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Anser

Anser’s Mysterious Date, created in early 2007, was developed to foster a more publicly inclusive form of graffiti. The one-liner spray painted face has now become something of an icon within the Toronto urban fabric. Through the use of traditional graffiti mark-making methods, “the face” was developed to engage a typically ignored public by using an image that everyone could associate with. The moniker “Mysterious Date” was coined by photographer Micheal D’Amico, who dubbed a series of street photographs of the face “Mystery Date” in a CONTACT photography festival. The adoption of this name is a testimony to this idea.

The Mysterious Date also straddles the lines between graffiti and street art. In most forms of traditional street art, such as stenciling and wheat pasting, the creation of the imagery is done away from the setting it is viewed in. The fact the face is done in a more traditional graffiti method, on the spot and usually in an illegal context, is about breaking down preconceptions to promote an appreciate of both art forms. Through this approach Anser has found a way to create a spontaneous interaction with the public, something that many say give a closer sense of connection to the city around them.

 www.ansermysteriousdate.com
 www.instagram.com/ansermysteriousdate