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Without them, we would have many challenges. We put our weight on them all day as we walk around; we rest them in the evening. Sometimes we cross them; othertimes not. We dress them up in all kinds of ways - formal leather shoes, crocs with a million jibbitz, crazy pimped out box-fresh sneakers (trainers for the UK folks). Maybe you even go barefoot sometimes.
The bottom line is, when you're 30 feet up in the air and people are looking up at your soles, they're just feet. And fascinating they are, too :)
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St Ethelbert, Hessett, Suffolk
Hessett is a fairly ordinary kind of village to the east of Bury St Edmunds, but its church is one of the most important in East Anglia for a number of reasons, which will become obvious. Consider for one moment, if you will, the extent to which the beliefs and practices of a religious community affect the architecture of its buildings. Think of a mosque, for instance. Often square, expressing the democracy of Islam, but without any imagery of the human figure, for such things are proscribed. Think of a synagogue, focused towards the Holy Scriptures in the Ark, but designed to enable the proclaiming of the Word, and the way that early non-conformist chapels echo this architecture of Judaism - indeed, those who built the first free churches, like Ipswich's Unitarian Chapel, actually called them synagogues.
The shape of a church, then, is no accident. A typical Suffolk perpendicular church of the 15th century has wide aisles, to enable liturgical processions, a chancel for the celebration of Mass, places for other altars, niches for devotional statues, a focus towards the Blessed Sacrament in the east, a roof of angels to proclaim a hymn of praise, a large nave for devotional and social activities, and wall paintings of the Gospels and hagiographies of Saints, of the catechism and teachings of the Catholic Church. As Le Corbusier might have said if he'd been around at the time, a medieval church is a machine for making Catholicism happen.
No longer, of course. The radical and violent fracture in popular religion in the middle years of the 16th century gave birth to the Church of England, and the new church inherited buildings that were quite unsuitable for the new congregational protestant theology, a problem that the Church of England has never entirely solved.
Over the centuries, the problem has been addressed in different ways. The early reformers celebrated communion at a table in the nave, for example, and blocked off the chancel for other uses. Although this was challenged by the Laudian party in the early part of the 17th century, it was the way that many parishes reinvented their buildings, and most were to stay like that until the middle years of the 19th century. Some went further. A pulpit placed halfway down the nave, or even at the back of the church, meant that the seating could be arranged so that it no longer focused towards the east, thus breaking the link with Catholic (and Laudian) sacramentalism. For several centuries, Anglican churches focused on the pulpit rather than the altar.
With the coming to influence of the 19th century Oxford Movement, all this underwent another dramatic change, with the great majority of our medieval parish churches having their interiors restored to their medieval integrity, reinventing themselves as sacramental spaces. This is the condition in which we find most of them today, and some Anglican theologians are asking the question that the Catholic Church asked itself at Vatican II in the 1960s - is a 19th century liturgical space really appropriate for the Church of the 21st century?
So, let us hasten at once to Hessett. The church sits like a glowing jewel in its wide churchyard, right on the main road through the village. It is pretty well perfect if you are looking for a fine Suffolk exterior. An extensive 15th century rebuilding enwraps the earlier tower, which was crowned by the donor of the rebuilding, John Bacon.The nave and aisles are deliciously decorated, reminding one rather of the church at neighbouring Rougham, although this is a smaller church, and the aisles make it almost square. A dedicatory inscription on the two storey vestry in the north east corner bids us pray for the souls of John and Katherine Hoo, who donated the chancel and paid for the trimmings to the aisles. Their inscription has been damaged by protestant reformers, who obviously did not believe in the efficacy of prayers for the dead.
Although not comparable with that at Woolpit, the dressed stone porch is a grand affair, and a bold statement. You may find the south door locked, but if this is the case then the priest's door into the chancel is usually open. And in a way it is a good church to enter via the chancel, because in this way St Ethelbert unfolds its treasures slowly.You step into relative darkness - or, at least, it seems so in comparison with the nave beyond the rood screen. This is partly a result of the abundance of dark wood, and in truth the chancel seems rather overcrowded. The most striking objects in view are the return stalls, which fill the two westerly corners of the chancel. These are in the style of a college or school of priests, with their backs to the rood screen, but then 'returning' around the walls to the east. They are fine, and are certainly 15th or 16th century. But one of the stalls, that to the north, is different to the others, and seems slightly out of place. It is elaborately carved with faces, birds and foliage.
Mortlock thought that it might have been intended for a private house. The stall in front of it has heads on it that appear to be wearing 18th century wigs. The sanctuary is largely Victorianised, with a great east window depicting Saints. The south windows of the chancel depict a lovely Adoration scene by the O'Connors. The chancel is separated from the nave by the 15th century rood screen, which is elegantly painted and gilt on the west side, the beautifully tracery intricately carved above. The rood screen has been fitted with attractive iron gates, presumably evidence of Anglo-catholic enthusiasm here in the early 20th century, and you step down through them into the light. A first impression is that you are entering a much older space than the one you have left. There is an 18th century mustiness, enhanced by the box pews that line the aisles. And, beyond, on walls and in windows, are wonderful things.
The number of surviving wall paintings in England is a tiny fraction of those which existed before the 15th and 16th centuries. All churches had them, and in profusion. It isn't enough to say that they were a 'teaching aid' of a church of illiterate peasants. In the main, they were devotional, and that is why they were destroyed. However, it is more complicated than that. Research in recent years has indicated that many wall paintings were destroyed before the Reformation, perhaps a century before. In some churches, they have been punched through with Perpendicular windows, which are clearly pre-Reformation. In the decades after the Black Death, there seems to have been a sea change in the liturgical use of these buildings, a move away from an individualistic, devotional usage to a corporate liturgical one. There is a change of emphasis towards more education and exegesis. This is the time that pulpits and benches appear, long before protestantism was on the agenda. What seems to happen is that many buildings were intended now to be full of light, and devotional wall paintings were either whitewashed, or replaced with catechetical ones.
The decoration of the nave was the responsibility of the people of the parish, not of the Priest. The wall paintings of England can be divided into roughly three groups. Roughly speaking, the development of wall paintings over the later medieval period is in terms of these three overlapping emphases.
Firstly, the hagiographies - stories of the Saints. These might have had a local devotion, although some saints were popular over a wide area, and most churches seem to have supported a devotion to St Christopher right up until the Reformation.
Secondly came those which illustrate incidents in the life of Christ and his mother, the Blessed Virgin. Although partly pedagogical, they were also enabling tools, since private devotions often involved a contemplation upon them, and at Mass the larger part of those present would have been involved in private devotions. These scriptural stories were as likely to have been derived from apocryphal texts like the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew as from the actual Gospels themselves.
Lastly, there are catechetical wall paintings, illustrating the teachings of the Catholic church. It should not be assumed that these are dogmatic. Many are simply artistic representations of stories, and others are simplifications of theological ideas, as with the seven deadly sins and the seven cardinal virtues. Some warn against occasions of sin (gossiping, for example) and generally wall paintings provided a local site for discussion and exemplification.
To an extent, all the above is largely true of stained glass, as well, with the caveat that stained glass was more expensive, relied on local patronage, and often has this patronage as a subtext, hence the large number of heraldic devices and images of local worthies. But it was also devotional, and so it was also destroyed.
So - what survives at Hessett? The wall paintings first.
Starting in the south east corner of the nave, we have Suffolk's finest representation of St Barbara, presenting a tower. St Barbara was very popular in medieval times, because she was invoked against strikes by lightning and sudden fires. This resulted from her legend, for her father, on finding her to be a Christian, walled her up in a tower until she repented. As a result, he was struck by lightning, and reduced to ashes. She was also the patron saint of the powerful building trade, and as such her image graced their guild altars - perhaps that was the case here.
Above the south door is another figure, often identified as St Christopher, but I do not think that this can be the case. St Christopher is found nowhere else in Suffolk above a south door. The traditional iconography of this mythical saint is not in place here, and it is hard to see how this figure could ever have been interpreted as such. I suspect it is a result of an early account confusing the two images over the north and south doors, and the mistake being repeated in later accounts.
In fact, digital enhancement seems to suggest that there are two figures above the south door, overlapping each other slightly. The figure on the right is barefoot, that on the left is wearing a white gown. There appears to be water under their feet, and so I think this is an image of the Baptism of Christ. Perhaps it was once part of a sequence.
The wall painting opposite, above the north door, is St Christopher. Although it isn't as clear as himself at, say, nearby Bradfield Combust, he bestrides the river in the customary manner, staff in hand. The Christ child is difficult to discern, but you can see the fish in the water. Also in the water, and rather unusual, are two figures. They are rendered rather crudely, almost like gingerbread men. Could they be the donors of the north aisle, John and Katherine Hoo in person?
Moving along the north aisle, we come to the set of paintings for which Hessett is justifiably famous. They are set one above the other between two windows, at the point where might expect the now-vanished screen to a chapel to have been. The upper section was here first. It shows the seven deadly sins (described wrongly in some text books as a tree of Jesse, or ancestry of Christ). Two devils look on as, from the mouth of hell, a great tree sprouts, ending in seven images. Pride is at the top, and in pairs beneath are Gluttony and Anger, Vanity and Envy, Avarice and Lust. Mortlock suggests that some attempt has been made to erase the image for Lust, which may simply be mid-16th century puritan prurience on the part of some reformer here. This would suggest that this catechetical tool was here right up until the Reformation.
The idea of 'Seven Deadly Sins' was anathema to the reformers, because it is entirely unscriptural. Rather, as a catechetical tool, it is a way of drawing together a multitude of sins into a simplistic aide memoire. This could then be used in confession, taking each of them one at a time and examining ones conscience accordingly. It should not be seen simply as a 'warning' to ignorant peasants, for the evidence is that the ordinary rural people of late medieval England were theologically very articulate. Rather, it was a tool for use, in contemplation and preparation for the sacrament of reconciliation, which may well have ordinarily taken place in the chapel here.
The wall painting beneath the Sins is even more interesting. This is a very rare 'Christ of the Trades', and dates from the early 15th century, about a hundred years after the painting above. It is rather faded, and takes a while to discern, and not all of it is decodable. However, enough is there to be fascinating. The image of the 'Christ of the Trades' is known throughout Christendom, and contemporary versions with this can be found in other parts of Europe. It shows the risen Christ in the centre, and around him a vast array of the tools and symbols of various trades. One theory is that it depicts activities that should not take place on a Sunday, a holy day of obligation to refrain from work, and that these activities are wounding Christ anew.
Perhaps the most fascinating symbol, and the one that everyone notices, is the playing card. It shows the six of diamonds. Does it represent the makers of playing cards? If so, it might suggest a Flemish influence. Or could it be intended to represent something else? Whatever, it is one of the earliest representations of a playing card in England. Why is this here? It may very well be that there was a trades gild chantry chapel at the east end of the north aisle, and this painting was at its entrance.
At the east end of the north aisle now is the church's set of royal arms. Cautley saw it in the vestry in the 1930s, and identified it as a Queen Anne set. Now, with additions stripped away, it is revealed as a Charles II set from the 1660s, and a very fine one. It is fascinating to see it at such close range. Usually, they are set above the south door now, although they would originally have been placed above the chancel arch, in full view of the congregation, a gentle reminder of who was in charge.
And so to the glass, which on its own would be worth coming to Hessett to see. Few Suffolk churches have such an expanse, none have such a variety, or glass of such quality and interest. It consists essentially of two ranges, the life and Passion of Christ in the north aisle (although some glass has been reset across the church), and images and hagiographies of Saints in the south aisle.
In the north aisle, the scourging of Christ stands out, the wicked grins of the persecutors contrasting with the pained nobility of the Christ figure. In the next window, Christ rises from the dead, coming out of his tomb like the corpses in the doom paintings at Stanningfield, North Cove and Wenhaston. The Roman centurion sleeps soundly in the foreground.
The most famous image is in the east window of the south aisle. Apparently, it shows a bishop holding the chain to a bag, with four children playing at his feet. I say apparently, because there is rather more going on here than meets the eye. The reason that this image is so famous is that the small child in the foreground is holding what appears to be a golf club or hockey stick, and this would be the earliest representation of such an object in all Europe. The whole image has been said to represent St Nicholas, who was a Bishop, and whose legends include a bag of gold and a group of children.
Unfortunately, this is not the case. St Nicholas is never symbolised by a bag of gold, and there are three children in the St Nicholas legend, not four. In any case, the hand in the picture is not holding the chain to a bag at all, but a rosary, and the hockey stick is actually a fuller's club, used for dyeing clothes, and the symbol of St James the Less.
What has happened here is that the head of a Bishop has been grafted on to the body of a figure which is probably still in its original location. The three lights of this window contained a set of the Holy Kinship. The light to the north of the 'Bishop' contains two children playing with what ae apparently toys, but when you look closely you can see that one is holding a golden shell, and the other a poisoned chalice. They are the infant St James and St John, and the lost figure above them was their mother, Mary Salome.
This means that the figure with the Bishop's head is actually Mary Cleophas, mother of four children including St James the Less. The third light to the south, of course, would have depicted the Blessed Virgin and child, but she is lost to us.
Not only this, but Hessett has some very good 19th Century glass which complements and does not overly intrude. The best is beneath the tower, the west window in a fully 15th Century style of scenes by Clayton & Bell. The east window, depicting saints, is by William Warrington, and the chancel also has the O'Connor glass already mentioned.
If the windows and wall paintings were all there was, then Hessett would be remarkable enough. But there is something else, two things, actually, that elevate it above all other Suffolk churches, and all the churches of England. For St Ethelbert is the proud owner of two unique survivals. At the back of the church is a chest, no different from those you'll find in many a parish church. In common with those, it has three separate locks, the idea being that the Rector and two Churchwardens would have a key each, and it would be necessary for all three of them to be present for the chest to be opened. It was used for storing parish records and valuables.
At some point, one of the keys was lost. There is an old story about the iconoclast William Dowsing turning up here and demanding the chest be opened, but on account of the missing key it couldn't be. Unfortunately, this story isn't true, for Dowsing never recorded a visit Hessett. The chest was eventually opened in the 19th century. Inside were found two extraordinary pre-Reformation survivals. These are a pyx cloth and a burse. The pyx cloth was draped over the wooden canopy that enclosed the blessed sacrament (one of England's four surviving medieval pyxes is also in Suffolk, at Dennington) before it was raised above the high altar. The burse was used to contain the host before consecration at the Mass. They are England's only surviving examples, and they're both here. Or, more precisely they aren't, for both have been purloined by the British Museum, the kind of theft that no locked church can prevent.
But there are life-size photos of both either side of the tower arch. The burse is basically an envelope, and features the Veronica face of Christ on one side with the four evangelistic symbols in each corner. On the other is an Agnus Dei, the Lamb of God. The survival of both is extraordinary. It is one thing to explore the furnishings of lost Catholic England, quite another to come face to face with articles that were actually used in the liturgy.
In front of the pictures stands the font, a relatively good one of the early 15th century, though rather less exciting than everything going on around it. The dedicatory inscription survives, to a pair of Hoos of an earlier generation than the ones on the vestry.Turning east again, the ranks of simple 15th century benches are all of a piece with their church. They have survived the violent transitions of the centuries, and have seated generation after generation of Hessett people. They were new here when this church was alive with coloured light, with the hundreds of candles flickering on the rood beam, the processions, the festivals, and the people's lives totally integrated with the liturgy of the seasons. For the people of Catholic England, their religion was as much a part of them as the air they breathed. They little knew how soon it would all come to an end.
And so, there it is - one of the most fascinating and satisfactory of all East Anglia's churches. And yet, not many people know about it. We are only three miles from the brown-signed honeypot of Woolpit, where a constant stream of visitors come and go. I've visited Hessett many times, and never once encountered another visitor. Still, there you are, I suppose. Perhaps some places are better kept secret. But come here if you can, for here is a medieval worship space with much surviving evidence of what it was actually meant to be, and meant to do.
City of London Bus Route #205 Bishopsgate St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate Church. 2019 White Ford Transit Custom 340 Trend Auto Diesel 1995 cc Police Van LJ19EGX
Graffiti (plural; singular graffiti or graffito, the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple written words to elaborate wall paintings, and has existed since ancient times, with examples dating back to ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, and the Roman Empire (see also mural).
Graffiti is a controversial subject. In most countries, marking or painting property without permission is considered by property owners and civic authorities as defacement and vandalism, which is a punishable crime, citing the use of graffiti by street gangs to mark territory or to serve as an indicator of gang-related activities. Graffiti has become visualized as a growing urban "problem" for many cities in industrialized nations, spreading from the New York City subway system and Philadelphia in the early 1970s to the rest of the United States and Europe and other world regions
"Graffiti" (usually both singular and plural) and the rare singular form "graffito" are from the Italian word graffiato ("scratched"). The term "graffiti" is used in art history for works of art produced by scratching a design into a surface. A related term is "sgraffito", which involves scratching through one layer of pigment to reveal another beneath it. This technique was primarily used by potters who would glaze their wares and then scratch a design into them. In ancient times graffiti were carved on walls with a sharp object, although sometimes chalk or coal were used. The word originates from Greek γράφειν—graphein—meaning "to write".
The term graffiti originally referred to the inscriptions, figure drawings, and such, found on the walls of ancient sepulchres or ruins, as in the Catacombs of Rome or at Pompeii. Historically, these writings were not considered vanadlism, which today is considered part of the definition of graffiti.
The only known source of the Safaitic language, an ancient form of Arabic, is from graffiti: inscriptions scratched on to the surface of rocks and boulders in the predominantly basalt desert of southern Syria, eastern Jordan and northern Saudi Arabia. Safaitic dates from the first century BC to the fourth century AD.
Some of the oldest cave paintings in the world are 40,000 year old ones found in Australia. The oldest written graffiti was found in ancient Rome around 2500 years ago. Most graffiti from the time was boasts about sexual experiences Graffiti in Ancient Rome was a form of communication, and was not considered vandalism.
Ancient tourists visiting the 5th-century citadel at Sigiriya in Sri Lanka write their names and commentary over the "mirror wall", adding up to over 1800 individual graffiti produced there between the 6th and 18th centuries. Most of the graffiti refer to the frescoes of semi-nude females found there. One reads:
Wet with cool dew drops
fragrant with perfume from the flowers
came the gentle breeze
jasmine and water lily
dance in the spring sunshine
side-long glances
of the golden-hued ladies
stab into my thoughts
heaven itself cannot take my mind
as it has been captivated by one lass
among the five hundred I have seen here.
Among the ancient political graffiti examples were Arab satirist poems. Yazid al-Himyari, an Umayyad Arab and Persian poet, was most known for writing his political poetry on the walls between Sajistan and Basra, manifesting a strong hatred towards the Umayyad regime and its walis, and people used to read and circulate them very widely.
Graffiti, known as Tacherons, were frequently scratched on Romanesque Scandinavian church walls. When Renaissance artists such as Pinturicchio, Raphael, Michelangelo, Ghirlandaio, or Filippino Lippi descended into the ruins of Nero's Domus Aurea, they carved or painted their names and returned to initiate the grottesche style of decoration.
There are also examples of graffiti occurring in American history, such as Independence Rock, a national landmark along the Oregon Trail.
Later, French soldiers carved their names on monuments during the Napoleonic campaign of Egypt in the 1790s. Lord Byron's survives on one of the columns of the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion in Attica, Greece.
The oldest known example of graffiti "monikers" found on traincars created by hobos and railworkers since the late 1800s. The Bozo Texino monikers were documented by filmmaker Bill Daniel in his 2005 film, Who is Bozo Texino?.
In World War II, an inscription on a wall at the fortress of Verdun was seen as an illustration of the US response twice in a generation to the wrongs of the Old World:
During World War II and for decades after, the phrase "Kilroy was here" with an accompanying illustration was widespread throughout the world, due to its use by American troops and ultimately filtering into American popular culture. Shortly after the death of Charlie Parker (nicknamed "Yardbird" or "Bird"), graffiti began appearing around New York with the words "Bird Lives".
Modern graffiti art has its origins with young people in 1960s and 70s in New York City and Philadelphia. Tags were the first form of stylised contemporary graffiti. Eventually, throw-ups and pieces evolved with the desire to create larger art. Writers used spray paint and other kind of materials to leave tags or to create images on the sides subway trains. and eventually moved into the city after the NYC metro began to buy new trains and paint over graffiti.
While the art had many advocates and appreciators—including the cultural critic Norman Mailer—others, including New York City mayor Ed Koch, considered it to be defacement of public property, and saw it as a form of public blight. The ‘taggers’ called what they did ‘writing’—though an important 1974 essay by Mailer referred to it using the term ‘graffiti.’
Contemporary graffiti style has been heavily influenced by hip hop culture and the myriad international styles derived from Philadelphia and New York City Subway graffiti; however, there are many other traditions of notable graffiti in the twentieth century. Graffiti have long appeared on building walls, in latrines, railroad boxcars, subways, and bridges.
An early graffito outside of New York or Philadelphia was the inscription in London reading "Clapton is God" in reference to the guitarist Eric Clapton. Creating the cult of the guitar hero, the phrase was spray-painted by an admirer on a wall in an Islington, north London in the autumn of 1967. The graffito was captured in a photograph, in which a dog is urinating on the wall.
Films like Style Wars in the 80s depicting famous writers such as Skeme, Dondi, MinOne, and ZEPHYR reinforced graffiti's role within New York's emerging hip-hop culture. Although many officers of the New York City Police Department found this film to be controversial, Style Wars is still recognized as the most prolific film representation of what was going on within the young hip hop culture of the early 1980s. Fab 5 Freddy and Futura 2000 took hip hop graffiti to Paris and London as part of the New York City Rap Tour in 1983
Commercialization and entrance into mainstream pop culture
Main article: Commercial graffiti
With the popularity and legitimization of graffiti has come a level of commercialization. In 2001, computer giant IBM launched an advertising campaign in Chicago and San Francisco which involved people spray painting on sidewalks a peace symbol, a heart, and a penguin (Linux mascot), to represent "Peace, Love, and Linux." IBM paid Chicago and San Francisco collectively US$120,000 for punitive damages and clean-up costs.
In 2005, a similar ad campaign was launched by Sony and executed by its advertising agency in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Miami, to market its handheld PSP gaming system. In this campaign, taking notice of the legal problems of the IBM campaign, Sony paid building owners for the rights to paint on their buildings "a collection of dizzy-eyed urban kids playing with the PSP as if it were a skateboard, a paddle, or a rocking horse".
Tristan Manco wrote that Brazil "boasts a unique and particularly rich, graffiti scene ... [earning] it an international reputation as the place to go for artistic inspiration". Graffiti "flourishes in every conceivable space in Brazil's cities". Artistic parallels "are often drawn between the energy of São Paulo today and 1970s New York". The "sprawling metropolis", of São Paulo has "become the new shrine to graffiti"; Manco alludes to "poverty and unemployment ... [and] the epic struggles and conditions of the country's marginalised peoples", and to "Brazil's chronic poverty", as the main engines that "have fuelled a vibrant graffiti culture". In world terms, Brazil has "one of the most uneven distributions of income. Laws and taxes change frequently". Such factors, Manco argues, contribute to a very fluid society, riven with those economic divisions and social tensions that underpin and feed the "folkloric vandalism and an urban sport for the disenfranchised", that is South American graffiti art.
Prominent Brazilian writers include Os Gêmeos, Boleta, Nunca, Nina, Speto, Tikka, and T.Freak. Their artistic success and involvement in commercial design ventures has highlighted divisions within the Brazilian graffiti community between adherents of the cruder transgressive form of pichação and the more conventionally artistic values of the practitioners of grafite.
Graffiti in the Middle East has emerged slowly, with taggers operating in Egypt, Lebanon, the Gulf countries like Bahrain or the United Arab Emirates, Israel, and in Iran. The major Iranian newspaper Hamshahri has published two articles on illegal writers in the city with photographic coverage of Iranian artist A1one's works on Tehran walls. Tokyo-based design magazine, PingMag, has interviewed A1one and featured photographs of his work. The Israeli West Bank barrier has become a site for graffiti, reminiscent in this sense of the Berlin Wall. Many writers in Israel come from other places around the globe, such as JUIF from Los Angeles and DEVIONE from London. The religious reference "נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן" ("Na Nach Nachma Nachman Meuman") is commonly seen in graffiti around Israel.
