Wall Art: New Findings, Old Friends

Mid December 2021

Introduction

I had occassion to visit the La Perla section of Old San Juan the other day, with a friend of mine. We paid particular attention to the wall art there, as well as a few local beers. Here is some of what I found. I’ll also include some art from other locations, some of which have been painted over. Note: I’ve used some of these images in earlier posts. But they are worth a second look.

La Perla

La Perla sits outside the wall of Old San Juan, on the northern coast. Many of the buildings have been freshly painted, and it seems to be undergoing a bit of a revival. It is a rich area for wall art.

Wall art in the La Perla neighborhood of Old San Juan.

The art above reminds me of a work along Avenida Fernandez Juncos, in the Santurce neighborhood.

Wall art along a main street in the Santurce neighbood of San Juan.

I suspect the two examples above are by the same artist. I have not yet tried to find out who that is. I’ll work on that later.

Another example of wall art in La Perla.

The image above reminds me that the words canoe, barbeque, and hurricane were borrowed by the Spanish from the native Tainos. I have not yet figured out the symbols on the side of the canoe, nor do I know what the white swirl to the left means.

A fanciful sea creature on a wall in La Perla.

A red octopus watches over La Perla. I have not yet followed up on the artist’s name.

Another sea creature in La Perla.
Two women in La Perla.

I like the portrayal of the two women above. Note that they are both have scarfs with the Puerto Rican flag.

More La Perla wall art.

The work above seems to depict native life in the area before European settlement.

Two more from La Perla.

The two images above are undoubtedly Puerto Rican musicians. I don’t know who yet – I’ll have to work on that.

Another face on a wall in La Perla.

The image above is one part of artwork along a retaining wall. It is rare to find a section without a car parked in front.

Other Findings

La Perla is certainly not the only location for wall art. Here are a few from other locations around the city.

A face on a wall in the Santurce neighborhood.

The image above is just off Calle Cerra in the Santurce neighborhood. I had not seen it before.

A wall mural just off Calle Cerra, in Santurce.
The mural above after extensive editting.

The art above is by Danae Brissonnet, a French-Canaduan artist. I showed this in an earlier post. Click here to see that.

A face on a wall just off Calle Loiza.

The image above is in the Calle Loiza area of Santurce. It is a neighborhood in transition.

Mural on a bridge in Condado.

The work above is one of a series of figures painted on a bridge pier in the Condado section of San Juan. They are gone, painted over.

Conclusion

There you have some of my images of wall art in San Juan.

I once received a comment asking if I had copyright permission from the artists. The answer is no. The images are in public spaces and fair game for any photographer. I edit them as a hobby. I do not sell any of my images and therefore I am not profitting from the creative work of others.

However, I can see a business opportunity. I think some of the art work would make exceptional post or note cards. Tourists, and even locals, represent a market for them.

I would have to negotiate an agreement with each artist. Any one have any thoughts as to how to do that?

Notes and Sources

The images are mine. I edit them, more or less extensively, with Adobe Lightroom and/or Photoshop.

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