# Urban Monsters Street Creatures by Matthew Rodriguez By TrendHead | Published 2008-11-08 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/awesome-street-monsters-fresh-art-from-matthew-rodriguez References: [viewmorepics.myspace](http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=1550022&albumID=0&imageID=29485478#a=0&i=22698726) & [woostercollective](http://www.woostercollective.com/) Beware the dark alleys of the streets. Monsters could be looming… With a background in the urban art scene, Matthew Rodriguez has stepped up the game and is now exhibiting his magnificent artwork in Los Angeles at Tinlark Gallery in a group show opening on November 15th. Although you’ll find them in gloomy corners of the urban spheres, Rodriguez’ [street monsters](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/surreal-street-art-1) are friendly and adorable rather than scary and fear-provoking. The artist uses a wide range of media for his creative expressions and incorporates collages of found materials, paintings and staged photographs. The [monster-like creatures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/labubu) featured in Rodriguez’s street narratives pop out of trees and rainbows and other delightfully non-scary objects, which makes the viewer smile rather than shake in fear. This nostalgic sensibility matched with an innate sense of humor softens the aggressive mood of his monster-like creations. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.6/10 - Popularity: 31% | Activity: 8% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Modern](https://www.trendhunter.com/modern) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Nostalgic Sensibility:** Exploring the use of nostalgia in artwork can lead to disruptive innovation opportunities in marketing and branding. - **Collage of Found Materials:** Incorporating collages of found materials in artistic expressions can inspire disruptive innovation opportunities in sustainable design and upcycling industries. - **Friendly Street Monsters:** Creating friendly and non-scary street monsters can spark disruptive innovation opportunities in urban art installations and experiential events. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Marketing and Branding:** Using nostalgia as a marketing tool presents disruptive innovation opportunities in appealing to consumers' emotions and creating memorable campaigns. - **Sustainable Design:** The incorporation of collages of found materials into design processes offers disruptive innovation opportunities in creating eco-friendly and unique products. - **Urban Art Installations:** Creating friendly street monsters can disrupt the traditional concept of street art by transforming urban spaces into interactive and playful environments. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Adorable Monster-Inspired Graphic Tees](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-monsters.md) - [Designer Toy Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/monsters-by-monsters-now-and-then.md) - [Playful Character Graphic Apparel](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/monsters-collection.md) - [Striking Urban Wildlife Art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/clare-allin.md) - [Graphic Skate Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/vans-otw-x-undercover.md) - [Otherwordly Art Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/william-monk.md) - [Laser-Cut Urban Artistry](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/laser-cut-city-maps.md) - [Surreal Art Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/jeffrey-deitch-art-gallery.md) - [Creature-Like Floor Lamps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-pink-robots-won.md)