Montreal’s adhesive art

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What if art ruled the world?

On every visit back to Montreal, the place where I grew up, I take great pleasure in just walking around, looking for all kinds of stickers and posters placed by street artists.
The truly gifted creators will have made something that rises above the morass of vandals’ visual cacophony — something worthy of permanently adorning the backside of street signs, the faces of traffic light control boxes, lamp posts, bollards, parking meters, bike stands and more.
Indeed, Montreal is full of unremarkable, annoying stickers and posters … but there are so many gems, too.
Here are some of my favourites.

Chiens en promenade

See ya later, alligator

Le voyageur

Imaginary cleanup

What is Adam?

Meow

Incomplete thoughts

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Fragment poétique

Found this poetic fragment pasted onto (and partly torn from) some kind of utility box in Montreal’s Plateau Mont-Royal area.

Firmly in winter’s grip

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Westmount enneigé

This scene is seemingly typical of so many places in North America right now. As it happens the photo was shot in Westmount, one of the municipalities on the Island of Montreal.

Catching your eye

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Laurelhurst

The Laurelhurst Theater has what I consider to be one of Portland’s more extravagant examples of neon signage (of those I’ve seen so far, anyway). It’s on the northwest corner of E Burnside St. and 28 Ave.

Happy Year of the Horse!

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Le rouge porte bonheur

To all those celebrating the lunar new year, I wish you a happy and healthy Year of the Horse!

Chinese laundry

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Wash and fold

Tucked away in a quieter part of San Francisco’s Mission district.

Be true to your heart

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True to your heart

Spotted this partial poster on a side street in Hollywood, back in the fall.

Flippers

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Flippers

This seal sculpture hangs out in one of the many sidewalk pools and fountains in downtown Portland, Oregon.

Looking ahead to glimpse behind

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Finding my bearings

St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, seen by reflection in a piece of art across the street.

Clouds not nearly as mean as you ever seen

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Clouds not nearly as mean as you ever seen

You can return to a place over and over, gazing out upon a familiar skyline framed by a familiar landscape … but capture it under a partly cloudy sky and you’ve got a scene you will likely never see again.
This is San Francisco, with lovely clouds courtesy Mother Nature, seen from Torpedo Wharf on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in November.