January 9, 2008

What, Who and Why?

URBIS: (lat.) city
MUS: (lat.) mouse

We are city mice / urban rats.
We are artists who live and breathe for the urban lifestyle. We create and draw our inspiration from urban energy and feel quite at home in  urban blight.
We find suburbia and gated communities sterile, unwelcoming and quite hostile to our individuality and personal expression.

Are you here because you have seen one of these?:


Project RUN
(Reside Urbanely Now!)

Our installation is designed specifically for downtown Jacksonville, Florida.

We bring you people. Everyday, regular people about their business. People you'd see on any city street at any time of the day.

........ except in downtown Jacksonville.

What happened to this once beautiful and bold new city? Who's to blame for such an absence of life on her streets? What ravaged this city more than the great fire of 1901?
These questions have been asked and discussed for over 20 years, but solutions are yet to be found.
So, while authorities and those in the know draw and re-draw their "redevelopment" plans, foolishly thinking they can plan life, we bring life to downtown Jacksonville the best way we can. We hope to encourage others to make their statement as well. Take back her streets!

THIS IS NOT VANDALISM!
Wheatpasting is a form of street art, or poster art. It is not permanent and does not cause property damage.

Each figure is placed on an abandoned, neglected and forgotten building.

Who's a bigger VANDAL than the property owners , allowed by the city, to neglect our landmarks and let them disintegrate? They are effectively preventing life from happening! They are the vandals!

Questions and inquiries:
urbismus@gmail.com



9 comments:

Blasphemer said...

I am looking forward to this happening.

The Urban Core said...

I like your work and agree about wheat pasting. I also like how you chose your buildings. However, people are working on the Library, on both the landlord and tenant side. It is not neglected but it is preconstruction. It could take a while. In my opinion your art improves the aesthetic. Just one opinion. I'm glad you chose. I like it and I think it raises the bar for street right now, though many folks are doing things. It also raises awareness of downtown places.

Jennifer McCharen said...

keep it up, mice! lovely, lovely.

Anomaly said...

urbismus we love your unique style and forward thinking. come to 5 points, please!

Unknown said...

Nice work! and I'm glad urbimus has a blog. I can see a friendly pooch pasted on the ambassador hotel (a fabulous building) just outside my apartment window.

unMuse said...
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unMuse said...

wonderful work around town! so wonderful I had to take some photos.

Jag On said...
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URBISMUS said...
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