The Lardner Report

Unleash your creative superpowers!

The Unexpected Art in Urban Decay

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(Pic #1) Brooklyn surprise. Weathered wall and signage —  instant abstraction.

It’s a legal high I can’t fully explain. While I’ve had the opportunity to visit some of the most extraordinary museums all over the world, there’s nothing like discovering an exciting image on weathered urban walls, sidewalks, or curbs. There’s something I love about “unintended” art — the kind that appears with age or years of neglect.

(Pic #2) One of  Jackson Pollock’s early  1950s “Black paintings.”

The above “painting” I suspect started out as a parking sign glued to the building in historic Red Hook, Brooklyn. The white curvy lines would be where the glue was placed. What makes this work for me is the contrasting background colors of dark blue and black. Also, that the unpainted top beige strip appears inside the painting as well. It’s almost as if the whole thing was planned.

The next place my brain visits is my mental catalogue of key images in art history. Truth is, I don’t need to liken one decrepit old wall with a legit artist — but it just happens in my head. It just might be a way to “justify” my find.

In this case, I took a deep dive back into the work of abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock, who made a series of black-and-white paintings before he became known for his multi-colored “action” or “drip” works.

The lesson, each time I explore the streets of any urban landscape, is that art is in fact, everywhere.

When People Look Like Art

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The artist who shot and compiled all these photos changed the way I view art in museums, galleries, and on the street. Lorraine Triolo is a clever, super creative Los Angeles photographer, sculptor and conceptual artist who wrote the book “People Who Look Like Art.”

After seeing her work, I find myself taking in the entire environment of an art show — not just what’s on the wall. Triolo is a master of this kind of observation; she captures the consanguinity between the painting and the person in front of it. With the right match, museum-goers practically disappear into the art behind them. It’s a pretty magical experience. Check out her work below, and next time you visit a show, step back — way back.




For Lorraine’s full collection, check out her profile on Instagram: @peoplewholooklikeart

Banksy — Forever Stamped

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(Pic #1) A Banksy mural metaphorically slamming Putin and the Russian Federation

The work of mysterious British muralist “Banksy” now joins the virtual time capsule of images created by artists chronicling the war in Ukraine. The recent work by the iconic street artist is being immortalized by “Ukrposhta” — the Ukrainian National Post Office — as a 2023 postage stamp. The release marks the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion.

The image depicted on the Banksy stamp is a photograph of a mural he painted in the city of Borodyanka. (Pic #1) “A little boy who knocks out a grown man is an allegorical image – this is the struggle of Ukraine against the Russian Federation,” the Ukrainian postal service said.  In the picture, a young boy uses the art of Judo to flip the man, and it is well-known that Mr. Putin has passion for Martial Arts, and has reportedly earned a black belt.  The illustration is accompanied by six Cyrillic letters that stand as a not-so-veiled shorthand for “Putin, go fuck yourself.”

(Pic #2) The grand flip-off by a Ukrainian soldier to a Russian Warship (Postage stamp)

George Orwell once quipped that “every joke is a tiny revolution.” Ukrainians are proof positive of this premise, as Ukrposhta has now printed more than 30 politically-charged images painted by Ukrainian artists. Many believe  comedy — and irreverence — is the country’s way of coping with unfathomable trauma. One local comedian interviewed by Associated Press suggests simply that they are “using humor as a weapon to keep spirits up.”

On another stamp, (Pic #2) you see a Russian warship approaching a group of Ukrainian border guards on Snake Island in the Black Sea, ordering Ukraine’s surrender. The guards responded — while flipping the bird —“Hey, Russian warship, go fuck yourself.”

Are you seeing a pattern here?