I blamed Christina Sun aka bowsprite for starting permutations of “tugster,” but I’m not revealing any great secret to say I’m glad for her influence. Unrelated to that and her, I went to a new part of the “terre-est boros” the other day, of course a boat was involved . . .
but more on that later . . .
stopped at a stop light, looked to my right, thought . . . “funny, I’d been talking to my son about Utagawa Kuniyoshi just the other day . . .
and decided immediately to pull over and enjoy this version of masks on buildings. I took this batch in four minutes flat!! I stayed in the neighborhood for about an hour.
Every direction I walked,
and
every which way I looked . . . there were more.
Let me know if you’re interested in seeing more . . .
All photos by Will Van Dorp.
tugster: a waterblog 
10 comments
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October 31, 2018 at 11:08 am
eastriver
More, please!
October 31, 2018 at 11:39 am
Lee Rust
I encounter images like these every day and marvel at the imagination and skill of the artists who can come up with such ideas and then realize them at that scale. My own brain just does not seem to possess that sort of circuitry.
Here in Rochester NY, this type of formalized wall art is a very big thing, with dozens of murals added every year since 2011. My immediate neighborhood has received quite a few… http://www.wall-therapy.com/murals/2014-walltherapy-murals/
My office space is located right behind the hands of the figure named Luong.
October 31, 2018 at 11:45 am
tugster
Lee– You must come and go through the door by Luong’s cuff . . .
October 31, 2018 at 1:12 pm
Robin Denny. Windsor, UK.
In some cases real artistry.
Recommended: Murals-Lyon, France, or Le Mur des Canuts, Lyon. Astonishing.
October 31, 2018 at 1:50 pm
David Howard
Please stick with water craft.
October 31, 2018 at 7:14 pm
Skip Albright
these are great, more would be welcome
October 31, 2018 at 7:29 pm
rjb605
I thought I knew Brooklyn, Queens and SI waterfront neighborhoods pretty well, at least as they were 5 years ago. This has me puzzled. Can you locate it?
Thanks
November 1, 2018 at 4:37 am
tugster
The boat in the first photo was intended as a clue. it’s Scamonchi docked in Dutch Kills, at the very top (south end) of Newtown Creek along Morgan Avenue. the neighborhood around there is, i believe, called Bushwick. the link there was intended as another clue.
November 1, 2018 at 11:21 am
Lee Rust
I pass through Luong’s giant wrist several times a day, but the scale of the figure is so large that he’s invisible at that distance… just a bunch of colored blocks on the wall. You can only see him from way across the parking lot.
November 5, 2018 at 4:07 am
Rembert
Only to create a clear majority: I hope, you find the answer to the question of the whereabouts of a real New York somewhere in the neighbourhood. Makes MORE indispensable.