Although the charred building is falling back into the earth, the colorful figures emboldening it inside and out give this body strength to stand. That's what makes this abandoned home, located on St. Aubin, near Eastern Market, such a stunning larger-than-life-sized collaborative work of art.
If our home is a representation of who we are, then this structure belongs now to the people of the city of Detroit, reflecting both our twisted sense of humor and constant anguish, with such paintings as a cartoon spray can (who looks like Aqua Teen Hunger Force's Shake) and a simple Band-Aid over some rickety wood. Inside, the walls have eyes, literally.
Some of the unknown contributors have a way with words, such as the artist who painted "Art Vandalism" on the facade or the wit who scrawled "Dead House Painters" upstairs.
Unlike downtown, where big wigs wiped away distinctive tourist attractions like the iconic graffiti lining windows of the old United Artists theater building, at least some parts of the city off-the-beaten-path still belong to the wildly, hilariously creative.