Graffiti has played an important role within the street art scene in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), especially following the events of the Arab Spring of 2011 or the Sudanese Revolution of 2018/19. Graffiti is a tool of expression in the context of conflict in the region, allowing people to raise their voices politically and socially. Famous street artist Banksy has had an important effect in the street art scene in the MENA area, especially in Palestine where some of his works are located in the West Bank barrier and Bethlehem.
There are also a large number of graffiti influences in Southeast Asian countries that mostly come from modern Western culture, such as Malaysia, where graffiti have long been a common sight in Malaysia's capital city, Kuala Lumpur. Since 2010, the country has begun hosting a street festival to encourage all generations and people from all walks of life to enjoy and encourage Malaysian street culture.
The modern-day graffitists can be found with an arsenal of various materials that allow for a successful production of a piece. This includes such techniques as scribing. However, spray paint in aerosol cans is the number one medium for graffiti. From this commodity comes different styles, technique, and abilities to form master works of graffiti. Spray paint can be found at hardware and art stores and comes in virtually every color.
Stencil graffiti is created by cutting out shapes and designs in a stiff material (such as cardboard or subject folders) to form an overall design or image. The stencil is then placed on the "canvas" gently and with quick, easy strokes of the aerosol can, the image begins to appear on the intended surface.
Some of the first examples were created in 1981 by artists Blek le Rat in Paris, in 1982 by Jef Aerosol in Tours (France); by 1985 stencils had appeared in other cities including New York City, Sydney, and Melbourne, where they were documented by American photographer Charles Gatewood and Australian photographer Rennie Ellis
Tagging is the practice of someone spray-painting "their name, initial or logo onto a public surface" in a handstyle unique to the writer. Tags were the first form of modern graffiti.
Modern graffiti art often incorporates additional arts and technologies. For example, Graffiti Research Lab has encouraged the use of projected images and magnetic light-emitting diodes (throwies) as new media for graffitists. yarnbombing is another recent form of graffiti. Yarnbombers occasionally target previous graffiti for modification, which had been avoided among the majority of graffitists.
Theories on the use of graffiti by avant-garde artists have a history dating back at least to the Asger Jorn, who in 1962 painting declared in a graffiti-like gesture "the avant-garde won't give up"
Many contemporary analysts and even art critics have begun to see artistic value in some graffiti and to recognize it as a form of public art. According to many art researchers, particularly in the Netherlands and in Los Angeles, that type of public art is, in fact an effective tool of social emancipation or, in the achievement of a political goal
In times of conflict, such murals have offered a means of communication and self-expression for members of these socially, ethnically, or racially divided communities, and have proven themselves as effective tools in establishing dialog and thus, of addressing cleavages in the long run. The Berlin Wall was also extensively covered by graffiti reflecting social pressures relating to the oppressive Soviet rule over the GDR.
Many artists involved with graffiti are also concerned with the similar activity of stenciling. Essentially, this entails stenciling a print of one or more colors using spray-paint. Recognized while exhibiting and publishing several of her coloured stencils and paintings portraying the Sri Lankan Civil War and urban Britain in the early 2000s, graffitists Mathangi Arulpragasam, aka M.I.A., has also become known for integrating her imagery of political violence into her music videos for singles "Galang" and "Bucky Done Gun", and her cover art. Stickers of her artwork also often appear around places such as London in Brick Lane, stuck to lamp posts and street signs, she having become a muse for other graffitists and painters worldwide in cities including Seville.
Graffitist believes that art should be on display for everyone in the public eye or in plain sight, not hidden away in a museum or a gallery. Art should color the streets, not the inside of some building. Graffiti is a form of art that cannot be owned or bought. It does not last forever, it is temporary, yet one of a kind. It is a form of self promotion for the artist that can be displayed anywhere form sidewalks, roofs, subways, building wall, etc. Art to them is for everyone and should be showed to everyone for free.
Graffiti is a way of communicating and a way of expressing what one feels in the moment. It is both art and a functional thing that can warn people of something or inform people of something. However, graffiti is to some people a form of art, but to some a form of vandalism. And many graffitists choose to protect their identities and remain anonymous or to hinder prosecution.
With the commercialization of graffiti (and hip hop in general), in most cases, even with legally painted "graffiti" art, graffitists tend to choose anonymity. This may be attributed to various reasons or a combination of reasons. Graffiti still remains the one of four hip hop elements that is not considered "performance art" despite the image of the "singing and dancing star" that sells hip hop culture to the mainstream. Being a graphic form of art, it might also be said that many graffitists still fall in the category of the introverted archetypal artist.
Banksy is one of the world's most notorious and popular street artists who continues to remain faceless in today's society. He is known for his political, anti-war stencil art mainly in Bristol, England, but his work may be seen anywhere from Los Angeles to Palestine. In the UK, Banksy is the most recognizable icon for this cultural artistic movement and keeps his identity a secret to avoid arrest. Much of Banksy's artwork may be seen around the streets of London and surrounding suburbs, although he has painted pictures throughout the world, including the Middle East, where he has painted on Israel's controversial West Bank barrier with satirical images of life on the other side. One depicted a hole in the wall with an idyllic beach, while another shows a mountain landscape on the other side. A number of exhibitions also have taken place since 2000, and recent works of art have fetched vast sums of money. Banksy's art is a prime example of the classic controversy: vandalism vs. art. Art supporters endorse his work distributed in urban areas as pieces of art and some councils, such as Bristol and Islington, have officially protected them, while officials of other areas have deemed his work to be vandalism and have removed it.
Pixnit is another artist who chooses to keep her identity from the general public. Her work focuses on beauty and design aspects of graffiti as opposed to Banksy's anti-government shock value. Her paintings are often of flower designs above shops and stores in her local urban area of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Some store owners endorse her work and encourage others to do similar work as well. "One of the pieces was left up above Steve's Kitchen, because it looks pretty awesome"- Erin Scott, the manager of New England Comics in Allston, Massachusetts.
Graffiti artists may become offended if photographs of their art are published in a commercial context without their permission. In March 2020, the Finnish graffiti artist Psyke expressed his displeasure at the newspaper Ilta-Sanomat publishing a photograph of a Peugeot 208 in an article about new cars, with his graffiti prominently shown on the background. The artist claims he does not want his art being used in commercial context, not even if he were to receive compensation.
Territorial graffiti marks urban neighborhoods with tags and logos to differentiate certain groups from others. These images are meant to show outsiders a stern look at whose turf is whose. The subject matter of gang-related graffiti consists of cryptic symbols and initials strictly fashioned with unique calligraphies. Gang members use graffiti to designate membership throughout the gang, to differentiate rivals and associates and, most commonly, to mark borders which are both territorial and ideological.
Graffiti has been used as a means of advertising both legally and illegally. Bronx-based TATS CRU has made a name for themselves doing legal advertising campaigns for companies such as Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Toyota, and MTV. In the UK, Covent Garden's Boxfresh used stencil images of a Zapatista revolutionary in the hopes that cross referencing would promote their store.
Smirnoff hired artists to use reverse graffiti (the use of high pressure hoses to clean dirty surfaces to leave a clean image in the surrounding dirt) to increase awareness of their product.
Graffiti often has a reputation as part of a subculture that rebels against authority, although the considerations of the practitioners often diverge and can relate to a wide range of attitudes. It can express a political practice and can form just one tool in an array of resistance techniques. One early example includes the anarcho-punk band Crass, who conducted a campaign of stenciling anti-war, anarchist, feminist, and anti-consumerist messages throughout the London Underground system during the late 1970s and early 1980s. In Amsterdam graffiti was a major part of the punk scene. The city was covered with names such as "De Zoot", "Vendex", and "Dr Rat". To document the graffiti a punk magazine was started that was called Gallery Anus. So when hip hop came to Europe in the early 1980s there was already a vibrant graffiti culture.
The student protests and general strike of May 1968 saw Paris bedecked in revolutionary, anarchistic, and situationist slogans such as L'ennui est contre-révolutionnaire ("Boredom is counterrevolutionary") and Lisez moins, vivez plus ("Read less, live more"). While not exhaustive, the graffiti gave a sense of the 'millenarian' and rebellious spirit, tempered with a good deal of verbal wit, of the strikers.
I think graffiti writing is a way of defining what our generation is like. Excuse the French, we're not a bunch of p---- artists. Traditionally artists have been considered soft and mellow people, a little bit kooky. Maybe we're a little bit more like pirates that way. We defend our territory, whatever space we steal to paint on, we defend it fiercely.
The developments of graffiti art which took place in art galleries and colleges as well as "on the street" or "underground", contributed to the resurfacing in the 1990s of a far more overtly politicized art form in the subvertising, culture jamming, or tactical media movements. These movements or styles tend to classify the artists by their relationship to their social and economic contexts, since, in most countries, graffiti art remains illegal in many forms except when using non-permanent paint. Since the 1990s with the rise of Street Art, a growing number of artists are switching to non-permanent paints and non-traditional forms of painting.
Contemporary practitioners, accordingly, have varied and often conflicting practices. Some individuals, such as Alexander Brener, have used the medium to politicize other art forms, and have used the prison sentences enforced on them as a means of further protest. The practices of anonymous groups and individuals also vary widely, and practitioners by no means always agree with each other's practices. For example, the anti-capitalist art group the Space Hijackers did a piece in 2004 about the contradiction between the capitalistic elements of Banksy and his use of political imagery.
Berlin human rights activist Irmela Mensah-Schramm has received global media attention and numerous awards for her 35-year campaign of effacing neo-Nazi and other right-wing extremist graffiti throughout Germany, often by altering hate speech in humorous ways.
In Serbian capital, Belgrade, the graffiti depicting a uniformed former general of Serb army and war criminal, convicted at ICTY for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including genocide and ethnic cleansing in Bosnian War, Ratko Mladić, appeared in a military salute alongside the words "General, thank to your mother". Aleks Eror, Berlin-based journalist, explains how "veneration of historical and wartime figures" through street art is not a new phenomenon in the region of former Yugoslavia, and that "in most cases is firmly focused on the future, rather than retelling the past". Eror is not only analyst pointing to danger of such an expressions for the region's future. In a long expose on the subject of Bosnian genocide denial, at Balkan Diskurs magazine and multimedia platform website, Kristina Gadže and Taylor Whitsell referred to these experiences as a young generations' "cultural heritage", in which young are being exposed to celebration and affirmation of war-criminals as part of their "formal education" and "inheritance".
There are numerous examples of genocide denial through celebration and affirmation of war criminals throughout the region of Western Balkans inhabited by Serbs using this form of artistic expression. Several more of these graffiti are found in Serbian capital, and many more across Serbia and Bosnian and Herzegovinian administrative entity, Republika Srpska, which is the ethnic Serbian majority enclave. Critics point that Serbia as a state, is willing to defend the mural of convicted war criminal, and have no intention to react on cases of genocide denial, noting that Interior Minister of Serbia, Aleksandar Vulin decision to ban any gathering with an intent to remove the mural, with the deployment of riot police, sends the message of "tacit endorsement". Consequently, on 9 November 2021, Serbian heavy police in riot gear, with graffiti creators and their supporters, blocked the access to the mural to prevent human rights groups and other activists to paint over it and mark the International Day Against Fascism and Antisemitism in that way, and even arrested two civic activist for throwing eggs at the graffiti.
Graffiti may also be used as an offensive expression. This form of graffiti may be difficult to identify, as it is mostly removed by the local authority (as councils which have adopted strategies of criminalization also strive to remove graffiti quickly). Therefore, existing racist graffiti is mostly more subtle and at first sight, not easily recognized as "racist". It can then be understood only if one knows the relevant "local code" (social, historical, political, temporal, and spatial), which is seen as heteroglot and thus a 'unique set of conditions' in a cultural context.
A spatial code for example, could be that there is a certain youth group in an area that is engaging heavily in racist activities. So, for residents (knowing the local code), a graffiti containing only the name or abbreviation of this gang already is a racist expression, reminding the offended people of their gang activities. Also a graffiti is in most cases, the herald of more serious criminal activity to come. A person who does not know these gang activities would not be able to recognize the meaning of this graffiti. Also if a tag of this youth group or gang is placed on a building occupied by asylum seekers, for example, its racist character is even stronger.
By making the graffiti less explicit (as adapted to social and legal constraints), these drawings are less likely to be removed, but do not lose their threatening and offensive character.
Elsewhere, activists in Russia have used painted caricatures of local officials with their mouths as potholes, to show their anger about the poor state of the roads. In Manchester, England, a graffitists painted obscene images around potholes, which often resulted in them being repaired within 48 hours.
In the early 1980s, the first art galleries to show graffitists to the public were Fashion Moda in the Bronx, Now Gallery and Fun Gallery, both in the East Village, Manhattan.
A 2006 exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum displayed graffiti as an art form that began in New York's outer boroughs and reached great heights in the early 1980s with the work of Crash, Lee, Daze, Keith Haring, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. It displayed 22 works by New York graffitists, including Crash, Daze, and Lady Pink. In an article about the exhibition in the magazine Time Out, curator Charlotta Kotik said that she hoped the exhibition would cause viewers to rethink their assumptions about graffiti.
From the 1970s onwards, Burhan Doğançay photographed urban walls all over the world; these he then archived for use as sources of inspiration for his painterly works. The project today known as "Walls of the World" grew beyond even his own expectations and comprises about 30,000 individual images. It spans a period of 40 years across five continents and 114 countries. In 1982, photographs from this project comprised a one-man exhibition titled "Les murs murmurent, ils crient, ils chantent ..." (The walls whisper, shout and sing ...) at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris.
In Australia, art historians have judged some local graffiti of sufficient creative merit to rank them firmly within the arts. Oxford University Press's art history text Australian Painting 1788–2000 concludes with a long discussion of graffiti's key place within contemporary visual culture, including the work of several Australian practitioners.
Between March and April 2009, 150 artists exhibited 300 pieces of graffiti at the Grand Palais in Paris.
Spray paint has many negative environmental effects. The paint contains toxic chemicals, and the can uses volatile hydrocarbon gases to spray the paint onto a surface.
Volatile organic compound (VOC) leads to ground level ozone formation and most of graffiti related emissions are VOCs. A 2010 paper estimates 4,862 tons of VOCs were released in the United States in activities related to graffiti.
In China, Mao Zedong in the 1920s used revolutionary slogans and paintings in public places to galvanize the country's communist movement.
Based on different national conditions, many people believe that China's attitude towards Graffiti is fierce, but in fact, according to Lance Crayon in his film Spray Paint Beijing: Graffiti in the Capital of China, Graffiti is generally accepted in Beijing, with artists not seeing much police interference. Political and religiously sensitive graffiti, however, is not allowed.
In Hong Kong, Tsang Tsou Choi was known as the King of Kowloon for his calligraphy graffiti over many years, in which he claimed ownership of the area. Now some of his work is preserved officially.
In Taiwan, the government has made some concessions to graffitists. Since 2005 they have been allowed to freely display their work along some sections of riverside retaining walls in designated "Graffiti Zones". From 2007, Taipei's department of cultural affairs also began permitting graffiti on fences around major public construction sites. Department head Yong-ping Lee (李永萍) stated, "We will promote graffiti starting with the public sector, and then later in the private sector too. It's our goal to beautify the city with graffiti". The government later helped organize a graffiti contest in Ximending, a popular shopping district. graffitists caught working outside of these designated areas still face fines up to NT$6,000 under a department of environmental protection regulation. However, Taiwanese authorities can be relatively lenient, one veteran police officer stating anonymously, "Unless someone complains about vandalism, we won't get involved. We don't go after it proactively."
In 1993, after several expensive cars in Singapore were spray-painted, the police arrested a student from the Singapore American School, Michael P. Fay, questioned him, and subsequently charged him with vandalism. Fay pleaded guilty to vandalizing a car in addition to stealing road signs. Under the 1966 Vandalism Act of Singapore, originally passed to curb the spread of communist graffiti in Singapore, the court sentenced him to four months in jail, a fine of S$3,500 (US$2,233), and a caning. The New York Times ran several editorials and op-eds that condemned the punishment and called on the American public to flood the Singaporean embassy with protests. Although the Singapore government received many calls for clemency, Fay's caning took place in Singapore on 5 May 1994. Fay had originally received a sentence of six strokes of the cane, but the presiding president of Singapore, Ong Teng Cheong, agreed to reduce his caning sentence to four lashes.
In South Korea, Park Jung-soo was fined two million South Korean won by the Seoul Central District Court for spray-painting a rat on posters of the G-20 Summit a few days before the event in November 2011. Park alleged that the initial in "G-20" sounds like the Korean word for "rat", but Korean government prosecutors alleged that Park was making a derogatory statement about the president of South Korea, Lee Myung-bak, the host of the summit. This case led to public outcry and debate on the lack of government tolerance and in support of freedom of expression. The court ruled that the painting, "an ominous creature like a rat" amounts to "an organized criminal activity" and upheld the fine while denying the prosecution's request for imprisonment for Park.
In Europe, community cleaning squads have responded to graffiti, in some cases with reckless abandon, as when in 1992 in France a local Scout group, attempting to remove modern graffiti, damaged two prehistoric paintings of bison in the Cave of Mayrière supérieure near the French village of Bruniquel in Tarn-et-Garonne, earning them the 1992 Ig Nobel Prize in archeology.
In September 2006, the European Parliament directed the European Commission to create urban environment policies to prevent and eliminate dirt, litter, graffiti, animal excrement, and excessive noise from domestic and vehicular music systems in European cities, along with other concerns over urban life.
In Budapest, Hungary, both a city-backed movement called I Love Budapest and a special police division tackle the problem, including the provision of approved areas.
The Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 became Britain's latest anti-graffiti legislation. In August 2004, the Keep Britain Tidy campaign issued a press release calling for zero tolerance of graffiti and supporting proposals such as issuing "on the spot" fines to graffiti offenders and banning the sale of aerosol paint to anyone under the age of 16. The press release also condemned the use of graffiti images in advertising and in music videos, arguing that real-world experience of graffiti stood far removed from its often-portrayed "cool" or "edgy'" image.
To back the campaign, 123 Members of Parliament (MPs) (including then Prime Minister Tony Blair), signed a charter which stated: "Graffiti is not art, it's crime. On behalf of my constituents, I will do all I can to rid our community of this problem."
In the UK, city councils have the power to take action against the owner of any property that has been defaced under the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 (as amended by the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005) or, in certain cases, the Highways Act. This is often used against owners of property that are complacent in allowing protective boards to be defaced so long as the property is not damaged.
In July 2008, a conspiracy charge was used to convict graffitists for the first time. After a three-month police surveillance operation, nine members of the DPM crew were convicted of conspiracy to commit criminal damage costing at least £1 million. Five of them received prison sentences, ranging from eighteen months to two years. The unprecedented scale of the investigation and the severity of the sentences rekindled public debate over whether graffiti should be considered art or crime.
Some councils, like those of Stroud and Loerrach, provide approved areas in the town where graffitists can showcase their talents, including underpasses, car parks, and walls that might otherwise prove a target for the "spray and run".
Graffiti Tunnel, University of Sydney at Camperdown (2009)
In an effort to reduce vandalism, many cities in Australia have designated walls or areas exclusively for use by graffitists. One early example is the "Graffiti Tunnel" located at the Camperdown Campus of the University of Sydney, which is available for use by any student at the university to tag, advertise, poster, and paint. Advocates of this idea suggest that this discourages petty vandalism yet encourages artists to take their time and produce great art, without worry of being caught or arrested for vandalism or trespassing.[108][109] Others disagree with this approach, arguing that the presence of legal graffiti walls does not demonstrably reduce illegal graffiti elsewhere. Some local government areas throughout Australia have introduced "anti-graffiti squads", who clean graffiti in the area, and such crews as BCW (Buffers Can't Win) have taken steps to keep one step ahead of local graffiti cleaners.
Many state governments have banned the sale or possession of spray paint to those under the age of 18 (age of majority). However, a number of local governments in Victoria have taken steps to recognize the cultural heritage value of some examples of graffiti, such as prominent political graffiti. Tough new graffiti laws have been introduced in Australia with fines of up to A$26,000 and two years in prison.
Melbourne is a prominent graffiti city of Australia with many of its lanes being tourist attractions, such as Hosier Lane in particular, a popular destination for photographers, wedding photography, and backdrops for corporate print advertising. The Lonely Planet travel guide cites Melbourne's street as a major attraction. All forms of graffiti, including sticker art, poster, stencil art, and wheatpasting, can be found in many places throughout the city. Prominent street art precincts include; Fitzroy, Collingwood, Northcote, Brunswick, St. Kilda, and the CBD, where stencil and sticker art is prominent. As one moves farther away from the city, mostly along suburban train lines, graffiti tags become more prominent. Many international artists such as Banksy have left their work in Melbourne and in early 2008 a perspex screen was installed to prevent a Banksy stencil art piece from being destroyed, it has survived since 2003 through the respect of local street artists avoiding posting over it, although it has recently had paint tipped over it.
In February 2008 Helen Clark, the New Zealand prime minister at that time, announced a government crackdown on tagging and other forms of graffiti vandalism, describing it as a destructive crime representing an invasion of public and private property. New legislation subsequently adopted included a ban on the sale of paint spray cans to persons under 18 and increases in maximum fines for the offence from NZ$200 to NZ$2,000 or extended community service. The issue of tagging become a widely debated one following an incident in Auckland during January 2008 in which a middle-aged property owner stabbed one of two teenage taggers to death and was subsequently convicted of manslaughter.
Graffiti databases have increased in the past decade because they allow vandalism incidents to be fully documented against an offender and help the police and prosecution charge and prosecute offenders for multiple counts of vandalism. They also provide law enforcement the ability to rapidly search for an offender's moniker or tag in a simple, effective, and comprehensive way. These systems can also help track costs of damage to a city to help allocate an anti-graffiti budget. The theory is that when an offender is caught putting up graffiti, they are not just charged with one count of vandalism; they can be held accountable for all the other damage for which they are responsible. This has two main benefits for law enforcement. One, it sends a signal to the offenders that their vandalism is being tracked. Two, a city can seek restitution from offenders for all the damage that they have committed, not merely a single incident. These systems give law enforcement personnel real-time, street-level intelligence that allows them not only to focus on the worst graffiti offenders and their damage, but also to monitor potential gang violence that is associated with the graffiti.
Many restrictions of civil gang injunctions are designed to help address and protect the physical environment and limit graffiti. Provisions of gang injunctions include things such as restricting the possession of marker pens, spray paint cans, or other sharp objects capable of defacing private or public property; spray painting, or marking with marker pens, scratching, applying stickers, or otherwise applying graffiti on any public or private property, including, but not limited to the street, alley, residences, block walls, and fences, vehicles or any other real or personal property. Some injunctions contain wording that restricts damaging or vandalizing both public and private property, including but not limited to any vehicle, light fixture, door, fence, wall, gate, window, building, street sign, utility box, telephone box, tree, or power pole.
To help address many of these issues, many local jurisdictions have set up graffiti abatement hotlines, where citizens can call in and report vandalism and have it removed. San Diego's hotline receives more than 5,000 calls per year, in addition to reporting the graffiti, callers can learn more about prevention. One of the complaints about these hotlines is the response time; there is often a lag time between a property owner calling about the graffiti and its removal. The length of delay should be a consideration for any jurisdiction planning on operating a hotline. Local jurisdictions must convince the callers that their complaint of vandalism will be a priority and cleaned off right away. If the jurisdiction does not have the resources to respond to complaints in a timely manner, the value of the hotline diminishes. Crews must be able to respond to individual service calls made to the graffiti hotline as well as focus on cleanup near schools, parks, and major intersections and transit routes to have the biggest impact. Some cities offer a reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of suspects for tagging or graffiti related vandalism. The amount of the reward is based on the information provided, and the action taken.
