Sharon Harris, Toronto
Member Since October 2011
Artist Statement ABOUT THE I LOVE YOU WORLD GRAFFITI PROJECT
On the first spring day of 2001, I came across three little words painted on some brick while walking west on Harbord Street in Toronto. Without embellishment, qualifiers, or stylistic considerations, the graffito simply stated I LOVE YOU.
This clear message in the strong spring light was almost too much; I was going through a divorce and feeling depleted in the love department.
By the time I reached the end of the street, twelve more mysterious blue ILY's greeted me in their quiet understatement of an overstatement sort of manner. A small, happy moment was transformed into a life-changing experience.
I chased and photographed one hundred and fifty more indigo ILY's throughout my city over the next five years. In 2006, an exhibition of the photos in a local cafe was featured by almost every major media outlet in Canada. Serial “I love you” art began to appear around the planet in 2004. The I Love You World Graffiti Project, an archive of images, interviews, and stories, was launched.
List of publication credits: http://iloveyougraffiti.com/services.htm