The little things about big cities

I love cities. I love the hustle and bustle, the constant motion, and the uninhibited sense of freedom that everyone seems to possess. But some of my favorite aspects of cities are the small, arbitrary things that usually remain overlooked.

Graffiti I saw while in Manhattan

I love being in surrounded by art. The way every visible post or pole shows traces of sticker bombing, the way artists pass out their demos, claiming them to be the "next best thing", and the way building facades are tagged with elaborate and sometimes thought-provoking messages. It's like everyone's trying to leave traces behind, as to make their mark in a place where they would otherwise go unnoticed.

Random sticker slapping on scaffolding in Chelsea (and my cousin in the background!)

There's an unrelenting sense of determination that everyone wants and needs to be heard. No matter how big of a message or how it gets across, the point is--- it gets across. Quite frankly, I think that if someone has the guts to lay a piece of his mind out on the table, to be dissected and picked apart by thousands of critical eyes; then he deserves to be recognized, or at least acknowledged for doing something that so many will never have the courage to step up and do.