A laneway lined with Babushka dolls, plastic people perched on steps, an urban angel, and some cows in the country will be among a series of dramatic new Streetware temporary art projects to be installed in Sydney laneways.

"These artists will temporarily transform blank building walls into creative canvases alive with images to catch the attention and imagination of those who normally walk straight past these same laneways without a second glance," said Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP.

"It's a fantastic opportunity for emerging artists and designers to present their ideas in public, while also building on the City's mission to revitalise our laneways as unique and creative urban spaces."

Steve Gorrow's Angel in My City transforms a blank wall into a new creative space with the help of an urban angel; Kat Smoleynec lines Dungate Street with reproduced photographs of felt-covered Babushka Dolls; and Jumbo + Zap will be wallpapering Sands Street with giant comic gangster characters reminiscent of the Razor Gang era and 1920s legends such as Tilly Devine. Meanwhile, Bams & Ted will be bringing the bush to the heart of the City with a laneway long paddock along Market Row; Grrl + Dog's life-size recycled plastic people will be chilling about the place and spreading the word about sustainability; and Emma Davidson's The Mission on Paper will be exploring the portal-like potential of popular culture and everyday life through a moon-mission collage along Nithsdale Lane (off Alberta Street).

The Streetware temporary art projects will be installed from Monday 18 October 2010 and remain in place for up to six months. Streetware is part of the City of Sydney's Sustainable Sydney 2030 – creating a sustainable, liveable, creative and vibrant city.