Vivienne Gucwa discusses photographing the graffiti and wall art inside the iconic Mars Bar for a recent essay.

“As a haven for artists over the years, the walls of Mars Bar were a constantly evolving canvas. With its closing imminent, it felt like an appropriate time to document the elements of Mars Bar that made it a truly unique part of the East Village community.”

“It was important to me to shoot during the day without flash in order to capture the natural light that flooded the bar. While Mars Bar occupied a small amount of space with room for around only 40 patrons at any given time, the afternoon hours often found the bar less crowded than the night hours. Afternoons played host to a cast of longtime regulars which also helped define the angles of the shots.”

“Mars Bar’s atmosphere was evocative of an artist’s squat. It was a place where you could imagine running into Tom Waits or the late Charles Bukowski.”

“Mars Bar would allow artists to feature their art on the walls behind the bar.”

“Three doors are disguised by the same layering of writing and art that extends along all of the walls.”

“The striking textural elements of the walls of Mars Bar’s bathrooms were unique due to the impressive layers of writing and art amongst the grit and decay.”

“You can almost feel the history and imagine the wild times that have occurred just by running your hand along the bar.”

“Much like each inch of wall, every window pane told a multitude of stories. A ‘Zagat Rated’ sticker adds sarcastic wit. And a thick pane of glass provides a frame with which to view the rest of the East Village passing by.”

Vivienne Gucwa is a community contributor to The Local East Village. Her work can be seen regularly on her blog.