2. Take a street art walking tour.
30. Take your camera with you on a walk and record the experience.
So... there really isn't much street art in Mountain View. I see a lot of tagging along the fences while I ride the Caltrain, but nothing interesting. There was one really cool piece I used to see all over that was a tag, but also a hand, and a face, all in one. I never got a picture of it, and I haven't seen it in awhile.
I thought about this a little more, and decided to focus on unassuming "street art". Namely, all the spray paint and regular road paint you see on the streets. The road paint (what is it actually called?!) you interact with on a daily basis: when you drive, when you use crosswalks.
The other marks people see, but don't really see. These are the ones made by the utility company, usually when there is construction. They mark various cables and systems that lie under the ground. I think they are so interesting. They seem like lines and arrows but they convey so much information for people who know the code. They also hint at a hidden network that you never think about.
I also wanted to document this mysterious collection of squares on the road along the Caltrain. I would see it every morning on my way to work, and it took me forever to figure out what it was. One day I saw it in action - I thought it was really exciting. Yes, I'm a dork. Can you guess what these are for?
Finally, I started noticing all the different textures of the features of the sidewalk. All those utility boxes (or access points?).
Anyway. I took over 100 pictures, but instead of posting them all here, I placed them in a Picasa Album. Also, I have learned that if there is one surefire way of making yourself look crazy, it's standing in the middle of the road taking pictures of the street. Especially when it's raining.
