Move over, Banksy: a distinctly Florentine form of street art has been developing over the past few years, and the genre has seen particular growth in recent months. From decoratively doctored street signs to innovative takes on iconic images, the current street-art scene adds contemporary color to the city.
French artist CLET is something of a household name in Florence. Though he’s lived in Italy for over 18 years, he first appeared on the local stage in summer 2010 (see theflr.net/TFClet). CLET’s stylized street signs have earned him over 60,000 Facebook fans.
‘Blub’ takes major masterpieces, generally by Italian artists, and dresses the figures in scuba gear. Coloring unexpected street corners of Florence are underwater renderings of canonical pieces like the Mona Lisa, Michelangelo’s David and Piero della Francesca’s Duke of Urbino. In addition to these famous artworks, however, Blub’s collection has expanded to include images taken from Italian films, global pop culture and beyond. If you can’t get enough of Blub, check him or her out on Instagram @lartesanuotare.
Two new series have popped up on the walls of borgo della Stella, a narrow street just a stone’s throw from piazza del Carmine. Five major Medici figures line one side of the street; unfortunately, however, three are already quite damaged. Directly across from the Medici clan is a spooky series of characters, the most instantly recognizable of which are Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster. Sources inside a neighborhood printing workshop say that both appeared on the same morning, but the two series were produced by different artists. The signature on the Medici images reads ‘HOPNN,’ and according to Blub, who kindly replied to TF’s inquiry, the other series is the work of an artist called ‘Hogre.’
Keep your eyes peeled for new works by these budding street artists.
