Aug 182011
Tenderloin – San Francisco
The Mission District – San Francisco
Taken on Hemlock just off Polk
The rabbit is by internationally know ROA. He has an amazing body of work that you can view at this website. Born in Ghent, Belgium, his start in the art world was like most graffiti artist, under bridges and on subway walls, but as you can see he has grown substantially. ROA strives for precise anatomical detail, and his works often come across as unsentimental, feral beasts whose looming scale and piercing gaze can present a real challenge to the viewer. “Belgian graffiti artist ROA is obsessed with bringing nature back to the streets. Because of him, pigs sleep in alleyways in London and oxen and bears rest in Warsaw. Executed in trademark black and white paint and usually on a gigantic scale, his pieces often show a darker side to wildlife – recurring crows plucking at the eyes of men and rabbits, or animals with their internal organs on show. Notoriously private, he is elusive in interviews but has exhibited across Europe”
Spencer Keaton Cunningham followed him around while he was in San Francisco and posted 3 short videos here on Vimeo but ROA’s face is blurred, and he really doesn’t say to awfully much.
Hardly matters, his art speaks for him.
These were taken on Bartlet Street between Mission and Valencia and 21st and 22nd.
The 2 large seals are standing on the one that shows in the last picture. While huge, the mural is also behind several chain link fences. Understandable that the property owners would put up fences, there wasn’t a square inch on the block that had not been tagged or paint balled. Sadly, once again disrespecting tags on someone else’s work. Alas, fences make for poor photographs, I wish I could have gotten it all in one shot.
UPDATE – The Roa in the Tenderloin is no longer available.
Great shots! They have such incredible murals in California.
wow – wish he would come and visit Chicago with his brushes
Fabulous! I just discovered your blog – it’s super – I’ll be back.
I’m always amazed at how the artist is able to keep perspective, working on such a large piece. These are awesome. Thanks so much for posting. 🙂
Wow! Those seals are awesome!
I just nominated you for a blog award :)pop over and take a look 🙂
I think it’s amazing you’re documenting all these city treasures. truly fascinating 🙂
[…] under this fire escape in Hemlock Alley has been the home to many worldwide known graffiti artists. Roa was featured here not too long […]