A Falko - in a laundromat at the corner of Green and Keerom Streets.
I was walking and saw a Falko on a van. I struggled to get my camera out of the case around my waist. It took me a while to extricate as I saw the light change and the van head off. You simply cannot get them all.
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
Cape Town, South Africa
Cape Town, South Africa
A very tall building which dwarfs the light pole. The tallest work I have ever seen.
Company's Garden, Cape Town
She caught me on my third "stolen" moment. It was too obvious that I was pointing at her and not the plants. She laughed and I walked over and told her she was so beautiful I couldn't help it. I think she said it was freaky, but she was fine with it. Since I had "stolen" three, I had planned to ask her permission to take three more, but, minutes later, she walked the other way. It would've been too freaky to pursue her for that portrait that I had wanted. So I simply watched her as she walked away with her girlfriend.
Cape Town
About five days ago (20 March 2011), I accompanied two friends on a brief tour of some graffiti sites during which I took quick shots because I know they had planned to paint as well. Kyle cautioned me about going down an alley.
Way out of the city, we got to a sort of playground with graffiti on it walls. Kyle went to a house but they declined to have him use their wall. A second resident gave him the OK. We returned to the car and lugged about 30 paint cans, white paint, some fruit and one mask. I helped to prepare the wall by painting about 20 square feet. Then, for the next three hours I photographed their progress.
When Kyle finished his, I noticed him writing: Yo: Patric Barry Barr
It was funny and amazing that, after relentlessly photographing graffiti since 2001, here I was being accorded some recognition.
During the work, which took three hours, two policemen approached us and asked about the work. The head cop said they had received at least 20 calls from residents complaining about vandals defacing the wall. (At last, the vandal side of me has been recognized!) My main man told him he had permission from the owner and the cop and himself took a walk. The woman concurred.
When the cops were returning, I asked them what they thought of the work. They approved and stopped to decifer the letters in the art, which is not always an easy task.
SCHOOLGIRLS
Speaking of decifering the letters, yesterday (25 March 2011), I was on my way, walking through Company's Garden*, to see a play, Broken Glass, by the late playwright and late husband of the late Marilyn Monroe, Arthur Miller. At the museum, I went to re-check the four pieces of graffiti that I had observed and photographed about nine days ago. I was re-checking because when I returned two days after the four pieces went up, I saw that one had already been replaced, and two, which I thought were finished when I left, were actually now completely finished and three schoolgirls, in their green uniforms and about 13-14 I would guess, were trying to figure out the letters in one.
I helped them figure it out and told them it was done by a woman who signs as LARD. We discussed the other that was replaced and I showed them what the original looked like.
We probably talked for about 45 minutes and the conversation ranged widely, even including religion. They were all very pleasant and one, who was one year in school ahead of her two friends, was particularly precocious. I never took pictures because am usually wary of doing so with young girls. The precocious one says she is into art and took my Flickr address when I told her I was into graffiti in a big way.
I said my goodbyes and left to find The Fugard Theater. I stopped to enqure as I walked along and with half an hour to go, decided to take a cab, otherwise I could have arrived late and sweaty.
At the intermission, I was leaving to stretch my legs, when a woman in the back row called to me and reminded me that we had met the night before when I went to see an African play called Burnt. As I have written elsewhere, during our conversation the night before, she suddenly introduced me to three young women. I had thought she did so because a special person, a man, had arrived and she thought better of us being together. But she told me yesterday that she did so because she had some work to do. I totally understand.
*I haven't researched nor enquired, but I am of the opinion that "Company" is short for East India Company, Great Britain's colonial arm that ruled much of the world. Do the research.
Edit: I also need to do the research because I believe there were two "Companys" -- The Dutch and the British East India Company.
Cape Town, South Africa
SERENDIPITY
Had I gone to Table Mountain as I had planned, I would never have met her.
Invariably, when I travel, I never plan. So I am often totally uninformed. About Table Mountain, all I knew was that wherever I went in Cape Town, I could see it. So, when I announced yesterday afternoon, that I was going to walk to the cable car, two staff members at the hostel were shocked. It is far, they told me. You need to get a cab. It will cost about 40 Rands. This time, I had the money but I wasn't in the mood to spend that money ($6).
Instead, I took a walk to a park on Queen Victoria Street. As I arrived at the On Orange Hotel (on Orange Street, that is), I saw about eight costumed women and one man, enter the terrace of the hotel, with a photographer and his assistant. On cue, I started taking shots, even before they were assembled.
The woman in the photo asked me if I would like a photo. Of course, but that was what I was already doing. So I shot for about ten minutes or so, from the background of course, being sure to not get in the way.
After the shoot, I stood at street level, at the bottom of the steps. She spoke to the photographer's assistant and I believe he didn't agree with her. However, she came to me, took my camera and handed it to him.
For the first shot, I posed, looking at her, as if paying a compliment. She instructed him to take another shot and that shot was for us.
I thanked her and left.
Soweto (Orlando West), South Africa
Athough I told her that my duffel bag was heavy, that's the one she took. She took me to the room and waited until I selected a bed. I can tell that she has a wry sense of humour even though she expresses it in another language. She does treat me as if she were a loving daughter. When I head to the kitchen to wash my plates or cups, she will intercept me and no matter what I say, I have to give in because she stands her ground. She's my other "daughter."
Happy Anniversary
In Praha
I just picked up a book with the front cover missing. Graham Greene's A Gun for Sale, which once belonged to Ruth Shepherd and H. Eruns. There is no way of knowing who owned it first. I bought it in Prague on 4/11/2001. It was published by Heinemann in 1936, by Penguin in 1963 and reprinted in 1965. I have yet to read it.
On second inspection, however, since I write day/month/year, it has to be 4 November 2001 rather than April 11, 2001.
I also just found the cover neatly snuggled between pages 182 and 183.
It's now on my reading list!
I just picked up a book with the front cover missing. Graham Greene's A Gun for Sale, which once belonged to Ruth Shepherd and H. Eruns. There is no way of knowing who owned it first. I bought it in Prague on 4/11/2001. It was published by Heinemann in 1936, by Penguin in 1963 and reprinted in 1965. I have yet to read it.
On second inspection, however, since I write day/month/year, it has to be 4 November 2001 rather than April 11, 2001.
I also just found the cover neatly snuggled between pages 182 and 183.
It's now on my reading list!
Friday, October 01, 2010
Lima, Peru
A few months ago. It may have been the day that Peru celebrated its birthday and there was this big procession along Avenida Brasil.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Lima, Peru - Luís, mi salva vida
The designer, Luís, pays tribute to Jamaicans, and Africans alike. And since life began in Africa, which makes us all Africans, Luís found a way to pay tribute to all of us. For that one person in Flickr who doesn't know, that is the Jamaican flag. Jamaica became independent in August 1962.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Sunday, April 04, 2010
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009
New York City
The famous Flatiron building, bisecting Broadway and Fifth Avenue, around 23rd Street or so.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY
A panorama of eight shots, maneuvering between parked cars for each shot.
New York City
My son, my granddaughter and I met the brothers yesterday as they were leaving, one day after completing the graffiti/mural on East Houston at Bowery. This replaced a Keith Haring work of which I was totally unaware.
You may wish to take a look at the original size.
You may wish to take a look at the original size.
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