Get Stuck On SJ
Feeding a fascination with the urban art of Saint John NB. A @brynphd production.
Maybe it’s the 80s child in me - the young lass who loved the sticker books at the grocery checkout, or the hope of getting a scratch n’ sniff decal on my schoolwork for a job well done.
Maybe it’s the gal in me who has a strange affection for graffiti - never having done it myself, but always taking pause at a spray painted wall or train car.
Or maybe it’s the secret treasure hunter inside, seeking out new features and textures of my hometown so that I can fall in love all over again.
Whatever the reason, I started taking photos of the strange sticker art and graffiti that pops up throughout the city of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. At its’ heart, it’s a blue collar port city that is finding itself with an emerging arts and culture identity, as well as one of the largest urban parks in North America (outside this one). It’s covered in a thick layer of fog and seagulls. It’s where Donald Sutherland was born. People do not know how to zipper merge here, but do adore jaywalking and providing unhelpful directions by where “things used to be”.
Bumps and bruises and all, my affection runs deep for my hometown. And documenting these new silent commentaries in sticker and graffiti form are a way for me to trace a path through silent conversations happening between the citizens of the First City.
Every two weeks (or until I run out of photos to fill such a schedule), I’ll post a curated collection of 3-5 photos of graffiti. No comments or explainers. Usually grouped together in a loose theme, but spanning a period of 4-5 years. Of course, I welcome any comments or questions you have under the posts! You can also check out my weekly newsletter, Campfire Notebook, for meatier fare.
Thanks for viewing and getting stuck on my city.
Bryn