Bangkok's Deviant Street Art

The first large-scale collaboration between Thailand and European street artists. Kilos of fresh paint have been applied all over the city transforming ordinarily drab city walls into something creative and magical.

Bangkok Street Art & Graffiti

This was the first large-scale collaboration between Thailand and Europe in the field of street art.

Bangkok Street Art & Graffiti

After just having returned from working in New York City I was disappointed to find that I had missed the Bukruk International Street Art Festival.

Bangkok Street Art & Graffiti

Street art is visual art. It can be found in almost every city. I've noticed more and more fresh paint over the last decade.

Bangkok Street Art & Graffiti

The term can include traditional graffiti artwork, sculpture, stencil graffiti, sticker art and other types of guerrilla artwork.

Bangkok Street Art & Graffiti

For some it is difficult to distinguish between contemporary public-space artwork and that from graffiti and vandalism.

Bangkok Street Art & Graffiti

A portion of Us and Them Mural in the back of Siam Square by Alex Face.

Bangkok Street Art & Graffiti

The area from Siam Square to Rama 6 is actually quite large and if you do not know the exact location could lead to a lot of ground work too.

Bangkok Street Art & Graffiti

I am not surprised that they used the old abandoned buildings at the front of the Petchaburi Soi 18 community along the Saen Saeb canal.

Bangkok Street Art & Graffiti

From the 4 Headed Elephant bridge over Phaya Thai road come down the stairs next to the pier. From the pier you can see many different works on both sides of the canal.

Bangkok Street Art & Graffiti

Viewing each piece from different angles and perspectives reveals hidden stories and meanings.

Bangkok Street Art & Graffiti

These large pieces above are located in the city blocks directly next to the Saem Saeb canal & Ratchatewi BTS on the same side of Phaya Thai road as Siam Paragon.

Bangkok Street Art & Graffiti

This neighborhood consisting of 3 and 4 story block apartments is what most of Bangkok looked like 20 to 30 years ago.

Bangkok Street Art & Graffiti

I would not be surprised to see this stretch of land be developed as a condo, hotel or another fancy mall by the end of the next decade.

Bangkok Street Art & Graffiti

European artists (15):
Amandine Urruty & Nicolas Barrome: France / Low Bros: Germany / Hattie Stuart & Ben Eine: England / Ibie & San: Spain / Daan Botlek & Rick Hedof: Netherland / Akacorleone & Kruela Denfer: Portugal / Dem: Italy / Saddo: Romania / Bonom: Belgium

Bangkok Street Art & Graffiti

Thai artists (11):
Alex Face – Bon – Haritorn Akarapat – Kobby – Unchalee Anantawat – TRK – Mamafaka – P7 – Rukkit – Tawan Wattuya – Yuree Kensaku

Bangkok Street Art & Graffiti

http://bukruk.com/festival/about-the-festival/

Bangkok Street Art & Graffiti

The artwork is located in various spots around Pathumwan from Siam Square to Ratchatewi to Rama VI roads.

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Central Park After Winter Storm Nemo

The February 2013 nor'easter (also known as Winter Storm Nemo or the Blizzard of 2013 was a powerful winter storm that developed from the combination of two areas of low pressure, primarily affecting the Northeastern United States and parts of Canada, resulting in heavy snowfall and hurricane-force winds. © 2013 Michael LaPalme — New York City

Looking West to 5th Avenue on 59th Street. I used to spend quite a bit of time in Central Park when I worked in the city over a decade ago.

Looking south towards 59th street from within the park. I noticed a tall skyscraper currently being constructed behind the Essex House.



The Pond - Central Park West frozen the morning after the storm.



Manhattan Skyline from Central Park - Looking towards the corner of 5th avenue & 59th Street (Central Park South)



Manhattan Skyline from Central Park - Looking towards the corner of 5th avenue & 59th Street (Central Park South)



Manhattan Skyline from Central Park - Looking towards the corner of 5th avenue & 59th Street (Central Park South)



The storm dumped between 2 and 3 feet across the entire northeast. There were a few dozen people out enjoying the snow.



The bridge spanning "The Pond" in Central Park West



The first low-pressure system produced moderate amounts of snow across the northeast.



The rain and snow combined via a second system coming out from the Atlantic. Mayor Bloomberg asked everyone to stay home so that the emergency snow plows and salt trucks could clear the streets faster.



As the two systems merged they produced heavy snowfall from New Jersey to Ontario.



It seems as if the city had only just recovered from the recent Hurricane Sandy which saw large sections of Manhattan without heat or electricity for weeks after it struck.



From what I could tell the city took many precautions it normally would not have taken if Sandy had not struck.  This statue is located in the "Grand Army Plaza" at the intersection of 59th and 5th avenue in front of the Plaza Hotel.



Golden equestrian statue of William Tecumseh Sherman designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens.



The gold statue of Sherman on a horse with "Victory" in front of him pointing the way forward.

