Ugly New Buildings

Dan Witz has created a subversive series of street art plaques that he recently installed around his New York City neighborhood. The realistic pieces depict shadowy faces and hands lurking behind vents and grates. The series, called “Ugly New Buildings” is his commentary on the ubiquitous condo complexes overtaking Brooklyn.

Witz explains his motivation behind the project:

“This year’s series, “Ugly New Buildings”, addresses how in the past few years much of my neighborhood in Brooklyn has been torn down to make way for luxury housing. Personally, I can’t say I like the new modern architecture very much. For the most part it’s sterile and alienating and so arrogantly disconnected with its surroundings sometimes it seems like giant alien space ships have landed in the night. But resenting gentrification in New York City is futile, like complaining about the weather or other forces of (urban) nature. For this year’s project I decided to work with it.

These are photo-based, heavily re-painted stickers, mounted on plastic and glued to the walls of the Ugly New Buildings. In May I put up around 30 and about half are still there.”

Dan Witz Street Art

[via Wooster Collective]