Crystals “grow” in Los Angeles brick walls

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Cities are, by definition, densely populated. With so many people roaming city streets, why aren’t public art interventions more popular? Who doesn’t want to find old telephone booths regaled with crystal-like ‘bling’?
Graphic designer and artist, A Common Name,  indulges our childlike nature with the “Geode” Street Art Project.

Rather than using traditional paint or wheat paste methods in a 2D platform, I’ve been using paper in 3D. These sculptures come in all sizes and fit in the holes of buildings and pipes found while walking around. The finished shapes represent geodes, crystal, quartz, or any mineral formation that you would normally find in nature, now in our planned out cities.

Cities are also, by definition, landscapes that lack the chaotic spontaneous aesthetic of the wilderness. It is very difficult to find spaces in urban environments that are not constructed. But highly constructed design interventions can breath new life into the inevitably drab style of a brick wall or out-of-commission parking meter.

A parallel aspect of these “geodes” in nature and in the city is they are always unexpected treasures. You might go hunting for treasures but you generally happen upon them during your adventures or casual interaction with the environment. I enjoy the fact that many people will not notice these, but some astute people will; that these will not last forever and the weather will affect them as naturally as it might in nature.

So far, nine geodes speckle Los Angeles’ streets. Some have been stolen, some have been trashed, and others have crumbled away in the rain.
Even crystals don’t last forever - especially if they’re made out of paper.