Richly detailed and highly evocative, the miniature streetscapes created by artist Evol appear in the most unexpected places – using the most unexpected materials. Known for stenciling windows and other architectural details onto urban surfaces like power boxes, Evol also crafts entire city blocks from humble reclaimed cardboard and metal scraps.
Taking inspiration from the very cities in which he sources the discarded materials, Evol applies stencils and drawings of rooflines, smokestacks, chimneys, fire escapes and street lights. Spots of wear and tear on the cardboard appear to be part of the buildings themselves.
The smallest details, like satellite dishes, curtains, labels on dumpsters and utility cables, are rendered so faithfully that you’ll take a second look at each scene to confirm that you’re really looking at a piece of cardboard.
While most of the Berlin-based artist’s work is out in the streets of his home city and beyond, Evol does show his work – including this series – in galleries. ‘Repeat Offender’ appeared at New York City’s Jonathan Levine Gallery in April and May 2012.
“Clean surfaces don’t speak to me,” says Evol in a statement at the gallery, “so recording these marks is a process of remembering the charm of a place that will soon be painted over.”
