Artful Junction

Two artful displays on Junction buildings — first, we’ve been meaning to post this for a while in case you haven’t taken a close look — the finished renovations on the Junction Post Office Hi-Yu mural are just gorgeous:

hiyumuralrestore.jpg

There’s more art just about a block south, as the facade of Shadowland (in the ex-Neilsen Florist building) takes shape (thanks to Christopher Boffoli for these pix):

shadowlandwoartist.jpg

shadowwithartist.jpg

We asked Shadowland partner Joe about the artist who worked on those lovely touches along the overhang; he wrote back:

The artist working on the building is named Jaffey. He is a local West Seattle artist.  People keep thinking that he did some sort of a print to get that design on there.  Amazingly, he hand painted all of it. He has done signage at a lot of places in the neighborhood.

We also asked Joe to elaborate a little more on the plans for Shadowland’s menu. He says it will include some entree-sized dishes as well as the currently popular “small plates,” explaining:

The idea is that if you go out as a couple you would probably get two or three of them and share them with a glass of wine. I have found that I have really enjoyed places that offer that.  You get to try more things on the menu and it usually opens up conversation at the table.  It should give our chef some flexibility to allow the menu to change with what is available fresh that day and at the same time keep some of the customers’ favorites on the permanent menu.

9 Replies to "Artful Junction"

  • Jan September 5, 2007 (6:22 pm)

    I’ve always felt that the murals in West SEattle simply add to our “uniqueness”, part of what makes this such a wonderful place to live. I’m glad that they’re restoring some of them. And I noticed the artwork at Shadowland a few days ago when driving by. Very nice…guess I’m assuming they’re also going to take care of that peeling paint..? :) Another interesting place to try out…hope it’s open soon. I like the small plate concept..my friends and I do that more and more these days..

  • flipjack September 5, 2007 (9:39 pm)

    How surreal.

  • flipjack September 6, 2007 (11:26 am)

    Sorry, but that post office mural is about the most hilariously horrible thing I’ve yet to see painted on a building. I’d expect to see that painted on the side of the post office in a small town in Kansas maybe..but man that is bad.
    THIS should be considered illegal graffiti.
    just my 2 cents.

  • Dis September 6, 2007 (1:47 pm)

    I love that mural because my mailman is in it. He’s the one with the sun glasses.

  • Gina September 6, 2007 (1:55 pm)

    The post office inside the post office mural? The year the HiYu had the OZ theme, the post office wall had little painted squares on the wall.

  • Dis September 6, 2007 (4:53 pm)

    Gina, what do the little painted squares on the wall signify? I must be missing something.

  • Keith September 6, 2007 (5:25 pm)

    I totally love the post office mural and am thrilled to see it restored. I like that it feels like something you’d see in a small town, because that’s how West Seattle kinda feels to me.

  • Jan September 6, 2007 (7:09 pm)

    and, as with all the other murals in WS, it depicts a part of our history…the topic wasn’t just pulled out of a hat…

  • flipjack September 6, 2007 (9:16 pm)

    Yeah what the heck…it definitely is not pretentious, and is pretty dada-esque if you have know clue as to the history of it, so that’s good.

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