NEW YORK – Mechanics Alley sits quietly unmarked and unassuming behind the Manhattan Bridge, stretching between Madison Street to the south and Henry Street to the north, with the only street sign visible on Monroe Street. Ships were built and repaired on this street in the 19th century, but now it’s not even acknowledged by the almighty Google Maps. More than a source of art, I thought it was an invitation to a mugging. That is until a friend tipped me off to a mysterious, unsigned mural of a baby’s upper body, with a clenched fist, small but mighty.

The sense of wonder in the baby’s eyes, and its cherubic cheeks made it seem friendly and accepting at first, but there was always a new, unsettling detail that revealed itself after a closer look. Those cheeks only briefly lessened the blow of the baby’s paleness, especially against a plain black wall. It looked like an infant ghost than a human baby, initially sweet and huggable, but then mysterious and scary. Plus, it’s just a head. Where’s the rest of it? And what’s with the fist? Does the baby want to punch me?

So much of what I write about for this column is at least signed, if not hash-tagged, Google-mapped and press-released. With so many legal walls, and even real estate developers using street art as a marketing tool for new properties, it’s easier than ever to at least track the name of the artist, if not their biography. The only other similar piece I have seen was another baby face at graffiti mecca 190 Bowery, by artist Mactruk, but I don’t think the babies are the same. Much like the mysterious East River piano, however, this baby is destined to remain anonymous and peaceful, with a hint of sinister mystery, much like the alley where it resides.

ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE