Ciudad de Mexico: Roma-Condesa

[ Valle de Bravo ]

¡Mis Amigos!

By uploading a post called “Ciudad de México, Parte 1” a few weeks ago I’ve probably led you to expect a “Ciudad de México, Parte 2.” And so, here it is…

Aside from experiencing the Centro Historico and my own temporary environs, I dedicated a day in D.F. to the neighborhoods of Roma and Condesa and their surroundings. I had planned to seek out some of the street art for which those areas are famous, but quickly changed my mind—making blind, random turns just to see what turned up.

Twelve kilometers and many hours later I was back home, with a camera full of images. Although I did find some traditional street art, I became distracted by the wide variety of temporary designs on display. I’m not sure how to categorize them precisely, but I’m referring to things like stickers, handbill remnants, handwritten notes, and the like; typically reproductions rather than originals. I was fascinated by how these placed artifacts were combined with traditional graffiti, layered and superimposed; how they weathered, peeled, and decayed over time; how they commented upon one another by intentional or unwitting juxtaposition. While these items were mostly mass-produced and (I’m sure) looked down upon by street artists—i.e. there’s likely no Banksy of Bumper Stickers—they are nonetheless clever, creative, and opinionated.

Unlike most of my posts, these images don’t lend themselves to extended story-captions, so I present them more or less without commentary.

Enjoy, and there’s a brief “Parte 3” to follow,
—jim