Chalk this up to art
Thursday 17th June 2010, 1:00PM BST.
Nurses Suli Henderson and Joy Soriano read the message, This is where I fell in love, at the bus terminus. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 0985629)
WERE they the musings of a broken-hearted writer or a college project?
Islanders were yesterday morning left wondering who was the mystery scribe who had decorated Town with his chalk thoughts and quotes overnight.
From the Rohais to Salerie car park and the Bathing Pools, notes written in chalk were left on the pavement and streets.
They ranged from messages outside phone boxes telling people to call someone and tell them they loved them, to read more, which was outside the Guille-Alles Library.
Art group Readerswives Collective eventually claimed responsibility at 3pm, saying one of its number, Rost, had spent 10 hours writing the messages.
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My friend and I were discussing this last night.
She came up with a lovely notion that it was a lover writing notes to the object of his affections on her walk to work. At the end it would have a declaration such as “Marry me Tracy!!”
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The chalkings were great! they brought a smile to my face on the walk in to the office yesterday. No harm done only good. They made people stop and think and certainly smile and laugh, only good can come from making people smile! Well done.
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I just want to say that I went through most of town yestaerday reading the chalk writing, and I was really impressed. I love this kind of graffitti that is intelligent and makes people think. It’s a form of art. I especially love the one outside Creaseys toy shop that says ‘we should all play more’ – too true!
We should all express ourselves more in such an inoffensive, harmless way.
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Thats not the type of art I’d expect from someone calling themselves Readers Wives!?!?
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All good art is thought provoking and for me, as far as street art goes. by far the best example on this island is the ‘ISOLATION’ graffiti that continues to stand out so superbly from many a roadside electricity box.
Seriously, the young guy who did this should have been nominated for the Turner Prize instead of ending up in court as a result of a nasty little campaign by a few peabrained, Philistinic politicians.
Without wishing to sound too pretentious, that word – ISOLATION – stencil sprayed in stark black lettering against a cold, impersonal backdrop really does say something to me about the human condition in the post industrial age.
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Martino, it also was against the law and would cost money for someone to rectify.
Of course like others I quite liked the chalk, but that was one clearly intelligent person knowing where to draw the line (no pun!).
I just wonder where this universal approval might lead though. It seems even Nigel Dorey was saying on the radio, it might be illegal, but it’s ok – it’s chalk – be different if it was paint.
slightly less clued-up people might see it as free hand to etch freely on public land whatever they choose, thinking that if it’s washable, then they won’t get in trouble…
Like I said, I did enjoy it, but slippery slope??? Or am I getting old before my time!
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Martino
Seriously the Turner prize?
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I like the one that reads “When did you last ride a bike?” as you go from the North Beach car park to town…
It has the added benefit that I can feel a bit pleased with myself after reading that one!
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Almost as good as the toadstool and mouse ones!
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Is this not a form of graffiti? We should be punishing those that have done this.
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I did enjoy the few I saw as well. A bit like a cross between a treasure hunt and a Magritte.
And the fact that the faint chalk was already fading also added to the experience – a little like finding words written on the sand on a beach.
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Is this the same lad who was writing on electricity boxes a couple of tears ago ?
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He missed an opportunity outside the Pollet Chemist ‘ Keep taking the tablets ‘
or should that go on The Royal Court steps on the last Wednesday of the month ?
What about ‘We have all the power’ at North Side … or again on the Court steps ?
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I accept your point, billythefish, about graffiti art being against the law – especially when painted rather than chalked (it would have been inappropriate for the readers’ wives to make their artistic statement in indelible paint on public streets – they chose just the right medium).
However, I cannot accept your assertion that the ISOLATION body of work ‘would cost money for someone to rectify’. That’s because it does not need anybody to ‘rectify’ it. It is a perfect piece of art just as it is. Indeed, in this case it could be argued that the stark, barren canvas the artist chose for his work, although belonging to someone else, was in desperate need of rectification.
The trouble with those who judge these things simply in legal terms is that they have not got to grips with the fact that some graffiti might amount to criminal damage but a lot of it is a truly brilliant stuff that brightens up many a bleak urban landscape.
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“it might be illegal”
Well that’s all the hash house harriers in the dock then.
“Or am I getting old before my time!”
Yes
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Neil
I’ll put the order in for the pipe and slippers now then!
Martino
Brilliant the art might be, and I’ve seen some awesome graffiti in my time (which it seems is 80 years!) but would you feel the same way (or I) if someone had sprayed “ISOLATION” on the wall of your house?
You may argue that substations are not the same as the side of a private residence, but actually, they are still property (of GE in this instance) and GE might not appreciate their property being painted on?
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To answer your question Billythefish, no I wouldn’t feel the same if someone had sprayed “ISOLATION” on the wall of my house (flat actually) but I wouldn’t have minded if that person had sprayed it on my battered old Astra! The choice of canvas makes all the difference between art and criminal damage.
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It’s chalk. It’s easily removed if need be, this is hardly in the same catagory as spray painting offensive words on the side of bus shelters.
Is Banksy art or graffiti? is it only art when you have permission?
Whilst it has caused discussion I’m slightly disappointed it was a member of Readers Wives. I would have been more impressed if it was one of the art college students.
As a critique it lacked organisation in the detail and execution. Mixing quotes with personal experiences. They didn’t always go together. I liked the personal statements “I fell in love here” and “ride your bike more” but the quotes “everything must pass” seemed a bit out of context and non relevant. Put in there to sound meaningful without actually focusing on the meaning.
I think the person who did this was so excited about doing it he probably started it 5 minutes after coming up with the idea. Not thinking through how to best accomplish what it was he wanted to get across.
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Lynnie, there were some offensive words chalked on some of the pavements.
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@ GG – where exactly?
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GG – in what context? I haven’t heard of these. None of my friends have told me of any rude ones either. I’m also suprised the GP has failed to report on that.
Do you mean offensive swear words? or statements that can be perceived offensive like “I used to work here, it’s rubbish”.
If it was abusive offensive language then that’s a different matter. I woudlnt’ want to explain to a 3yr old what the meaning of is.
I would also be suprised considering the recent police action taken against the shop Joy for their explicit cards that now the identiy is known of the artist that they haven’t been at least informally warned.
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I heard about the messages on the news and it bought a smile to my face, i thought it was sweet and quite funny.
on my way to work on saturday morning i was feeling a bit shabby and couldnt realy be bothered but as i read the then disappering messages, i smiled and i did laugh out loud and get some funny looks!
i think whoever did this only did good, he bought a smile to a lot of peoples faces and also he bought the message of community back to an island that today somtimes fails to act as one… sadly these messages have gone and faded away… i only hope these things happen more often.. the chalk has gone- theres no harm done, no problem… those who are saying about how this person should be punnished should be ashamed of themselves, he has done no harm, no one had to go out there way to clear up the messages, wheres the issue? SMILE! <3
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As a first time visitor it’s been a pleasure to walk around in town, look at the city, but at the same time enjoy the chalked messages.
These messages now make up an integral part of what Guernsey means to me; sophisticated but simultaneously quirky and intelligent enough to make some jokes about itself.
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I missed this as I rarely go into town, wish I hadn’t really sounds amazing. I love this kind of freedom of speech and the fact they were thoughtful enough to do it in chalk so no one had to clean it up. The press printed some of the writing found in chalk and to answer one of the questions: No I can’t afford to live here :( Someone has mentioned the ISOLATION messages around the island, I know it’s not “politically correct” to graffiti but isn’t some of the greatest stories throughout history when people have done something that may not be considered acceptable. The suffragettes come to mind I’m sure others may come to your mind. Every time I see ISOLATION it makes me feel about how small this Island really is and how I want to break out into the big world and really discover and try new things, I find a very positive feeling. I hate vandals and people out to damage or destroy our island and that’s why laws are in place but these acts are out to create something and get people thinking they are put there to do good not harm which I think some people forget.
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Hmmm so GG – is it only you who has seen these offensive words?
I think I’ve made myself clear on my opinion of your credibility.
Grow up and stop whining. It’s chalk. It washes off. There were no swear words.
Honestly. If GG had his way we would all be living on an isolated rock eating tomatos with no cultural outlet at all.
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I thuoght ‘ISOLATION’ man was given community service hours to remove the grafetti that he painted. Yet this still does not seem to have been done.
Whereas the chalk rules, cracking idea. Harms no one as far as I can see.
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Lynnie
I think the one GG found offensive was
“The person who is writing these phrases, was not born in Guernsey”
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I personally dislike Rost, I’ll admit that. But there was some swearing.
Here’s one:
“I wonder how often blind people stand in the dog S**T of their own guide dogs?”
I think this is offensive to blind people.
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GG – You wondered what all the fuss was about in relation to the killing of seagull chicks. How do you begin to be outraged by some inoffensive chalkings on the pavement? Did not one of those make you smile, really? I did not see any offensive material or anything that could reasonably be perceived as offensive. You really must take a contrary stanpoint on every issue, mustn’t you?
I am very much hoping that you make such offensive contradictions to get a rise out of people. Congratulations: I have bitten again. The destruction of wildlife is offensive. By seeking to put that in context you make an attempt to justify it. It is in no way comparable with some uplifting slogans on a pavement.
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All of you hatin’ on GG for saying about swear words obviously never saw this one:
“I wonder how often blind people stand in the dog s*** of their own guide dogs?”
