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Items tagged with: SmatesArt
Clever Dog Art (10 Photos)
Content warning: Which one is your favorite?
From a cheeky Labrador joining a sculpture scene to a technicolor mural glowing across an English home, this playful collection captures dogs in clever and creative ways. We feature everything from photorealistic silo paintings in rural Australia to a heartwarming “dog library” inviting pups to take and leave a stick. You’ll see murals from Belgium to Brazil, a touching bronze installation, and surprising moments where dogs become part of the artwork itself.
1. Tug of Dog
A real Labrador appears to join this bronze sculpture, biting the tail of a metal dog at the end of a playful tug-of-war.
More!: Playing With Statues (10 Photos)
2. Dog Library
A humorous and charming sign nailed to a tree reads “Dog Library – Take a stick, Leave a stick,” surrounded by a neatly arranged pile of sticks. This clever installation invites dog walkers to borrow or contribute a stick for playful pups.
More!: Funny Signs (10 Photos)
3. Farm Dog Silo — Jimmy Dvate in Major Plains, Australia
A highly detailed mural of a Kelpie dog stares intensely from a rural grain silo. The background features cattle in open fields under blue skies, with the dog appearing to lean over a trough in the foreground.
🔗 Follow Jimmy Dvate on Instagram
4. E ‘Torre — Giulio Masieri in Pordenone, Italy
Titled “E ‘Torre”, this large-scale mural by Giulio Masieri shows a tan dog lounging across a gray concrete wall. The dog appears massive in scale, with its head resting close to street level. A man standing in front gives a sense of the artwork’s enormous size and grounding presence.
🔗 Follow Giulio Masieri on Instagram
5. Guide Dogs — ACHES in New Brighton, Merseyside, England
This colorful mural merges three guide dogs into a single overlapping composition using vibrant gradients. Painted across a black wall, the layered silhouettes and bright hues contrast sharply with the home’s exterior.
🔗 Follow ACHES on Instagram
6. Street Dogs — Lalone Laleiro Leilo in Málaga, Spain
This emotional mural features a hooded figure and his dogs sitting on the sidewalk. The painting seamlessly integrates with the building’s doorway and architecture.
🔗 Follow Lalone Laleiro Leilo on Instagram
7. Yellow Circle — Clara Leff in São Paulo, Brazil
A close-up mural of a dog’s face is painted against a bold yellow circle on a white wall. The brushwork captures fine fur details. A real dog sits in front, strikingly similar to the one depicted. More photos here!
🔗 Follow Clara Leff on Instagram
8. Underwater Pup — Smates in Mechelen, Belgium
A surreal mural of a dog underwater, painted with striking realism, covers a multi-story building. Bubbles and water ripples surround the dog’s head, giving the illusion of movement through water.
🔗 Follow Smates on Instagram
9. Bridge Gaze — Spacehop (Jeff Evans) in Exeter, UK
Painted under the Exe Bridge, a Spaniel’s head peers from the shadows. The mural blends seamlessly with the structure’s shape, using natural depth and contrast to draw attention to the dog’s lifelike eyes. More photos here!
🔗 Follow Spacehop on Instagram
10. Story of Friendship — Batist Vermeulen in Antwerp, Belgium
A sculpture shows a child sleeping peacefully on a dog, with both tucked under a blanket made of cobblestones that seamlessly merge into the surrounding plaza. The piece conveys quiet companionship. More photos here!
🔗 Follow Batist Vermeulen on Instagram
Which one is your favorite?
Playing With Statues (12 Photos)
Statues may be serious by design, but when people interact with them in just the right way, the results are pure comedy. In this playful collection, we’ve gathered ten perfectly timed photos where visitors bring stone and bronze to life—creating illusions, jokes, and unexpected stories in public spaces across the world. From statues kicking back to share a phone screen to a child seamlessly joining a bronze line of kids, these moments blend humor, art, and spontaneity.
More!: Playing with statues (25 photos)
1. Last in Line
A young boy wearing a blue backpack stands in perfect sync with a row of bronze children sculptures, making him appear as part of the installation. The pose and facial expression complete the illusion with subtle humor.
2. Tug of Dog
A Labrador interacts with a sculpture mid-pull, making it seem like it’s biting the statue dog’s tail to help pull the whole group.
3. Sad Together
A little girl in a red dress sits curled up beside a statue posed in the exact same way. The peaceful garden setting and mirrored body language give a surprising emotional resonance to this scene.
4. Hair Flip
Caught mid-motion, a woman appears to be smacked in the face by a statue. The playful timing gives this otherwise elegant stone sculpture a mischievous twist.
5. Tug-of-War
A man playfully joins a dramatic bronze sculpture depicting a woman pulling a child away. He grabs the child’s extended arm, completing the scene as if caught in a tug-of-war between two parents.
6. Dragged Away
A man lies on the ground with one leg lifted, positioned so it looks like the bronze statue of Ronald Reagan is dragging him across the pavement by the foot.
7. The Sneaky Luggage Thief
A tourist leans down to grab the suitcase of a couple embracing in a statue, looking over his shoulder as if caught mid-theft. The casual outfit and comic timing sell the scene.
8. Lady Liberty’s Lighter — Statue of Liberty, New York, USA
A tourist angles his head to appear as if he’s lighting a cigarette from the flame of the Statue of Liberty. Clever positioning and perspective tricks turn this iconic statue into a personal lighter.
9. Nose Pick
A man stands in front of a bust with its finger raised, aligning his face so it appears the statue is picking his nose. Childish humor, perfectly executed.
10. Scroll Buddy
A man sits on a bench next to a robed bronze figure and holds his phone out, appearing to show the statue something on the screen. The statue’s bowed head and posture make it look like it’s genuinely interested.
11. The Policeman’s Belly
A street statue of a rotund policeman gets attention from passersby, with visitors often stopping to rub the shiny bronze belly for luck.
12. The Weight of Grief — Reno, Nevada
A child reaches out to touch The Weight of Grief by Celeste Roberge, a crouching figure made of welded steel filled with river stones. The sculpture embodies the crushing burden of sorrow, turning heavy material into a deeply human form that resonates with loss and memory.More: Junk Metal Sculptures (8 Photos)
Which one is your favorite?
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