Street artist Joe Iurato has been downsizing his normal wooden stencil art into miniature pieces, placed in less notable places in New York City. The series is inspired by moments in Iurato’s own life but the pieces have resonance for the greater public as well, in essence using a change of scale to provide a whimsical reflection on urban life.
“I try to see the possibilities for a larger picture within a smaller space: a puddle can become a lake, a small crack in a cement wall can become a magnificent climb, a curb or window ledge can fall away into a desperate void, a planter box can become a place for a child to play, and a shadow might be a tangible space for a few seconds a day.”
A lot of his ideas are influenced by the way skating changed his perception of the space around him. He continues, “I’ve always appreciated seeing architecture and nature in a different light. As a skater, the tar banks behind a local supermarket, a flight of stairs, a parking block, a drainage ditch, a handrail, a wall – they all present possibilities for interaction and fun in ways they weren’t intended to be used. Skaters see things differently, I think.”
