I am neurotic about this. I am not artistic and I think my collage is rubbish. I think the photo is quite good, but it smacks a bit of vandalism, which is definitely not environmentally friendly.
However, I have come up with something else. Admittedly it is not artistic as I only had to press a button on my camera to get it. More of a craftsman, then. It is called 'Courtesy of Hull City Council - People need Green Spaces'. This was taken in an extremely rough part of my home town, Hull. This is the sort of place where I have been walking into town and has spent time conversing with fellow dog walkers about their dogs while they swigged out of lager cans in the day, like they spent much of their time walking about with a lager can in their hands. Also it is near a Salvation Army Hostel and if I have my kids with me I tell them not to look certain people in the eye if we are walking along.
This is what Hull City Council have done. They can do my artwork for me as I certainly pay my taxes. They have made a pleasant flower bed (admittedly low maintenance, look at all the bark chippings, probably left over from building playgrounds) in an urban environment and have also built a big wall protecting housing areas from any general louch behaviour which may go on at night. But not only have they built a big wall somebody has decided to decorate it with blue and white bricks. It is a wall that somebody has cared about making and it is pleasing to the eye. A decorated wall. So the people round there get a flower bed and they get some aesthetically pleasing functional architecture as well.
Hull City Council is an old socialist Council and sometimes it is a bit incompetent, but I think it's heart is in the right place.
6 comments:
Your collage was great, I thought it was very expressive and making a really important point. Take your point about the skate-boarding hordes though.
BUT I also like this photo - think it says a lot about how little efforts can make a difference and how local councils change things. The contrast between the plants and the building says it all.
Thank you, Frances, for your kind words. However, I am still not happy with any of this. Now I am in the company of artists I must try and make a better showing.
On a dog walk today I found a book about William Morris, who had many ideas about industrialist societies and nature which people have today, but in Victorian times. I have spent a most interesting morning reading this book, assisted by the fact he had quite a spicy private life, as indeed did all his Pre-Raphaelite mates. The patterns he made for wallpapers of flowers and leaves are almost optical illusions in that they have moving 'growing vines', and are quite reminiscent of the mandalas you have all been making. I'm going to try and make another collage tomorrow out of his patterns!
Beverly, I loved the collage. It had so much heart! Please don't give up on it. I have had the same problem and I am sure a solution will come just as one did for me.
William Morris, fantastic. When I was a child one of my favourite books was News from Nowhere - about a socialist utopia( my Mum brainswashing me - I suppose - tee hee - what a childhood - Roman Catholic Dad and atheist communist mother!)
I used to work and husband used to live in Walthamstow near William Morris's house which is a really great little museum with all the textiles and papers and things - I used to take my ESOL students there - Lovely. Very interesting man. Look forward to seeing your stuff. I know what you mean about the company of artists, I feel the same - but I would like to do some art.
Don't give up on your collage, Bev. It is very nice and you did a good job on it! I wish I was half as artistic and brawny. And brainy, because you are that too!
Thanks, Sweet Irene. I am certainly brawny, but I don't know about the artistic bit lol. I hope you are going to submit one of your mandalas for environment day. I have just been on Rima's gallery page and realise I must come up with something proper.
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