Leave him alone; just because her views do not match your own insular ones does not mean that everything she says is wrong.
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Nope that’s right I haven’t.
That doesn’t change the fact that GG has been caught out lying several times on this forum to back up their argument. I really wouldn’t put it past him to log in on another email address and persona and make a comment to back up his original post either. Let’s face it most people have two email addresses.
But on the off chance that two seperate people have seen this chalking…
Has anyone else seen this particular statement? How do we know it was done by the same person? Doesn’t seem to follow the trend of their other chalkings…
And why didn’t GP comment on this? I’m sure any other newspaper reporting on the incident would have had a field day with that one.
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I find it quite ironic that the one person who stands up for GG accuses the rest of us of being insular.
That made me chuckle!
Oh and Jim, is it a he or a she??
Or given that GG has purported to being both in the past leads me to beleive that you made the fatal error of not remembering your latest tale, when you created a username and stuck up for yourself.
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GG – I’d be very surprised if blind people were offended by chalk writing on a pavement. I’d have to question the credibility of the doctor that declaired them blind! I have 20:20 vision, but even I struggled to read some of the artist’s musings.
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@GG
The fact that it may be offensive to blind people is immediately rendered moot by the fact that they will not be able to see it.
If it were written in enormous brail along the pavement well then that would be a different story.
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I can assure all of you that I am NOT GG although I do know him personally.
The list of all chalkings are available on the Readers Wives blog and it is definitely there.
You guys are treating GG like dirt simply because she holds different views to the rest of you. I personally feel each time the poor girl comments on anything you victimize her and as such force her to resort to ‘lying’ to get points across.
It’s disgusting.
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It’s still offensive, so what if they can’t read it?
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It appears that no one else has seen this particular chalking. However, if it is indeed real how do we know it was the same artist?
If you are not afflicted with blindness then it’s irrelevant if you find it offensive. How can you find something offensive on behalf of another person? It would have to be that person to find it offensive for it to ACTUALLY be offensive.
You may not like the chalkings, that’s your prerogative. I myself (whilst I didn’t find them offensive and actually found some that made me smile) gave a critique on them. I don’t personally find them in the same category as graffiti, but hey the discussion on Art has been a long discussed debate so there’s no particular right or wrong answer.
Disgusting behaviour? Hardly. He/She (Jimm even you seem to be unsure of their gender) has made their bed now they have to lie in it. If you’re going to make comments on this forum you have to expect some debate. Where GG has failed is that on several occasions their personal experiences and background has changed to suit their argument.
If you peel away the xenophobia and antagonistic comments GG does occasionally come out with some intelligent post.
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Has anyone considered the fact that s**t is still an offensive word and that it shouldn’t be said/written in public where there are children around?
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Bill – you do have a valid point as I previously stated regarding swear words.
I should imagine that if this was indeed written and it was the same person and they owned up to it then they will probably get a ticking off by the police.
I don’t really think it warrants any more than that… the chalkings (whilst amateurish) still made me smile. I never saw that particular one though.
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Lynnie- It’s not that I’m unsure, I just typed him not really thinking. GG is actually a lovely girl.
Bill- I agree and I think that’s where GG is coming from.
And in regards to GG, she actually achieved a fantastic degree in architecture (Came out with a 2:1) so she’s definitely not stupid.
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Degrees in law AND architecture. My my, GG you have been a busy girl…..
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Oh, so its architecture this week then??
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I suppose it’s time to own up and admit that I also know GG as a friend of a relative
GG is not his real initials,just a throwback from when he was very young and had a great passion for horse riding. In fact he was the youngest ever competitor in the Badminton horse trials at the age of four
Unfortunately that promising career had to be abandoned when he was thrown and landed heavily on his head
He immediately took up the Double Bass and after four years hard work at the tender age of eight gained a Bachelor of Arts degree with honours
So there you have it.Please stop sniping at this young lad or you may come to regret when he achieves his aim of becoming Bailiff
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Ray
Let’s not forget his (or her) Doctorate in Conflabulation.
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Ray
Im sure you mean a relative of a friend!
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This discussion gives me an idea. Perhaps we should organise a Your Shout meet so we can put names to faces? I’d certainly like to meet the people behind the names of some of my fellow regular posters. How about it GP?
Of course it’s not so necessary for those of us who are prepared to put our own names to our posts, sometimes to our personal embarrassment when we drop a clanger….still the argument of anonymity is another matter altogether.
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Paul… a good idea
Arnald I’d like to introduce Phil
Phil meet Arna…
CRASH,BANG,WALLOP
That didn’t hurt you pen pushing crook.Prove I’m wrong
BISH,BASH,BOSH
I keep telling you,you Communist lacky.You can’t prove a negative
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Ray – they’d probably be best of friends over a pint! Some of my closest friends think my views on life are complete tosh!
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