Urban Abstractions

Thanks to a slew of talented street artists, like JR and Roa, for whom the urban landscape is a personal canvas, city dwellers can engage with impressive, large-scale art without stepping foot in a museum. But cities are also replete with unintended art—elements on store fronts, construction sites and subway walls; compositions of color and geometry, line and texture that easily resemble jewel-like paintings.

A closer look (and a bit of imagination) can invoke the work of great 20th Century abstract artists. Shades of Ellsworth Kelly, Sean Scully, Frank Stella and Mark Rothko are all around. It’s just a matter of knowing where to look.

Photo credits: Promila Shastri