Graffiti Alley

A multi artist collaboration by @enmasseproject

Street Art, Graffiti or Mural

Which one is it? Come see for yourself; it’s a free outdoor art show open 24/7. Depictions of current social issues are a popular theme. Portrayals of personal lives and memorials are topics that hit close to the home. Others are just plain playful in nature.

Whether you’re from the city or a visitor with time for an unscheduled stop this is a must see. Bring your friends and strike a memorable Instagram pose.

So which one is it I asked; street art, graffiti or mural? Here’s what I’ve been told by a fellow I met in these alleyways.

Graffiti

A graffiti artist is a fast worker. Their designs are usually completed in a few minutes but can range to several hours. Some commit days to the project. Because the displays are often unauthorized, they will be forced to work under the cover of night. They also work at infrequently traveled and poorly secured sites. Think freight trains, public transit systems and bridges. Illegal as it is, the work is mostly well done and will be seen by thousands of eyes. Their tag, a stylized signature, is always prominent on their works. Sometimes a tag is the only evidence that they’ve been there. Unfortunately, these works are sometimes placed over an existing wall mural. The lifespan of these works is often quite limited.

I’d say we’ve all been graffiti artists. Haven’t you ever left your name on a wall, tree or your school desk?

Street Art

Street art is always permitted by property owners. Often the property owner has commissioned the artwork, though many artists seek no return other than recognition. These works are much more elaborate, time consuming and on a larger scale. The audience can stand back and recognize the visual message being conveyed. Sometimes smaller messages are inconspicuously blended in, but still obvious to the knowing eye.  Some installations will have repeating caricatures, a style particular to the artist. Weeks and months are involved from start to finish. Care for their art continues after the work is done. An artist will return to touch up their work or repair damage caused by passersby.

Mural

Murals are on a much grander scale. They often communicate a positive message about the business conducted at that location. The historical significance of a neighbourhood is another popular topic. It sheds light on past families, highlighting contributions to the community.

A commissioned work will take up an entire side of a multi story building. It can also wrap around the corner of the building. Protruding building features of interest are commonly included in the work. Mechanical lift equipment will most certainly be needed to apply paint in a safe manner.

A tribute to Saint John, New Brunswick created by artist Uber5000.

This piece pulled me in right away because of my down east roots. The 506 is a New Brunswick telephone area code. You can’t visit Atlantic Canada without having lobster. The buildings in the mural show a vibrant Saint John streetscape. A ship in the background gives a nod to Saint John’s historic ship building industry. Fishermen and sailors singing sea chanteys are referenced by the vinyl records. Alternatively, I have it completely wrong, and the music is for the partying bubble chick people.

Nick Sweetman’s artwork honours the memory of 26-year-old D’Andre Campbell of Brampton, Ontario. 

D’Andre was experiencing a mental health crisis and emergency services were called. Four police officers, ill trained for these situations entered his home. During the confrontation tasers and firearms were deployed. D’Andre, wielding a kitchen knife would die on the scene with his horrified siblings helplessly looking on. Where is our compassion in these moments?

“We need to pay attention and understand the challenges faced by those who experience not only disability, but also a range of social identities and circumstances . . .” Laverne Jacobs

Scenes of Toronto, Ontario created by artist Uber5000

There are many iconic Toronto landmarks and news stories captured in this mural. I instantly recognized YYZ as Toronto’s International airport IATA code.

Then there’s Darwin the Ikea monkey climbing the CN Tower. The backstory on Darwin is years ago a lady brought her pet monkey to Ikea. Darwin was cute, sporting his own fur coat. The problem was he got lost or rather she lost him. After a lot of hullabaloo, it turned out owning a pet monkey in Ontario is illegal. Darwin was taken away from her. Oh, and there’s a tiny Drake sitting on top of the CN Tower.

Next to the tower is Crane Girl. One night in the wee hours, this young lady took up a dare and up she went. She climbed a construction crane and shimmied down the hoisting cable. Once down at the giant hook, she had nowhere else to go. She was found hours later when the construction crew arrived for work.

A blue jay is sitting on top of a building holding a baseball bat. This shows the Toronto Blue Jays’ Jose Bautista’s famous bat flip after hitting a three-run homer. Sitting alongside is Dart Guy, a Toronto Maple Leaf die hard hockey fan. Wearing a Leaf jersey, he’d paint his face blue and white including his large beard. To finish the ensemble a cigarette tangled from his mouth.

Temporary Art

Once considered dirty back lane ways, this artistry transforms an ugly facade to thought provoking scenes. Just as one day these buildings will be torn down, the works on these walls are temporary.

Until then, artists will return to reapply their paints over existing images. New messages of joy, grief and enlightenment will continue to soften these brick walls and our hearts. Arguably, a fine line separates graffiti, street art and murals. So fine a line that all three genres blend into one single message, see me.

A mural of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman who died in Iran in September 2022 while in police custody by artists Ghazaraza24 and eliche D

Graffiti Alley spans three blocks covering a one kilometer distance