo, USA
Las Vegas, USA
Paris, France
Last Word
As you can see from these photos over the past decade or two there has been a blurring of the boundaries between graffiti art, street art and murals. No matter what you call them, they add colour and a sense of playfulness to otherwise boring urban spaces. Yes some make a political statement while others are just decorative, and that’s OK.