Clarion Alley Murals, San Francisco

Bloggers experiencing "blogger's block" simply need to walk around the Mission District in San Francisco. Don't forget your camera, like I did, and have to use your camera phone. I had to tweak these to get the contrast back. It was dusk but luckily just before summer solstice, so it was a bright dusk. Still: will bring the new-ish digital camera (with newfangled built-in flash) next time.

The Clarion Alley Mural Project (CAMP) was started by a group of artists, featuring among others, Aaron Noble (who I used to play pick-up baseball with), and his roommate, Rigo 23, who's a great post-modern muralist. They both lived in a maze-like warehouse building in the alley, which has since been torn down for housing. The alley has changed much and the original CAMP organization has moved on, gathering new recruits over the years, but as far as I know--disbanded...? Correct me if I'm wrong. And hopefully I am because a muralist's work is never done (see note below at last photo).

I have ties to this urine-soaked alley between Valencia and Mission Streets. I filmed a music video at the warehouse for Barbara Manning, featuring our favorite no-hit-pitcher-on-acid, Dock Ellis. I played at a benefit for the alley in my band She Mob (wearing a devil hat and Spiro Agnew t-shirt--it seemed appropriate). I said good-bye to Aaron there as he prepared to move to Los Angeles. Bummer. But through all the hard work of the collective, the murals live on. And on and on.








Heartbreak: Greta Snider's charming Mission street scene has been completely tagged, wheat-pasted, and stickered. I hope someone helps restore this soon.


Shotwell plays at the Clarion Alley Celebration, 2006.