Expression and confrontation
Development & reflection (4)
After trying to deliver a ‘subtle’ piece of art to passers-by and witnessing their indifference and numbness when walking on a beautiful street, I established that I needed to be more ‘frontal’ to transmit a strong message. I picked a rather radical strategy by writing bold political ideas in the streets of London.
I was thrilled by the illegal aspect of that project; I prepared a stencil and explored the city after sunset. I made sure there were no CCTV cameras and wore a hoodie and a mask so no one would recognize me.
Oh my, it felt so good to physically throw these thoughts out there and maybe, be able to provoke a debate or a reflection in people’s minds. Sometimes, a different point of view or a simple sentence at the right time can completely shift one’s perspective. It is, indeed, a very different approach from the Garlic Mushrooms project; after a few minutes of patience, I already observed people reading the graffiti and having different reactions.
I was really looking forward to seeing, with time, if someone might spray paint on top of my writing or make another physical response to it, but two days later, the council had repainted the surfaces.
I am aware this could be considered vandalism. Still, I made sure I painted on public matters and not on private properties — not to bother people — but apparently, it was too terrible to have something intelligent written on a city-owned electric meter box.
