paint on a wall
growing up, when i thought of paint on a wall, my mind filled with images of ornate frames hugging canvases of color. this, no doubt, was due my experience of seeing countless such frames in dozens of museums.
as i grew up, i found myself in less and less museums. but a few years ago, i started to pay attention to paint again.
but this paint is different. it's not on a canvas. it's not in a frame. but it is—if i may be so bold—mockingly, still on a wall.
depending on the framed canvas, and depending on the museum, people are willing to travel across the world to get a glimpse of paint on a wall.
however, when the frame is removed, and a museum is no longer the context, the paint on the wall becomes an object of horror. as it should; paint on a wall is a crime.
the name of the crime is vandalism. the ones who put the paint there, the vandals, know this. they know the penalty of their paint. and yet, they paint.
but what i still don't understand, is the paint despite the public reaction. the vandals must know that, even if a passerby were to catch a glimpse of their paint, that the passerby’s first thought would likely be, “hideous! how could someone do that? let me leave this area of town immediately. if i’m lucky, i’ll never have to see that again.”
call me a coward, but expecting that sort of raving review would be enough to prevent me from putting paint on a wall.
but it doesn't stop the vandals.
on the contrary, it seems as though nothing can stop the vandals. even if someone hides their paint under a large square of grey paint, the vandals will eventually paint over the grey square.
when you look closely at the image above, you can see that a vandal vandalized a grey square. such is the circle of life.
all thanks to the nature of paint, vandals are not limited to walls, per se…
since i’m still baffled by the relentless determination of the vandals, which is evidenced by the mere existence of their work, i keep a sharp eye out for paint on a wall everywhere i go.
i’ll keep this page updated with what i see.
