Visual images in Vilnius, and beyond

Why lie, indeed?

I don't like tagging. I find all that messy, dripping, look-how-many-times-I-can-spraypaint-my-symbol graffiti obnoxious. Like a muscle car with the bass turned way up, blasting through the neighborhood, but worse. They just parked the eyesore in one place and you have to keep seeing it.

I do like street art. I like modern art, too, I guess, and to me they go together. I like seeing what colors and shapes and humor and statements show up along the tracks into any European train station. I like the thought that goes into it.




I like seeing different languages and words on packaging in different places, too. Like the t-shirts that made so little sense it was almost like English language poetry in Japan. And this baking "soda" that my cousin bought to clean with in Vilnius.



And then the formally sanctioned art, like this street in Vilnius where different artists each made a plaque for a Lithuanian writer. I like seeing art in places other than just museums. I struggle a lot with what kind to buy and hang in my own apartment - meaning, I just put it all in my "shopping basket" on Etsy or E-bay or link to an artist's webpage and never click "buy" because I am so overwhelmed with the commitment.




But I do like street art, and during our trip, L reminded me of an artist (in London?) who cleaned off grime under bridges as his "paint" - he wasn't applying anything new to any walls, just cleaning swatches that made up his artwork. How great is that? Someone mentioned that there wasn't much street art in Vilnius, but we found it in little around-the-corner spots. I like the animal stickers a lot. They are sweet. I think they look cute, give a little life to the walls. This means, unfortunately, there is no need for L and I to secretly go back there and start making our own art with a box of baking soda, a bucket of water and some thin brillo pads. So much for my secret life as a graffiti artist.




The last photo is from home, from a new IKEA dresser I've used to create our fourth wall for the guestroom. Just around that unit is the great blue sofa, and it is now joined by one whole cabinet space for a visiting guest. It will be my canvas, in lieu of a true street art career. Like so many women before me and after me, I will be an off-the-street artist and try my hand at visual design inside the apartment. Each drawer or door holds the dog leashes, the baby hats, my or M's shoes, etc. We keep forgetting which is which. So I've bought white contact paper and will be making visual silhouettes to stick on each one as a quick reminder. So far, only the dog leash drawer is blessed with an idea for design. The baby hats, baby socks, baby shoes, swim things, shopping bags, baby jackets and our shoes spaces are all wanting for good icon ideas.