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American artist Tom Bob is running loose in the streets of New York, and let's hope nobody catches him.

Using street "furniture" like poles or electrical terminals, Tom creates colorful and whimsical pieces that interact with their surroundings. From turning a sewer into a frying pan, to transforming gas meters into quirky lobsters, Tom Bob is making the city a much happier place for everybody.

If you liked Bob's creative and witty work, check out the famous French OakOak (here, here, and here) whose art you might find equally entertaining.

More info: Instagram (h/t: ufunk)

#1

Tom Bob Art

Tom Bob Report

John L
Community Member
8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is so well thought out, it should be a special landmark. :D

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    #2

    Tom Bob Art

    Tom Bob Report

    John L
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Oh Lord, don't let the crab monsters loose on the city! :O

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    #3

    Tom Bob Art

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    #5

    Tom Bob Art

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    #7

    Tom Bob Art

    Tom Bob Report

    Kirsa Rasmussen
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The key is in the wrong place in the keyhole - shame, since it is a great idea

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    #9

    Tom Bob Art

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    Lara B.
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Awesome idea! But i guess it only works at a certain time of the day.

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    #10

    Tom Bob Art

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    John L
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So, the sewer's gator population must be growing quickly eh? :D

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    #11

    Street-art-tom-bob-new-york

    Tom Bob Report

    John L
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Popeye saves the day,.....again! :D

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    #12

    Street-art-tom-bob-new-york

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    #13

    Street-art-tom-bob-new-york

    Tom Bob Report

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    #16

    Tom Bob Art

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    John L
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Now that's a picture she will treasure for the rest of her life. ;D

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    #18

    Tom Bob Art

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    #20

    Tom Bob Art

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    #21

    Tom Bob Art

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    John L
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Captain Nemo of the New Yawk Underworld. ;D

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    #22

    Street-art-tom-bob-new-york

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    Rebekah
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Who wouldn't want this? Great idea.

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    #23

    Tom Bob Art

    Tom Bob Report

    John L
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    🎼"Hot Time, Summer in the City. Back'a my neck getting dirt and gritty..........................."🎼

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    #24

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    #25

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    #26

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    George Cowie
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hey! Critics! Did you consider that it might have been created with the property owner's permission? Well, did you?

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    #27

    Tom Bob Art

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    Jerry Stover
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm going to do my meter like this also! Great Idea

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    #28

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    Full Name
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Right on. Caging fictitious birds is awful.

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    #31

    Street-art-tom-bob-new-york

    Tom Bob Report

    Aaron Ling
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Another Chinese here just reporting in that I am in no way offended by this piece of art.

    Carrie Jo
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Holly Sanford compared this to a Swastika. Social justice extremism in the flesh. Holly, you live in Bushwick and protest gentrification dont you...

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    Fernanda Caldas
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Daniel Daly.. Not at all. Which people wear that type of hat? 🤔 The offensive is in your head.

    Charlie Malone
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Lol, some people now days will say a stick that looks like dead worm would be offensive. That word get thrown around way to much. Apparently EVERYTHING is offensive. How about we take all you offended people and put you on your own little island, far far far away from Normal people, and you can offended each other till you croak! This person is Incredibly talented!

    Nuniek Widiayani
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    farmers in my country used to be wear that kind of hat, prevent from heat

    Mark Porteous
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The guy makes light hearted art designed to put a smile on people's faces, and before the paint is even dry the professionally offended are on their high horses. Holly, can you offer me guidance on #12 please? I am a merchant seaman myself and am concerned that Popeye is reinforcing the stereotype of tattooed smokers who like to get in fights. I don't feel offended, but I worry that maybe I should.

    Jaden Campogan
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Cute! Not offensive at all. I'm Asian. My kids eyes are more Asian looking than mine. It is what it is.

    Lau ChiarEl
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Daniel Day, I find your comment kinda offensive, how about that??

    Kann
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm Vietnamese and I see this one really cute!! Honestly, I don't understand why some people find it offensive...

