The World Is Your Canvas

When I’m in New York, I just want to walk down the street and feel this thing, like I’m in a movie.

– Ryan Adams

The streets, subway stations, and parks are filled with performers and the buildings are covered with extravagant works of art that are breathtaking. With this being said, it is not uncommon to be walking down the stairs of the subway station and hear the faint sound of music or be walking through a park and see large crowds gathered surrounding street performers. It’s also not uncommon to be walking the streets and see beautiful sculptures and murals covering the sides of buildings. Street art, especially murals, are such a prominent part of the city that there are walking tours and numerous blogs/forums dedicated to the areas where the best street art is located and which murals someone HAS to see. These works of art are much more than just murals that someone decided to paint on the side of a building for fun (okay maybe some are..BUT) they still in a way reflect New York City’s values and diversity that runs through the city.

The most ironic piece of street art that I came across was this one by Bansky that depicts a guy riding a bike spray painting “I Heart NY.” The irony behind this is that is a spray painting mural depicting someone doing that same action which is ironic in the sense because art of this form has the potential to be considered a destruction of property, but murals of this nature are all over the city and the artists who create these pieces are actually very well known.

Another mural that I thought captures the true essence of New York City was a mural that I stumbled upon while walking around the area encompasses the United Nations headquarters and buildings alike. The mural on the side of the Uganda House depicts a woman reaching for the stars with the Ugandan flag colors incorporated into the piece.