You see them just about everywhere and can be there for security reason, traffic calming or just used as decoration. These street poles are called bollards over here and are normally rather boring pieces of street furniture. But French street artist Le CyKlop turns these street poles into one-eyed monsters and iconic characters…
10 – The Dark Pole
If batman was an iron bollard this is what he would probably look like! Or maybe if he needed some security bollards this is what they would look like. But you will notice that with this one and indeed all the others you will come to see they are all one-eyed designs hence the “Le CyKlop” name.
9 – Rising from the ground
Now, these are cool. There was quite a few more than 3 painted in this style but that is all you get to see here. Simply making them stand out from the grey looking background is tougher to make these cool let alone the amazing artwork that is on them.
8 – Sit….stay!
It is a crying shame that there weren’t 101 iron bollards all in a row because that would have been amazing. (and an awful lot of work for the artist) but I will happily take this one Dalmatian as it was just one of several dog-themed bollards that he painted.
7 – Going Green
While not as instantly recognisable as his brother, most people are going to know this is Luigi. We will come to see his more famous brother later one, but for now, this is still a bollard to smile about.
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6 – Monsters
They wait in the bush for any passing stranger, then they leap out and attack! OK, that simply isn’t true. But I do like the style of painting the monsters in the thick overgrowth of a local bush. Sadly when they trim it back it won’t look even half as good.
5 – The Pink Pole
Over in France, the ~The Cheshire cat is something of a national icon, so I can just see all those smiling faces in Paris now as people walk past the bollard and recognise their cartoon hero. But I have to say it would definitely make me smile as well.
4 – Love at first sight
2 things are unique about this image. The first is that you might have noticed he has painted hearts on the wall behind the bollards, and the second is the artist signature on the ground below them. I never thought I would say bollards were sweet, that that is exactly what these 2 are!
3 – Lego Bollards
Looking at the top part of these steel bollards, they really couldn’t have been anything else! But that is the skill of the artist but something as mundane as a Lego head shaped bollard and paint it so our untrained eyes can see it.
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2 – The Simpsons
I just love this image because it really shows the amount of work the artist goes to create each piece. I am sure most of you already know what they are, but these are not just a few characters from The Simpsons, but most of the entire cast! Even Bumble Bee man gets a look in!
1 – Super Bollario
I made this image my number one because I think it perfectly captures what the artist is trying to portray. Fairly simple in design but yet most people passing it are sure to smile because I know I would. Also, I think it is the only time I’m ever going to see a scary looking Super Mario! Well, that is the end of this top 10 but please visit the artist’s website.