This past Saturday saw the newest installation from guerilla artist Joe Carnevale: ‘Street Knight’, a towering figure composed of formed street signs. It was the constructed on site at the Cameron Village shopping center as a part of a Scrap to Sculpture Contest.

Forged With a Hammer

Image credit: Joe Carnevale

The torso with its more intricate parts was constructed ahead of Saturday’s event. Rather than use specialized tools for the unwieldy stiff aluminum, Joe used a hammer, much to the dismay of his neighbors. The lower section of the knight was made on-site to an onlooking crowd of fans.

A Newer but Related Medium

Those familiar with Joe’s work know his most famous creation, the Barrel Monster. Although it was his most famous piece of street art, it certainly wasn’t his first. Later works at SPARKcon, the State Fair, and a couple perched on a rooftop on Hillsborough Street all utilized the familiar orange and white building blocks.

The newest piece, although composed of a different medium, draws upon the same idea: use urban infrastructure materials to make the landscape more interesting–the difference being that recent works are sanctioned and not subversive. The materials were provided by the City of Raleigh for the event, which had been slated to be recycled.