A recent trip to Keney Park showed it looking as lovely as ever.
Illegal dumping is an ongoing issue, but it was less prevalent than in the past. In its place, graffiti has been appearing on the trees. We usually come out in favor of graffiti, and that’s because it’s usually on surfaces like utility boxes or highway underpasses. Those surfaces start out dull and ugly. Why you gotta go paint on a living creature, though? Trees are already great; move the “inspirational” painting sessions elsewhere. It’s not like Hartford suddenly has an absence of concrete walls.
Richard
The faces are still there.
No need to say how much we love graffiti of any kind even the penis art that appears here and there. We have to agree about the graffiti on trees, go find somewhere else to paint. But this begs to contemplate the 2009 out door art project on the corner of Hamilton and Hillside. 77 trees have faces painted on them, a project conceived by artist Matthew Rodriquez. I got to wondering if folks feel because this has Real art Ways behind it, sanctioned by the man, and in the school of cute that this type of art on trees is okay? Funny we were just walking up in the Hamilton Street area saying to each other, too bad this art is still on these trees we had hoped it was temporary. How in the world does one remove paint from living trees without harming the tree? Indeed we humans are hazardous to trees and other living things and indeed ugly is ugly when man’s hand messes with creation.
For sure Kerri, you photo’s are beautiful.
Richard
The Faces are still there.
No need to say how much we love graffiti of any kind even the penis art that appears here and there. We have to agree about the graffiti on trees, go find somewhere else to paint. But this begs to contemplate the 2009 out door art project on the corner of Hamilton and Hillside. 77 trees have faces painted on them, a project conceived by artist Matthew Rodriquez. I got to wondering if folks feel because this has Real art Ways behind it, sanctioned by the man, and in the school of cute that this type of art on trees is okay? Funny we were just walking up in the area saying to each other, too bad this art is still on these trees we had hoped it was temporary. How in the world does one remove paint from living trees without harming the tree? Indeed we humans are hazardous to trees and other living things and indeed ugly is ugly when man’s hand messes with creation.
For sure Kerri, your photo’s are beautiful.
Kerri Provost
I was thinking about that too. Wondering why washable paint or spray chalk wasn’t used for that public art project.
Richard
When you mentioned using a chalk or a dissolving paint I thought of artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude and their well known art. I remembered reading about the project of Surrounded Islands in Biscayne Bay and how they launched scientific studies of everything from microorganism in the sand to the birds and manatees that inhabited the island. They commissioned experiments to prove that their art work would not harm the environment or the landscape, consulting Marine Biologists and Ornithologists. They even hired crews to clean 40 tons of junk from the islands. When the show was over the show was over. The surrounding material was removed and the islands left better than they were found.
In the large scheme of public art their art ideas are more important compared to what is left over on our park trees. Indeed they have their art and plenty of money behind them but something as simple as choosing paint any real artist who cares can do that. If artists are going to play around with living things then I say lets do it with a great deal of caring and responsibility.
This religious wording graffiti is very odd. Words that are used in religion spray painted on part of God’s creation are a whole other discussion to have.