Mission Street art  – Travel Photo Mondays

It’s Monday morning, time to enjoy some gorgeous travel photography and inspiration from around the world. Let’s banish those Monday blues by sharing beautiful imagery and personal story telling. You can also check us out on Twitter for Travel Photo Mondays at #tpMondays for more updates and submissions for the day.

Mission street art - Travel Photo Mondays

Mission street art – Travel Photo Mondays

Street art at Balmy Alley in San Francisco

 

If you thought that the post I did earlier on Clarion Alley and the graffiti art was amazing, then let me take you on a another tour of one of my favorite areas for street art which is located in the Mission district of San Francisco. Balmy street off 24th Street and many parts of the neighborhood are filled with amazing street art and graffiti. There seems to be more acceptance of graffiti in the neighborhood if it is caliber work from local artisans,  many stores even include street art on their front facades to attract more business. The exciting thing about Mission street art is the pure graphic and saturated colors that are used in each artist’s palate, creating vivid imagery and stunning visuals. The colors are shocking, contrasting and vibrant – it grabs your immediate attention to look and focus on the subject matter and enjoy the wild and fresh visuals. Another wonderful thing about the street art in this neighborhood is that there is little if no tagging on the buildings where these beautiful street art images are done.

 

 

Let me take you on a discovery photo tour of this incredible area:

 

A street view of Balmy lane in the Mission district

A street view of Balmy street in the Mission district

 

 

 

 

Colorful montage and street art at Balmy Lane

Colorful montage and street art at Balmy street

 

 

Some of the artwork here are quite blatant and progressive because the original intent of the artists were about protesting a variety of injustice and political abuses in Central America that was happening in the late 80’s. Current themes are now portraying a variety of prejudice and abuses including:  economic imbalance, human rights, global warming, and even hurricane Katrina. The concentrated murals and street art found on Balmy street is worth seeking out and spending some time to enjoy and view all the amazing art work. It’s artwork that changes on a regular basis, so there is always something new to check out in the alley.

 

 

 

Graphic compositions in the Mission district,street art

Graphic compositions in the Mission district,street art

 

 

 

 

 

A cry for justice, Mission street art

A cry for justice, Mission street art

 

 

 

 

 

Foreclosure and exiting the Garden of Eden

Foreclosure and exiting the Garden of Eden

 

 

 

Outside of the protest murals, there are also graffiti and street art that depicted the beauty of the people, their community and the rich history of the various ethnic cultures living in this vibrant district of the Mission district.

 

 

Beautiful artwork on Balmy Lane

Beautiful artwork on Balmy street

 

Isn’t this a beautiful composition above with the huge banana plants sticking above and adding more of a 3-D effect?

 

 

 

 

 

Mission street detail

Mission street detail

Vibrant details and brightly painted homes complement the animated mural above.

 

 

 

 

Beauty in all forms on Balmy lane

Beauty in all forms on Balmy street

 

 

 

Graphic reliefs and colorful composition in the Mission district

Graphic reliefs and colorful composition in the Mission district

 

 

 

 

 

A cool dude in green pants in the Mission

A cool dude in green pants in the Mission

 

 

Surprisingly, there are lots of greenery, potted plants and flowers on Balmy lane, it’s wonderful going to an urban environment and see flowers planted out in the streets to enjoy and share with the public.

 

 

Potted gardens on Balmy Lane

Potted gardens on Balmy street

 

 

 

 

Smells so sweet - Angels Trumpet on Balmy Lane

Smells so sweet – Angels Trumpet on Balmy street

 

 

Would you live in a Victorian building colored hot peach below?

 

Victorian beauty in the Mission district

Victorian beauty in the Mission district

 

 

 

Even the area around 24th street in the Mission has so many graffiti and street art incorporated into the storefronts, some are really pure artwork. For those interested in taking a break from the art scene, there are plenty of shops and amazing restaurants on 24th street. You can find a variety of delicious and inexpensive ethnic food when you are in the mood for something local and done just like you would find from a particular ethnic cuisine. There is a broad spectrum of ethnic cuisine to enjoy as you explore the area around 24th street.

 

A painted building on 24th Street in the Mission

A painted building on 24th Street in the Mission

 

 

I love the old school sign of this place re-purposed into a cool diner called Pig and Pie.

 

Discoland on 24th Street

Discoland on 24th Street

 

 

 

 

Colorful buildings add to the composition

Colorful buildings add to the composition

This whole area around 24th Street and Balmy street are filled with so many amazing graffiti and street art, it seems like every building you look at will have something interesting to see as far as artwork. The nice thing is that most of this is really art and not trashy tagging work – the images are clean and very colorful, making a nice statement for this crowded urban environment.

 

Hope you enjoyed the tour of street art in the Mission district for Travel Photo Mondays. Please do share this post with the social media buttons and visit the other bloggers participating below.  

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