Street Art: Joshua Allen Harris

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This really shows that as a society we have come to accept art in so many different forms. If I was told that there were these large, animated creatures on the streets of urban cities, I would never think that they would be made from tape and garbage bags, let alone come to life because of subway exhaust. Nothing about these “inflatable bag monsters” are typical when considering “standard art,” if there is such a thing. They aren’t located in a typical place, they aren’t made from typical material, and they don’t take the typical level of skill we’d expect from a successful artist, yet they still fascinate the public and certainly function as interesting and legitimate pieces of art. They literally come to life when enough subway exhaust pushes through the gaps in sidewalk grates which serve as the base for these creatures. When they are up, they look almost magnificent as they naturally sway with the air below and around them. Joshua Allen Harris didn’t need a whole lot of artistic ability to create these pieces. It’s simply a really clever idea. People stop to see what’s causing them to grow and expand and they really seem to appreciate their beauty. They seem magical, especially at first glance, yet they’re made from plastic bags and they dwell on the sides of dirty streets. There must be something ironic about that.