13/03/2013

Los Pintores de los Paredes

A few days ago at lunch, my señora put a pot of lentils on the table with a sigh and proceeded to tell us how Carmen (her granddaughter, age: a very precocious one-and-a-half) had gone over to a friend's house and when left alone for about 5 seconds with a marker had covered the whole wall in her artwork (my binder is also full of Carmen's art. It's very abstract and linear. I think she has a future in surrealism). With a shake of her head she lamented: "Que mala es Carmen", and dished us out enough lentils to feed the Spanish Army.

But as I looked through the pictures on my computer and iPod this evening, I couldn't help but think that Carmen may not be entirely to blame for her blossoming graffiti artist skills. Granada is a veritable Museo del Prado of graffiti- from the incredibly beautiful, to the vulgar, to the mind-bogglingly weird, to the political activists . So here's a shout-out to all the spray-paint armed, 3 am artistas of Granada's streets.

I appreciate you.

And so does Carmen.

And a door. For Nicole, who missed them in my last post.  This is Camborio, the only discoteca I have ever been to that is in a cave. 

"Capitalism is murder."  Complete with the sickle and hammer and the circle-A of anarchy.

"Tienes una respuesta?"  

A more peaceful correction

"Aquí ya no se fabrica las sueños" -- Here no dreams are fabricated.

I'd love to know what the arabic on this one says. Those eyes watch me every time I pass by.

In a café, so not technically graffiti, but still. .  . John Lennon's 'Imagine' is universal.
You may say that I'm a dreamer,
but I'm not the only one.
I hope someday you will join us,
and the world will live as one.

"And this love is blue like the sea. Blue" (it's a song)

"You are the reason why my poetry exists" Awww. . .

Amelia and her "I might need an exorcism" eyes stare into my soul every time I walk  to school. Who is she? Who is Amelia?

"Ayer la vi, bailando por ahí, con sus amigas en la calle de Madrid. . ."
^This dancing lady reminds me of this song. (Ayer la vi- Juan Magan)

You can't tell me this isn't art.

"Franco has not died, I have seen him on patrol" Anti-police graffiti. . .  oye.  A bit strong. Spain's relationship with the legacy and memory of  Franco is interesting. . .

Why so blue? This is the alley beside our apartment building

Points for rhyming

Most of the stores have garage doors that they pull down when closed, and most of them are painted with fantastic pictures, including Mr. Hitchcock himself.

And last, but not least- although not graffiti either- the billboard on the hill that makes me sad everytime I see it while running along the river: "Boabdil vuelve a llorar, esta vez por Nazaría."
"Boabdil returned to cry, this time for Nazaría". Boabdil was the last Muslim ruler of Granada, defeated and exiled by Los Reyes Catolicos. Nazaria was his kingdom, destroyed and converted after the conquest.
Isabel and Ferdinand got fancy titles from the pope for erasing Nazaria from the map.
According to legend/history Boabdil was never allowed back in Granada.
But now, 700ish years later, someone's words have finally brought him back to mourn his lost kingdom and people.
I'd love to know who paid for this billboard.