There’s a long history of art being used as a form of protest and I’m not going to go into it because I’m laughing at the pothole bugs a woman in Lincolnshire, England, painted. Karan Holland lost a tire—or “tyre” as they spell it on their side of the pond—to a pothole and decided to protest the local government’s delay in fixing it by spray painting a bug around it.
Source: Lincolnshire Live
Normally when I see graffiti—or even a commissioned mural, or advertisement, on a wall or even on a road, it’s because it’s an empty space that someone decided to fill with something. Nature may not really abhor a vacuum but people like to fill space with stuff, although most of the time when someone decorates an empty space the plan is that whatever they’ve made will last. Holland’s drawing attention to the potholes hoping they’ll be filled. The local authorities claim she’s delaying the pothole repair because now they also have to clean the paint off the road, but I have a hard time believing that. Leaving the paint there wouldn’t hurt anything, unlike the potholes that have already been there a long time.
The real irony here, though, is that usually protest art criticizes something the government is doing, but she’s calling out the government for what it’s not doing.
She’s also painted the occasional penis around a pothole and something something filling a hole.
Source: Lincolnshire Live
Making lemonade out of lemons. Clever woman.
Very clever, and a lot of art seems to be making lemonade out of lemons. Or, more creatively, making paintings of lemons out of lemons.
It’s a really good example of “nudge theory”—drawing attention subtly to something you want to see happen. And cleaning off the road is nonsense—they would just pave over it. Good for her?
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She really did cleverly draw attention to what she wanted to see happen, and I really like that she’s found a new career as an artist. That’s a detail I wish I’d focused on more. Her pothole paintings will disappear but she’s going to go on and make something more lasting, so, really, everybody wins.
It is true that I am easily amused, but that was very amusing! I won’t even go into my thoughts on the penis she drew! She’s a creative soul with a sense of humor! Love it! Mona
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It’s easy to get down about the state of the world but it’s just as easy to be reminded that there are creative souls with a sense of humor out there and that makes me feel better.
Great, thanks.
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I’m glad this comment didn’t disappear into the spam filter.
That should get those local government pricks to get on the ball and fill those holes!
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I hope they do get out there and fill those holes and don’t just give the potholes the shaft.