Category: Architecture

Hygienic Dress League strikes again!

Those who appreciate a little grassroots anarchy in their cities will be glad to know that the Hygienic Dress League is back at work in Detroit.

"Look, Mabel! Some artist-types are putting up amusing placards on Detroit's crumbling infrastructure!"

Let's face it: Life can be grim. We all need a little ironic poke here and there.

ArchBlogger's devoted readers will recall HDL's panels on the old Grand Army of the Republic "castle" on Cass Avenue (it's five or six entries down on the blog).

The new work is on nearby Park Avenue, gracing the old Charlevoix Hotel across from Cliff Bells tavern.

Shocking pink, and splayed all across the decrepit Charlevoix Hotel is the newest zap by the Hygienic Dress League art-vandals. [Photos by Steve Coy]

The traditional HDL (isn't that a type of cholesterol?) elements we've become accustomed to are all here, like the silhouetted birds at the bottom, and the French fleur-de-lis. New, however, are the intriguingly ominous gas masks.

Interestingly, the evil geniuses behind HDL -- Steve Coy and Dorota Bilica -- always get permission before installing a mural. At first, ArchBlogger felt that robbed their work of some of its appealing "guerrilla" quality. On the other hand, it sure guarantees that works stay up longer.

For comparison purposes, the Hygienic Dress League's first Detroit foray into rebel-art, on the Grand Army of the Republic building at Grand River and Cass.