    Jae Susivan
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I’m offended by the people who are offended by this

    Luna Kittenwarrior
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Wow. Everything is offensive now-a-days. God forbid we paint and draw stereotyped people! Why, I'm so offended you used a country-based adjective to describe someone who comes from the said country! How uncivilized to call someone black or white! Anything will offend these delicate, salty, sensitivity-saturated excuses for human beings. The slightest reference to a culture or race people describe as overblown racism. Remember, people... you're a human, not a can of salt!

    Dave Just-Dave
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So I guess we all should be offended by Disney's depiction of EVERY RACE in It's A Small World, right? Hhahaha....it must be hard being miserable! Grow some skin, people! -this coming from a Filipino, Chinese, Hawaiian, Scottish, Irish guy, to whom people quite regularly speak Spanish to, assuming I'm Hispanic. It's all good though, I answer in German or Japanese (I'm sure not correctly, since I don't speak Spanish)...but I'm not offended 😂

    Mitchell Brown
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Without offense, some lives are hollow and unmoored.

    Danielle Lewis
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I need white people to stop being offended by stuff they don't understand. I support POC but I'm more likely to look at a thing and say "is that offensive?" than get personally offended by it. Jebus

    Nordica Lindgren
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I do live this! Very talented indeed!

    N.m
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The eyes tho... umm.. what is on their head?

    Greg Lee
    Community Member
    8 years ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    It is extremely offensive because it is a caricature of Asian people, the slanted "closed" eyes, the hat used in rice fields..... close your eyes and imagine that these posts are all black caricatures that exaggerate African features, very dark skin, very curly hair, is that acceptabe. Keep in mind I have kept the example very conservative lest not offend someone else with this illustration.

    Holly Sanford
    Community Member
    8 years ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    The history of racist comments regarding Asian's eyes goes back very far and is based off a “White” standard of beauty. The features are overly exaggerated in a supposedly whimsical way. These cartoonish depictions are really perpetuating a hurtful stereotype of a group of people. These images are not only hurtful to the group depicted, but society as a whole. While I enjoyed looking at some of this artist work- this particular piece was deeply troubling to be. In an age where so many people are claiming to be living in a “post racist” society- it is glaringly obvious that is not the case. I truly appreciate you asking the question, and I hope you can see how this image is just as hurtful as a swastika or a burning cross. I hope this helps.

    Mel Smith
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Check out the origins of the Swastika, not everyone thinks it's as hurtful as you imply.. ..Also why do you keep using the same post ??

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    Jerry Stover
    Community Member
    8 years ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    politically incorrect. will get painted over asap.

    Daniel Daly
    Community Member
    8 years ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    Kind of offensive!! Don'tcha think??

    Taryn Mah
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Some people might think so. But I'm Chinese and I think they're funny!

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    #33

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    #34

    Tom Bob Art

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    #35

    Tom Bob Art

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    John L
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    When you live in the city, you have to move fast, or......................☹

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    #36

    Street-art-tom-bob-new-york

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    Debra Kempthorne
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We these all over out streets last spring, I coiled four of them up and put a black locust seed pod in front to look like a serpents tongue. (used a black marker for eyes)

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    #39

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    DancingToMyself
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That'll be also sad, this time because them dogs will urinate all over it. :p

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    #40

    Street-art-tom-bob-new-york

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    Bambi
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is two in one. Painting is a butler, shadow is an Oscar.

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    #41

    Street-art-tom-bob-new-york

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    Yvonne Kloehn
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You just have to look at these creative expressions of art!!

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    #42

    Street-art-tom-bob-new-york

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    Full Name
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    How dare you sully what is otherwise perfectly innocent industrial garbage?!

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    #43

    Street-art-tom-bob-new-york

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    Neeraj Jha
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    VLC is not responding. Would you like to report it?

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    #44

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    Kate Curry
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Any chance he can come to UK? BRILLIANT. No 10 is my favourite.

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    #46

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    Wyndmere
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Needs to finish the job with a square goatee.

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