When police obtain search warrants in connection with a vandalism investigation, they are often seeking judicial approval to look for items such as cans of spray paint and nozzles from other kinds of aerosol sprays; etching tools, or other sharp or pointed objects, which could be used to etch or scratch glass and other hard surfaces; permanent marking pens, markers, or paint sticks; evidence of membership or affiliation with any gang or tagging crew; paraphernalia including any reference to "(tagger's name)"; any drawings, writing, objects, or graffiti depicting taggers' names, initials, logos, monikers, slogans, or any mention of tagging crew membership; and any newspaper clippings relating to graffiti crime.
Marco Mengoni
Teatro Arcimboldi - Milano
26 Settembre 2013
ph © Mairo Cinquetti
© All rights reserved. Do not use my photos without my written permission. If you would like to buy or use this photo PLEASE message me or email me at mairo.cinquetti@gmail.com
Marco Mengoni , vincitore incontrastato della terza edizione di 'X Factor'. Presenza scenica da professionista consumato, lunatico, "permaloso quasi antipatico", ha conquistato la stima del pubblico (non è mai finito in ballottaggio per l'eliminazione) grazie a interpretazioni di grande spessore.
Il 4 dicembre 2009 esce “DOVE SI VOLA”, il suo primo Ep, che in poche settimane scala le classifiche di vendita con oltre 70 mila copie.
“Dove si vola”, brano che da il titolo all’Ep, è difficile da interpretare per un uomo, sia per la tonalità molto alta che per l’articolazione della melodia sull’armonia. La forza vocale di Marco regala al pezzo una magia unica che, durante le esibizioni fa letteralmente volare il pubblico, pubblico che l’ha votato e proclamato, quasi fin da subito, il vero talento della terza edizione di X Factor. All’interno dell’EP un altro brano inedito, “Lontanissimo da te”, firmato Massimo e Piero Calabrese e cinque tra le più emozionanti cover cantate da Marco durante il programma.
Marco nasce a Ronciglione (VT) il 25 dicembre 1988 (Capricorno), proprio nel giorno di Natale. Fin da bambino ama tutti i generi musicali: “Alla tenera 'altezza' di 70 cm. comincio ad ascoltare di tutto, dal pop all’r&b, soul, rock ed inizio ad approfondire la mia cultura musicale: scopro il karaoke e comincio a cantare di nascosto, per timidezza. Poi una volta i miei per caso mi ascoltano e si convincono di mandarmi ad una scuola di canto. Da quel momento capisco che la musica non è poi così semplice come pensavo: c'era da imparare molto…. tecniche di respirazione, maschera facciale, scale, vocalizzi di qualsiasi genere, per affinare la voce”.
Marco inizia a cantare all’età di 14 anni. Mentre studia all'Istituto per il Design, segue anche una scuola di canto dove impara le prime tecniche per la gestione e l'utilizzo dei propri mezzi vocali. Visto il talento di Marco, l’insegnante di canto lo inserisce in un piccolo quintetto vocale con cui si esibisce in serate di piazza e per le festività, facendo cover.
Dopo 2 anni ha inizio il suo percorso solista con un gruppo di musicisti con il quale suona nei club un po’ del suo repertorio originale e un po’ di cover, continuando quindi la sua gavetta. Iniziano tre anni di duro lavoro e provinaggio, per affinare lo stile e la personalità, ed anche per questo, Marco, figlio unico, lascia la famiglia per trasferirsi a Roma. Contemporaneamente si iscrive all’Università nella Facoltà di Lingue, e fa esperienza come fonico e programmatore, prendendo familiarità con gli studi di registrazione.
Il suo genere preferito resta il Brit Pop e la sua massima, e amatissima, influenza musicale sono i Beatles: tra le sue canzoni preferite dei Fab 4 ci sono 'Michelle' e 'The Fool on te hill'. Anche se il brano che gli ha cambiato la vita è 'La luce dell’est' di Lucio Battisti.
Vincendo X Factor Marco partecipa di diritto alla Sessantesima Edizione del Festival di Sanremo, nella categoria 'Artisti', interpretando “Credimi ancora”, brano che fa parte dell’EP “Re Matto” uscito il 19 febbraio 2010 su etichetta Rca/Sony Music.
Il 2010 è un anno davvero unico per quest’artista giovane ma pieno di talento. Mentre la sua paginaFacebook continua a crescere (superando ad oggi i 300 mila iscritti), Il 3 e 4 maggio parte dall’Alcatraz di Milano Il “Re Matto Tour, un viaggio nella “Mattità”, un’avventura vertiginosa nella mente colorata e multiforme di MARCO MENGONI. Lo spettacolo nasce da un’ idea di Marco, Luca Tommassini e Stella Fabiani. La regia è affidata a LUCA TOMMASSINI, la direzione artistica è di PIERO CALABRESE, la produzione è di F&P Group e dei “CANTIERI MUSICALI” che da sempre lavorano con MENGONI. Nel team creativo di Marco e del “RE MATTO TOUR” sono state coinvolte figure importanti a livello mondiale come lo stilista Neil Barrett, che finora ha solo disegnato abiti per artisti come Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Brad Pitt e Johnny Depp, e lo scultore Davide Orlandi Dormino, creatore di “Opera Scacchi”, la scultura che invade il palco. “IL RE MATTO TOUR” è ideato, sviluppato e strutturato all’insegna della totale libertà, della poesia, della sregolatezza e dell’improvvisazione rendendo ogni concerto un vero evento, con ospiti a sorpresa cheMARCO scopre insieme al pubblico…una sfida che solo un Re Matto poteva accettare.
Intanto l’8 maggio Marco partecipa ai Trl Awards e vince nella categoria “Man of the Year”.
Il “Re Matto tour” è un’esperienza straordinaria per Marco, che vive e si ciba dell’entusiasmo del pubblico. È un tour trionfale che colleziona un sold out dopo l’altro.
Il 2 giugno viene premiato ai Wind Music Awards e si aggiudica il doppio disco di platino per il suo primo Ep “Dove si vola”, che raccoglie l’omonima canzone e alcune delle cover cantate durante il programma di X Factor, e l’album “Re Matto”, superando le 160 mila copie vendute.
Il "Re Matto" del pop italiano non si fa mancare proprio nulla. Supera gli altri colleghi in gara agli Ema 2010 nella categoria dedicata agli artisti italiani: Malika Ayane, dARi, Sonohra e Nina Zilli.
Questo è un riconoscimento fondamentale per Marco Mengoni, artista italiano rivelazione del 2010, che ad MTV si è già aggiudicato il premio come "Man Of The Year" ai TRL Awards 2010 ed è arrivato secondo in una gara all'ultima edizione del Coca Cola Live @ MTV: The Summer Song. Grazie alla vittoria come Best Italian Act, Marco è entrato in nomination per il "Best European Act" in concorrenza con gli altri vincitori dei regional act. Marco partecipa inoltre all'ottava edizione di "O'Scia'", insieme ad altre star del pop italiano ed internazionale, organizzata da Claudio Baglioni a Lampedusa in cui si intende sensibilizzare fan, politici e cittadini sul problema della immigrazione clandestina.
Il 19 ottobre esce su etichetta Rca/Sony Music il Cd+Dvd “Re Matto live”. L’album debutta al 1° posto della classifica dei dischi più venduti (Gfk/Fimi) e al 1° posto della classifica di iTunes.
A novembre Marco Mengoni, dopo aver trionfato nella categoria Best Italian Act, si aggiudica anche il prestigioso titolo di Best European Act: un premio importante per lui e per l'Italia, considerando che in 17 edizioni nessun italiano era mai riuscito a raggiungere tale riconoscimento.
Il 2 settembre 2011 arriva in radio il singolo “Solo” che, anticipando l’uscita del nuovo disco, schizza alprimo posto della classica di iTunes. Il 27 settembre esce “Solo 2.0”, un vero e proprio concept album, che oltre alle tracce del disco e a un contenuto virtuale speciale (Il Comic 2.0), contamina anche la prima parte del Tour.
Dopo un’anteprima trionfante del “Solo Tour” con due date evento al Forum di Assago e al Palalottomatica di Roma, Marco Mengoni decide di cambiare veste allo spettacolo e di svelare al pubblico un’altra porzione d’anima, il suo lato più intimista, quasi introspettivo, non tralasciando mai la sua voglia di stupire e di emozionare. È un TOUR TEATRALE che fa della suggestione visiva e sonora il suo punto di forza.
Uno spettacolo in cui musica, movimento scenico, luci e scenografie compenetrano tra loro, per toccare ancor più da vicino l’anima di chi ascolta. L’essenza intimista dello spettacolo è rappresentata soprattutto dal suono. Una chiave di lettura inedita, con cui verranno reinterpretati molti tra i brani più noti del repertorio di Marco, insieme ad alcune cover, mai eseguite prima.
Il tour teatrale, ideato da Elisa, Marco Mengoni e Andrea Rigonat, parte dall’Arcimboldi di Milano il 19 aprile, passando dal Filarmonico di Verona, il Politeama di Palermo, il Gran Teatro di Roma e molti dei teatri più importanti d’Italia.
In radio intanto suona il nuovo singolo “Dall’inferno”, estratto dall’album Solo 2.0
Esce il 24 aprile, in esclusiva su iTunes, “Dall’Inferno EP”, l’EP digitale di Marco Mengoni contenente la title track, il videoclip e il backstage inedito di “Dall’inferno” e il video live di “Come ti senti”, girato durante lo showcase di presentazione dell’album “Solo 2.0”.
Marco è ospite dell’evento "Premio Leggio d'Oro", dove gli viene consegnato il Premio Speciale Voce Rivelazione Cartoon per il doppiaggio del personaggio Onceler nel cartone animato "Lorax il guardiano della foresta".
Marco prende parte al progetto "...Io Ci Sono", l'album tributo a Giorgio Gaber che celebra il grande artista a dieci anni dalla sua scomparsa, interpretando il brano "Destra-Sinistra".
Il 2013 si apre con la partecipazione di Marco alla 63^ Edizione del Festival di Sanremo con i brani “Bellissimo” e “L’Essenziale”, ed è proprio con quest’ultimo che Marco si classifica primo vincendo il Festival.
Entrambi i brani sono contenuti nel nuovo album di inediti (Sony Music) uscito il 19 marzo 2013:#PRONTOACORRERE ha superato di gran lunga il traguardo del disco di platino e "L’Essenziale" è addirittura multiplatino.
Marco ha rappresentato l’Italia all’Eurovision Song Contest a Malmö (Svezia) nel mese di maggio, dove ha ottenuto il settimo posto con "L’Essenziale".
L’8 maggio è partito "l’Essenziale Anteprima Tour" dal Teatro degli Arcimboldi di Milano: un’anteprima di 10 date, ideata per i più importanti teatri italiani che hanno registrato il sold out non appena aperte la prevendite.
Il 4 luglio è partito invece da Trento "L’Essenziale Tour", con un clamoroso successo di richieste, che continua ad imporre l’apertura di nuove date.
台北市台灣大學Taipei City
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Linford 1992.
Pastel portrait (photographed & digitally reframed) from my 'paint/chalk period', before I discovered the challenges of digital art ;-)
"Linford Christie, OBE (born April 2, 1960) is a former athlete, and the only English man to win Olympic, World, Commonwealth and European 100 m gold medals. He still holds the UK record. Christie's track career was ended when he received a two-year ban for taking a performance-enhancing substance, although he has continually denied any wrongdoing.
In the 1992 Olympic Games Linford won the 100m gold medal. In 1993, he became the first man in history to hold the Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth titles in the 100 m as he was victorious at the Stuttgart World Championships."
(from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linford_Christie - accessed 9th Sept 2007).
My inspiration: Words of Peace.
Peloponnesian?
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Late 6th c. BCE (Late Archaic/Early Classical)
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Max Gazzè
Carroponte - Sesto S.G. - Milano
19 Luglio 2013
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Max Gazzé nasce a Roma il 6 luglio 1967. A 6 anni inizia a studiare pianoforte. Adolescente si trasferisce in Belgio dove frequenta la Scuola europea, si dedica al basso elettrico e si esibisce con diversi gruppi nei locali di Bruxelles. Per cinque anni è bassista, arrangiatore e coautore dei "4 Play 4", formazione inglese di northern soul dalle escursioni pionieristiche nell’acid jazz. Con il gruppo si trasferisce poi nel sud della Francia dove lavora anche come produttore artistico per la casa di produzione americana "D.P.I" (Darius production inc.).
Rientrato a Roma nel 1992, Max si dedica alla sperimentazione nel suo studio di registrazione, mentre compone colonne sonore e inizia a collaborare con artisti come Alex Britti, Niccolò Fabi e Daniele Silvestri. Le collaborazioni con quest'ultimo in particolare si riproporranno in diversi momenti, anche recenti, del suo percorso artistico.
Tra il 1994 e il 1995 lavora alla realizzazione del primo album "Contro un’onda del mare", che pubblica nel gennaio 1996 e presenta in versione acustica nel tour di Franco Battiato. L’album, che inaugura il sodalizio con la Virgin Records, vanta una notevole diversità di climi musicali e originalità nella stesura dei testi, e si fa presto notare dalla critica ottenendo anche un discreto successo di pubblico.
Nell'autunno del 1997 esce il singolo “Cara Valentina”. Nel 1998 la sua canzone “Vento d'estate”, cantata insieme a Niccolò Fabi, vince "Un disco per l'estate". I due singoli anticipano il secondo album, "La favola di Adamo ed Eva" (ottobre 1998), i cui testi sono scritti da Max insieme al fratello Francesco Gazzè. L’album vede anche la partecipazione di Mao in "Colloquium vitae" e di Lucio Morelli in "Nel verde".
Nel 1998 Max partecipa anche all'album-tributo a Robert Wyatt “The Different You - Robert Wyatt e noi” con il brano “O Caroline”.
Nel febbraio 1999 è in concorso al Festival di Sanremo con “Una musica può fare”, che verrà inserita nella ristampa di “La favola di Adamo ed Eva”.
Al termine di una lunghissima stagione di concerti, il 13 marzo 2000 pubblica il terzo album, intitolato semplicemente “Max Gazzè” (e conosciuto anche come Gadzilla). Il nuovo lavoro rispecchia il grande amore di Gazzè per la poesia, costante fonte d’ispirazione: “Elemosina” è la traduzione di una poesia di Mallarmé, poeta citato anche nel brano “Su un ciliegio esterno”. Altrove vengono riscoperti i poeti dell’Arcadia.
Il cantante-bassista-compositore ha ulteriormente perfezionato il suo stile altamente personale, come appare chiaro dal primo singolo tratto dall’album, “Il timido ubriaco”, dove la vicenda narrata e la musica alludono a due diversi stati d’animo e con il quale Max si presenta sul palco del 50º Festival di Sanremo, oltre a riproporlo poi in estate al Festivalbar.
Nell’ottobre 2001 esce il quarto album "Ognuno fa quello che gli pare", che presenta una varietà di soluzioni sonore frutto anche di numerose collaborazioni: le scopriamo nel country divertito de “Il debole fra i due”, cantato insieme a Paola Turci, ne “Il motore degli eventi”, duetto con Carmen Consoli – che del brano è anche coproduttrice - nella coproduzione con Francesco Magnelli, tastierista dei CSI (“Non era previsto”). E ancora "Il dolce della vita", realizzato a Parigi insieme a Stephan Eicher, e “Niente di nuovo”, registrato in presa diretta con i musicisti che accompagnano solitamente Ginevra Di Marco. Anche per questo disco Max ha scritto i testi a quattro mani con il fratello Francesco.
Gli anni tra il 2001 e il 2003 sono caratterizzati da un’intensa attività live (un tour teatrale nell’inverno 2001-2002, la tournée nei maggiori festival italiani nell’estate 2002, un tour nei club nel 2002-2003) e dalla collaborazione sempre più stretta con Stephan Eicher, autore e interprete di primissimo piano nel panorama musicale europeo degli ultimi vent’anni. Nel 2003 Eicher pubblica il suo nuovo album, “Taxi Europa”, la cui title track è scritta e interpretata da Max e Stephan (con loro canta anche Herbert Grönemeyer); la canzone è in vetta alle classifiche francese, svizzera, tedesca e belga. Con Stephan canta anche “Cendrillon après Minuit” / "Cenerentola a mezzanotte", brano per il quale Max ha curato l’adattamento italiano. Quell’estate Grönemeyer, una star in Germania, invita Max e Stephan a suonare con lui nel suo tour negli stadi, un’occasione per loro di proporre anche i propri pezzi davanti a platee davvero immense.
L’album "Un giorno", contenente i singoli “Annina” e “La nostra vita nuova”, esce nell’aprile 2004. E’ un lavoro con una forte impronta live. Alla registrazione e all’arrangiamento del cd collaborano i P.E.N.G. (Piero Monterisi, Emanuele Brignola, Negro, Gianluca Misiti), che lo accompagnano anche nel tour che seguirà.
Il 17 giugno 2005, a dieci anni dall’uscita di "Contro un’onda del mare", esce per Emi Music "Max Gazzè – Raduni 1995-2005", una raccolta di 26 brani tratti dai 5 album precedenti contenente anche 4 inediti.
Successivamente all'uscita del doppio CD, Gazzé inizia un lungo tour che continuerà anche per tutto il 2006. Per questo tour l'artista sceglie di essere supportato nei concerti da "La camera migliore", band scoperta e prodotta da Carmen Consoli.
Dopo il tour estivo del 2005 Max si dedica a collaborazioni e scambi, uno dei suoi metodi prediletti per crescere, raccogliere nuovi stimoli e coltivare vecchi progetti: partecipa a Gizmo, una straordinaria band capitanata da Stewart Copeland, dove – oltre allo storico batterista dei Police – dividono il palco con Max anche Raiz degli Almamegretta e Vittorio Cosma.
In seguito, nell'attività di Gazzè si segnalano ancora tante collaborazioni con l’amico Daniele Silvestri – per il quale suona in moltissime canzoni del suo disco “Il latitante” – e, dal luglio 2007, assieme alle colleghe cantautrici romane Paola Turci e Marina Rei, anche il tour “Di comune accordo”, dove Max è al basso, Paola Turci alla chitarra, Marina Rei alle percussioni e Andrea Di Cesare al violino.
Sempre nel 2007 la EMI pubblica un'altra raccolta: “The best of platinum”, che include 18 canzoni.
Nel 2008 Max partecipa al 58º Festival di Sanremo con “Il solito sesso”, brano che racconta una telefonata fatta a una ragazza conosciuta neanche un’ora prima; la canzone riscuote ottimi consensi di critica e pubblico. Durante la serata dei duetti, ad accompagnare Gazzé sul palco ci sono Paola Turci (alla chitarra) e Marina Rei (alle percussioni).
Il 29 febbraio 2008 esce il nuovo album di inediti “Tra l'aratro e la radio”. Unico compositore per le musiche, per i testi ha collaborato, oltre che con Francesco Gazzè, anche con Gimmi Santucci.
Con Gimmi, Max condivide riflessioni e digressioni sulla vita e sui cambiamenti subentrati nel passaggio dalla società agricola a quella industriale – dall'aratro alla radio, appunto. In sala d'incisione si avvale di musicisti d'eccezione: Carmen Consoli suona gran parte delle chitarre acustiche ed elettriche e Marina Rei le percussioni.
I primi mesi del 2010 vedono Max debuttare come attore nella produzione cinematografica di Rocco Papaleo dal titolo “Basilicata Coast to Coast”, uscito nelle sale il 9 aprile.
La divertente commedia musicale vede i protagonisti (Max, Alessandro Gassman, Paolo Briguglia, Rocco Papaleo e Giovanna Mezzogiorno) traversare a piedi la Basilicata per eseguire le proprie canzoni ad una manifestazione canora locale. Per tale film, Gazzè compone insieme a Gimmi Santucci la canzone “Mentre dormi” inclusa nella colonna sonora.
Nel 2010 cambia casa discografica e si unisce alla Universal. A maggio pubblica il nuovo aIbum di inediti intitolato ”Quindi?”. L'album debutta nella Top Ten della classifica ufficiale dei dischi più venduti in Italia. Il singolo “Mentre dormi”, che aveva anticipato la pubblicazione del cd, viene premiato come "Miglior canzone originale" in occasione dei David di Donatello 2011.
Nel 2011 Max presenta al suo pubblico “L'uomo sinfonico”, il nuovo progetto con la “Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini” di Parma, un viaggio musicale unico nel suo genere in cui il pop incontra la lirica e viceversa.
Nel febbraio 2012 torna in veste di ospite al Festival di Sanremo duettando con Dolcenera nella canzone in gara “Ci vediamo a casa”.
Dopo il “sold out” registrato con l’“European Live Club Tour (da Berlino a Bologna)” con biglietti “esauriti” già in prevendita, Max Gazzè torna con un tour estivo nei teatri all’aperto, nelle arene e in giro tra i festival delle principali città italiane. La tournèe riserva molte curiosità. Il nuovo impianto scenografico, curato dal regista Duccio Forzano, intreccia suggestive atmosfere a immagini coinvolgenti – in un percorso emozionale – attraverso le note. Alla band storica di Max si aggiunge l’eclettico polistrumentista Dedo (ai fiati) e, in alcune location, il “Quartetto Euphoria”, (Marina Fumarola e Suvi Valjus al violino, Hildegard Kuen alla viola e Michela Munari al violoncello) formazione tutta al femminile nata nel 1999, di funambolica eccentricità che riserverà un’ “ouverture” di grande effetto acustico.
Momento magico per la carriera di Max che, senza sosta, aggiunge tappe importanti al suo percorso artistico. “Sotto Casa” (Virgin Music), il singolo rivelazione di Sanremo 2013, ottiene la certificazione Platino (fonte GFK/FIMI) con oltre 40 mila tracce scaricate, rimane stabile nella Top Ten del digital download e si conferma tra i più suonati dalle radio.
The Cirneco dell'Etna is a small breed of dog originally from Sicily. This hound was historically used to hunt rabbits and can work for hours without food or water.The breed also has a keen sense of smell and is primarily built for endurance over harsh terrain such as that of Mount Etna. It is the smallest of the Mediterranean island hunting hounds, the others being the Pharaoh Hounds and Ibizan Hounds.Today they are increasingly kept for the sport of conformation showing and as pets, due to their low coat maintenance and friendly nature, although as an active hound they do need regular exercise. A Cirneco should measure from 43-51 cm (17-20in) and weigh between 10–12 kg (22-26lb). As with other breeds, those from hunting stock can lie outside these ranges.
The Cirneco dell'Etna is a small hound-type dog used in Sicily for rabbit hunting. It is found all over the Italian island and particularly in the area surrounding the active volcano, Mount Etna,where the dogs hunt on terrain formed by volcanic lava. Its presence in Sicily is noteworthy as one of the few ancient breeds that have undergone very little manipulation by man. Instead, the breed has been rigorously selected by nature for its ability to work for hours. The dog we have today is an extremely hardy breed. Affectionate and friendly, it is considered easier to train than some of its sighthound cousins. The Cirneco has been in Sicily for thousands of years. Most authors agree that the origins of the hound-type dog lie among ancient Egyptian prick-eared dogs. Bas-reliefs discovered along the Nile and dated around 4000 B.C. depict what could be the Cirneco today. Most probably, the Phoenicians spread these prick-eared, hound-type dogs as they sailed along their trade routes between Northern Africa and the Mediterranean coasts. Ancient records of hounds with upright ears and a pointed muzzle are found in many countries in that part of the world. The most vivid proof of the presence of the Cirneco dell’Etna in Sicily for at least the past 2500 years is the many coins minted between the 5th and 3rd centuries B.C. depicting exemplars of the breed. In particular, the Cirneco dell’Etna is used on coins minted at Segesta, with about 150 variations. In 400 B.C., Dionysus was said to have built a temple dedicated to the God Adranos on the south-western slope of the volcano, just outside the city of Adrano. Many dogs were bred there and legend claims that a thousand Cirnechi guarded the temple.The Cirneco was rarely seen and little known outside Sicily until 1932. Now Cirnechi have also been exported to many European countries where their elegant conformation has helped make them a success in the show ring and many have become FCI International Show Champions. The dog's affectionate temperament and adaptability make it an excellent family companion.
