Let me say up front that I am usually a little bit over my head whenever talking about art.  I have never formally studied art or art history.  I likes what I likes and I read up on things that are interesting to me, whether because of aesthetics, medium or message.

I was intrigued by the inclusion of well-known street artist Banksy‘s Wall and Piece on Rob Bell’s Poets, Prophets & Preachers conference required reading list.  The street art/grafitti world has always intrigued me (and, no, not the “let me doodle my tag on lockers and bathroom stalls” variety) because of its subversive nature.  Along with raising important issues such as who own public space, I love how well-placed street art can reconfigure the ethos of a particular environment.

While doing some back-end work for a recent Ecclesia Collective article, I was introduced to the work of an artist called Specter.  Notice how simply adding a word or two to this awning communicates volumes about this neighborhood:

The juxtaposition of using cardboard to create elaborate gates, and then placing them in unexpected locations, might cause people to re-evaluate a street or corner they pass everyday (I love that the second one is next to a Korean place):

Below is the original image that caused me to seek out more of Specter’s art.  It reminds me of this CS Lewis quote from The Weight of Glory, “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal”: