I have been somewhat "on the road" today, taking my wife to the airport so she can go visit a friend for the weekend.
This piece of driftwood painted to look like an Orca graces a public waterfront park
Even though the airport is not that far from us, it still requires a 50-minute drive, followed by a 30-minute ferry ride, followed by another 30-minute drive in the mess that is Seattle-area rush hour traffic. And that latter part only because we chose to weave our way through neighborhoods, rather than use the recommended highway route.
Along the way, I noticed various murals and other public art by shopping centers, schools and other spaces. Of course, I am always happy to see public art... but one of the things I noticed - as compared to our little artists community of a hometown - is that everything was highly relatable, almost as if the choices made were based on pleasing children, more than adults.
This time a mural, with the uqiquitous orca
Of course, not everything can be Banksy or make some controversial statement.
Still, I always thought art should at least help people feel, something, at least something more than vanilla.
Why do I even care to comment on this?
I suppose it has something to do with seeing what might be another example of the pervasive "dumbing down" of everything in the world... a sort of twisted inclusiveness that softens everything in our environment to the point of not having to think about anything. Including art, and its deeper meaning.
Of course, it is entirely possible that I am reading far to much into it!
Thanks for stopping by, and do please leave a comment if you feel so inspired!
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All images are our own, unless otherwise attributed