Central Park is a public park at the center of Manhattan in New York City. The park initially opened in 1857, on 843 acres of city-owned land.

1 Central Park West, New York, NY 10023

Alice in Wonderland Statue

And if you go chasing rabbits

And you know you're going to fall

Tell 'em a hookah smoking caterpillar

Has given you the call

To call Alice, when she was just small - Jefferson Airplane

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Alice In Wonderland Statue
E 74th St, New York, NY
(212) 310-6600 ‎ · nycgovparks.org

One of the three Electric Ladyland albums covers was shot here also.

The Tattoo Festival - Wat Bang Phra (งานพิธีไหว้ครู วัดบางพระ)

The annual Wai Khru Ceremony (Tattoo Festival)
พิธีไหว้ครูหลวงพ่อเปิ่น(วัดบางพระ) วันเสาร์ที่ 23 มีนาคม 2556 
เวลา 9.39 นาที ณ วัดบางพระ ต.บางแก้วฟ้า 
อ.นครชัยศรี จ.นครปฐม

พิธีไหว้ครูหลวงพ่อเปิ่น(วัดบางพระ)

The Blessing & Resuscitation of the Yantra Tattoos

Wat Bang Pra (วัดบางพระ) is a Buddhist temple located on the banks of the Nakorn Chaisi river in Nakom Pathom, Thailand. The temple is famous for its monks and their practice of giving "Sak Yant" tattoos with wooden bamboo needless. Many believe that protective energy flows through these types of  tattoos, keeping them safe from harm.  It is not simply about getting a talisman tattoo here. The owner must activate it in order for it to serve as a lifesaving conduit.

The owner must respect the precepts set by the head master. Devotees return here annually to recharge their tattoos and the experience is quite exhilarating to witness.



The  "Wai Khru Ceremony" or "tattoo festival" (for non thai language speakers) is held on the temple grounds annually around the first Saturday in March. The exact dates are announced after the monks decide upon the most auspicious time. The trip from Bangkok takes around 45 minutes by car, longer if you take public transportation.



There are many other "Sak Yant สักยันต์" tattoo masters in Thailand but Wat Bang Phra is by far the most famous and has probably contributed more to the fame of the "Sak Yant สักยันต์" tattoo than any other temple in Thailand.



People begin to arrive in the thousands the evening before the event.  The following day during the morning ceremony the tattoos are blessed and their power recharged with new energy and magic which they believe protects them from danger and evil.



They sit and meditate in the  large open parking lot inside the front section of the temple while listening to the prayers and chanting from the monks on the main stage.



At the pinnacle moment when the recharging has completed, some of the devotee transform themselves into animals, imitating them to the best of their ability.



Sounds of monkeys, dogs, elephants, crocodiles, screams and maniacal laughing can be heard across the temple compound.



They run, crawl and slither on the grounds of the temple's parking lot.  Most run towards the main stage at full speed where the monks are chanting.



Not everyone is graceful, many stumble and fall into the crowds hurting themselves and other people.   Everyone seems to be screaming, praying or both. It is madness. This lasts for a couple of hours. When things take off they happen really fast. The experience is really quite fascinating.



Security is usually  provide by soldiers, body snatchers and / or other civic groups of volunteers whose main goal is to catch and calm the possessed devotees. Rubbing the ears calms the possessed and they snap back into reality, slowly walking back to their seats and starting the entire process over again.



They scan the rows trying to figure out where the next assault will come from next. Sometimes it comes one at a time and others in large groups. You can tell by their expressions that this is extremely strenuous and taxing work. The best places for photographs are unfortunately also the most dangerous. You can sit among the people praying, in front of the main stage or off to one of the sides.

งานพิธีไหว้ครู วัดบางพระ © 2009 Michael LaPalme

Tourists, spectators and photographers who turn their back to the crowd are at risk for a head on collision which can break expensive camera gear and even human bones. The risk of danger varies greatly depending on where you are located inside the temple. Rule of thumb is to never turn your back on the crowd.

For those people interested in getting a tattoo at the temple there are some additional instructions on the steps involved once you arrive here.

For those interested in the topic of Yantra tattoos สักยันต์, the following books are highly recommended:

• Sacred Skin: Thailand's Spirit Tattoos -  Tom Vater and Aroon Thaewchatturat
• Sacred Tattoos of Thailand: Exploring the Magic, Masters and Mystery of Sak Yan - Joe Cummings and Dan White

Wat Bang Phra is located at:

Phra Udomprachanat (Luang Por Phern)
Wat Bang Phra, Tambol Ban Gaew Fa
Amphor Nakornchaisri, Nakornpathom

In Thai to print for Taxi driver:

วัดบางพระ (วัดหลวงพ่อเปิ่น)
ต.บางแก้วฟ้า, อ.นครชัยศรี, จ.นครปฐม

GPS Coordinates are N 13 53.846 E 100 12.773

Tel: +66(0)34389333

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