El cirneco del Etna es una raza de perro oriunda de Sicilia. Este tipo de lebrel de pequeño tamaño forma parte de un conjunto de razas caninas del Mediterráneo cuyo origen se encuentra en Egipto, y entre las que se encuentra el podenco Ibicenco. Se trata de un perro adaptado a terrenos difíciles, apto para la caza de conejos y liebres.Los machos miden entre 46 y 50 cm, y pesan de 10 a 12 kg, y las hembras miden entre 42 y 46 cm, pesando de 8 a 10 kg. La cabeza es alargada y estrecha y el hocico afilado y puntiagudo, con un stop muy poco pronunciado. La trufa es de color marrón claro, y los ojos, pequeños, pueden ser ocre claro, ámbar o grises. Las orejas, erguidas, son triangulares y puntiagudas, y están implantadas altas. El lomo es recto y largo, y el pecho no demasiado amplio, con la musculatura pectoral poco desarrollada, al contrario que las patas, fuertes y con una musculatura bien desarrollada. La cola, implantada baja, es gruesa y de diámetro uniforme. El manto, de color tostado o tostado y blanco, tiene un pelaje corto y espeso en la cabeza, orejas y patas y liso y semilargo en el tronco y la cola.Su nombre puede proceder del de la antigua ciudad de Cirene, donde Aristóteles, en De natura animalium, dice haber visto un perro cuya descripción coincide con la de este.Aunque parece claro que la raza es autóctona de Sicilia, es posible que fuese anterior a la civilización egipcia, y que hubiese sido llevado al norte de África por los fenicios. Esta hipótesis se vería confirmada por la existencia de una estatuilla hallada cerca de Siracusa, datada alrededor del 4000 a.c.Se encuentran representaciones del cirneco en monedas sicilianas del siglo Vl al siglo III a.c., y parece que se le tenía en gran consideración, como demuestra el hecho de que en una de las monedas halladas en la antigua ciudad siciliana de Segesta se le represente junto a una divinidad fenicia con facciones humanas. Desde entonces las características de la raza han permanecido prácticamente inalteradas, gracias en gran medida a los campesinos, que conservaron su pureza criándolo por su utilidad para cazar en las pendientes del Etna, de lava solidificada y difícilmente accesibles.
Der Cirneco dell’ Etna ist eine von der FCI anerkannte italienische Hunderasse, die von der Insel Sizilien stammt (FCI-Gruppe 5, Sektion 7, Standard Nr. 199).Frühere Studien gingen davon aus, dass der Cirneco dell'Etna von Jagdhunden abstammt, die zur Pharaonenzeit im Niltal gezüchtet wurden. Der Cirneco dell'Etna sei dann mit den Phöniziern nach Sizilien gekommen. Neueste Untersuchungen unterstützen allerdings eine andere Theorie: Der Cineco dell'Etna stammt ursprünglich aus Sizilien und lebte an den Abhängen des Ätna. Münzen und Gravuren aus der römischen Epoche belegen, dass Hunde dieses Typs bereits vor Christi Geburt auf Sizilien vorkamen.
Der Cirneco dell'Etna ist mittelgroß (bis zu 50 cm und bis zu 12 kg schwer), quadratisch gebaut, schlank, aber dennoch widerstandsfähig und robust. Das Fell ist kurz, sehr glatt und fest. Dabei ist das Fell auf dem Rumpf und der Rute ungefähr 3 cm lang. Die Fellfarbe ist falbfarben, von intensiv bis verwaschen, wie isabell-sandfarben. Weiße oder gescheckte Exemplare können vorkommen; in der Regel weist der Cirneco dell'Etna jedoch nur geringe weiße Abzeichen auf.Die Ohren sind auffällig groß und stehend typisch wie auch bei den Podencos.Der Cirneco dell'Etna wird zur Jagd auf Wildkaninchen verwendet. Sein Verbreitungsgebiet umfasst vor allem die Region um den Ätna, an dessen Abhängen er die Kaninchen im Gebüsch und Geröll aufstöbert. Er treibt die Kaninchen aus ihren Verstecken hervor, so dass die Jäger zum Schuss kommen können.
Le Cirneco de l'Etna (Cirneco dell’Etna) est un chien originaire de Sicile. La Fédération cynologique internationale l'a répertorié dans le groupe 5, section 7, standard n° 199.
Cirneco de l'Etna.....Chien de type lévrier bien qu'il soit classé dans le groupe 5. Chien adapté aux terrains difficiles qui chasse le lapin sauvage.Chien de nationalité italienne primitif qui descendrait des chiens de l’époque des Pharaons. Mais il pourrait s’agir d’une race autochtone d’origine sicilienne.
O cirneco do Etna (em italiano: Cirneco dell’Etna) é uma raça quase desconhecida fora da Itália, já que permaneceu isolada na Sicília por praticamente 2 000 anos. Em 1939 foi reconhecida como raça. Comum aos cães de raças antigas, estes têm dificuldade de adaptação ao mundo urbano, pois precisam de constante atividade e são difíceis de adestrar, embora sejam vistos como animais muito fiéis. Podendo pesar até 12 kg, tem como peculiaridade as grandes orelhas largas e eretas, o longo pescoço e a cabeça estreita.
Сицилийская борзая или Чирнеко дель Этна — порода собак. Происходит с Сицилии. Изначально выращивалась для охоты на зайца. Классические исследования собачьих пород, распространенных в Средиземноморском регионе, пришли к заключению, что Чирнеко Дель Этна происходят от античных охотничьих собак, выведенных в долине Нила в эпоху фараонов, собак, получивших достигших Сицилии благодаря Финикийцам. Но согласно последним исследованиям получила одобрения теория, согласно которой эта порода имеет непосредственно сицилийское происхождение, зародившись в окрестностях Этны. Монеты и гравюры доказывают, что Чирнеки существовали в этом регионе за много веков до нашей эр Собака примитивного типа, элегантного и утонченного сложения, среднего размера, не громоздкая, сильная и крепкая. По морфологическому сложению — собака удлиненных линий, легкого сложения; квадратного формата; шерсть тонкая.
Охотничья собака, выведенная для охоты на кролика по сложной местности; обладает большим темпераментом, но в то же время мягкая и привязчивая.
Cirneco dell’etna on italialainen koirarotu. Se on vinttikoiran tyyppinen pystykorvainen, alkukantainen ja harvinainen rotu. Cirneco dell’etnan tarkka alkuperä jää hämärän peittoon, mutta se on hyvin vanha rotu ja muuttunut vuosisatojen saatossa vain vähän. Rotu on saanut olla melko rauhassa, ja vasta viime vuosina sen jalostukseen on puututtu.Rotu on nykyisin lähinnä seura- ja harrastekoira. Italiassa sitä käytetään yhä villikaniinien metsästykseen. Cirneco on nopea koira, ja ketteränä se pystyy vaihtamaan suuntaa nopeasti esimerkiksi metsästyksen aikana. Cirneco käyttää metsästäessään kuuloaan, näköään ja hajuaistiaan.Cirneco dell’etna on luonteeltaan temperamenttinen, eloisa, ystävällinen, iloinen ja leikkisä koira. Cirnecon leikkisyys säilyy yleensä vanhoihin päiviin asti. Cirneco on myös hyvin läheisyyttä rakastava koira, ja sen lempipaikka onkin yleensä kainalossa sohvalla tai peiton alla omistajansa vieressä. Cirneco kiintyy voimakkaasti perheeseensä ja tulee yleensä hyvin toimeen ystävällisenä ja lempeänä koirana kaikenikäisten ihmisten kanssa. Miellyttämisenhalua cirnecolla ei ole kovin paljon, joten ilman hyvää motivointikeinoa se ei välttämättä aina tottele ainakaan ensimmäisellä käskyllä. Cirnecolla on kuitenkin miellyttämisenhalua enemmän kuin yleensä vinttikoirilla. Cirneco tarvitsee johdonmukaisen ja määrätietoisen peruskasvatuksen.
Cirneco dell’etna on ikivanha rotu, jonka juuret johtavat 1000-luvulle ennen ajanlaskun alkua. Joidenkin mielestä se polveutuu Egyptin viimeisten dynastioiden faaraoiden koirista ja niistä koirista, joita foinikialaiset kauppiaat toivat Italiaan. Tutkimukset antavat aiheen olettaa, että se olisi Sisilian alkuperäisrotu. Cirneconnäköisiä korkokuvia on löydetty faaraoiden haudoista, mm. Luxorista ja Ben-Hassanista. Sisiliasta on myös löydetty 45 cm korkea luuranko, joka muistuttaa cirnecoa suuresti. Luuranko on paikallistettu vuoteen 1400 eaa. Nykyisin kyseinen luuranko on nähtävissä Pigorini-museossa Roomassa. Myös vanhoista Sisiliasta löytyneistä kolikoista on löydetty cirnecoa esittäviä koiran kuvia.
Il cirneco dell'Etna è un cane appartenente ad una razza molto antica, che ha subito poche manipolazioni nel corso dei secoli.Le origini del cirneco risalgono al 1000 a.C. Si dice che questa razza derivi dai cani dei Faraoni egiziani delle ultime dinastie e da cani importati in Sicilia dai commercianti fenici. Successivi studi hanno indicato che molto probabilmente il Cirneco è una razza autoctona siciliana.Il cirneco dell'Etna appartiene alla classe dei cani da caccia di tipo primitivo; è un animale molto veloce e per questo viene utilizzato soprattutto nella caccia al coniglio selvatico e alla lepre.Si presenta con una figura molto snella, con gambe lunghe, orecchie dritte e con un corpo muscoloso ma nello stesso tempo molto elegante. Ha un fiuto eccezionale ed è agilissimo nel cambiare direzione durante l'inseguimento della preda. Da notare che, sebbene l'aspetto del cirneco ricordi quello dei levrieri, non caccia a vista ma usa l'olfatto, come un cane da cerca; secondo la classificazione della Federazione Cinologica Internazionale (F.C.I.), tutti i cani appartenenti alla razza dei "levrieri" appartengono al 10º gruppo, mentre il cirneco è inserito nel 5º Gruppo, quello delle razze di tipo primitivo.Generalmente raggiunge l'altezza di 46-50 cm al garrese negli esemplari maschi, mentre le femmine misurano dai 42 ai 46. Il peso del maschio si aggira intorno ai 10-12 kg, mentre le femmine raggiungono gli 8-10. La lunghezza del tronco è in media uguale all'altezza al garrese: il cirneco ha dunque una costruzione quadrata. È strutturato da una massa muscolare che comprende l'80% del corpo. Si presenta snello e, se nutrito in modo adeguato, mantiene una linea elegante e slanciata.Cane velocissimo e molto agile, è capace di raggiungere persino i 40/45 km/h nella corsa.I colori del mantello del cirneco dell'Etna vanno dal sabbia dorato al cervo scuro; non necessariamente devono essere presenti macchie bianche, ma possono essercene su tutto il corpo; sebbene molto rari, ne esistono colorati di bianco arancio (come nel setter inglese) e di bianco puro (pur non essendo propriamente albino). Il colore riconosciuto dagli standard di razza è il fulvo più o meno intenso, isabella e sabbia, con lista bianca in fronte, al petto, piedi bianchi, punta della coda bianca e ventre bianco.Dotato di grande intelligenza, è generalmente indipendente e solitario. Generalmente diffidente con gli estranei, si affeziona ad un solo padrone. Si può dire che abbia le sue simpatie e antipatie a pelle: con alcuni individui non socializza e alla loro vista abbaia; con altri inizialmente si mostra aggressivo ma poi socializza e con altri ancora prova un feeling immediato e socializza subito. È un cane che per il padrone darebbe tutto se stesso.Se correttamente socializzato da cucciolo, evidenzia un carattere molto disponibile e gioioso e privo di diffidenze anche verso le persone appena conosciute.Se cresce in un ambiente familiare, dove ha ricevuto tutti gli stimoli nei confronti dell'ambiente esterno, ama essere portato a spasso e incontrare altri cani e persone, anche se sconosciuti. Se lasciato libero, soprattutto in luoghi di campagna, cambia visibilmente espressione; tutti i muscoli si tendono, ama ispezionare l'ambiente circostante e, anche se all'inizio sembra indipendente, in realtà sa sempre dove si trova il suo padrone e puntualmente ritorna sotto la sua attenzione. Prima di liberare un cirneco in un luogo aperto occorre aver rafforzato un rapporto sereno e di fiducia. Il cirneco è un cane primitivo e rispetto ad altri animali domestici, molto spesso è un soggetto che porta rancore se trattato male, non dimentica facilmente uno sgarbo subito, non sopporta di essere rimproverato con eccessiva durezza.La vita media di questo cane è molto elevata, quindici anni circa, ma esistono esemplari che vivono anche venti anni.
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Killdeer - A shorebird you can see without going to the beach, Killdeer are graceful plovers common to lawns, golf courses, athletic fields, and parking lots. These tawny birds run across the ground in spurts, stopping with a jolt every so often to check their progress, or to see if they have startled up any insect prey. Their voice, a far-carrying, excited kill-deer, is a common sound even after dark, often given in flight as the bird circles overhead on slender wings. Widespread, numerous, and noisy – these words describe the killdeer, Charadrius vociferus, a conspicuous, easy-to-identify member of the plover family. It is one of the noisiest of American birds, which accounts for the "vociferus" part of its scientific name. Although the killdeer is classed as a migratory species, this bird is a year-round resident of Texas, choosing a variety of habitats as home. It is found throughout the state, with the possible exception of the Panhandle during frigid winter weather. It thrives in open or semi-open areas and is at home in either dry or wet locations. An arid mesa or canyon can be as appealing as a home near a river or by a lake shore. Plains and prairies, whether grassy or bare, and fields or pastures, whether cultivated or fallow, attract the birds as often as the marshes, beaches, bays, and lagoon flats of the coast. Killdeer also manage to live side-by-side with people, using airports, golf courses, and lawns as foraging areas. Pebbled rooftops serve as well for nest sites as dry gravel beds along creeks and rivers. Both nest and eggs blend into the surroundings, but the birds take no chances, guarding the nest constantly throughout the 26 to 28 day incubation period. If the nest is threatened, the female is a master at the art of subterfuge. Imitating a severely injured bird, she flutters a few feet from the nest, falls flat on the ground as though hopelessly wounded, and utters piteous cries. If approached, she recovers enough to move farther from the nest, but continues to drag one or both wings on the ground as if broken. She may even roll over and gasp and pant as if completely exhausted by her efforts. Throughout the performance she continues to cry pitifully as if in pain. By spreading her tail feathers and throwing her body from side to side, she exposes a golden-red rump patch that may look like blood to the enemy. The male also may get into the act, flying around the intruder at a safe distance, screaming protests. Working as a team, they continue the performance until the intruder is lured away from the nest. Another diversion the birds use is the false nest act. When feeding birds are approached, one will move away, completely ignoring the enemy, and settle into a depression with all the motions associated with covering a nest of eggs. As the enemy draws near, the bird glides off to expose the empty depression. To add insult, the bird also makes a cry that sounds like a chuckle. If the enemy continues to follow, the false nest act will be repeated until the follower gets tired of looking into empty depressions and goes away. For more info see: tpwd.texas.gov/publications/nonpwdpubs/introducing_birds/...
Cave Without A Name, Kendall County, Texas - One of Texas' hidden treasures, in February 2009 the Cave Without A Name was designated an official Natural Landmark!
Despite the innumerable caves and caverns that dot the Texas landscape, there are only a handful of caves that are open to touring by the public. Running along the interstate, it's easy to spot the billboards for Natural Bridge Caverns, Inner Space Caverns, Cascade Caverns - but very few people have ever heard of the Cave Without A Name. In fact, despite living less than an hour away for over ten years, I had no knowledge of it until recently. Yet this little cave is just as interesting as any of the larger, more travelled tourist stops.
Located about ten miles northeast of Boerne at the end of twisty-turny Hill Country roads near the Guadalupe River, the Cave Without A Name led an unremarkable existence until the 1920's. Much like Longhorn Caverns, the cave was used by bootleggers during Prohibition. The cave was opened in 1939 as a tourist attraction, the name chosen by a local boy who decided the caves were too beautiful for a name.
For decades, the Cave Without A Name remained an obscure, out-of-the-way spot, known mostly by locals and advertised by small hand-made signs on the highway. Tragedy struck when the manager of the cave (and the owner's son) passed away while exploring a nearby complex known tragically as Dead Man's Cave for drainage channels. Despite this loss, the cave remains open.
Then in February 2009, the Cave Without A Name was designated an official National Landmark by the National Park Service, along with five other historic sites around the country. Fewer than 600 locations have been designated as National Landmarks since the inception of the program, and only six within the past decade.
At the end of Kreutzberg Road, there is a small visitor's center and gift shop. Stairs lead down to the caverns below, well-lit with several impressive speleological formations - stalagmites, stalactites, soda straws, flowstone, ribbons, rimstone. It's a short tour, but easy and level without difficulty, the tour group size is usually small and it is easy to get up close to the formations (but don't touch - it's still a live cave). Longer 'adventure tours' are available (the website says they have been suspended due to high water, but that was written in 2007 before the area's record drought). Definitely worth the visit for anyone interested in caves or spelunking. Pictures taken April 6, 2008.
For more information on the Cave Without A Name:
- Texas Speleological Survey Entry.
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From www.limerickleader.ie/news/Thousands-go-underground-as-Li...
Thousands go underground as Limerick Tunnel open day proves a big success
NRA has no official opening date for €660 million road project
Published Date: 19 June 2010
By Mike Dwane
GLORIOUS sunshine attracted thousands of curious visitors to the Limerick Tunnel on Saturday as the Direct Route consortium hosted a public open day.
No official opening date has been set for the motorists eager to use the €660 million road project but Saturday was the first and last chance for pedestrians, cyclists, prams and even dogs to travel the 700 metres under the Shannon.
"It's been a huge turnout and everybody is delighted with it. The weather has helped obviously. It's great for people to come and see the project on what will be their one and only chance to walk through the tunnel and get a feel for what it is like," said Tom Meagher, the NRA's resident engineer on the project.
"The next time they go through the tunnel, they will be whizzing through it in 30 seconds," he added.
When that might be is not certain, however.
"The contractual date is September 23 and obviously the contractor is hoping to finish prior to that. Everyone is working as hard as they can to try and finish as early as possible.
"Officially, we don't have a date. We have a lot of snagging and small items to finish on the scheme. As soon as they are done and the project is safe to open, it will be opened," Mr Meagher said.
Park and ride bus services were in operation at Limerick Racecourse, the City East business park and the Kilmurray Lodge to ferry visitors to and from the tunnel. Marquees erected on the north bank of the river allowed members of the public ask questions of the project engineers and view a scale model of the Southern Ring Phase Two scheme.
Queues formed at the stall run by The Intolligent Ltd, the company which issues electronic tags which can be mounted on the windscreen and provide a more convenient way of paying the €1.80 tunnel toll over multiple journeys.
"There has been absolutely huge interest so far," said Siobhan Hatworth, The Intolligent, "the majority from private individuals rather than business users so far. A lot of people are excited by how it works and this is going to make their commutes so much easier."
Vendors were also dishing out food and refreshments for the thousands who came along. And in association with Limerick Rotary, Direct Route was selling commemorative tunnel booklets in aid of local chairities like Milford Care Centre, Cystic Fibrosis Association Limerick and Thomond House.
Laura Kelly, Kilfinane, said "it is very impressive from an engineering point of view but from a financial point of view, with the state the country is in, you have to question how viable it might be. I can see people avoiding the toll and using the old road."
But Tony and Carmel Mason from Cratloe were not in agreement.
"I imagine we will use it a lot. We have to cross from one side to the other on a fairly regular basis so it will definitiely be a great asset to us. What you might pay on the toll, you will save on fuel and you don't have the frustration of the traffic," said Mr Mason.
Mr Mason has a boat and has "floated over the tunnel a few times, including when they were building it and laying it on the riverbed but it's good to be finally in it".
Cratloe has been particularly badly disrupted during construction but those days are almost at an end.
"It was an inconvenience during the peak construction time but now that we're almost there, it's great and we'll be relived of all that soon. You have to put up with it. You can't stop progress," he said.
Meanwhile, Donal Cooper from Newcastle West had one or two ideas of his own as he stood directly under the Shannon at the tunnel's lowest point.
"I wonder how much water is above me right now and what weight it is? The thing is will it draw Clare and Limerick closer together or should we have a passport centre at the Clare side like we had years ago? I'm proposing passport control to stop Clare people coming across. We shouldn't let them in and we should start taking over more land on the Clare side," he said.
He also noted that the toll revenue was collected on the north and not on the south side of the river.
"In Limerick, we leave people through free of charge and have done so for years whereas in Clare , what else would you expect," he joked.
* Last Updated: 21 June 2010 8:30 AM
* Source: n/a
* Location: Limerick
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Alla Villa Reale di Monza dal 30 ottobre 2014 al 6 aprile 2015 c’è una mostra dedicata a Steve McCurry. Americano e vincitore di premi prestigiosi – il Robert Capa Gold Medal e vari World Press Photo, tra gli altri – McCurry è considerato uno dei più importanti fotoreporter contemporanei: ha documentato l’invasione russa in Afghanistan e molte altre guerre, ha girato e fotografato molti paesi, soprattutto l’India. L’ultimo rullino di pellicola prodotto dalla Kodak nel 2010 è stato affidato a lui (ne è nato il progetto The last roll). Qualcuno lo paragona ad una popstar, per via della sua popolarità, e tutti hanno visto almeno una volta la “sua” ragazza dagli occhi verdi finita sulla copertina di un numero storico del National Geographic. McCurry è uno degli autori delle fotografie più familiari e riconoscibili dei giorni nostri. La mostra presenta immagini meno conosciute e tratte dai suoi lavori più recenti, ma anche i suoi famosi ritratti e foto dai reportage in Afghanistan e India, Birmania, Cambogia, Giappone, Brasile, Africa e Italia.
All’esposizione sono presenti dei video in cui McCurry stesso racconta il suo lavoro e i suoi viaggi. La mostra si sviluppa a partire dai lavori più recenti di Steve McCurry e da una serie di scatti che sono legati a questa sorprendente ricerca messi a confronto con alcune delle sue immagini più conosciute, a partire dal Ritratto di Sharbat Gula, che è diventata una delle icone assolute della fotografia mondiale. Oltre a presentare una inedita selezione della produzione fotografica di Steve McCurry, la rassegna intende raccontare l'avventura della sua vita e della sua professione, anche grazie ad una ricca documentazione e ad una serie di video costruiti intorno alle sue "massime". Lo scopo è quello di seguire il filo rosso delle sue passioni, per conoscere la sua tecnica ma anche la sua voglia di condividere la vicinanza con la sofferenza e talvolta con la guerra, con la gioia e con la sorpresa. Il desiderio è quello di capire il suo modo di conquistare la fiducia delle persone che fotografa perché, come dice lo stesso fotografo: "Ho imparato a essere paziente. Se aspetti abbastanza, le persone dimenticano la macchina fotografica e la loro anima comincia a librarsi verso di te".
Steve McCurry has been one of the most iconic voices in contemporary photography for more than thirty years, with scores of magazine and book covers, over a dozen books, and countless exhibitions around the world to his name. Born in a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; McCurry studied film at Pennsylvania State University, before going on to work for a local newspaper. After several years of freelance work, McCurry made his first of what would become many trips to India. Traveling with little more than a bag of clothes and another of film, he made his way across the subcontinent, exploring the country with his camera. It was after several months of travel that he found himself crossing the border into Pakistan. There, he met a group of refugees from Afghanistan, who smuggled him across the border into their country, just as the Russian Invasion was closing the country to all western journalists. Emerging in traditional dress, with full beard and weather-worn features after weeks embedded with the Mujahideen, McCurry brought the world the first images of the conflict in Afghanistan, putting a human face to the issue on every masthead. Since then, McCurry has gone on to create stunning images over six continents and countless countries. His work spans conflicts, vanishing cultures, ancient traditions and contemporary culture alike - yet always retains the human element that made his celebrated image of the Afghan Girl such a powerful image.
McCurry has been recognized with some of the most prestigious awards in the industry, including the Robert Capa Gold Medal, National Press Photographers Award, and an unprecedented four first prize awards from the World Press Photo contest, to name a few.
