Something beautiful for a Friday evening.

This has been one of those weeks where work has threatened to completely consume my last shed of sanity, and my daughter, who only recently started school, has been sick again. In other words, it has been a week where I have been occupied and preoccupied to the point of near-numbness, and as the weekend approaches, I have decided to take a moment to stop and remember that not all is stress and worry.

I admit to having more than a mere passing interest in the work of Spanish street artist Sam3. His work, which I’ve featured in this blog here and here, has an uncanny ability to tug at something almost visceral, and fill me with that ineffable sense of wonder that I’ve so often talked about here, and that at times like this is so sorely needed. I wish I was better at expressing what his art communicates to me, but I can say that it is certainly poetic, always thought-provoking, and unfailingly beautiful.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Wonder, Awe, and More Street Art

In keeping with this week’s unplanned theme of living with a sense of wonder, I wanted to share these images with you. Last night I was browsing through the same street art blog where I had found that fabulous Darwin image that I posted last week, and I came across this brilliant work by Spanish urban artist Sam3.

Yesterday I wrote about the importance of keeping a sense of awe and magic as we grow up and older, and there is something about this particular image that speaks to that very thing. The individual sits on his firmly rooted perch while his eyes gaze in wonder and longing at the ineffable infinity of the stars above him. Just takes my breath away.

This one wall is par of a larger set, that when taken together becomes even more stunning, and speaks to that idea even more. Moreover, it reinforces the belief in our potential. We are not only capable of developing the ideas that help us understand our universe, but we can transform our spaces in to places that exude magic and make them truly wonderful. It shows how we have the ability to make the ordinary, extraordinary.

Although Miami is not necessarily a cultural Mecca, I think its appropriate to point out our Wynwood Walls, where, since 2009, artists have been using the drab, cinderblock, industrial buildings of the Wynwood neighborhood as their canvas, not only beautifying but actually revitalizing the once-avoided area.

Now THIS is street art!

In Avondale, South Carolina

Thanks to Michael over at Dispersal of Darwin for posting this! (originally posted by Street Art Utopia)