Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Graffiti with attitude




When I first lived in Switzerland in the tiny village of Môtiers, which known existence went back to 1150, my neighbour took me to a village meeting where they were discussing the increasing delinquency of the young. Coming from Boston this meant, robbery, rape, gangs, drugs, guns and arson.



What delinquency that would ruin its bucolic beauty?

One example (small) of a graffiti on the school wall was what was worrying the residents.

I'm no fan of graffiti usually but there are exceptions.

 In Harvard Square there was a café under the Brattle Street Theatre called Casablanca. Sadly, it closed in 2012 after 50 years. I loved watching the chess players at the nearby tables as I drank hot almond-chocolate.

I also loved the ladies room graffiti. Nothing as mundane as "Jason loves Sally" or "Peter is a pig." 

Instead there was things like "Virginia Woolf loves Vita-Sackville West." 

I always felt good whenever I knew all the literary and historical references by the time I flushed.

Thus, when I saw this rather philosophical graffiti on the wall by the bus stop I had to smile. "There is no absolute truth" is the translation.

Between the backdrop, the outlined letters, the small flowers it must have taken some time to create, but I don't know that as an absolute truth. 

2 comments:

Ginger Dawn...A Spice Below The Horizon said...

Great Post! Enjoyed this very much! Now I shall go but some paint!

aromaproductions said...

I saw some interesting graffiti in Medellin, Colombia which I posted on my blog. They were social commentaries.

http://aromaproductions.blogspot.ch/2013/01/medellin-colombia-in-grafitti-and-clay.html