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The Cirneco dell'Etna is a small breed of dog originally from Sicily. This hound was historically used to hunt rabbits and can work for hours without food or water.The breed also has a keen sense of smell and is primarily built for endurance over harsh terrain such as that of Mount Etna. It is the smallest of the Mediterranean island hunting hounds, the others being the Pharaoh Hounds and Ibizan Hounds.Today they are increasingly kept for the sport of conformation showing and as pets, due to their low coat maintenance and friendly nature, although as an active hound they do need regular exercise. A Cirneco should measure from 43-51 cm (17-20in) and weigh between 10–12 kg (22-26lb). As with other breeds, those from hunting stock can lie outside these ranges.
The Cirneco dell'Etna is a small hound-type dog used in Sicily for rabbit hunting. It is found all over the Italian island and particularly in the area surrounding the active volcano, Mount Etna,where the dogs hunt on terrain formed by volcanic lava. Its presence in Sicily is noteworthy as one of the few ancient breeds that have undergone very little manipulation by man. Instead, the breed has been rigorously selected by nature for its ability to work for hours. The dog we have today is an extremely hardy breed. Affectionate and friendly, it is considered easier to train than some of its sighthound cousins. The Cirneco has been in Sicily for thousands of years. Most authors agree that the origins of the hound-type dog lie among ancient Egyptian prick-eared dogs. Bas-reliefs discovered along the Nile and dated around 4000 B.C. depict what could be the Cirneco today. Most probably, the Phoenicians spread these prick-eared, hound-type dogs as they sailed along their trade routes between Northern Africa and the Mediterranean coasts. Ancient records of hounds with upright ears and a pointed muzzle are found in many countries in that part of the world. The most vivid proof of the presence of the Cirneco dell’Etna in Sicily for at least the past 2500 years is the many coins minted between the 5th and 3rd centuries B.C. depicting exemplars of the breed. In particular, the Cirneco dell’Etna is used on coins minted at Segesta, with about 150 variations. In 400 B.C., Dionysus was said to have built a temple dedicated to the God Adranos on the south-western slope of the volcano, just outside the city of Adrano. Many dogs were bred there and legend claims that a thousand Cirnechi guarded the temple.The Cirneco was rarely seen and little known outside Sicily until 1932. Now Cirnechi have also been exported to many European countries where their elegant conformation has helped make them a success in the show ring and many have become FCI International Show Champions. The dog's affectionate temperament and adaptability make it an excellent family companion.
El cirneco del Etna es una raza de perro oriunda de Sicilia. Este tipo de lebrel de pequeño tamaño forma parte de un conjunto de razas caninas del Mediterráneo cuyo origen se encuentra en Egipto, y entre las que se encuentra el podenco Ibicenco. Se trata de un perro adaptado a terrenos difíciles, apto para la caza de conejos y liebres.Los machos miden entre 46 y 50 cm, y pesan de 10 a 12 kg, y las hembras miden entre 42 y 46 cm, pesando de 8 a 10 kg. La cabeza es alargada y estrecha y el hocico afilado y puntiagudo, con un stop muy poco pronunciado. La trufa es de color marrón claro, y los ojos, pequeños, pueden ser ocre claro, ámbar o grises. Las orejas, erguidas, son triangulares y puntiagudas, y están implantadas altas. El lomo es recto y largo, y el pecho no demasiado amplio, con la musculatura pectoral poco desarrollada, al contrario que las patas, fuertes y con una musculatura bien desarrollada. La cola, implantada baja, es gruesa y de diámetro uniforme. El manto, de color tostado o tostado y blanco, tiene un pelaje corto y espeso en la cabeza, orejas y patas y liso y semilargo en el tronco y la cola.Su nombre puede proceder del de la antigua ciudad de Cirene, donde Aristóteles, en De natura animalium, dice haber visto un perro cuya descripción coincide con la de este.Aunque parece claro que la raza es autóctona de Sicilia, es posible que fuese anterior a la civilización egipcia, y que hubiese sido llevado al norte de África por los fenicios. Esta hipótesis se vería confirmada por la existencia de una estatuilla hallada cerca de Siracusa, datada alrededor del 4000 a.c.Se encuentran representaciones del cirneco en monedas sicilianas del siglo Vl al siglo III a.c., y parece que se le tenía en gran consideración, como demuestra el hecho de que en una de las monedas halladas en la antigua ciudad siciliana de Segesta se le represente junto a una divinidad fenicia con facciones humanas. Desde entonces las características de la raza han permanecido prácticamente inalteradas, gracias en gran medida a los campesinos, que conservaron su pureza criándolo por su utilidad para cazar en las pendientes del Etna, de lava solidificada y difícilmente accesibles.
Der Cirneco dell’ Etna ist eine von der FCI anerkannte italienische Hunderasse, die von der Insel Sizilien stammt (FCI-Gruppe 5, Sektion 7, Standard Nr. 199).Frühere Studien gingen davon aus, dass der Cirneco dell'Etna von Jagdhunden abstammt, die zur Pharaonenzeit im Niltal gezüchtet wurden. Der Cirneco dell'Etna sei dann mit den Phöniziern nach Sizilien gekommen. Neueste Untersuchungen unterstützen allerdings eine andere Theorie: Der Cineco dell'Etna stammt ursprünglich aus Sizilien und lebte an den Abhängen des Ätna. Münzen und Gravuren aus der römischen Epoche belegen, dass Hunde dieses Typs bereits vor Christi Geburt auf Sizilien vorkamen.
Der Cirneco dell'Etna ist mittelgroß (bis zu 50 cm und bis zu 12 kg schwer), quadratisch gebaut, schlank, aber dennoch widerstandsfähig und robust. Das Fell ist kurz, sehr glatt und fest. Dabei ist das Fell auf dem Rumpf und der Rute ungefähr 3 cm lang. Die Fellfarbe ist falbfarben, von intensiv bis verwaschen, wie isabell-sandfarben. Weiße oder gescheckte Exemplare können vorkommen; in der Regel weist der Cirneco dell'Etna jedoch nur geringe weiße Abzeichen auf.Die Ohren sind auffällig groß und stehend typisch wie auch bei den Podencos.Der Cirneco dell'Etna wird zur Jagd auf Wildkaninchen verwendet. Sein Verbreitungsgebiet umfasst vor allem die Region um den Ätna, an dessen Abhängen er die Kaninchen im Gebüsch und Geröll aufstöbert. Er treibt die Kaninchen aus ihren Verstecken hervor, so dass die Jäger zum Schuss kommen können.
Le Cirneco de l'Etna (Cirneco dell’Etna) est un chien originaire de Sicile. La Fédération cynologique internationale l'a répertorié dans le groupe 5, section 7, standard n° 199.
Cirneco de l'Etna.....Chien de type lévrier bien qu'il soit classé dans le groupe 5. Chien adapté aux terrains difficiles qui chasse le lapin sauvage.Chien de nationalité italienne primitif qui descendrait des chiens de l’époque des Pharaons. Mais il pourrait s’agir d’une race autochtone d’origine sicilienne.
O cirneco do Etna (em italiano: Cirneco dell’Etna) é uma raça quase desconhecida fora da Itália, já que permaneceu isolada na Sicília por praticamente 2 000 anos. Em 1939 foi reconhecida como raça. Comum aos cães de raças antigas, estes têm dificuldade de adaptação ao mundo urbano, pois precisam de constante atividade e são difíceis de adestrar, embora sejam vistos como animais muito fiéis. Podendo pesar até 12 kg, tem como peculiaridade as grandes orelhas largas e eretas, o longo pescoço e a cabeça estreita.
Сицилийская борзая или Чирнеко дель Этна — порода собак. Происходит с Сицилии. Изначально выращивалась для охоты на зайца. Классические исследования собачьих пород, распространенных в Средиземноморском регионе, пришли к заключению, что Чирнеко Дель Этна происходят от античных охотничьих собак, выведенных в долине Нила в эпоху фараонов, собак, получивших достигших Сицилии благодаря Финикийцам. Но согласно последним исследованиям получила одобрения теория, согласно которой эта порода имеет непосредственно сицилийское происхождение, зародившись в окрестностях Этны. Монеты и гравюры доказывают, что Чирнеки существовали в этом регионе за много веков до нашей эр Собака примитивного типа, элегантного и утонченного сложения, среднего размера, не громоздкая, сильная и крепкая. По морфологическому сложению — собака удлиненных линий, легкого сложения; квадратного формата; шерсть тонкая.
Охотничья собака, выведенная для охоты на кролика по сложной местности; обладает большим темпераментом, но в то же время мягкая и привязчивая.
Cirneco dell’etna on italialainen koirarotu. Se on vinttikoiran tyyppinen pystykorvainen, alkukantainen ja harvinainen rotu. Cirneco dell’etnan tarkka alkuperä jää hämärän peittoon, mutta se on hyvin vanha rotu ja muuttunut vuosisatojen saatossa vain vähän. Rotu on saanut olla melko rauhassa, ja vasta viime vuosina sen jalostukseen on puututtu.Rotu on nykyisin lähinnä seura- ja harrastekoira. Italiassa sitä käytetään yhä villikaniinien metsästykseen. Cirneco on nopea koira, ja ketteränä se pystyy vaihtamaan suuntaa nopeasti esimerkiksi metsästyksen aikana. Cirneco käyttää metsästäessään kuuloaan, näköään ja hajuaistiaan.Cirneco dell’etna on luonteeltaan temperamenttinen, eloisa, ystävällinen, iloinen ja leikkisä koira. Cirnecon leikkisyys säilyy yleensä vanhoihin päiviin asti. Cirneco on myös hyvin läheisyyttä rakastava koira, ja sen lempipaikka onkin yleensä kainalossa sohvalla tai peiton alla omistajansa vieressä. Cirneco kiintyy voimakkaasti perheeseensä ja tulee yleensä hyvin toimeen ystävällisenä ja lempeänä koirana kaikenikäisten ihmisten kanssa. Miellyttämisenhalua cirnecolla ei ole kovin paljon, joten ilman hyvää motivointikeinoa se ei välttämättä aina tottele ainakaan ensimmäisellä käskyllä. Cirnecolla on kuitenkin miellyttämisenhalua enemmän kuin yleensä vinttikoirilla. Cirneco tarvitsee johdonmukaisen ja määrätietoisen peruskasvatuksen.
Cirneco dell’etna on ikivanha rotu, jonka juuret johtavat 1000-luvulle ennen ajanlaskun alkua. Joidenkin mielestä se polveutuu Egyptin viimeisten dynastioiden faaraoiden koirista ja niistä koirista, joita foinikialaiset kauppiaat toivat Italiaan. Tutkimukset antavat aiheen olettaa, että se olisi Sisilian alkuperäisrotu. Cirneconnäköisiä korkokuvia on löydetty faaraoiden haudoista, mm. Luxorista ja Ben-Hassanista. Sisiliasta on myös löydetty 45 cm korkea luuranko, joka muistuttaa cirnecoa suuresti. Luuranko on paikallistettu vuoteen 1400 eaa. Nykyisin kyseinen luuranko on nähtävissä Pigorini-museossa Roomassa. Myös vanhoista Sisiliasta löytyneistä kolikoista on löydetty cirnecoa esittäviä koiran kuvia.
Il cirneco dell'Etna è un cane appartenente ad una razza molto antica, che ha subito poche manipolazioni nel corso dei secoli.Le origini del cirneco risalgono al 1000 a.C. Si dice che questa razza derivi dai cani dei Faraoni egiziani delle ultime dinastie e da cani importati in Sicilia dai commercianti fenici. Successivi studi hanno indicato che molto probabilmente il Cirneco è una razza autoctona siciliana.Il cirneco dell'Etna appartiene alla classe dei cani da caccia di tipo primitivo; è un animale molto veloce e per questo viene utilizzato soprattutto nella caccia al coniglio selvatico e alla lepre.Si presenta con una figura molto snella, con gambe lunghe, orecchie dritte e con un corpo muscoloso ma nello stesso tempo molto elegante. Ha un fiuto eccezionale ed è agilissimo nel cambiare direzione durante l'inseguimento della preda. Da notare che, sebbene l'aspetto del cirneco ricordi quello dei levrieri, non caccia a vista ma usa l'olfatto, come un cane da cerca; secondo la classificazione della Federazione Cinologica Internazionale (F.C.I.), tutti i cani appartenenti alla razza dei "levrieri" appartengono al 10º gruppo, mentre il cirneco è inserito nel 5º Gruppo, quello delle razze di tipo primitivo.Generalmente raggiunge l'altezza di 46-50 cm al garrese negli esemplari maschi, mentre le femmine misurano dai 42 ai 46. Il peso del maschio si aggira intorno ai 10-12 kg, mentre le femmine raggiungono gli 8-10. La lunghezza del tronco è in media uguale all'altezza al garrese: il cirneco ha dunque una costruzione quadrata. È strutturato da una massa muscolare che comprende l'80% del corpo. Si presenta snello e, se nutrito in modo adeguato, mantiene una linea elegante e slanciata.Cane velocissimo e molto agile, è capace di raggiungere persino i 40/45 km/h nella corsa.I colori del mantello del cirneco dell'Etna vanno dal sabbia dorato al cervo scuro; non necessariamente devono essere presenti macchie bianche, ma possono essercene su tutto il corpo; sebbene molto rari, ne esistono colorati di bianco arancio (come nel setter inglese) e di bianco puro (pur non essendo propriamente albino). Il colore riconosciuto dagli standard di razza è il fulvo più o meno intenso, isabella e sabbia, con lista bianca in fronte, al petto, piedi bianchi, punta della coda bianca e ventre bianco.Dotato di grande intelligenza, è generalmente indipendente e solitario. Generalmente diffidente con gli estranei, si affeziona ad un solo padrone. Si può dire che abbia le sue simpatie e antipatie a pelle: con alcuni individui non socializza e alla loro vista abbaia; con altri inizialmente si mostra aggressivo ma poi socializza e con altri ancora prova un feeling immediato e socializza subito. È un cane che per il padrone darebbe tutto se stesso.Se correttamente socializzato da cucciolo, evidenzia un carattere molto disponibile e gioioso e privo di diffidenze anche verso le persone appena conosciute.Se cresce in un ambiente familiare, dove ha ricevuto tutti gli stimoli nei confronti dell'ambiente esterno, ama essere portato a spasso e incontrare altri cani e persone, anche se sconosciuti. Se lasciato libero, soprattutto in luoghi di campagna, cambia visibilmente espressione; tutti i muscoli si tendono, ama ispezionare l'ambiente circostante e, anche se all'inizio sembra indipendente, in realtà sa sempre dove si trova il suo padrone e puntualmente ritorna sotto la sua attenzione. Prima di liberare un cirneco in un luogo aperto occorre aver rafforzato un rapporto sereno e di fiducia. Il cirneco è un cane primitivo e rispetto ad altri animali domestici, molto spesso è un soggetto che porta rancore se trattato male, non dimentica facilmente uno sgarbo subito, non sopporta di essere rimproverato con eccessiva durezza.La vita media di questo cane è molto elevata, quindici anni circa, ma esistono esemplari che vivono anche venti anni.
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Graffiti (plural; singular graffiti or graffito, the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple written words to elaborate wall paintings, and has existed since ancient times, with examples dating back to ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, and the Roman Empire (see also mural).
Graffiti is a controversial subject. In most countries, marking or painting property without permission is considered by property owners and civic authorities as defacement and vandalism, which is a punishable crime, citing the use of graffiti by street gangs to mark territory or to serve as an indicator of gang-related activities. Graffiti has become visualized as a growing urban "problem" for many cities in industrialized nations, spreading from the New York City subway system and Philadelphia in the early 1970s to the rest of the United States and Europe and other world regions
"Graffiti" (usually both singular and plural) and the rare singular form "graffito" are from the Italian word graffiato ("scratched"). The term "graffiti" is used in art history for works of art produced by scratching a design into a surface. A related term is "sgraffito", which involves scratching through one layer of pigment to reveal another beneath it. This technique was primarily used by potters who would glaze their wares and then scratch a design into them. In ancient times graffiti were carved on walls with a sharp object, although sometimes chalk or coal were used. The word originates from Greek γράφειν—graphein—meaning "to write".
The term graffiti originally referred to the inscriptions, figure drawings, and such, found on the walls of ancient sepulchres or ruins, as in the Catacombs of Rome or at Pompeii. Historically, these writings were not considered vanadlism, which today is considered part of the definition of graffiti.
The only known source of the Safaitic language, an ancient form of Arabic, is from graffiti: inscriptions scratched on to the surface of rocks and boulders in the predominantly basalt desert of southern Syria, eastern Jordan and northern Saudi Arabia. Safaitic dates from the first century BC to the fourth century AD.
Some of the oldest cave paintings in the world are 40,000 year old ones found in Australia. The oldest written graffiti was found in ancient Rome around 2500 years ago. Most graffiti from the time was boasts about sexual experiences Graffiti in Ancient Rome was a form of communication, and was not considered vandalism.
Ancient tourists visiting the 5th-century citadel at Sigiriya in Sri Lanka write their names and commentary over the "mirror wall", adding up to over 1800 individual graffiti produced there between the 6th and 18th centuries. Most of the graffiti refer to the frescoes of semi-nude females found there. One reads:
Wet with cool dew drops
fragrant with perfume from the flowers
came the gentle breeze
jasmine and water lily
dance in the spring sunshine
side-long glances
of the golden-hued ladies
stab into my thoughts
heaven itself cannot take my mind
as it has been captivated by one lass
among the five hundred I have seen here.
Among the ancient political graffiti examples were Arab satirist poems. Yazid al-Himyari, an Umayyad Arab and Persian poet, was most known for writing his political poetry on the walls between Sajistan and Basra, manifesting a strong hatred towards the Umayyad regime and its walis, and people used to read and circulate them very widely.
Graffiti, known as Tacherons, were frequently scratched on Romanesque Scandinavian church walls. When Renaissance artists such as Pinturicchio, Raphael, Michelangelo, Ghirlandaio, or Filippino Lippi descended into the ruins of Nero's Domus Aurea, they carved or painted their names and returned to initiate the grottesche style of decoration.
There are also examples of graffiti occurring in American history, such as Independence Rock, a national landmark along the Oregon Trail.
Later, French soldiers carved their names on monuments during the Napoleonic campaign of Egypt in the 1790s. Lord Byron's survives on one of the columns of the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion in Attica, Greece.
The oldest known example of graffiti "monikers" found on traincars created by hobos and railworkers since the late 1800s. The Bozo Texino monikers were documented by filmmaker Bill Daniel in his 2005 film, Who is Bozo Texino?.
In World War II, an inscription on a wall at the fortress of Verdun was seen as an illustration of the US response twice in a generation to the wrongs of the Old World:
During World War II and for decades after, the phrase "Kilroy was here" with an accompanying illustration was widespread throughout the world, due to its use by American troops and ultimately filtering into American popular culture. Shortly after the death of Charlie Parker (nicknamed "Yardbird" or "Bird"), graffiti began appearing around New York with the words "Bird Lives".
Modern graffiti art has its origins with young people in 1960s and 70s in New York City and Philadelphia. Tags were the first form of stylised contemporary graffiti. Eventually, throw-ups and pieces evolved with the desire to create larger art. Writers used spray paint and other kind of materials to leave tags or to create images on the sides subway trains. and eventually moved into the city after the NYC metro began to buy new trains and paint over graffiti.
While the art had many advocates and appreciators—including the cultural critic Norman Mailer—others, including New York City mayor Ed Koch, considered it to be defacement of public property, and saw it as a form of public blight. The ‘taggers’ called what they did ‘writing’—though an important 1974 essay by Mailer referred to it using the term ‘graffiti.’
Contemporary graffiti style has been heavily influenced by hip hop culture and the myriad international styles derived from Philadelphia and New York City Subway graffiti; however, there are many other traditions of notable graffiti in the twentieth century. Graffiti have long appeared on building walls, in latrines, railroad boxcars, subways, and bridges.
An early graffito outside of New York or Philadelphia was the inscription in London reading "Clapton is God" in reference to the guitarist Eric Clapton. Creating the cult of the guitar hero, the phrase was spray-painted by an admirer on a wall in an Islington, north London in the autumn of 1967. The graffito was captured in a photograph, in which a dog is urinating on the wall.
Films like Style Wars in the 80s depicting famous writers such as Skeme, Dondi, MinOne, and ZEPHYR reinforced graffiti's role within New York's emerging hip-hop culture. Although many officers of the New York City Police Department found this film to be controversial, Style Wars is still recognized as the most prolific film representation of what was going on within the young hip hop culture of the early 1980s. Fab 5 Freddy and Futura 2000 took hip hop graffiti to Paris and London as part of the New York City Rap Tour in 1983
Commercialization and entrance into mainstream pop culture
Main article: Commercial graffiti
With the popularity and legitimization of graffiti has come a level of commercialization. In 2001, computer giant IBM launched an advertising campaign in Chicago and San Francisco which involved people spray painting on sidewalks a peace symbol, a heart, and a penguin (Linux mascot), to represent "Peace, Love, and Linux." IBM paid Chicago and San Francisco collectively US$120,000 for punitive damages and clean-up costs.
In 2005, a similar ad campaign was launched by Sony and executed by its advertising agency in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Miami, to market its handheld PSP gaming system. In this campaign, taking notice of the legal problems of the IBM campaign, Sony paid building owners for the rights to paint on their buildings "a collection of dizzy-eyed urban kids playing with the PSP as if it were a skateboard, a paddle, or a rocking horse".
Tristan Manco wrote that Brazil "boasts a unique and particularly rich, graffiti scene ... [earning] it an international reputation as the place to go for artistic inspiration". Graffiti "flourishes in every conceivable space in Brazil's cities". Artistic parallels "are often drawn between the energy of São Paulo today and 1970s New York". The "sprawling metropolis", of São Paulo has "become the new shrine to graffiti"; Manco alludes to "poverty and unemployment ... [and] the epic struggles and conditions of the country's marginalised peoples", and to "Brazil's chronic poverty", as the main engines that "have fuelled a vibrant graffiti culture". In world terms, Brazil has "one of the most uneven distributions of income. Laws and taxes change frequently". Such factors, Manco argues, contribute to a very fluid society, riven with those economic divisions and social tensions that underpin and feed the "folkloric vandalism and an urban sport for the disenfranchised", that is South American graffiti art.
Prominent Brazilian writers include Os Gêmeos, Boleta, Nunca, Nina, Speto, Tikka, and T.Freak. Their artistic success and involvement in commercial design ventures has highlighted divisions within the Brazilian graffiti community between adherents of the cruder transgressive form of pichação and the more conventionally artistic values of the practitioners of grafite.
Graffiti in the Middle East has emerged slowly, with taggers operating in Egypt, Lebanon, the Gulf countries like Bahrain or the United Arab Emirates, Israel, and in Iran. The major Iranian newspaper Hamshahri has published two articles on illegal writers in the city with photographic coverage of Iranian artist A1one's works on Tehran walls. Tokyo-based design magazine, PingMag, has interviewed A1one and featured photographs of his work. The Israeli West Bank barrier has become a site for graffiti, reminiscent in this sense of the Berlin Wall. Many writers in Israel come from other places around the globe, such as JUIF from Los Angeles and DEVIONE from London. The religious reference "נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן" ("Na Nach Nachma Nachman Meuman") is commonly seen in graffiti around Israel.
Graffiti has played an important role within the street art scene in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), especially following the events of the Arab Spring of 2011 or the Sudanese Revolution of 2018/19. Graffiti is a tool of expression in the context of conflict in the region, allowing people to raise their voices politically and socially. Famous street artist Banksy has had an important effect in the street art scene in the MENA area, especially in Palestine where some of his works are located in the West Bank barrier and Bethlehem.
There are also a large number of graffiti influences in Southeast Asian countries that mostly come from modern Western culture, such as Malaysia, where graffiti have long been a common sight in Malaysia's capital city, Kuala Lumpur. Since 2010, the country has begun hosting a street festival to encourage all generations and people from all walks of life to enjoy and encourage Malaysian street culture.
The modern-day graffitists can be found with an arsenal of various materials that allow for a successful production of a piece. This includes such techniques as scribing. However, spray paint in aerosol cans is the number one medium for graffiti. From this commodity comes different styles, technique, and abilities to form master works of graffiti. Spray paint can be found at hardware and art stores and comes in virtually every color.
