Sunday, October 1, 2017

solo Melissa adventures

Pete has been focused on a woodworking project for the last couple of weeks so I have been doing a bit of solo adventuring around Auckland. Last weekend I decided to explore the city a bit more with my camera in hand. Urban photography is not something I've spent a lot of time doing, so I figured I should take advantage of our surroundings while we are living in Auckland. 

Karangahape Road, or K Road for short, is known for its fringe culture and artist community. It is also home to numerous murals, many of which are ephemeral, lasting two to three years. I've seen some of the murals on our way to and from work, but wanted to see what others I could find in the alleys and side streets. The style, size, and character of the murals is highly varied, making each one a surprise. It was a fun afternoon of wandering in a city where I typically rush from one place to another. 

1910 tram stop on Symonds Street

mural in the background by Tom Tom and Misery;
foreground by Haunt.

This one of a Maori woman is one of my all time favorites by an
artist named Owen Dippie. This mural is huge and can be seen
from the motorway. My heart still flutters whenever I see it. 

By Mica Still, an artist from Oregon...which explains
the bears and wolves (don't exist in NZ) and the
Pacific Northwest tribal influence.

fantail and tui by Flox

collage in St. Kevin's Arcade

saddleback by Janine and Charles Williams

This made me laugh. The dodo and the
cassette tape have met the same, sad fate.

Another great one - Madonna in the City - by Owen Dippie

whimsey on Beresford Square

perhaps the strangest of the day by Andrew Steel

this collection of 25 or so nuclear free murals feels
more relevant today than I would have thought...

There are a few murals sprinkled through the neighborhoods of Kingsland and Morningside too...some official, others not.  

paradise shell ducks (putangitangi) by Janine & Charles Williams

"unofficial" owl in Morningside

the divide by Andrew Steel

Wandering through the city also gave me a chance to look at it in a different way...to find interesting patterns and angles that I love photographing in nature in a space filled with people. Pete will be sad when a walk through town takes as long as a walk in the woods because my camera is at hand...

mosaic in Western Park

Ponsonby Road






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