My DEVANDALIZING series repurposes and re-contextualizes stickers, graffiti tags, signaling tape, and similar fragments that "vandalize" the streets of New York and of other cities around the world. 

For over ten years now, I have been collecting - "devandalizing" - these artifacts of the urban environment as the source material for my collages and paintings on canvas and other materials.

Applied in a chaotic, semi-random, or determined way, these artworks reflect and feedback on the evolving phenomenon of urban visual expression.

The stickers were collected from the streets of cities such as Detroit, Las Vegas, Québec, Montréal, Palermo, Catania, Naples, Rome, Florence, Milan, Havana, and, of course, Berlin and New York.

DEVANDALIZING
EGON ZIPPEL / Online Archive DEVANDALIZING Stickers from New York on canvas
POMPEII MOSAICS REDUX (Composition in Red, Yellow, Black & White)
2020
Stickers from New York on canvas
60" x 72", 152 x 182 cm
EGON ZIPPEL / Online Archive DEVANDALIZING Stickers from NYC on canvas
Art work detailArt work detailArt work detail
YIN YANG FRAGMENTS
2021
Stickers from NYC on canvas
4 panels, 30" x 30", 76 x 76 cm each

Arrangement variable, see thumbnails
EGON ZIPPEL / Online Archive DEVANDALIZING Stickers from NYC, signaling tape and acrylic paint on canvas
INFINITY
2021
Stickers from NYC, signaling tape and acrylic paint on canvas
Diptych, 72" x 96", 182 x 244 cm
EGON ZIPPEL / Online Archive DEVANDALIZING Stickers and signaling tape from NYC on canvas
Art work detail
SOHO PARTNERSHIP
2016
Stickers and signaling tape from NYC on canvas
4 panels, each panel 20" x 20", 50 x 50 cm

Arrangement variable. To see an example, click on the thumbnail above.
EGON ZIPPEL / Online Archive DEVANDALIZING Stickers and poster fragments from NYC on canvas
OBEY
2011
Stickers and poster fragments from NYC on canvas
48" x 72", 122 x 182 cm
EGON ZIPPEL / Online Archive DEVANDALIZING Acrylic paint on canvas
ÜBER-TAG I (Distorted)
2019
Acrylic paint on canvas
48" x 72", 122 x 182 cm

See also: THE Original
EGON ZIPPEL / Online Archive DEVANDALIZING Acrylic paint and signaling tape on canvas
ÜBER-TAG I (Badly Battered and Brooding, Coming Home from the Battlefield)
2019
Acrylic paint and signaling tape on canvas
48" x 72", 122 x 182 cm
EGON ZIPPEL / Online Archive DEVANDALIZING Stickers from NYC, signaling tape and acrylic paint on canvas
NO
2018
Stickers from NYC, signaling tape and acrylic paint on canvas
48" x 48", 122 x 122 cm
EGON ZIPPEL / Online Archive DEVANDALIZING Stickers and signaling tape from NYC on canvas
Art work detailArt work detail
FOUR HAPPY URBAN SHAPES (All Together)
2017
Stickers and signaling tape from NYC on canvas

3 panels each 48” x 48”, 122 x 122 cm
12 panels each 20” x 20”, 50 x 50 cm

Arrangement variable

See also: FOUR HAPPY URBAN SHAPES explained
EGON ZIPPEL / Online Archive DEVANDALIZING Sticker fragments and signaling tape from NY, acrylic paint on canvas
FOUR HAPPY URBAN SHAPES (Outlined)
2017
Sticker fragments and signaling tape from NY, acrylic paint on canvas
48" x 48", 122 x 122 cm

EGON ZIPPEL / Online Archive DEVANDALIZING Stickers from NYC, signaling tape and acrylic paint on canvas
LÄDY
2016
Stickers from NYC, signaling tape and acrylic paint on canvas
20" x 20", 50 x 50 cm
EGON ZIPPEL / Online Archive DEVANDALIZING Stickers from NYC on canvas
BROADWAY BOOGIE WOOGIE (Tag Style)
2014
Stickers from NYC on canvas
Triptych, each panel 48" x 48", 122 x 122 cm

Each panel in this triptych features parts of the same tag/sticker in the same position, and if you sandwiched all three panels, each tag/sticker would be complete again. The overlapped pieces of stickers from the middle panel, which would otherwise be hidden, can be seen on the left panel; the circular cutouts on the right panel.
EGON ZIPPEL / Online Archive DEVANDALIZING Stickers from NYC on canvas
LES NYC
2016
Stickers from NYC on canvas
Triptych, each panel 20" x 20", 50 x 50 cm

Each panel in this triptych features parts of the same tag/sticker in the same position, and if you sandwiched all three panels, each tag/sticker would be complete again. The overlapped pieces of stickers from the middle panel, which would otherwise be hidden, can be seen on the left panel; the circular cutouts on the right panel.

H. F.; Amsterdam
EGON ZIPPEL / Online Archive DEVANDALIZING Stickers from NYC on canvas
25 BLACK DOTS (Because There Are 25 White Dots)
2021
Stickers from NYC on canvas
Diptych, each panel 30" x 30", 76 x 76 cm

The circular cutouts of the right panel in this diptych come from tags/stickers in the same position in the left panel, and if you sandwiched the two panels, each tag/sticker would be complete again.
EGON ZIPPEL / Online Archive DEVANDALIZING Stickers from NYC on canvas
CHC
2012
Stickers from NYC on canvas
30" x 30", 76 x 76 cm
EGON ZIPPEL / Online Archive DEVANDALIZING Stickers and signaling tape from NYC on canvas
DIRTY BK
2016
Stickers and signaling tape from NYC on canvas
20" x 20", 50 x 50 cm

A. & G. R.; Frankfurt
EGON ZIPPEL / Online Archive DEVANDALIZING Stickers from NYC and acrylic paint on canvas
FUEGO
2016
Stickers from NYC and acrylic paint on canvas
20" x 20", 50 x 50 cm

I. & K. M., Frankfurt
EGON ZIPPEL / Online Archive DEVANDALIZING Stickers from NYC on canvas
AVSP
2015
Stickers from NYC on canvas
20" x 20", 50 x 50 cm

A. M., London
EGON ZIPPEL / Online Archive DEVANDALIZING Stickers from NYC and signaling tape on canvas
TAG TARGET
2011
Stickers from NYC and signaling tape on canvas
48" x 48", 122 x 122 cm

P. B., Heidelberg
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