Alley Art

Sometimes beautiful things can be found in otherwise ugly spaces

Alleys are part of the fabric of DC life. Here, you’ll find trash cans and recycling bins, and all manner of household objects in varying stages of repair or decay up for grabs. In some neighborhoods, alleys provide play spaces for children or work spaces for car mechanics working off the books. They can be smelly, quiet, chaotic, overgrown, or all of the above.

Walking through alleys provides an interesting vantage point into private spaces, that is, if you peek over fences or peer up at balconies. And I’ve noticed recently that some folks have used their alleys as a vehicle for personal expression and ingenious repurposing of otherwise useless items.

Here are a few examples to share. Note: wall murals are a whole genre of alley art unto themselves, meriting a dedicated post at some point in the future. If you want to point out any particular examples that I should visit and document, leave me a comment below.

Onward!

This artist uses a drill and plastic caps on the alley-facing back fence with a few extras mixed in. Buckets are available for those wishing to donate their own caps for the artist’s future endeavors.

Another approach to mosaic

Bas relief

One person’s trash is another person’s medium of expression.

Making the ordinary extraordinary

Not sure that this creature qualifies as art but I loved it all the same (and wondering whether someone has called the city for bulk trash pickup).

And finally, an alley with only nature’s adornment. Per The Washington Post, the cherry blossoms are expected to peak this year between March 19 and 23, so we have a a week or two to wait before judging whether the 2024 reality matches this photo that I took back in 2021.