The word graffiti conjures up images of urban decay, blight, and crime. But there are some artists who have taken the medium and have turned out masterpieces, worthy of acclaim. Their pieces have the potential to transform a once ugly, long-forgotten structure into a beautiful place that people flock to see and photograph. Here are some such examples that will change everything you thought you knew about street art.
- 2nd Street, Royal Oak
Maia C/Flickr I’m not sure what this is but it looks like something from the old Japanese henshin shows.
- Detroit Industry, Detroit Institute of Art
Maia C/Flickr These iconic murals painted by Mexican artist Diego Rivera revolutionized the medium forever.
- Collage at Eastern Market, Detroit
soupstance/Flickr This psychedelic painting is just one example of the attention to detail on the works that adorn many of the walls at Eastern Market.
- Woman on building at Eastern Market, Detroit
Josh Zakary/Flickr This seriously looks like a photograph.
- Deconstructed kitty, Eastern Market
soup/Flickr You must have talent if you can manage to make a dissected cat look like this.
- Edgar Allan Poe, Hermann Hesse, Anais Nin, Franz Kafka, Woody Allen in Ann Arbor
sfgamchick/Flickr Some literary and cinematic giants gracing these walls.
- Flint
George Thomas/Flickr It’s great to see artists jazz up a historic building with a thoughtful mural.
- Grand Ledge, Michigan
Joel Dinda/Flickr This really should be framed.
- Green River Cafe Wall Art, East Lansing
Darrell Harden/Flickr If you went to MSU, chances are this was a regular sight.
- Michigan Avenue, Detroit
Bird Eye/Flickr This abstract work really turns the whole notion of graffiti on its head.
- Detroit
Mike Boening Photography/Flickr Normally tagging is an eyesore that warrants punishment. But this is on another level.
- Martin Luther King Jr. mural, Detroit
Thomas Hawk/Flickr The way this artist depicts the Civil Rights Movement is inspiring.
- Mural at 2010 ArtPrize, Grand Rapids
Fellowship of the Rich/Flickr Look at all the smiling faces.
- Shepard Fairey, Detroit
Eugene Kim/Flickr This prolific artist was responsible for the iconic Hope poster of Obama during his 2008 campaign. The massive red, cream, and black mural in the distance was a commissioned piece to cover a major high rise in Detroit.
- Smart Shop, Kalamazoo
wiredforlego/Flickr We love the time lapse imagery in this mural.
- Near 4731 Grand River Avenue in Detroit, part of the Grand River Creative Corridor
soupstance/Flickr This tight shot illuminates just how much detail goes into these things.
- Grand River Creative Corridor, Detroit
soupstance/Flickr Is that Honest Abe wearing stunner shades?
- Grand River Creative Corridor, Detroit
soupstance/Flickr This vaguely resembles a Lisa Frank print, doesn’t it?
These are some of the pieces that really inspire us. But we know these are the types of things that often go unnoticed unless you see them on a regular basis. Tell us, or SHOW us, some works of graffiti that really belong in a category of their own.
Maia C/Flickr
I’m not sure what this is but it looks like something from the old Japanese henshin shows.
These iconic murals painted by Mexican artist Diego Rivera revolutionized the medium forever.
soupstance/Flickr
This psychedelic painting is just one example of the attention to detail on the works that adorn many of the walls at Eastern Market.
Josh Zakary/Flickr
This seriously looks like a photograph.
soup/Flickr
You must have talent if you can manage to make a dissected cat look like this.
sfgamchick/Flickr
Some literary and cinematic giants gracing these walls.
George Thomas/Flickr
It’s great to see artists jazz up a historic building with a thoughtful mural.
Joel Dinda/Flickr
This really should be framed.
Darrell Harden/Flickr
If you went to MSU, chances are this was a regular sight.
Bird Eye/Flickr
This abstract work really turns the whole notion of graffiti on its head.
Mike Boening Photography/Flickr
Normally tagging is an eyesore that warrants punishment. But this is on another level.
Thomas Hawk/Flickr
The way this artist depicts the Civil Rights Movement is inspiring.
Fellowship of the Rich/Flickr
Look at all the smiling faces.
Eugene Kim/Flickr
This prolific artist was responsible for the iconic Hope poster of Obama during his 2008 campaign. The massive red, cream, and black mural in the distance was a commissioned piece to cover a major high rise in Detroit.
wiredforlego/Flickr
We love the time lapse imagery in this mural.
This tight shot illuminates just how much detail goes into these things.
Is that Honest Abe wearing stunner shades?
This vaguely resembles a Lisa Frank print, doesn’t it?
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