I feel I should start out with a small confession: The desktop picture on my Mac is of a manhole cover. Yup, a sewer lid. I took it when I first moved to my new city and really like the city’s seal engraved on it. I mention this because I just discovered that manhole cover artworkand the photographing of these seemingly utilitarian devicesis a thing. This thing even has a name: drainspotting. And while I love my city’s cover designs, they pale in comparison to those in Japan. Japanese municipalities have elevated such a low-lying item to a high-caliber work of art. The steel canvases are so ornate, it’ll put your town’s “Water and Power” insignia to shame. The variety of art is as different as the types of utilities the covers belong to, the cities, and the specific manufacturers. Covers often include symbols that relate to the city, or may feature local landmarks or native flowers and plants. In fact, trees, flowers, and animals seem to dominate many of the designs. Drainspotting is apparently quite the hobby, enough to warrant the need for a Japanese Society of Manhole Covers, and even a coffee table book dedicated to the subject. [...]
More...
More...