Stencil graffiti is created by cutting out shapes and designs in a stiff material (such as cardboard or subject folders) to form an overall design or image. The stencil is then placed on the "canvas" gently and with quick, easy strokes of the aerosol can, the image begins to appear on the intended surface.
Some of the first examples were created in 1981 by artists Blek le Rat in Paris, in 1982 by Jef Aerosol in Tours (France); by 1985 stencils had appeared in other cities including New York City, Sydney, and Melbourne, where they were documented by American photographer Charles Gatewood and Australian photographer Rennie Ellis
Tagging is the practice of someone spray-painting "their name, initial or logo onto a public surface" in a handstyle unique to the writer. Tags were the first form of modern graffiti.
Modern graffiti art often incorporates additional arts and technologies. For example, Graffiti Research Lab has encouraged the use of projected images and magnetic light-emitting diodes (throwies) as new media for graffitists. yarnbombing is another recent form of graffiti. Yarnbombers occasionally target previous graffiti for modification, which had been avoided among the majority of graffitists.
Theories on the use of graffiti by avant-garde artists have a history dating back at least to the Asger Jorn, who in 1962 painting declared in a graffiti-like gesture "the avant-garde won't give up"
Many contemporary analysts and even art critics have begun to see artistic value in some graffiti and to recognize it as a form of public art. According to many art researchers, particularly in the Netherlands and in Los Angeles, that type of public art is, in fact an effective tool of social emancipation or, in the achievement of a political goal
In times of conflict, such murals have offered a means of communication and self-expression for members of these socially, ethnically, or racially divided communities, and have proven themselves as effective tools in establishing dialog and thus, of addressing cleavages in the long run. The Berlin Wall was also extensively covered by graffiti reflecting social pressures relating to the oppressive Soviet rule over the GDR.
Many artists involved with graffiti are also concerned with the similar activity of stenciling. Essentially, this entails stenciling a print of one or more colors using spray-paint. Recognized while exhibiting and publishing several of her coloured stencils and paintings portraying the Sri Lankan Civil War and urban Britain in the early 2000s, graffitists Mathangi Arulpragasam, aka M.I.A., has also become known for integrating her imagery of political violence into her music videos for singles "Galang" and "Bucky Done Gun", and her cover art. Stickers of her artwork also often appear around places such as London in Brick Lane, stuck to lamp posts and street signs, she having become a muse for other graffitists and painters worldwide in cities including Seville.
Graffitist believes that art should be on display for everyone in the public eye or in plain sight, not hidden away in a museum or a gallery. Art should color the streets, not the inside of some building. Graffiti is a form of art that cannot be owned or bought. It does not last forever, it is temporary, yet one of a kind. It is a form of self promotion for the artist that can be displayed anywhere form sidewalks, roofs, subways, building wall, etc. Art to them is for everyone and should be showed to everyone for free.
Graffiti is a way of communicating and a way of expressing what one feels in the moment. It is both art and a functional thing that can warn people of something or inform people of something. However, graffiti is to some people a form of art, but to some a form of vandalism. And many graffitists choose to protect their identities and remain anonymous or to hinder prosecution.
With the commercialization of graffiti (and hip hop in general), in most cases, even with legally painted "graffiti" art, graffitists tend to choose anonymity. This may be attributed to various reasons or a combination of reasons. Graffiti still remains the one of four hip hop elements that is not considered "performance art" despite the image of the "singing and dancing star" that sells hip hop culture to the mainstream. Being a graphic form of art, it might also be said that many graffitists still fall in the category of the introverted archetypal artist.
Banksy is one of the world's most notorious and popular street artists who continues to remain faceless in today's society. He is known for his political, anti-war stencil art mainly in Bristol, England, but his work may be seen anywhere from Los Angeles to Palestine. In the UK, Banksy is the most recognizable icon for this cultural artistic movement and keeps his identity a secret to avoid arrest. Much of Banksy's artwork may be seen around the streets of London and surrounding suburbs, although he has painted pictures throughout the world, including the Middle East, where he has painted on Israel's controversial West Bank barrier with satirical images of life on the other side. One depicted a hole in the wall with an idyllic beach, while another shows a mountain landscape on the other side. A number of exhibitions also have taken place since 2000, and recent works of art have fetched vast sums of money. Banksy's art is a prime example of the classic controversy: vandalism vs. art. Art supporters endorse his work distributed in urban areas as pieces of art and some councils, such as Bristol and Islington, have officially protected them, while officials of other areas have deemed his work to be vandalism and have removed it.
Pixnit is another artist who chooses to keep her identity from the general public. Her work focuses on beauty and design aspects of graffiti as opposed to Banksy's anti-government shock value. Her paintings are often of flower designs above shops and stores in her local urban area of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Some store owners endorse her work and encourage others to do similar work as well. "One of the pieces was left up above Steve's Kitchen, because it looks pretty awesome"- Erin Scott, the manager of New England Comics in Allston, Massachusetts.
Graffiti artists may become offended if photographs of their art are published in a commercial context without their permission. In March 2020, the Finnish graffiti artist Psyke expressed his displeasure at the newspaper Ilta-Sanomat publishing a photograph of a Peugeot 208 in an article about new cars, with his graffiti prominently shown on the background. The artist claims he does not want his art being used in commercial context, not even if he were to receive compensation.
Territorial graffiti marks urban neighborhoods with tags and logos to differentiate certain groups from others. These images are meant to show outsiders a stern look at whose turf is whose. The subject matter of gang-related graffiti consists of cryptic symbols and initials strictly fashioned with unique calligraphies. Gang members use graffiti to designate membership throughout the gang, to differentiate rivals and associates and, most commonly, to mark borders which are both territorial and ideological.
Graffiti has been used as a means of advertising both legally and illegally. Bronx-based TATS CRU has made a name for themselves doing legal advertising campaigns for companies such as Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Toyota, and MTV. In the UK, Covent Garden's Boxfresh used stencil images of a Zapatista revolutionary in the hopes that cross referencing would promote their store.
Smirnoff hired artists to use reverse graffiti (the use of high pressure hoses to clean dirty surfaces to leave a clean image in the surrounding dirt) to increase awareness of their product.
Graffiti often has a reputation as part of a subculture that rebels against authority, although the considerations of the practitioners often diverge and can relate to a wide range of attitudes. It can express a political practice and can form just one tool in an array of resistance techniques. One early example includes the anarcho-punk band Crass, who conducted a campaign of stenciling anti-war, anarchist, feminist, and anti-consumerist messages throughout the London Underground system during the late 1970s and early 1980s. In Amsterdam graffiti was a major part of the punk scene. The city was covered with names such as "De Zoot", "Vendex", and "Dr Rat". To document the graffiti a punk magazine was started that was called Gallery Anus. So when hip hop came to Europe in the early 1980s there was already a vibrant graffiti culture.
The student protests and general strike of May 1968 saw Paris bedecked in revolutionary, anarchistic, and situationist slogans such as L'ennui est contre-révolutionnaire ("Boredom is counterrevolutionary") and Lisez moins, vivez plus ("Read less, live more"). While not exhaustive, the graffiti gave a sense of the 'millenarian' and rebellious spirit, tempered with a good deal of verbal wit, of the strikers.
I think graffiti writing is a way of defining what our generation is like. Excuse the French, we're not a bunch of p---- artists. Traditionally artists have been considered soft and mellow people, a little bit kooky. Maybe we're a little bit more like pirates that way. We defend our territory, whatever space we steal to paint on, we defend it fiercely.
The developments of graffiti art which took place in art galleries and colleges as well as "on the street" or "underground", contributed to the resurfacing in the 1990s of a far more overtly politicized art form in the subvertising, culture jamming, or tactical media movements. These movements or styles tend to classify the artists by their relationship to their social and economic contexts, since, in most countries, graffiti art remains illegal in many forms except when using non-permanent paint. Since the 1990s with the rise of Street Art, a growing number of artists are switching to non-permanent paints and non-traditional forms of painting.
Contemporary practitioners, accordingly, have varied and often conflicting practices. Some individuals, such as Alexander Brener, have used the medium to politicize other art forms, and have used the prison sentences enforced on them as a means of further protest. The practices of anonymous groups and individuals also vary widely, and practitioners by no means always agree with each other's practices. For example, the anti-capitalist art group the Space Hijackers did a piece in 2004 about the contradiction between the capitalistic elements of Banksy and his use of political imagery.
Berlin human rights activist Irmela Mensah-Schramm has received global media attention and numerous awards for her 35-year campaign of effacing neo-Nazi and other right-wing extremist graffiti throughout Germany, often by altering hate speech in humorous ways.
In Serbian capital, Belgrade, the graffiti depicting a uniformed former general of Serb army and war criminal, convicted at ICTY for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including genocide and ethnic cleansing in Bosnian War, Ratko Mladić, appeared in a military salute alongside the words "General, thank to your mother". Aleks Eror, Berlin-based journalist, explains how "veneration of historical and wartime figures" through street art is not a new phenomenon in the region of former Yugoslavia, and that "in most cases is firmly focused on the future, rather than retelling the past". Eror is not only analyst pointing to danger of such an expressions for the region's future. In a long expose on the subject of Bosnian genocide denial, at Balkan Diskurs magazine and multimedia platform website, Kristina Gadže and Taylor Whitsell referred to these experiences as a young generations' "cultural heritage", in which young are being exposed to celebration and affirmation of war-criminals as part of their "formal education" and "inheritance".
There are numerous examples of genocide denial through celebration and affirmation of war criminals throughout the region of Western Balkans inhabited by Serbs using this form of artistic expression. Several more of these graffiti are found in Serbian capital, and many more across Serbia and Bosnian and Herzegovinian administrative entity, Republika Srpska, which is the ethnic Serbian majority enclave. Critics point that Serbia as a state, is willing to defend the mural of convicted war criminal, and have no intention to react on cases of genocide denial, noting that Interior Minister of Serbia, Aleksandar Vulin decision to ban any gathering with an intent to remove the mural, with the deployment of riot police, sends the message of "tacit endorsement". Consequently, on 9 November 2021, Serbian heavy police in riot gear, with graffiti creators and their supporters, blocked the access to the mural to prevent human rights groups and other activists to paint over it and mark the International Day Against Fascism and Antisemitism in that way, and even arrested two civic activist for throwing eggs at the graffiti.
Graffiti may also be used as an offensive expression. This form of graffiti may be difficult to identify, as it is mostly removed by the local authority (as councils which have adopted strategies of criminalization also strive to remove graffiti quickly). Therefore, existing racist graffiti is mostly more subtle and at first sight, not easily recognized as "racist". It can then be understood only if one knows the relevant "local code" (social, historical, political, temporal, and spatial), which is seen as heteroglot and thus a 'unique set of conditions' in a cultural context.
A spatial code for example, could be that there is a certain youth group in an area that is engaging heavily in racist activities. So, for residents (knowing the local code), a graffiti containing only the name or abbreviation of this gang already is a racist expression, reminding the offended people of their gang activities. Also a graffiti is in most cases, the herald of more serious criminal activity to come. A person who does not know these gang activities would not be able to recognize the meaning of this graffiti. Also if a tag of this youth group or gang is placed on a building occupied by asylum seekers, for example, its racist character is even stronger.
By making the graffiti less explicit (as adapted to social and legal constraints), these drawings are less likely to be removed, but do not lose their threatening and offensive character.
Elsewhere, activists in Russia have used painted caricatures of local officials with their mouths as potholes, to show their anger about the poor state of the roads. In Manchester, England, a graffitists painted obscene images around potholes, which often resulted in them being repaired within 48 hours.
In the early 1980s, the first art galleries to show graffitists to the public were Fashion Moda in the Bronx, Now Gallery and Fun Gallery, both in the East Village, Manhattan.
A 2006 exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum displayed graffiti as an art form that began in New York's outer boroughs and reached great heights in the early 1980s with the work of Crash, Lee, Daze, Keith Haring, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. It displayed 22 works by New York graffitists, including Crash, Daze, and Lady Pink. In an article about the exhibition in the magazine Time Out, curator Charlotta Kotik said that she hoped the exhibition would cause viewers to rethink their assumptions about graffiti.
From the 1970s onwards, Burhan Doğançay photographed urban walls all over the world; these he then archived for use as sources of inspiration for his painterly works. The project today known as "Walls of the World" grew beyond even his own expectations and comprises about 30,000 individual images. It spans a period of 40 years across five continents and 114 countries. In 1982, photographs from this project comprised a one-man exhibition titled "Les murs murmurent, ils crient, ils chantent ..." (The walls whisper, shout and sing ...) at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris.
In Australia, art historians have judged some local graffiti of sufficient creative merit to rank them firmly within the arts. Oxford University Press's art history text Australian Painting 1788–2000 concludes with a long discussion of graffiti's key place within contemporary visual culture, including the work of several Australian practitioners.
Between March and April 2009, 150 artists exhibited 300 pieces of graffiti at the Grand Palais in Paris.
Spray paint has many negative environmental effects. The paint contains toxic chemicals, and the can uses volatile hydrocarbon gases to spray the paint onto a surface.
Volatile organic compound (VOC) leads to ground level ozone formation and most of graffiti related emissions are VOCs. A 2010 paper estimates 4,862 tons of VOCs were released in the United States in activities related to graffiti.
In China, Mao Zedong in the 1920s used revolutionary slogans and paintings in public places to galvanize the country's communist movement.
Based on different national conditions, many people believe that China's attitude towards Graffiti is fierce, but in fact, according to Lance Crayon in his film Spray Paint Beijing: Graffiti in the Capital of China, Graffiti is generally accepted in Beijing, with artists not seeing much police interference. Political and religiously sensitive graffiti, however, is not allowed.
In Hong Kong, Tsang Tsou Choi was known as the King of Kowloon for his calligraphy graffiti over many years, in which he claimed ownership of the area. Now some of his work is preserved officially.
In Taiwan, the government has made some concessions to graffitists. Since 2005 they have been allowed to freely display their work along some sections of riverside retaining walls in designated "Graffiti Zones". From 2007, Taipei's department of cultural affairs also began permitting graffiti on fences around major public construction sites. Department head Yong-ping Lee (李永萍) stated, "We will promote graffiti starting with the public sector, and then later in the private sector too. It's our goal to beautify the city with graffiti". The government later helped organize a graffiti contest in Ximending, a popular shopping district. graffitists caught working outside of these designated areas still face fines up to NT$6,000 under a department of environmental protection regulation. However, Taiwanese authorities can be relatively lenient, one veteran police officer stating anonymously, "Unless someone complains about vandalism, we won't get involved. We don't go after it proactively."
In 1993, after several expensive cars in Singapore were spray-painted, the police arrested a student from the Singapore American School, Michael P. Fay, questioned him, and subsequently charged him with vandalism. Fay pleaded guilty to vandalizing a car in addition to stealing road signs. Under the 1966 Vandalism Act of Singapore, originally passed to curb the spread of communist graffiti in Singapore, the court sentenced him to four months in jail, a fine of S$3,500 (US$2,233), and a caning. The New York Times ran several editorials and op-eds that condemned the punishment and called on the American public to flood the Singaporean embassy with protests. Although the Singapore government received many calls for clemency, Fay's caning took place in Singapore on 5 May 1994. Fay had originally received a sentence of six strokes of the cane, but the presiding president of Singapore, Ong Teng Cheong, agreed to reduce his caning sentence to four lashes.
In South Korea, Park Jung-soo was fined two million South Korean won by the Seoul Central District Court for spray-painting a rat on posters of the G-20 Summit a few days before the event in November 2011. Park alleged that the initial in "G-20" sounds like the Korean word for "rat", but Korean government prosecutors alleged that Park was making a derogatory statement about the president of South Korea, Lee Myung-bak, the host of the summit. This case led to public outcry and debate on the lack of government tolerance and in support of freedom of expression. The court ruled that the painting, "an ominous creature like a rat" amounts to "an organized criminal activity" and upheld the fine while denying the prosecution's request for imprisonment for Park.
In Europe, community cleaning squads have responded to graffiti, in some cases with reckless abandon, as when in 1992 in France a local Scout group, attempting to remove modern graffiti, damaged two prehistoric paintings of bison in the Cave of Mayrière supérieure near the French village of Bruniquel in Tarn-et-Garonne, earning them the 1992 Ig Nobel Prize in archeology.
In September 2006, the European Parliament directed the European Commission to create urban environment policies to prevent and eliminate dirt, litter, graffiti, animal excrement, and excessive noise from domestic and vehicular music systems in European cities, along with other concerns over urban life.
In Budapest, Hungary, both a city-backed movement called I Love Budapest and a special police division tackle the problem, including the provision of approved areas.
The Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 became Britain's latest anti-graffiti legislation. In August 2004, the Keep Britain Tidy campaign issued a press release calling for zero tolerance of graffiti and supporting proposals such as issuing "on the spot" fines to graffiti offenders and banning the sale of aerosol paint to anyone under the age of 16. The press release also condemned the use of graffiti images in advertising and in music videos, arguing that real-world experience of graffiti stood far removed from its often-portrayed "cool" or "edgy'" image.
To back the campaign, 123 Members of Parliament (MPs) (including then Prime Minister Tony Blair), signed a charter which stated: "Graffiti is not art, it's crime. On behalf of my constituents, I will do all I can to rid our community of this problem."
In the UK, city councils have the power to take action against the owner of any property that has been defaced under the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 (as amended by the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005) or, in certain cases, the Highways Act. This is often used against owners of property that are complacent in allowing protective boards to be defaced so long as the property is not damaged.
In July 2008, a conspiracy charge was used to convict graffitists for the first time. After a three-month police surveillance operation, nine members of the DPM crew were convicted of conspiracy to commit criminal damage costing at least £1 million. Five of them received prison sentences, ranging from eighteen months to two years. The unprecedented scale of the investigation and the severity of the sentences rekindled public debate over whether graffiti should be considered art or crime.
Some councils, like those of Stroud and Loerrach, provide approved areas in the town where graffitists can showcase their talents, including underpasses, car parks, and walls that might otherwise prove a target for the "spray and run".
Graffiti Tunnel, University of Sydney at Camperdown (2009)
In an effort to reduce vandalism, many cities in Australia have designated walls or areas exclusively for use by graffitists. One early example is the "Graffiti Tunnel" located at the Camperdown Campus of the University of Sydney, which is available for use by any student at the university to tag, advertise, poster, and paint. Advocates of this idea suggest that this discourages petty vandalism yet encourages artists to take their time and produce great art, without worry of being caught or arrested for vandalism or trespassing.[108][109] Others disagree with this approach, arguing that the presence of legal graffiti walls does not demonstrably reduce illegal graffiti elsewhere. Some local government areas throughout Australia have introduced "anti-graffiti squads", who clean graffiti in the area, and such crews as BCW (Buffers Can't Win) have taken steps to keep one step ahead of local graffiti cleaners.
Many state governments have banned the sale or possession of spray paint to those under the age of 18 (age of majority). However, a number of local governments in Victoria have taken steps to recognize the cultural heritage value of some examples of graffiti, such as prominent political graffiti. Tough new graffiti laws have been introduced in Australia with fines of up to A$26,000 and two years in prison.
Melbourne is a prominent graffiti city of Australia with many of its lanes being tourist attractions, such as Hosier Lane in particular, a popular destination for photographers, wedding photography, and backdrops for corporate print advertising. The Lonely Planet travel guide cites Melbourne's street as a major attraction. All forms of graffiti, including sticker art, poster, stencil art, and wheatpasting, can be found in many places throughout the city. Prominent street art precincts include; Fitzroy, Collingwood, Northcote, Brunswick, St. Kilda, and the CBD, where stencil and sticker art is prominent. As one moves farther away from the city, mostly along suburban train lines, graffiti tags become more prominent. Many international artists such as Banksy have left their work in Melbourne and in early 2008 a perspex screen was installed to prevent a Banksy stencil art piece from being destroyed, it has survived since 2003 through the respect of local street artists avoiding posting over it, although it has recently had paint tipped over it.
In February 2008 Helen Clark, the New Zealand prime minister at that time, announced a government crackdown on tagging and other forms of graffiti vandalism, describing it as a destructive crime representing an invasion of public and private property. New legislation subsequently adopted included a ban on the sale of paint spray cans to persons under 18 and increases in maximum fines for the offence from NZ$200 to NZ$2,000 or extended community service. The issue of tagging become a widely debated one following an incident in Auckland during January 2008 in which a middle-aged property owner stabbed one of two teenage taggers to death and was subsequently convicted of manslaughter.
Graffiti databases have increased in the past decade because they allow vandalism incidents to be fully documented against an offender and help the police and prosecution charge and prosecute offenders for multiple counts of vandalism. They also provide law enforcement the ability to rapidly search for an offender's moniker or tag in a simple, effective, and comprehensive way. These systems can also help track costs of damage to a city to help allocate an anti-graffiti budget. The theory is that when an offender is caught putting up graffiti, they are not just charged with one count of vandalism; they can be held accountable for all the other damage for which they are responsible. This has two main benefits for law enforcement. One, it sends a signal to the offenders that their vandalism is being tracked. Two, a city can seek restitution from offenders for all the damage that they have committed, not merely a single incident. These systems give law enforcement personnel real-time, street-level intelligence that allows them not only to focus on the worst graffiti offenders and their damage, but also to monitor potential gang violence that is associated with the graffiti.
Many restrictions of civil gang injunctions are designed to help address and protect the physical environment and limit graffiti. Provisions of gang injunctions include things such as restricting the possession of marker pens, spray paint cans, or other sharp objects capable of defacing private or public property; spray painting, or marking with marker pens, scratching, applying stickers, or otherwise applying graffiti on any public or private property, including, but not limited to the street, alley, residences, block walls, and fences, vehicles or any other real or personal property. Some injunctions contain wording that restricts damaging or vandalizing both public and private property, including but not limited to any vehicle, light fixture, door, fence, wall, gate, window, building, street sign, utility box, telephone box, tree, or power pole.
To help address many of these issues, many local jurisdictions have set up graffiti abatement hotlines, where citizens can call in and report vandalism and have it removed. San Diego's hotline receives more than 5,000 calls per year, in addition to reporting the graffiti, callers can learn more about prevention. One of the complaints about these hotlines is the response time; there is often a lag time between a property owner calling about the graffiti and its removal. The length of delay should be a consideration for any jurisdiction planning on operating a hotline. Local jurisdictions must convince the callers that their complaint of vandalism will be a priority and cleaned off right away. If the jurisdiction does not have the resources to respond to complaints in a timely manner, the value of the hotline diminishes. Crews must be able to respond to individual service calls made to the graffiti hotline as well as focus on cleanup near schools, parks, and major intersections and transit routes to have the biggest impact. Some cities offer a reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of suspects for tagging or graffiti related vandalism. The amount of the reward is based on the information provided, and the action taken.
When police obtain search warrants in connection with a vandalism investigation, they are often seeking judicial approval to look for items such as cans of spray paint and nozzles from other kinds of aerosol sprays; etching tools, or other sharp or pointed objects, which could be used to etch or scratch glass and other hard surfaces; permanent marking pens, markers, or paint sticks; evidence of membership or affiliation with any gang or tagging crew; paraphernalia including any reference to "(tagger's name)"; any drawings, writing, objects, or graffiti depicting taggers' names, initials, logos, monikers, slogans, or any mention of tagging crew membership; and any newspaper clippings relating to graffiti crime.
Es war ein Abend mit kleiner Besetzung : Elton , Klavier & Gesang und Ray Cooper, percussion. Die einzige Tour jemals für Elton in der er keine Brille trug : Kontaktlinsen!!! Am selben Abend im Rosengarten in einem anderen Saal spielten : Whitesnake im Vorprogramm zu Thin Lizzy; Was für ein Abend! Dank Veranstalter Matthias Hoffmann konnte ich hin und her switchen um beide Konzerte zu fotografieren!! —-Together with Ray Cooper. I think this was in the Mozartsaal. At the same time in the same house in another room played Whitesnake together with THIN LIZZY. Because I knew the Concert promoter Mathias Hoffmann I could switch from one Concert to another.First and last time I saw Elton doing a concert without wearing glasses ! Amazing !
