Graffiti, Italian Style

  I'll admit it….I have had a love/hate (mostly hate) relationship with graffiti. It has just 'tried my last nerve' at times. I mean, really, must you defile the walls of towns that were built in the 11th century? 

  Then you come to realize that those same walls were tagged back in the 12th century, so give it up, girl. 

GET OVER IT.

  In all honesty, I was pretty distressed at the amount of tagging in various hill towns we've visited in France & Italy, but oh well….. It's everywhere, and lots of the tagging is political, or lovey-dovey sentiments….or downright cool art. There. I said it. I've gotten over it. For the most part….

  Thing is, some of it is great, fun, and often thought provoking. Of course. It's cultural expression, and I'm trying to see it this way. Then I don't get myself into a froth, screaming in outrage at my loved one

(sorry, Johnny). 

  So, instead, I snap pictures of some of the best I see. These are all shots from Italy, over a couple of trips. I particularly like the "stencil" type of graffiti, which you will see here. 

  Some images are quite simple..

  

One of a flock of birds in Venice. They flew all over town...

Chirping out a tune in Florence.

Shy Boy.

Staring me down in Citta' di Castello.

  Then, when you least expect it, there he is, in all his wrinkled glory, gun in hand. Of course.

  You can't get away from this hometown dude. Jeez.

Don't make me say it….

More finger pointing. 

  I've seen these 'HOGRE' stencils all over, in many different forms. I assume it is 'ogre', as the letter 'h' is silent in Italian. Always the same font, but you never know what the image will be:

Scary, at times...

…funny, and scary...and one of my favorite fellows ever….

…and sometimes there's a message. 

  The 'hogre' above is all about the battle over gigantic cruise ships in Venice. 

  Below, next to the cute gnome, is a little "post-it" that says, "YOU LOVE VENICE, NO GIANT SHIPS".

  

  This is a huge issue in Venice, as the cruise ships have gotten so large, they dwarf the city, displacing massive amounts of water. This causes damage to the already crumbling facades along the canals. These monster vessels also spew stinky exhaust from their smokestacks….nice.

  The graffiti and this photo tells a bit of the story:

Yucky.

Taking off the rose-colored glasses is good.  

  Something for the animal rights activists…….

Bunny Heads.

Not graffiti, but a painting by artist Llyn Foulkes ("Pig" 1963),
which I saw in the fantastic museum, Punta della Dogana, in Venice.
Then I spied the graffiti, below..

The brutality of seeing a pig as just "pork product".
Sadness.

Beanie Boy….

….and his gal-pal,  Gloomy Girl.

  And then there is sweetness and light:

Happy Valentine's Day!

  But, I have to say…my favorites so far, are these last two images. 

  It's hard to comprehend how the artists could have whipped them out fast enough to not get busted. Granted, they were both in an area that was not a high traffic zone, but still…there appears to be a whole other level of work going on with these..

I like this one a lot.

But this, I love.

  I guess I've gone and gotten over graffiti a little.
  It's a start.
  But please, unless you are the artist above, leave my back fence alone, ok?