When we bought the new house in the South of Mexico city, in the Tlalpan neighbourhood, there was a house nearby, entirely painted with “street art”. Motifs inspired from pre-Colombian lore. Here’s how it looked from left to right. The central figure was a red-hair tree-woman (goddess?) The scroll coming out of her mouth was…
We jumped bail. Violated parole. 3rd week of July, after 4 months in lock-up, we rented a house 2 hours West of Mexico city. A charming town called Malinalco. Hopped back into the 19th century. Never seen a donkey with such an elaborate saddle. Reminded me of Dr Elena Prewitt, female black professor of LAW…
“Stay safe”. (c) Anthony Wallace/AFP/Le Point. One of those pictures you wish you had taken yourself. “Scotty? Spock? Uhura? Ready? Scotty: unlock engines, please. Full warp.” “Finestra”. Tlalpan, Mexico. c. May 2020. The window, as much of the neigbourhood is 16-17th century. Sneaked out of lock-down. This one is for Flavia Vinci. She likes windows.…
Today I felt like helping “meself” to a shot’a Bansky. On the rocks. Revisit last year’s extraordinary expo in Paris. Maybe re-read his work through the lens of the past few months. Let’s start with a good news: the door Bansky painted at the Bataclan in Paris, in homage to the victims, had been stolen.…
Konny. Paris, 2013. No more landlord arson. San Francisco. 2016. Butte-aux-cailles. Paris. 2018. Klim, I gather? Liverpool. Or is Berlin? (Mexico city. 2019) I told you a hundred times, stop picking your nose. Butte-aux-cailles, Paris. Zabou. Near Mission St, San Francisco, 2016. Overtagged, alas. “Let’s go urgently to the House of buttons. In Polanco! Jules…
I could start with a small Renoir. Emil Bührle collection at the Maillol museum. 2019. Claude Monet in his workshop at Giverny. The workshop has remained very much the same. The paintings have been replaced by – very good – copies. Most of the originals are at Orsay I believe. “Love your world”. Latin quarter,…
This is not a virus. It is an alebrije. Mexico City. Around February when one could still go to a restaurant for a family lunch. 🍺 Machu Picchu, 1976. (c) my wife. Before we met. Machu Picchu is still on my bucket list. Found these old slides in a box this summer. Bought a new…
Pete the pelican, Akumal, Yucatán peninsula. Dic. 2019. A stairway to heaven. Cobá, Yucatán. (Note: Technically the eastern part of Yucatán became a full-fledged state, called Quintana Roo, in 1974. Cancún, Tulum, are in “Quintana Roo”. Yet, geographically, historically and culturally it still is Yucatán, the land of the Maya. Cobá, near Tulum, is one…
Paris, métro Nationale. 13th arrondissement. 2019. Many buildings have been painted over. A unique display of immense street art. A great initiative from City Hall. Just noticed the artist’s name. Inti is a Chilean artist born in Valparaiso whose work can be seen from Chile to Colombia (I’ll pay more attention on my next trip)…
Sir Stamford Raffles (1786-1821). National Singapore Museum. Raffles founded the city and harbour of Singapore in the early 1800’s, negotiating a deal with the local Sultan. The strategy was to create a British stronghold to balance the Dutch domination of Indonesia. Raffles was born on a ship off the coast of Jamaica. A “colonial” of…