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EXPOSURE 1/60th @ F5.6 @ 400 ASA + 5/3 EV @ 20mm FX / 35mm Equivalent - 30mm DX : My apologies for image quality ...the old Sigma doesn't really talk that well to Nikons ...so this was a bit flat . Would have preferred fill in flash but I'm still getting to grips with the Metz 54 MZ4 ....the instant sunshine machine ! ....sometimes it's easier to set 1 - 2 stops lower than the camera ..on say a old Vivitar ! .
LENS : - Sigma AF 18-35mm F3.5-4.5 Aspherical
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www.phototestcenter.com/html/sigma_18-35.html
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TC Henderson Wins 2016 Elementary Battle of the Books Competition
BREVARD, NC (March 15, 2016)—Teams from Brevard, Pisgah Forest, Rosman, and T.C. Henderson Elementary Schools gathered recently at the Transylvania County Library to compete for the countywide Elementary Battle of the Books championship trophy.
In a climactic, hard-fought round-robin tournament, T.C. Henderson rose to the top of the field, defeating their closest opponent by 7 points. Brevard and Pisgah Forest tied for second in this year’s competition.
Heather Finch, media specialist and team coach for T.C. Henderson, reported that it was not without sacrifice that students performed well in the Battle of the Books.
“Our team is made up of students who have given up their lunches or many days to work together here in the school library,” said Finch. “The online practice rounds with other schools significantly helped our energetic readers to test their skills and prepare for competition.”
She added, “We already know that we have the first question of the first round in the regional battle, which is very exciting!” To answer a question, all students listen to a fact-based reference from one of the 18 books. A designated student from the team taking its turn may consult with teammates, then must recite the complete title and author’s name for the correct book. Answering incorrectly opens up a question to the other team for a steal.
Team members spent many hours during the school year preparing for the competition. They individually read from the regulation list of 18 books, up from 8-12 books in recent years’ competition at the Transylvania County level. This expanded list was daunting, and while some read the minimum of six in order to compete, other students took the challenge in stride and read all 18!
While some participants had read two or three of this year’s books prior to the season, others navigated the entire list during the school year to reach peak form for the competition. From a roster of as many as 12 students, six compete at one time for each school. Selection for the competition team at each meet is made according to the number of books each student has read.
To get ready for the county competition, teams decided how to approach the books and then participated in mock competitions at their schools during lunch and after school. Sabrina Rhodes, 4th-grade teacher at Pisgah Forest Elementary, explained that her team’s first steps were to browse the books and explore which books the team planned to start with.
“Students created flashcards and spent time memorizing authors and titles,” Rhodes said. “Students kept logs of the books they had read, and every week each student would discuss their book, plot lines, characters, and so on. In addition, they created questions to quiz each other, then we pulled questions from internet as well.”
Because of the much-longer book list, students had to be very aware of time, and make sure they reviewed books from earlier in the year to stay fresh on each book’s plot. Since some stories had similar plot lines, students had to listen carefully to questions and discussion, and make notes of differences and similarities.
Rhodes felt that this showed real dedication to the books, and their team. “Many students took personal notes at home as they read so they could review as needed. It really challenged the students to persevere and pushed them academically to succeed.”
T.C. Henderson used online practice sessions during lunch periods to help their team train competitively against students statewide. The challenge of tackling 18 new books, and taking on other teams from next door as well as across the state, motivated their team and dozens of students throughout Transylvania County Schools.
Winning the county contest earned T.C. Henderson Elementary an invitation to compete against all the Region 8 winners at the central office of Buncombe County Schools in Asheville, on Friday, April 22, starting at 10:00 a.m.
T.C. Henderson students reported that on top of the thrill of the competition itself, they were excited about a planned side trip to Fuddrucker’s to make the trip complete. The excitement wasn’t limited to the champions, either. The Pisgah Forest team gathered for one last practice the week after the competition and saluted their accomplishments with pizza, donuts, and dancing.
Officiants for this year’s Transylvania County Elementary Battle included Audrey Reneau (moderator), Director of Curriculum and Title I; Sarah Justice (scorekeeper), school librarian, Rosman High School; Amy Galloway (timekeeper), school librarian, Brevard Middle School; and Stefanie Tomlin (judge), AIG Teacher , Brevard and Pisgah Forest Elementary Schools.
In 2010, the North Carolina School Library Media Association became the sponsor for the Elementary Battle of the Books program in our state. The purpose of the program is to encourage reading in elementary school.
Because the books are drawn from fiction for young readers, plot lines often draw on very similar or closely related elements. It can be tough to recall which book features a particular episode about sons and daughters, parents, dogs, thieves, long journeys, even bicycles and balloons. Such themes may often be found in more than one book.
When asked, T.C. Henderson students reported that they might have read more books if not for taking on the list of 18 from the competition; however, these challenging books also introduced them to new authors whose works they have come to love.
The book list, chosen by the NC School Library Media Battle of the Books Committee, offers students an opportunity to read a variety of genres on different levels by prominent authors in children’s literature.
Questions are developed by the State Elementary Battle of the Books committee and delivered to each district's facilitator one week prior to the competition. Questions are kept under lock and key until the competition.
Rosman Elementary school librarian and coach Peggy Bayne noted that her students have already begun reading the books for next year's competition.
“We had a wonderful experience at this year's Battle of the Books, and many of our students will be back next year to compete. We'd also like to thank Ericka Brock, Youth Services Librarian, for our tour of the library facilities,” said Bayne.
Many students on the teams this year expressed how much fun the competition was and how they have found some favorite new authors and series to read! The book list for elementary or middle school students interested in participating next year can be found at www.ncslma.org/ebob.
Brevard Elementary: Julia Grace Hardy (4th), Ethan Huggins (4th), Brett Bradley (4th), Piper Suttles (5th), Molly Kyne (4th), Ella Leatherwood (5th), Ruby Harris (4th), Tyler Case (5th), and Coach Charlene Cali, School Librarian.
TC Henderson Elementary: Trey Galloway (5th), Caitlyn Brooks (5th), Elisabeth Qualls (4th), Tanner Burrell (4th), Chantelle Moll (4th), Marley McCall (4th), Austin Lee (4th), Ava Persons (4th), Emma Cunningham (4th), Colin Ross (4th), Garrett Gainey (4th), and Coach Heather Finch, School Librarian.
Pisgah Forest Elementary: Lucy Murray (5th), Amaya Harris (5th), Elizabeth Chapman (5th), Elizabeth Caroway (4th), Kinslee Clark (4th), Olivia Nichols (4th), Makayla King (4th), Macayle Stevens (4th), Coaches Sabrina Rhodes, Tammy Ducker, Cheryl Smith.
Rosman Elementary (L to R): Kevin Policarpo Hernandez, Jeshua Whited, Hagan Chmelar, Reagan Chapman, Emma Moretz, Arie Leonard, Olivia Dwyer, Abby McCall, Alex Moody, Daelynn Morgan, Sandy Enriquez, Chance Chmelar, Coach Peggy Bayne
© 2016, Transylvania County Schools. All rights reserved.
Between the two Boughtons along the sandstone ridge, little did I know there are three parishes, Chart Sutton, Sutton Valance and East Sutton.
As it happened I sailed past Chart Sutton without realising it was there, and there was a wedding on at Sutton Valance. But I had seen some fine hand made signs pointing to an open church, which happened to be East Sutton.
I was welcomed warmly, and once we had all agreed to how many churches in Kent I had visited, one of the wardens gave me a fine guided tour of the church.
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A knockout church that stands cheek by jowl with the red brick mansion that is now a prison with warning signs that tell you not to photograph the house whilst photographing the church! Mainly fourteenth century building but remodelled with new windows in the fifteenth. It contains much of interest although in many respects the late nineteenth century restoration which removed the plaster from the walls has created an interior unlike anything that went before. The memorials to the Filmer family are what most people come to see – from a rare 17th century brass plate to a nineteenth century marble baby the church ahs it all. The windows are mostly late 19th and early 20th century by Westlake. The post WW1 south chapel east window depicts a soldier, sailor, airmen and nurse under figures of Osmund, Edmund and Christ. The lovely font is one of the nicest thirteenth century examples around – one amazingly thin pillars. Architecturally the north chapel north window, with flamboyant tracery is the masterpiece but really it is the whole ensemble that goes to create such a welcoming and memorable space.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=East+Sutton
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EAST SUTTON.
THE next parish eastward from Town Sutton is East Sutton, having the appellation of East from its situation eastward of the two adjoining parishes of Sutton Valence and Chart Sutton, though that of Sutton, near Dover, is likewise frequently stiled East Sutton, from its situation in the eastern part of this county.
IT is a small parish, and would be but little known or frequented was it not for the residence of the Filmer family in it. It is much the same situation and soil as the last described parish of Sutton Valence, the quarry hills crossing the middle of it; the church stands near the summit of the hill, at the back of East Sutton-place, which is pleasantly situated, having a most beautiful and extensive view southward, the park lying before it, which is well cloathed with trees both of ash and oak, and has a fine piece of water in sight of the house in the lower part of it; about half a mile south-east from the manor house, about the middle of the hill, is Little Charlton, which has still the appearance of a gentleman's seat, having several good rooms in it well ornamented with stucco, fret-work, &c. and every convenience requisite for a gentleman's family, and the hospitality of former times; from the top of the hill southward it is within the Weald, a low, flat and miry country. On the other side, above the church, from the shade of the quantities of trees which spread thickly over it, that part has an unpleasant and gloomy aspect. In this part is (hartway-street, the only village in this parish, the southern side of which only, on which however almost all the houses are built, being in this parish and its northern boundary, the other side of it being in Bromfield; the rest of the houses in East Sutton, excepting the two small hamlets of Friday and Sunday-streets, being intersperted at various distances throughout it.
THIS PLACE was part of those possessions with which Odo, bishop of Baieux, was enriched by his half-brother William the Conqueror, under the general title of whose lands it is thus entered in the survey of Domesday:
The same Adam Fitzhubert holds of the bishop Sudtone. It was taxed at one suling and an half. The arable land is eight carucates. In demesne there are two, and fifteen villeins, with nine borderers, having four carucates. There is a church and ten servants, and eight acres of meadow. Wood for the pannage of fifty bogs. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, and afterwards, it was worth ten pounds, now twelve pounds, and yet it pays eighteen pounds. Leuenot held it of king Edward.
On the bishop's disgrace, which happened in 1084, about four years after the taking the above survey, this among the rest of his estates became confiscated to the crown.
In the reign of Henry the IIId, John de Salario held East Sutton (fn. 1) of Simon de Montfort, earl of Leicester; Geffry de Maitel held it in the latter end of that reign, and the beginning of the reign of king Edward the 1st, his successor was Adam de Martel, whose right to it was allowed against the king before the justices itinerant, in the 21st year of Edward I. Aymer de Valence, earl of Pembroke, was in possession of it in the beginning of the next reign of king Edward II. and died in the 17th year of it s. p. upon which his three sisters became his coheirs; of whom Isabel, married to John de Hastings, of Bergavenny, seems to have had this manor allotted to her as part of her share in the inheritance, and in his descendants, earls of Pembroke, it continued down in like manner as Sutton Valence manor before described, till on their failure of issue in king Henry the IVth's reign, Reginald, lord Grey, of Ruthyn, became entitled to it as next of kin and heir of Aymer, earl of Pembroke, but on his being taken prisoner by Owen Glendower, in Wales, king Henry IV. in his 4th year, granted licence to I obert Braybrook, bishop of London, and others, then seoffees of his several lordships, to sell this manor among others, towards raising a sum of money for his ransom. They sold it to Richard Brigge Lancaster, king at arms, who alienated it in the third year of king Henry V. to Thomas Buttiller and Thomas Bank. After which it passed into the family of Darrell, one of whom Sir Richard de Darrel, possessed it in the reign of king Edward IV.
In the first year of king Henry VIII. John York, esq. of Ramsbury, in Wiltshire, was owner of it, and in the 6th year of that reign passed it away to Richard Chetham, prior of the priory of Ledes, and it seems to have been for the use of his convent by the receipt in the exchequer, anno 8 Henry VIII. Nevertheless they had divested themselves of the possession of it before the 20th year of that reign, when Sir Henry Guldeford, knight of the garter, and comptroller of the king's houshold, owned it. He died s. p. in the 23d year of that reign, and his heirs sold this manor the next year to Richard Hill, esq. who in the 29th year of it alienated it to Thomas, lord Cromwell, and he soon afterwards exchanged it with the crown for other lands, where the fee of it remained till the king in his 37th year granted it, with its appurtenances, to John Tuston, and Stephen Reaves, to hold in capite, and they that year alienated it to Thomas Argall, who bore for his arms, Party per fess, argent and vert, a pale counterchanged; three lions heads erased gules. He procured his lands in this county to be disgavelled by the act of the 2d and 3d of Edward VI. and died possessed of it in the 6th year of that reign.
His son and heir, Richard Argall, esq. had by Mary his wife, daughter of Sir Reginald Scott, of Scots-hall, a son John, and two daughters, Catherine, wife of Ralph Bathurst, esq. of Horton Kirkby, and Elizabeth, of Sir Edward Filmer, of Little Charleton, in this parish, John Argall, esq. the son, was of Colchester, in Essex, and in the 8th year of king James I. sold this manor to his brother-in-law, Sir Edward Filmer before-mentioned, who upon that removed from his seat of Little Charleton to the manor house of East Sutton, called East Sutton-place, where he kept his shrievalty in the 13th year of that reign. The family of Filmer was originally seated at the manor of Herst, in the parish of Otterden, where Robert Filmer lived in king Edward the IId.'s reign. His descendants continued there till Robert Filmer, son of James, removed to the manor of Little Charlton, in this parish, which he had purchased of the family of Kempe, and had built a seat on it for his residence, it was antiently called Charlton-court, and had owners of its own name in the reigns of king Edward II. and III. (fn. 2) He was one of the prothonotaries of the common pleas for twenty years in the reign of queen Elizabeth, and to him Cooke, clarencieux, in 1570, granted, or rather confirmed the arms of the family, viz. Sable, three bars, and as many cinquefoils in chief, or. He died in 1585, and was buried in this church, which has ever since continued the burialplace of the family. He was the father of Sir Edward Filmer, the purchaser of this manor of East Sutton as before mentioned. (fn. 3)
He had by his wife before mentioned, nine sons and nine daughters, and died in 1629, being succeeded here by Robert, his eldest son, who was knighted by king Charles I. and resided at East Sutton. He employed his pen in defence of the rights of the crown. He was educated at Trinity-college, Cambridge, and wrote the Anarchy of a limited or mixed Monarchy; Patriarcha, or the natural Power of Kings; the Freeholder's grand Inquest, and Reflections concerning the Original of Government, besides several other tracts, all which were published after his death by his son. He was a great sufferer during the civil wars of king Charles I.'s reign, having his house here plundered ten times by the rebels, and himself imprisoned in Leeds-castle for his loyalty. He died in 1653, having married Anne, daughter and coheir of Martin Heton, bishop of Ely, by which an addition of fortune, as well as of arms, accrued to him.
He was succeeded by his eldest son, Sir Edward Filmer, gentleman of the privy chamber both to king Charles I. and II. who dying unmarried at Paris, in 1668, was succeeded in his estates by his next brother, Robert Filmer, esq. barrister-at-law, of Gray's inn, who, in consideration of his father's sufferings and loyalty to Charles I. was, on Dec. 24, 1674, created a baronet. He resided at East Sutton-place, which, as well as the park round it, he greatly augmented and improved, inclosing the whole with a stone wall. He died in 1675, leaving several sons and daughters, of whom Sir Robert Filmer, bart. his eldest son and successor, resided here, and in 1689, being the last of king James II. served the office of sheriff. He died in 1720, having married Elizabeth, daughter and coheir of Sir William Beversham, of Holbrookhall, in Suffolk, one of the masters in chancery, (fn. 4) by whom he had several sons and daughters. Beversham Filmer, esq. one of the younger sons, was of Lincoln'sinn, barrister-at law, master of the Nisi Prius office in B. R. and one of the most able conveyancers this kingdom has produced. He died unmarried in 1763, and was buried in this church, having by his last will bequeathed his estates in this county to his nephew, Sir John Filmer, bart.
Sir Edward Filmer, bart. the eldest son, resided at East Sutton, and married Mary, daughter of John Wallis, esq. of Oxfordshire, only son and heir of the learned John Wallis, D. D. Savilian professor of geometry at Oxford, and F. R. S. by whom he had twenty children, viz. eleven sons and nine daughters; of the former, John, the eldest, succeeded him in title and estate; Beversham married Dorothea, second daughter of William Henley, esq. late of Gore-court; the died in 1793, s. p. Edmund is rector of Crundall, and married Arabella-Christiana, the eldest daughter of Sir John Honywood, bart. by his first lady, by whom he has had six sons and two daughters; Francis, barrister-at-law, of Lincoln's-inn, is unmarried. Of the daughters, Dorothy, married the late Sir John Honywood, bart. He died in 1755, æt. 72, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Sir John Filmer, bart. of East Sutton, who died in 1797, æt. 84, and was buried with his ancestors in this church. He married Dorothy, daughter of the Rev. Julius Deedes, prebendary of Canterbury, by whom he had no issue. She survived him, but the title, and this manor and seat, together with the rest of his possessions in this parish, devolved to his next brother and heir, now Sir Beversham Filmer, bart. who resides here, and is the present owner of them.
BOYTON is a manor in this parish, which formerly belonged to the priory of Christ-church, in Canterbury, and continued so till the dissolution of it in the reign of king Henry VIII. when it was, together with the rest of the possessions of the priory, surrendered into the king's hands, who by his dotation-charter in his 33d year, settled this manor on his new-erected dean and chapter of Canterbury, part of whose possessions it still remains.
The lessee of this manor, in the year 1645, was Sir Robert Stapleton, bart. who held it under the ruling powers of that time, the dean and chapter being dissolved, at the yearly rent of 5l. 6s. 8d. and one pound for entertainment money to the receiver of the church.
The family of Hope have been lessees of it for many years, the present lessee being Mrs. Sarah Hope.
Charities.
STEPHEER PENDE, gent. of this parish, by deed, anno 23 Henry VIII. gave a messuage, barn, garden, and two crosts of land, containing four acres in this parish; and GEORGE USMER, gent. of this parish, by deed, anno 6 Elizabeth, gave two pieces of land, containing three acres, in this parish; and by his will, anno 8 Elizabeth, gave three pieces of land, called Randalls and Lakefield, the latter in Town Sutton, and the former in this parish, all which were given for the habitation and maintenance of the curate of this parish, but if such curate should not reside in the said messuage, then the churchwardens were to receive the rents of all the before-mentioned premises, and apply them towards the repairs of the church. And he gave by will a piece of land called Park-corner, otherwise Lodge-land, in this parish, to the intent that the churchwardens should receive the rents, and, with the assent and advice of the inhabitants, yearly distribute the same amongst the poor on Good Friday and All Holland day, by equal proportion. And he further willed, that the churchwardens should receive the rents of two pieces of land in this parish, called Huntings, to be by them bestowed, with the advice of the inhabitants, in bread, cheese, and beer, among the poor of it on St. George's and Christmas day, yearly.
DAME ELIZABETH FILMER, widow of Sir Edward Filmer, in 1638, gave 100l. to the use of the poor of this parish.
MRS. SUSAN WATTS, of this parish, widow, gave 50l. for the use of the poor, and directed, that poor antient widows should be first preferred, and most relieved, according to their necessities.
The above-mentioned sums of 100l. and 50l. having been many years placed out at interest upon a mortgage, were, in 1722, together with 10l. raised by subscription among the parishioners, and 10l. given by Sir Edward Filmer, bart. and the further sum of 25l. raised by the sale of timber growing on the lands called Huntings and Lodge-lands above-mentioned, amounting in all to 1951. laid out in the purchase of a messuage, barn, orchard, and six pieces of land in Hedcorn, upon the den of Hockenbury, purchased of one William Fleet, and now in the occupation of John Croucher, at the yearly rent of 10l. 1s. 8d. to the uses following: to pay 40s. a year to the curate of this parish, so long as he inhabited here, and demeaned himself well, and diligently served the cure, and preached four quarterly sermons as therein directed; but in default of such residency, &c. to pay one moiety of the said 40s. towards the repairs of the church, and the other moiety, together with all the residue of the rents of the said Hockenbury farm, to the use of the poor.
SIR ROBERT FILMER, bart. gave by will in 1703, a piece of land, the yearly produce of it to be given in wheat, among eight of the poorest inhabitants at Christmas, vested in Sir John Filmer, bart. and now of the annual produce of 20s.
The number of poor relieved constantly are about twentyfive, casually about ten.
EAST SUTTON is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Sutton.
The church is dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul. It is not a large building, and has a square tower at the west end of it. It is kept remarkably neat, and in good repair. The grave-stones of the Filmers in it are a complete series of this family, from the time of their coming to reside in this parish. All the brasses on them are perfect. The grave-stone over Sir Edward Filmer, who died in 1629, within the altar rails, is very curious, having an entire sheet of copper over it, with the portraits of himself, his wife, and his numberous issue, engraved on it, and their names respectively over them, and the coats of arms and quarterings, belonging to him and his wife, at the corners of it. There is a neat bust in white marble of the late Sir Edward Filmer, bart. who died in 1755, with an inscription to his memory against the wall, over the pew where the family sit.
The church of Sutton was antiently part of the possessions of the priory of Leeds, to which it was appropraited, and the duty of it was first served by a chaplain, appointed by the prior and convent, at whose request it was afterwards united to the adjoining church of Town Sutton, of their patronage likewise, to which it has been ever since esteemed as a chapel.
On the dissolution of the priory of Leeds, in the reign of Henry VIII the parsonage appropriate of East Sutton came into the hands of the crown, as did likewise the patronage of the church of Town Sutton, with the chapel of East Sutton annexed, where they did not continue long; for the king settled them both, in his 32d year, on his new-erected dean and chapter of Rochester, with whom they remain at this time.
The parsonage has been for many years held in lease, by the family of Filmer; the present interest of the lease being vested in Sir Beversham Filmer, baronet.
The vicar of Town Sutton serves the cure of this church, as a chapel annexed to it, and as such is entitled to the vicarial profits of this parish, in right of his vicarage.
The church of East Sutton is not valued in the king's books, being included in that of Town Sutton.
¶On the abolition of deans and chapters, after the death of Charles I. this parsonage was surveyed in 1649, when it was returned, that the parsonage, late belonging to the late dean and chapter of Rochester, consisted of a parsonage house, and all tithes, and the glebe land lying together, containing forty-three acres and two roods, at the improved rent of seventy-five pounds; also seventeen acres more of glebe land, let at fifteen pounds per annum; all which premises were let by the late dean and chapter, anno 13 Charles I. to Sir Robert Filmer, for twenty-one years, at the yearly rent of ten pounds, and of two good capons, or four shillings in money, so there remained a clear rent of 79l. 16s. per annum; and that the lessee repaired the chancel of this church; out of which lease the vicarage was excepted, then worth twenty pounds per annum.
The lessee of the parsonage claims the tithes of all corn, hops, and grass, growing in this parish. In the reign of queen Anne these tithes were estimated at upwards of eighty pounds per annum; besides which, the glebe land belonging to it, was let at fifty pounds per annum.
In 1648 the communicants of this parish were one hundred and thirty.
The small tithes and other emoluments of this benefice, in the beginning of queen Anne's reign were estimated at eighteen pounds per annum, there being no glebe land belonging to it.
The land given and devised by Stephen Pende and George Ulmer, as before mentioned, was worth ten pounds per annum, in the above reign, and seems to have been intended for the better performance of divine service in this church every Sunday; before which, the vicar of Sutton Valence used to perform it here but once or twice in a quarter of a year. From the year 1648 to 1680, the parishioners bestowed the above income on the repairs of the church; but since that time, the vicar of Sutton Valence has generally had it, in consequence of which, he preaches here and at Sutton Valence alternately on a Sunday, morning and afternoon.
A list of the vicars of Sutton Valence, or Town Sutton, with this chapel of East Sutton annexed, has been already given in the description of that parish.
