
Location Location Location Series by Justin Van Genderen in Street Pop Art & Graffiti Artwork
The Location Location Location series by Justin Van Genderen is a striking collection of prints that reimagine famous cities and fictional places through a bold, modernist lens. Van Genderen’s work combines elements of street pop art & graffiti artwork with a minimalist, retro-futuristic aesthetic. His ability to distill the essence of a location into graphic, stylized compositions makes this series a notable contribution to contemporary urban and pop art. The prints capture the visual identity of cities and fictional landscapes, not through realism, but through the emotions, nostalgia, and cultural significance tied to each place.
The Design Philosophy Behind the Series
Van Genderen’s artistic approach focuses on the power of simplicity, using a restrained color palette, clean geometric forms, and vintage-inspired textures to convey the character of each location. Whether depicting real-world landmarks or cinematic settings, his work reduces complex environments into visually compelling, almost dreamlike representations. His use of space and composition reflects influences from both street pop art & graffiti artwork, with bold contrast and dramatic lighting adding depth to each piece. The series showcases a mix of cityscapes and iconic locations from film and literature. Gotham City is envisioned through a noir-inspired, high-contrast black and white aesthetic, evoking the dark urban mythology of the Batman universe. Iowa, depicted through a sci-fi-inspired composition referencing Star Trek, transforms an otherwise mundane state into a futuristic spaceport under a meteor-filled sky. Arabia, inspired by Lawrence of Arabia, takes a minimal yet evocative approach, where a vast desert landscape forms the shape of a flame, encapsulating the adventurous and historical weight of the story. Each print transforms its subject into something both familiar and reimagined, inviting viewers to experience these places through a new artistic lens.
The Intersection of Street Pop Art & Graffiti Artwork in the Series
Though presented in a refined, graphic design format, Van Genderen’s work shares key elements with street pop art & graffiti artwork. His pieces capture the essence of locations much like how street artists capture the spirit of a city through murals and large-scale interventions. The boldness of his compositions, along with the interplay between typography, abstraction, and iconography, aligns with techniques used by urban artists. His work could easily translate into large-format street murals, as his approach mirrors the way graffiti artists distill city culture into powerful, emblematic imagery. Van Genderen’s prints are not just about locations, but about the identities those places hold in collective memory. His stylized, almost cinematic interpretations of urban and fictional landscapes resonate with how cities themselves function in pop culture. Just as graffiti reclaims public space with artistic expression, his prints redefine familiar places through a visual language rooted in nostalgia, futurism, and cultural significance.
The Impact of the Location Location Location Series
Van Genderen’s series stands out in contemporary street pop art & graffiti artwork because it offers an alternative way of viewing the world’s most iconic locations. By stripping them down to their core visual and cultural elements, he allows audiences to experience them in a fresh and imaginative way. The prints serve as both tributes and reinterpretations, blending modern design with the ethos of street art. The striking visuals of Gotham, Iowa, Arabia, and other featured locations challenge traditional representations of place, proving that minimalism and abstraction can evoke just as much emotion and identity as photorealistic depictions. His work continues to gain recognition among art collectors, film enthusiasts, and urban culture fans, cementing his place in the evolving dialogue between design and street pop art & graffiti artwork. The Location Location Location series exemplifies how graphic art can serve as a bridge between fictional and real-world spaces, reshaping how people connect with the places that define culture, storytelling, and history.