These weeds are growing over several cities, yet the residents don’t mind. That’s because these outsized weeds are works of art created by muralist and street artist Mona Caron. The project, titled Weeds, is unfinished as of yet, and continues to grow in cities across the world.
Weeds, particularly those found in urban areas, caught Caron’s attention for their resilience and their ability to grow through seemingly unmovable concrete and brick. To Caron, weeds growing in sidewalks, parking lots, and rooftops represent the continuing struggle of all life forms. Caron particularly focuses on lives who did not have the benefit of privilege or support. Her murals are “created as a tribute to the resilience of all those beings who no one made room for, were not part of the plan, and yet keep coming back, pushing through and rising up.”
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Lately, the San Francisco-based artist also took in-progress photos of her murals. She then stitches the photos together into .gif forms to show the “growth” of the painted plants. When complete, her images exist alongside other street art pieces, as well as the rest of the brick and concrete of the urban landscape.
The weeds and wildflowers lend a bright, organic touch to the cityscapes. They also make any actual vegetation stand out. It’s like a reminder to watch out for the little things, as well as a celebration of the resilience of nature. This project is also a reminder to remember that there is a struggle out there for many life forms. In this way, the weeds are also symbols of “of un-valued living beings, whatever their origin, who exist at the margins, but not without gaining strength there.”
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“I look for weeds in the city streets near a wall I’m about to paint,” Caron explains regarding her ongoing project. “When I find a particularly heroic one, who found the most unlikely little spot to grow through, I paint it big, at a scale inversely proportional to the attention and regard it is getting. I paint all kinds of spontaneous urban vegetation: both invasive species and native wildflowers. They have in common their way of trespassing enclosures, breaking them open, reclaiming the land, carving a path for the rest of nature to follow in due time.”
You can keep up with the Weeds project on Caron’s website, and check out her other projects as well.
(Via Colossal)
