This wasn't just a regular walk. Stretching my legs and enjoying a bit of sunshine - maybe it was the initial idea, but I came back with my mind full of questions.
My morning started with two lessons, and as I would be teaching the whole afternoon too, I had to make a bit of time for myself. Being inside and ignoring the call of the sun would not be the best choice. Although I just opted for a short visit to the shore and back home as I didn't have a lot of free time. Well, as I said, it was the initial idea. Until a weird and unexpected thing happened.
I was observing one of these "artworks" made of plaster placed on the concrete fence on the promenade. (I am not sure if I can call them artworks, but the person who made them is an artist) . So, while I was there, watching that broken typewriter and trying to think what would be the message of it... maybe a writer's block... maybe the representation of half-informations that we are faced with many times, a man approached me.
He asked did I knew what was that? Naive me, I responded positively and started with the information that I had. That these are works of one of the local artists, who makes them from plaster, with some messages. He places them in different spots of the town and glues them to the surface he chooses for his work...
He interrupted me with his theory:
This is garbage!
Hmm, sorry? Did you say garbage?
His monologue started, explaining to me that when we see some trash in the street, we stop, pick it up, and throw it away. That it is a distraction in our normal activity. In the same way, these things made from plaster serve as a distraction from the nature that surrounds us. Instead of enjoying the views of the sea, sun and hills, we observe those objects.
But this is art, why would it be garbage? Art is food for our thoughts, I don't see why this is bad.
The man continued with his theory that it is a great distraction from nature and that the message of the works is full of hatred.
Hatred?
Well, not that I could or wanted to discuss a lot with him. He was older than me, maybe in his seventies, so I have some respect for elderly people. My answer that we can have different opinions did not convince him a lot, but after some moments, we said goodbye, without words.
I was a bit surprised by his thoughts, as I don't share his opinion. When I walk around and see some of those little white objects, I consider them as a part of cool street artwork. Maybe they are put there illegally by the artist, as I doubt he asked for permission from the town. After some time, I see them damaged or unglued. Some get broken, but also there are those that are intact. I was always wondering who would like to damage those artworks.
Now I know that maybe the man who talked to me and those who share his view could do that. He told me that we should unglue all of them, not to be a distraction from nature. Throw them in the bin, as garbage goes there.
Well, I took photos of several works, so you to tell me, do you see these objects as garbage and do they have a message full of hatred?
I see some of them as funny, some are making us think and some just state the real situation of the world where we live now. But, we all can interpret them in our way. As the creator of them also wrote: This means whatever you want it to.
Of course, I do enjoy the nature and landscape around me. I do love this climate, the blue sea, and the temperate winters. I love the mountains we have nearby, the lake, the river, and of course the breeze that you can feel on the seashore during summer nights. The smell of the sea... the hidden coves that offer some refreshment on hot summer days. The palm trees and peaceful lifestyle.
But why would these plaster artworks bother me? Maybe they are indeed garbage, and without some artistic value, but in my opinion, they make this small town a bit more interesting.
We can see them in many places in the town, not just on the promenade. Very close to my building, there is a wall with a collection of colourful minute-glasses with wings. I saw some plaster wallets with the inscription fake. Some plaster books with inscription fiction. Small bags from plaster that says us lost.
I don't see them as messages that spread hatred. But who knows, maybe the man that started that conversation with me knows more things than me. Maybe it is just me who finds them cute.
Anyways, a thought that we got today, a different approach to the same thing, decorating or littering our small town.
What do you think about them? There are many more in the town, so this is not the whole display of them. I could even call it an open-air exhibition, but yes, who knows are they indeed considered artworks. Do you have at your place similar objects that decorate/litter the public area?
Thank you for taking with me this unusual #WednesdayWalk , that turned out not to be just a walk to unwind a bit the mind. Just the opposite, with that strange encounter.
