20 Masterpieces of Green Graffiti

Photo: Anna Garforth

Imagine an art form that uses living, respiring material; an art form that creates mini eco-systems in often complex and beautiful patterns. It changes the face of urban landscapes and redefines the term “urban jungle.” It breathes life anew.

Welcome to the world of green graffiti – masterpieces crafted in moss and grass. Here you’ll find some of the most incredible works of this rare and unusual art form and how to make it yourself.

Photo: 1. Incredible Moss Graffiti Artists >

Photo: 2. More Amazing Moss Graffiti>

Photo: 3. CreateYour Own! >

Environmental Artist – Anna Garforth

Mossenger is the brainchild of London-based artist, Anna Garforth. Inspired by guerilla gardening collectives, who aim to enrich dilapidated public spaces, and Andy Goldsworthy, a British artist who creates site-specific art installations from materials and tools found on site, Anna is currently working on an on-going moss street art project.

Photo: Anna Garforth

Anna knew people had been growing for moss for years so when she came across a recipe on the internet she decided to further explore the possibility using it in her art. Realizing the mixture may have taken several weeks to prepare and produce unpredictable results, Anna went for the quick fix, big effect.

Photo: Anna Garforth

Attaching the moss to the wall using completely biodegradable ingredients, the moss will hopefuly colonize and grow.

Anna explains:

“This is the first in an on-going project, and I have much experimentation to do in terms of how and where I place it. The piece is the first sentence of a verse. The second sentence of the verse will be made and displayed somewhere else around the city [London] in a couple of weeks time, and so on until the whole verse has been transcribed.”

The Poem, penned by Anna’s good friend and poet, Eleanor Stevens, will be features in four parts. The next sentence in the prose is, ‘Watch your skin peel’, so look out for it on your travels.

Photo:

webponce

Photo: 2. More Amazing Moss Graffiti>

Photo: 3. CreateYour Own! >

Moss Artist – Edina Tokodi

1. Decorating the ceiling of the Designers and Agents Green Room in Los Angeles. Photo: Inhabitat

Hungarian moss graffiti artist, Edina Tokodi, is renowed for her moss art of rabbits and animals dotted around New York streets; here we present her more recent installations.

2. A moss grandfather clock grows from a concrete column. Photo: Inhabitat

What’s so refreshing about Tokodi’s work is that she urges people to interact with her art, to touch it, feel it, use all the senses in appreciating this environmental and natural art; a far cry from the stiff, sterile art galleries we’re more familiar with.

3. A moss tree is home to Inke Heiland's wallpaper birds. Photo: Jill Fehrenbacher

Photo: 2. More Amazing Moss Graffiti>

Photo: 3. CreateYour Own! >

Other Impressive Works of Moss and Grass Art

1. Entitled Off the Wall Falls, this image is a stream of water possibly sprouting from a storm drain in Lili`uokalani Botanical Gardens. The HDR rendering makes it look almost cartoon-like. Photo: harogi

2. An art-obssessed gardener in the UK employed a 3D artist to snip her lawn to look like Da Vinci's Mona Lisa, or as one of the UK tabloids renamed her – Mown a Lisa. Photo: credit

3. Danish artist Morten Flyverbom covered this VW Beetle in grass as part of his collection of ecological art pieces. Photo: Morten Flyverbom

4. This flower covered grass art was produced as part of an advertising campaign for a 'Green Drinks' event in Auckland, New Zealand. Photo: credit

Photo: 1. Incredible Moss Graffiti Artists >

Photo: 3. CreateYour Own! >

5. Patrick Blanc covered the side of Caixa Madrid in moss and grass, creating a vertical garden. Photo: gorriti

6. An image forever associated with the moss graffiti movement by Helen Nodding, aka Ladybird. Ladybird

7. Spraycan moss graffiti by Ladybird. Photo: Ladybird

8. Hieroglyph-style bird caught in the moss. Photo: juria yoshikawa

9. Making a mark that will last. Photo: juria yoshikawa

10. Lovers everywhere carve their names on trees only to have them covered in moss, in time, leaving a fresh, furry, green canvas for the next carver. Photo: juria yoshikawa

Photo: 1. Incredible Moss Graffiti Artists >

Photo: 3. CreateYour Own! >

Grow Your Own Graffiti Moss

Photo: the real janelle

Originally created by horticulturists keen to add interest to their garden designs, this recipe for moss can be used as an environmentally-friendly alternative to spray paint.

RECIPE

You will need a blender to make the mixture and if you plan to grow your moss outdoors you will also need a seed tray filled with compost.

• Several clumps of moss
• 1 pot of natural yoghurt or 12oz buttermilk (experiment to see which works best)
• 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
• Plastic pot (with a lid)
• Paint brush
• Spray-mister

Seemingly, getting the recipe to work can be quite difficult, the location and weather conditions need to be spot on. Moss thrives best in damp areas so if you have to grow it indoors make sure you spray it with water frequently. As soon as it starts to grow, transplant it in your chosen location and watch your graffiti art spread.

Photo: 1. Incredible Moss Graffiti Artists >

Photo: 2. More Amazing Moss Graffiti>

Source 1, 2