The Unintentional Beauty Of Graffiti Removal

New Mexico-based photographer and artist Mattie Kannard has spent the past eight years photographing graffiti, but only after it has been painted over by the building owners. The results often resemble an unintentional pastiche of Mark Rothko’s style of abstract expressionism.

More info: Mattie Kannard, Flickr (h/t: dangerousminds)

“I love graffiti. But I love buff even more. When graffiti is removed, it is “buffed.” It gets painted over. As in, “Man! That tag I did last night was buffed this morning.” Before I knew the correct term, I called a buff “paint over,” and in 2009 I started taking and collecting photographs of graffiti that had been painted over. Over the last three years I’ve amassed almost two hundred pictures of beautiful buffed pieces,” she said.



















If you want more awesome content, subscribe to Design You Trust Facebook page.

More Inspiring Stories

Spectacular Abstract Winners From The 2024 Minimalist Photography Awards

The Owl Girl and The Shawarma Man: Anime Art by Rino Park Based on References

"The Life of Art" Cartoon Quotes Inspired By Kurt Vonnegut

Illustrator Creates Posters With Deep And Hidden Meanings

Beetle Painted On Volkswagen: Pictures Of Gorgeous VW Bus Art Paintings

Artist Draws Obscure But Adorable Creatures From Hundreds Of Hatched Line

This Guy Was Really Annoyed By All The Garbage In His Town. So This Is What He Did...

"Blindness": Javier Martin's Exploration of Urban Grittiness, Glamorous Advertising, and Society's Obsession with Beauty

25 Redesigns Of Famous Logos And Some Of Them Are Better Than The Original

Honest, Valuable & Intelligent Advice And Statements Presented In A Way That Exists Somewhere Pleasantly Between Design And Typography

Textile Artist Rachel Austin Creatse Beautiful Tiny Felt Animals

"Mind’s Atlas": Stunning Paintings by Katrina Young

This Brave Man Protests Annoying Everyday Things With Funny Signs

Alien Isolation: The Brilliant Cyberpunk Themed Creations of Brad Wright

What If People From Classical Paintings Attended A Music Festival

Daughter Replaces Family Photos With Crayon Drawings One By One, Parents Don’t Notice For 11 Days

Butts on Things: Illustrator Brian Cook Draws Butts on Everything

"Rest in Peace": The Dark, Nightmarish and Bizarre Drawings by Dima Khramtsov

Crocodile Trying To Do Things In Hilarious Sketches By The Japanese Illustrator Keigo

"Heaven's Hell": The Book Of Afterlife Adventures By Anthony Jones

John Hassall’s Brilliant Posters From the Turn of the Century

French Street Artist Paints 3D Creature Graffiti And It’s Not For The Faint Of Heart

Art Of Quarantine: 9 Classical Art Posters Adjusted To Quarantine

Vietnamese Tattoo Artist Masks People’s Scars With Beautiful Artworks

Stunning Vintage Photos Show The Beauty Of African-American Women From Between 1920s And 1940s

This Artist’s Paintings Are So Realistic, You’ll Probably Think They Are Photos

This Artist Uses His Skills To Create Magical Worlds And Whimsical Illustrations

Angels Of Distress: The Superb Bizarre, Nightmarish And Horror Creatures By Maxim Verehin

NYC Taxi Drivers Calendar

Incredibly Detailed Beauty And The Beast-Themed Wedding Photo Shoot Brings To Life The Disney Classic