Invisible Cities

My name is Michelle Phillips and this is a rambling photo blog from my home in the UK to other places around the world. I enjoy finding slightly hidden sides to a city and seeing what locals and/or artists create in urban spaces.

[invisiblecitiesphoto]

Art at Alcatraz

Prisoners of Age exhibition at Alcatraz http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/prisoners-of-age-at-alcatraz-2015#  

View On WordPress

[invisiblecitiesphoto]

Street Art Statements

Rome Street Art Statements

Gaucholadri (ARG), “Fuga de Capitales”, 2013 Kid Acne (UK), “Paint over the cracks” More can be found through the Rome Street Art Map http://www.999gallery.com/?p=12167

View On WordPress

[invisiblecitiesphoto]

Roman Faces

Faces on the Walls of Rome

Two photos from my street art walk around Rome. More to follow…

View On WordPress

[invisiblecitiesphoto]

Roman Walls

A walk around Rome led me to the walls of the Community of Sant ‘Egidio and its beautiful blue walls.

View On WordPress

[invisiblecitiesphoto]

Noblest of Washington buildings

I went to the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum for the art. What I also discovered was the building. Described by Walt Whitman as the ‘noblest of Washington buildings’, it was a beautiful place to shelter from the chilly Washington spring weather this year.

View On WordPress

[invisiblecitiesphoto]

Wall murals in Frankfurt

I expected to find some decent beer gardens and Apfelwein in Frankfurt but I didn’t expect to find any art on the street. So it was a surprise to come across these murals  (I loved the space ship on the cinema).

View On WordPress

[invisiblecitiesphoto]

Faces of Montreal

The character of a city can often be found in the streets. This is definitely the case in the centre of Montreal where street artist offer insights at almost every turn.

View On WordPress

[invisiblecitiesphoto]

Remains of the Mural Festival

Remains of the Mural Festival

http://cargocollective.com/alexisdiaz

http://omen514.com/home

The best thing about a city holding a Mural festival is that the street art remains to be enjoyed months after it has finished. I caught photos of work by Alexis Diaz and Omen on a short wander down the Boulevard Saint Laurene in Montreal. The Mural Festival was held in June 2014 http://muralfestival.com/about/?lang=en

         View On WordPress

[invisiblecitiesphoto]

Street Music in Montreal

Street Music in Montreal

  If you are wandering through the streets of Montreal during the summer, you may hear the sound of music drifting from the outdoor pianos that the city has installed in the different boroughs.

There are more details and a map at the city website.

http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/portal/page?_pageid=5977,128115575&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

 View On WordPress

[invisiblecitiesphoto]

Under Pressure in Montreal

Under Pressure in Montreal

Interested in street art and graffiti? Under Pressure is an international convention that will celebrate both in Montreal next weekend. In addition to art, there is a soundtrack of DJs and live acts planned for the two days.

http://underpressure.ca

View On WordPress

[invisiblecitiesphoto]

Walk on the High Line

Walk on the High Line

To walk The High Line is to follow a historic freight rail line high above the streets of Manhattan. I took this journey in Spring and finished up in Chelsea Market Passage where Spencer Finch has installed The River That Flows Both Ways, a grid of colored glass blocks that represents a 700-minute trip along the Hudson River http://art.thehighline.org/project/spencerfinch

http://www.thehighlin…

View On WordPress

[invisiblecitiesphoto]

Toronto Street Art

    It isn’t hard to find good street art in Toronto but you can get the best photos downtown at Kensington Market. Many of the buildings serve as canvases for large scale work in this multicultural neighbourhood.

http://www.kensington-market.ca

 View On WordPress

[invisiblecitiesphoto]

Cherry Blossom

My favourite time of year to visit Washington is when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. In 1912, the city of Washington received a gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Japan. This is celebrated at the annual Cherry Blossom Festival, officially opening this weekend.

http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org

View On WordPress

[invisiblecitiesphoto]

Chicago Light

There are two amazing stained glass domes at the Chicago Cultural Center (1897). They are key features of the interior, which is modeled on the Doge’s Palace in Venice, the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, and the Acropolis in Athens

http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/chicago_culturalcenter.html

View On WordPress

[invisiblecitiesphoto]

Street Art at South Bank

Street Art at South Bank

    It was an excellent surprise to find international street artists ROA and Phlegm on a weekend ramble around South Bank. They both have work on the walls of the Queen Elizabeth Hall.

photos of ROA’s work: http://www.flickr.com/people/roagraffiti

Phlegm’s blog: http://phlegmcomicnews.blogspot.co.uk

View On WordPress

[invisiblecitiesphoto]

Photo-Sensitive Windows

    My favourite building in Paris is the Institut du Monde Arabe. Designed by Jean Nouvel, many…

View Post

[invisiblecitiesphoto]

Writing on the Wall

  The Chicago Cultural Center (1897) was originally the city’s main library building. It is now…

View Post