A new form of street art appears to be making its way into Cobourg and surrounding communities — and it’s turning ordinary plastic wrap into a temporary canvas.
On Tuesday, August 12, 2026, two examples of what is commonly known as plastic-wrap graffiti or “CelloGraff” were spotted in the west end of Cobourg.
One mural was located on Elgin Street near Rogers Road, while another was spotted along William Street near Burnham Street.
At the William Street location, a person was reportedly working on the mural, but had left before Today’s Northumberland arrived.
CelloGraff is a technique in which artists stretch clear plastic wrap or cellophane between existing structures such as trees, poles, posts or columns. The plastic becomes a temporary canvas for murals, graffiti or other artwork.
Unlike traditional graffiti, the technique can avoid putting spray paint directly onto brick, concrete or other permanent surfaces.
The portability of the material is another attraction. Artists can carry rolls of plastic wrap with them and quickly create a temporary surface capable of holding relatively large pieces of artwork.
The plastic also changes the way spray paint behaves.
Because paint reacts differently on plastic than it does on brick, concrete or other traditional surfaces, artists can achieve different shading, blending and colour effects.
While the artwork itself may be temporary, the appearance of multiple installations in Cobourg raises questions about whether this is an emerging trend or simply isolated examples of street art.
For now, the two murals spotted Tuesday suggest plastic-wrap graffiti has arrived in Cobourg — creating an unusual new canvas in the community’s west end.
(If anyone knows the artist – Today’s Northumberland would be interested in interviewing the person)
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
