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Stolen Moments: Google Street View Art Project

Googlestreetviewcomp2

The Huffington Post UK   First Posted: 21/02/2012 12:28 Updated: 21/02/2012 16:38

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A man sits by a roadside crying next to a smashed up car.

A dirty pony noses through a pile of rubbish.

Two men sit apart on a door step, clutching their faces in anguish.

Someone dressed as a superhero takes a nap on a public bench.

If it all sounds too odd to be made up, that's because it isn't.

These four images and hundreds of others form a new photo project by artist Jon Rafman, created by trawling through the snap shots captured on Google Street View.

The Nine Eyes - so named after the lenses mounted on a Google Street View car - is a collection of stolen moments from around the globe that range from the quietly beautiful to the frankly bizarre.


JUMP TO PICTURES


In some, individuals or groups have spotted the passing camera and wave a hand - or finger - in acknowledgement.

In others, private moments are frozen in time as couples argue or embrace, or solitary figures weep over people or problems we'll never discover.

There is also, of course, a fair share of comedy - note the portly 'Uncle Sam' figure walking down the street, the mansion covered almost entirely in toilet roll or - our favourite - a boarded up building bearing the hand painted sign 'Rod Stewart Fan Club'.

If Google's attempts to map the world strike some as invasive or power hungry, this project offers an interesting - if accidental - counterpoint.

As individual photographs they capture private emotions or memories. As a whole, they seem to encompass all facets of human interaction and experience. The result is a project that feels far more humane than anything we'd normally associate with Google's relentless quest to categorize and document the world.

We've put our favourite The Nine Eyes images into a gallery below, but check out Jon Rafman's official website for more information and images.

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  • For The Nine Eyes of Google Street View at the Saatchi Jon Rafman 8 Rue Valette, Pompertuzat, Midi- Pyrenees, France 2011 Archival pigment print on Hahnemühle paper 146 x 233.7 cm Courtesy of the artist

  • For The Nine Eyes of Google Street View at the Saatchi Jon Rafman Rue des Poissonniers, Paris, France 2009 Archival pigment print on Hahnemühle paper 146 x 233.7 cm Courtesy of the artist

  • For The Nine Eyes of Google Street View at the Saatchi Jon Rafman 853 Ménez Ham, Kerlouan, Finistere, France 2009 Archival pigment print on Hahnemühle paper 146 x 233.7 cm Courtesy of the artist

  • For The Nine Eyes of Google Street View at the Saatchi Jon Rafman Via Colombo, Mediglia, Lombardy, Italy 2009 Archival pigment print on Hahnemühle paper 146 x 233.7 cm Courtesy of the artist

  • For The Nine Eyes of Google Street View at the Saatchi Jon Rafman Rv888, Finnmark, Norway 2010 Archival pigment print on Hahnemühle paper 146 x 233.7 cm Courtesy of the artist

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).

  • Google Street View images, as see on www.9-eyes.com (Photo credit: Google).


A man sits by a roadside crying next to a smashed up car. A dirty pony noses through a pile of rubbish. Two men sit apart on a door step, clutching their faces in anguish. Someone dressed as ...
A man sits by a roadside crying next to a smashed up car. A dirty pony noses through a pile of rubbish. Two men sit apart on a door step, clutching their faces in anguish. Someone dressed as ...
 
 
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Andrew DaviesLand
10 Fans
23:02 on 11/03/2012
god theirs way to many pictures to sift through....on a funny note my mum was on google maps walking down the street with her shopping gave me a right good laugh to see
Permalink  |
oldgeez
4 Fans
16:41 on 11/03/2012
Typical AOL. As soon as I try to view the Street View pictures the computer locks up. Tried 3 times.

This happens so often.

Sometimes click on an item and get something totally different.

Click on 'Lottery' and get Huffington Post news.

Pull yourself together AOL.

GET IT SORTED.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
azbenahmed
93 Fans
 
17:32 on 11/03/2012
Cannot believe people are still using AOL as their ISP.. I gave up on them about 8 years ago. I still use my email address and the website but I use another ISP altogether.. I had no problem viewing the pictures, don't worry you're not missing out on anything, they're rubbish I stopped flicking through them after about 10 photos!
Permalink  |
oldgeez
4 Fans
17:48 on 11/03/2012
I know.

Got suckered into a contract. Can't remember when it expires.

I feel so stupid!
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clivejwoosey1
0 Fans
15:32 on 11/03/2012
I would love to see the images IF AOL SORTED OUT MY SPEED!!!!!!!!
Permalink  |
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HUFFPOST BLOGGER
Bernard O'Leary
7 Fans
18:53 on 02/03/2012
The Rod Stewart Fan Club picture was taken near my house. Sadly, the house has now been sold and the fan club disbanded.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
xenubarb
Nebulon V
241 Fans
00:47 on 23/02/2012
Check out L. Ron Hubbard Way in Los Angeles. You will see a beat-down Scientologist trudging along the sidewalk looking so worn out and tired.
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MumsToo
15 Fans
14:03 on 22/02/2012
I'm fairly certain photo 44 is a shot from Wayne's World.
Permalink  |
Threeoddsox
8 Fans
22:53 on 21/02/2012
What a load of complete and utter crap, taalk about put anything on to fill the space up. What a waste of time and space. Typical yanks.
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Phil Brewerton
1 Fans
19:37 on 22/02/2012
I think you'll find he's Canadian
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dijohnson64
1 Fans
13:57 on 11/03/2012
I agree with Threeoddsox & I'm British, apart from the typical yank bit because we do it to.
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