Uruguay Paper Graffiti: Juan Zorrilla de San Martín

We stumbled across this rather well composed street graffiti in Montevideo last winter (their Spring), and its construction of a 20 Peso banknote bearing the image of Juan Zorrilla de San Martín with added musical imagery intrigued me to conduct a little follow up research:

The image is of the poet, Juan Zorrilla de San Martín (1855–1931). However, he was much more than a poet; he was a beacon of Uruguayan identity. His verses celebrated the rugged landscapes, the gaucho spirit, and the resilience of a nation. His epic poem, “Tabaré,” immortalized the indigenous people and their struggles.

I am unsure as to the meaning that the artist wanted to impart to their audience through this juxtaposition, but I offer up the following verse by way of homage to both the poet and the street artist who pasted this to the wall:

In the city’s pulse, where concrete meets sky, 
Whispers of poets and rebels never die.
Their ink spills onto walls, a silent plea— 
Freedom, justice, love—their legacy.

~Richard

Hiding in Plain Sight

It’s amazing what you can find in the most normal of settings, and unexpectedly. All you have to do is keep your eyes open and actually look at your surroundings. For example, Philadelphia seems to be full of surprises such as this wonderful sculpture of a leopard on South 20th Street and Manning Street near Rittenhouse Square. One story has it that it the building which it is attempting to get into used to be a lingerie store and that this was used as marketing. The store has long gone but the leopard remains.

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~Richard

A Story – Reflectors

She couldn’t remember when she had first noticed the totem pole. She had just looked up from her dark lonely thoughts one day while walking down the street and seen it. Every day for the next month she had noticed that more items had been added. She didn’t know who was doing this, or when, as she had never seen anyone attaching anything to the lamp post, or even taking much notice of it. It was almost as if she was the only person to see it.

Today was her day, though. She had planned it for a week and finally plucked up courage.
As she twisted the blue beads into the wire she held her breath guiltily.

“Hello,” said a soft voice from behind her, ” I wondered when you were going to add something of your own…”

170607_Reflectors

~Richard

 

 

Banksy or Pranksy?

Some care to identify the World’s highest paid living artist, others don’t. I like what s/he does, as an anonymous artist either way. (See what I did there?)

This article came to my attention today. Am I the only one to notice that it occurred around April 1st?  Time will tell…

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~Richard

Philadelphia – Love Wins

I was strolling round the area of Fairmount Avenue, Philadelphia the other morning whilst waiting for Easter State Penitentiary to open when I saw the following in one of the row homes in the area. An excellent message from the City of Brotherly Love.

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~Richard

 

New York Bocce Volo

Last month we visited New York City and were lucky enough to have unseasonably warm weather and no snow. At lunchtime we were sitting in Bryant Park, behind the New York Public Library on 5th Avenue and I watched there three older gentlemen also outside enjoying the weather with a game of bocce volo. These guys were good, clearly having played for years.

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~Richard

A Commerce Drive

We are at a junction. Which path should we take to drive commerce and make us all as rich as Croesus, left or right?

Better make the decision soon as those lights don’t stay red forever…

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~Richard

Is this Street Art?

I spotted this sign at a road junction about a mile or so from my house quite some time ago. It made me chuckle and I vowed to get an image of it at some point. Today was that day, so I parked at the local church and walked along the edge of the road to get this shot. It has not been edited other than to sharpen it a little.

I cannot understand what on earth is going on at that junction. There are no sidewalks on any of the roads leading to the lights and it is a fairly busy and dangerous corner. Quite why the local authority would think it sensible to put up a pedestrian controlled light and then a no pedestrian sign is anyone’s guess.

Having “visited” the place I can only assume it is some type of Street Art, perhaps making some deep statement which I am yet to discover…

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~Richard

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