The Pirates! Band of Misfits Premieres In Sydney Australia; Hugh Grant Walks Red Carpet
British movie star Hugh Grant arrived in Sydney yesterday, without too much attention, one day ahead of time for his involvement in the Australian premiere of The Pirates! Band of Misfits.
The 51-year-old actor, who recently became a dad, is in Sydney to promote his new animated movie The Pirates! Band Of Misfits, which this afternoon enjoyed its red carpet premiere at Event Cinemas at George St.
"I feel great," Mr Grant told Rupert Murdoch's News Limited. "I've got old friends I'm going to catch up with while I'm here."
Perhaps he's best known for his lead in The Four Weddings And A Funeral movie, but he's keen to become better known for more serious and dark roles.
Mr Grant became a dad to a baby Tabitha, last October, after a "fleeting affair" with Chinese actress Tinglan Hong.
He recently said of fatherhood: "I like my daughter very much. Has she changed my life? I'm not sure. Not yet. Not massively, no. But I'm absolutely thrilled to have had her - I really am.
"And I feel a better person."
Grant is also the godfather to ex Liz Hurley's nine-year-old son Damian, who he took to the London premiere of The Pirates! on March 21.
Band of Misfits is the Brit's his first shot at a role in an animated feature.
The movie, which was created by the makers of Wallace and Gromit and Chicken Run, stars Grant as the enthusiastic, although not very successful, Pirate Captain.
Grant said preparing for the role should have been more soothing but he still managed to get himself into a panic before the recording sessions.
"(I) did a lot of rehearsal in my kitchen," he told media on the red carpet.
"I always find I was very good in my kitchen.
"I think it was partly because ... the room had a lot of echo which is very good for a pirate's deep voice.
"(But) then I get into the recording studio, which has a very dead silence (and) I thought, 'Oh, it's not working'."
Pitch...
Pirate Captain sets out on a mission to defeat his rivals Black Bellamy and Cutlass Liz for the Pirate of the year Award. The quest takes Captain and his crew from the shores of Blood Island to the foggy streets of Victorian London.
Directors: Peter Lord, Jeff Newitt
Writers: Hamish McColl (screenplay), Gideon Defoe (book)
Stars: Hugh Grant, Salma Hayek and Jeremy Piven
Websites
The Pirates! Band of Misfits
Sony Pictures Animation
Event Cinemas
Eva Rinaldi Photography Flickr
www.flickr.com/evarinaldiphotography
Eva Rinaldi Photography
Graffiti (plural; singular graffiti or graffito, the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple written words to elaborate wall paintings, and has existed since ancient times, with examples dating back to ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, and the Roman Empire (see also mural).
Graffiti is a controversial subject. In most countries, marking or painting property without permission is considered by property owners and civic authorities as defacement and vandalism, which is a punishable crime, citing the use of graffiti by street gangs to mark territory or to serve as an indicator of gang-related activities. Graffiti has become visualized as a growing urban "problem" for many cities in industrialized nations, spreading from the New York City subway system and Philadelphia in the early 1970s to the rest of the United States and Europe and other world regions
"Graffiti" (usually both singular and plural) and the rare singular form "graffito" are from the Italian word graffiato ("scratched"). The term "graffiti" is used in art history for works of art produced by scratching a design into a surface. A related term is "sgraffito", which involves scratching through one layer of pigment to reveal another beneath it. This technique was primarily used by potters who would glaze their wares and then scratch a design into them. In ancient times graffiti were carved on walls with a sharp object, although sometimes chalk or coal were used. The word originates from Greek γράφειν—graphein—meaning "to write".
The term graffiti originally referred to the inscriptions, figure drawings, and such, found on the walls of ancient sepulchres or ruins, as in the Catacombs of Rome or at Pompeii. Historically, these writings were not considered vanadlism, which today is considered part of the definition of graffiti.
The only known source of the Safaitic language, an ancient form of Arabic, is from graffiti: inscriptions scratched on to the surface of rocks and boulders in the predominantly basalt desert of southern Syria, eastern Jordan and northern Saudi Arabia. Safaitic dates from the first century BC to the fourth century AD.
Some of the oldest cave paintings in the world are 40,000 year old ones found in Australia. The oldest written graffiti was found in ancient Rome around 2500 years ago. Most graffiti from the time was boasts about sexual experiences Graffiti in Ancient Rome was a form of communication, and was not considered vandalism.
Ancient tourists visiting the 5th-century citadel at Sigiriya in Sri Lanka write their names and commentary over the "mirror wall", adding up to over 1800 individual graffiti produced there between the 6th and 18th centuries. Most of the graffiti refer to the frescoes of semi-nude females found there. One reads:
Wet with cool dew drops
fragrant with perfume from the flowers
came the gentle breeze
jasmine and water lily
dance in the spring sunshine
side-long glances
of the golden-hued ladies
stab into my thoughts
heaven itself cannot take my mind
as it has been captivated by one lass
among the five hundred I have seen here.
Among the ancient political graffiti examples were Arab satirist poems. Yazid al-Himyari, an Umayyad Arab and Persian poet, was most known for writing his political poetry on the walls between Sajistan and Basra, manifesting a strong hatred towards the Umayyad regime and its walis, and people used to read and circulate them very widely.
Graffiti, known as Tacherons, were frequently scratched on Romanesque Scandinavian church walls. When Renaissance artists such as Pinturicchio, Raphael, Michelangelo, Ghirlandaio, or Filippino Lippi descended into the ruins of Nero's Domus Aurea, they carved or painted their names and returned to initiate the grottesche style of decoration.
There are also examples of graffiti occurring in American history, such as Independence Rock, a national landmark along the Oregon Trail.
Later, French soldiers carved their names on monuments during the Napoleonic campaign of Egypt in the 1790s. Lord Byron's survives on one of the columns of the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion in Attica, Greece.
The oldest known example of graffiti "monikers" found on traincars created by hobos and railworkers since the late 1800s. The Bozo Texino monikers were documented by filmmaker Bill Daniel in his 2005 film, Who is Bozo Texino?.
In World War II, an inscription on a wall at the fortress of Verdun was seen as an illustration of the US response twice in a generation to the wrongs of the Old World:
During World War II and for decades after, the phrase "Kilroy was here" with an accompanying illustration was widespread throughout the world, due to its use by American troops and ultimately filtering into American popular culture. Shortly after the death of Charlie Parker (nicknamed "Yardbird" or "Bird"), graffiti began appearing around New York with the words "Bird Lives".
Modern graffiti art has its origins with young people in 1960s and 70s in New York City and Philadelphia. Tags were the first form of stylised contemporary graffiti. Eventually, throw-ups and pieces evolved with the desire to create larger art. Writers used spray paint and other kind of materials to leave tags or to create images on the sides subway trains. and eventually moved into the city after the NYC metro began to buy new trains and paint over graffiti.
While the art had many advocates and appreciators—including the cultural critic Norman Mailer—others, including New York City mayor Ed Koch, considered it to be defacement of public property, and saw it as a form of public blight. The ‘taggers’ called what they did ‘writing’—though an important 1974 essay by Mailer referred to it using the term ‘graffiti.’
Contemporary graffiti style has been heavily influenced by hip hop culture and the myriad international styles derived from Philadelphia and New York City Subway graffiti; however, there are many other traditions of notable graffiti in the twentieth century. Graffiti have long appeared on building walls, in latrines, railroad boxcars, subways, and bridges.
An early graffito outside of New York or Philadelphia was the inscription in London reading "Clapton is God" in reference to the guitarist Eric Clapton. Creating the cult of the guitar hero, the phrase was spray-painted by an admirer on a wall in an Islington, north London in the autumn of 1967. The graffito was captured in a photograph, in which a dog is urinating on the wall.
Films like Style Wars in the 80s depicting famous writers such as Skeme, Dondi, MinOne, and ZEPHYR reinforced graffiti's role within New York's emerging hip-hop culture. Although many officers of the New York City Police Department found this film to be controversial, Style Wars is still recognized as the most prolific film representation of what was going on within the young hip hop culture of the early 1980s. Fab 5 Freddy and Futura 2000 took hip hop graffiti to Paris and London as part of the New York City Rap Tour in 1983
Commercialization and entrance into mainstream pop culture
Main article: Commercial graffiti
With the popularity and legitimization of graffiti has come a level of commercialization. In 2001, computer giant IBM launched an advertising campaign in Chicago and San Francisco which involved people spray painting on sidewalks a peace symbol, a heart, and a penguin (Linux mascot), to represent "Peace, Love, and Linux." IBM paid Chicago and San Francisco collectively US$120,000 for punitive damages and clean-up costs.
In 2005, a similar ad campaign was launched by Sony and executed by its advertising agency in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Miami, to market its handheld PSP gaming system. In this campaign, taking notice of the legal problems of the IBM campaign, Sony paid building owners for the rights to paint on their buildings "a collection of dizzy-eyed urban kids playing with the PSP as if it were a skateboard, a paddle, or a rocking horse".
Tristan Manco wrote that Brazil "boasts a unique and particularly rich, graffiti scene ... [earning] it an international reputation as the place to go for artistic inspiration". Graffiti "flourishes in every conceivable space in Brazil's cities". Artistic parallels "are often drawn between the energy of São Paulo today and 1970s New York". The "sprawling metropolis", of São Paulo has "become the new shrine to graffiti"; Manco alludes to "poverty and unemployment ... [and] the epic struggles and conditions of the country's marginalised peoples", and to "Brazil's chronic poverty", as the main engines that "have fuelled a vibrant graffiti culture". In world terms, Brazil has "one of the most uneven distributions of income. Laws and taxes change frequently". Such factors, Manco argues, contribute to a very fluid society, riven with those economic divisions and social tensions that underpin and feed the "folkloric vandalism and an urban sport for the disenfranchised", that is South American graffiti art.
Prominent Brazilian writers include Os Gêmeos, Boleta, Nunca, Nina, Speto, Tikka, and T.Freak. Their artistic success and involvement in commercial design ventures has highlighted divisions within the Brazilian graffiti community between adherents of the cruder transgressive form of pichação and the more conventionally artistic values of the practitioners of grafite.
Graffiti in the Middle East has emerged slowly, with taggers operating in Egypt, Lebanon, the Gulf countries like Bahrain or the United Arab Emirates, Israel, and in Iran. The major Iranian newspaper Hamshahri has published two articles on illegal writers in the city with photographic coverage of Iranian artist A1one's works on Tehran walls. Tokyo-based design magazine, PingMag, has interviewed A1one and featured photographs of his work. The Israeli West Bank barrier has become a site for graffiti, reminiscent in this sense of the Berlin Wall. Many writers in Israel come from other places around the globe, such as JUIF from Los Angeles and DEVIONE from London. The religious reference "נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן" ("Na Nach Nachma Nachman Meuman") is commonly seen in graffiti around Israel.
Graffiti has played an important role within the street art scene in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), especially following the events of the Arab Spring of 2011 or the Sudanese Revolution of 2018/19. Graffiti is a tool of expression in the context of conflict in the region, allowing people to raise their voices politically and socially. Famous street artist Banksy has had an important effect in the street art scene in the MENA area, especially in Palestine where some of his works are located in the West Bank barrier and Bethlehem.
There are also a large number of graffiti influences in Southeast Asian countries that mostly come from modern Western culture, such as Malaysia, where graffiti have long been a common sight in Malaysia's capital city, Kuala Lumpur. Since 2010, the country has begun hosting a street festival to encourage all generations and people from all walks of life to enjoy and encourage Malaysian street culture.
The modern-day graffitists can be found with an arsenal of various materials that allow for a successful production of a piece. This includes such techniques as scribing. However, spray paint in aerosol cans is the number one medium for graffiti. From this commodity comes different styles, technique, and abilities to form master works of graffiti. Spray paint can be found at hardware and art stores and comes in virtually every color.
Stencil graffiti is created by cutting out shapes and designs in a stiff material (such as cardboard or subject folders) to form an overall design or image. The stencil is then placed on the "canvas" gently and with quick, easy strokes of the aerosol can, the image begins to appear on the intended surface.
Some of the first examples were created in 1981 by artists Blek le Rat in Paris, in 1982 by Jef Aerosol in Tours (France); by 1985 stencils had appeared in other cities including New York City, Sydney, and Melbourne, where they were documented by American photographer Charles Gatewood and Australian photographer Rennie Ellis
Tagging is the practice of someone spray-painting "their name, initial or logo onto a public surface" in a handstyle unique to the writer. Tags were the first form of modern graffiti.
Modern graffiti art often incorporates additional arts and technologies. For example, Graffiti Research Lab has encouraged the use of projected images and magnetic light-emitting diodes (throwies) as new media for graffitists. yarnbombing is another recent form of graffiti. Yarnbombers occasionally target previous graffiti for modification, which had been avoided among the majority of graffitists.
Theories on the use of graffiti by avant-garde artists have a history dating back at least to the Asger Jorn, who in 1962 painting declared in a graffiti-like gesture "the avant-garde won't give up"
Many contemporary analysts and even art critics have begun to see artistic value in some graffiti and to recognize it as a form of public art. According to many art researchers, particularly in the Netherlands and in Los Angeles, that type of public art is, in fact an effective tool of social emancipation or, in the achievement of a political goal
In times of conflict, such murals have offered a means of communication and self-expression for members of these socially, ethnically, or racially divided communities, and have proven themselves as effective tools in establishing dialog and thus, of addressing cleavages in the long run. The Berlin Wall was also extensively covered by graffiti reflecting social pressures relating to the oppressive Soviet rule over the GDR.
Many artists involved with graffiti are also concerned with the similar activity of stenciling. Essentially, this entails stenciling a print of one or more colors using spray-paint. Recognized while exhibiting and publishing several of her coloured stencils and paintings portraying the Sri Lankan Civil War and urban Britain in the early 2000s, graffitists Mathangi Arulpragasam, aka M.I.A., has also become known for integrating her imagery of political violence into her music videos for singles "Galang" and "Bucky Done Gun", and her cover art. Stickers of her artwork also often appear around places such as London in Brick Lane, stuck to lamp posts and street signs, she having become a muse for other graffitists and painters worldwide in cities including Seville.
Graffitist believes that art should be on display for everyone in the public eye or in plain sight, not hidden away in a museum or a gallery. Art should color the streets, not the inside of some building. Graffiti is a form of art that cannot be owned or bought. It does not last forever, it is temporary, yet one of a kind. It is a form of self promotion for the artist that can be displayed anywhere form sidewalks, roofs, subways, building wall, etc. Art to them is for everyone and should be showed to everyone for free.
Graffiti is a way of communicating and a way of expressing what one feels in the moment. It is both art and a functional thing that can warn people of something or inform people of something. However, graffiti is to some people a form of art, but to some a form of vandalism. And many graffitists choose to protect their identities and remain anonymous or to hinder prosecution.
With the commercialization of graffiti (and hip hop in general), in most cases, even with legally painted "graffiti" art, graffitists tend to choose anonymity. This may be attributed to various reasons or a combination of reasons. Graffiti still remains the one of four hip hop elements that is not considered "performance art" despite the image of the "singing and dancing star" that sells hip hop culture to the mainstream. Being a graphic form of art, it might also be said that many graffitists still fall in the category of the introverted archetypal artist.
Banksy is one of the world's most notorious and popular street artists who continues to remain faceless in today's society. He is known for his political, anti-war stencil art mainly in Bristol, England, but his work may be seen anywhere from Los Angeles to Palestine. In the UK, Banksy is the most recognizable icon for this cultural artistic movement and keeps his identity a secret to avoid arrest. Much of Banksy's artwork may be seen around the streets of London and surrounding suburbs, although he has painted pictures throughout the world, including the Middle East, where he has painted on Israel's controversial West Bank barrier with satirical images of life on the other side. One depicted a hole in the wall with an idyllic beach, while another shows a mountain landscape on the other side. A number of exhibitions also have taken place since 2000, and recent works of art have fetched vast sums of money. Banksy's art is a prime example of the classic controversy: vandalism vs. art. Art supporters endorse his work distributed in urban areas as pieces of art and some councils, such as Bristol and Islington, have officially protected them, while officials of other areas have deemed his work to be vandalism and have removed it.
Pixnit is another artist who chooses to keep her identity from the general public. Her work focuses on beauty and design aspects of graffiti as opposed to Banksy's anti-government shock value. Her paintings are often of flower designs above shops and stores in her local urban area of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Some store owners endorse her work and encourage others to do similar work as well. "One of the pieces was left up above Steve's Kitchen, because it looks pretty awesome"- Erin Scott, the manager of New England Comics in Allston, Massachusetts.
Graffiti artists may become offended if photographs of their art are published in a commercial context without their permission. In March 2020, the Finnish graffiti artist Psyke expressed his displeasure at the newspaper Ilta-Sanomat publishing a photograph of a Peugeot 208 in an article about new cars, with his graffiti prominently shown on the background. The artist claims he does not want his art being used in commercial context, not even if he were to receive compensation.
Territorial graffiti marks urban neighborhoods with tags and logos to differentiate certain groups from others. These images are meant to show outsiders a stern look at whose turf is whose. The subject matter of gang-related graffiti consists of cryptic symbols and initials strictly fashioned with unique calligraphies. Gang members use graffiti to designate membership throughout the gang, to differentiate rivals and associates and, most commonly, to mark borders which are both territorial and ideological.
Graffiti has been used as a means of advertising both legally and illegally. Bronx-based TATS CRU has made a name for themselves doing legal advertising campaigns for companies such as Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Toyota, and MTV. In the UK, Covent Garden's Boxfresh used stencil images of a Zapatista revolutionary in the hopes that cross referencing would promote their store.
Smirnoff hired artists to use reverse graffiti (the use of high pressure hoses to clean dirty surfaces to leave a clean image in the surrounding dirt) to increase awareness of their product.
Graffiti often has a reputation as part of a subculture that rebels against authority, although the considerations of the practitioners often diverge and can relate to a wide range of attitudes. It can express a political practice and can form just one tool in an array of resistance techniques. One early example includes the anarcho-punk band Crass, who conducted a campaign of stenciling anti-war, anarchist, feminist, and anti-consumerist messages throughout the London Underground system during the late 1970s and early 1980s. In Amsterdam graffiti was a major part of the punk scene. The city was covered with names such as "De Zoot", "Vendex", and "Dr Rat". To document the graffiti a punk magazine was started that was called Gallery Anus. So when hip hop came to Europe in the early 1980s there was already a vibrant graffiti culture.
The student protests and general strike of May 1968 saw Paris bedecked in revolutionary, anarchistic, and situationist slogans such as L'ennui est contre-révolutionnaire ("Boredom is counterrevolutionary") and Lisez moins, vivez plus ("Read less, live more"). While not exhaustive, the graffiti gave a sense of the 'millenarian' and rebellious spirit, tempered with a good deal of verbal wit, of the strikers.
I think graffiti writing is a way of defining what our generation is like. Excuse the French, we're not a bunch of p---- artists. Traditionally artists have been considered soft and mellow people, a little bit kooky. Maybe we're a little bit more like pirates that way. We defend our territory, whatever space we steal to paint on, we defend it fiercely.
The developments of graffiti art which took place in art galleries and colleges as well as "on the street" or "underground", contributed to the resurfacing in the 1990s of a far more overtly politicized art form in the subvertising, culture jamming, or tactical media movements. These movements or styles tend to classify the artists by their relationship to their social and economic contexts, since, in most countries, graffiti art remains illegal in many forms except when using non-permanent paint. Since the 1990s with the rise of Street Art, a growing number of artists are switching to non-permanent paints and non-traditional forms of painting.
Contemporary practitioners, accordingly, have varied and often conflicting practices. Some individuals, such as Alexander Brener, have used the medium to politicize other art forms, and have used the prison sentences enforced on them as a means of further protest. The practices of anonymous groups and individuals also vary widely, and practitioners by no means always agree with each other's practices. For example, the anti-capitalist art group the Space Hijackers did a piece in 2004 about the contradiction between the capitalistic elements of Banksy and his use of political imagery.
Berlin human rights activist Irmela Mensah-Schramm has received global media attention and numerous awards for her 35-year campaign of effacing neo-Nazi and other right-wing extremist graffiti throughout Germany, often by altering hate speech in humorous ways.
In Serbian capital, Belgrade, the graffiti depicting a uniformed former general of Serb army and war criminal, convicted at ICTY for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including genocide and ethnic cleansing in Bosnian War, Ratko Mladić, appeared in a military salute alongside the words "General, thank to your mother". Aleks Eror, Berlin-based journalist, explains how "veneration of historical and wartime figures" through street art is not a new phenomenon in the region of former Yugoslavia, and that "in most cases is firmly focused on the future, rather than retelling the past". Eror is not only analyst pointing to danger of such an expressions for the region's future. In a long expose on the subject of Bosnian genocide denial, at Balkan Diskurs magazine and multimedia platform website, Kristina Gadže and Taylor Whitsell referred to these experiences as a young generations' "cultural heritage", in which young are being exposed to celebration and affirmation of war-criminals as part of their "formal education" and "inheritance".
There are numerous examples of genocide denial through celebration and affirmation of war criminals throughout the region of Western Balkans inhabited by Serbs using this form of artistic expression. Several more of these graffiti are found in Serbian capital, and many more across Serbia and Bosnian and Herzegovinian administrative entity, Republika Srpska, which is the ethnic Serbian majority enclave. Critics point that Serbia as a state, is willing to defend the mural of convicted war criminal, and have no intention to react on cases of genocide denial, noting that Interior Minister of Serbia, Aleksandar Vulin decision to ban any gathering with an intent to remove the mural, with the deployment of riot police, sends the message of "tacit endorsement". Consequently, on 9 November 2021, Serbian heavy police in riot gear, with graffiti creators and their supporters, blocked the access to the mural to prevent human rights groups and other activists to paint over it and mark the International Day Against Fascism and Antisemitism in that way, and even arrested two civic activist for throwing eggs at the graffiti.
Graffiti may also be used as an offensive expression. This form of graffiti may be difficult to identify, as it is mostly removed by the local authority (as councils which have adopted strategies of criminalization also strive to remove graffiti quickly). Therefore, existing racist graffiti is mostly more subtle and at first sight, not easily recognized as "racist". It can then be understood only if one knows the relevant "local code" (social, historical, political, temporal, and spatial), which is seen as heteroglot and thus a 'unique set of conditions' in a cultural context.
A spatial code for example, could be that there is a certain youth group in an area that is engaging heavily in racist activities. So, for residents (knowing the local code), a graffiti containing only the name or abbreviation of this gang already is a racist expression, reminding the offended people of their gang activities. Also a graffiti is in most cases, the herald of more serious criminal activity to come. A person who does not know these gang activities would not be able to recognize the meaning of this graffiti. Also if a tag of this youth group or gang is placed on a building occupied by asylum seekers, for example, its racist character is even stronger.
By making the graffiti less explicit (as adapted to social and legal constraints), these drawings are less likely to be removed, but do not lose their threatening and offensive character.
Elsewhere, activists in Russia have used painted caricatures of local officials with their mouths as potholes, to show their anger about the poor state of the roads. In Manchester, England, a graffitists painted obscene images around potholes, which often resulted in them being repaired within 48 hours.
In the early 1980s, the first art galleries to show graffitists to the public were Fashion Moda in the Bronx, Now Gallery and Fun Gallery, both in the East Village, Manhattan.
A 2006 exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum displayed graffiti as an art form that began in New York's outer boroughs and reached great heights in the early 1980s with the work of Crash, Lee, Daze, Keith Haring, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. It displayed 22 works by New York graffitists, including Crash, Daze, and Lady Pink. In an article about the exhibition in the magazine Time Out, curator Charlotta Kotik said that she hoped the exhibition would cause viewers to rethink their assumptions about graffiti.
From the 1970s onwards, Burhan Doğançay photographed urban walls all over the world; these he then archived for use as sources of inspiration for his painterly works. The project today known as "Walls of the World" grew beyond even his own expectations and comprises about 30,000 individual images. It spans a period of 40 years across five continents and 114 countries. In 1982, photographs from this project comprised a one-man exhibition titled "Les murs murmurent, ils crient, ils chantent ..." (The walls whisper, shout and sing ...) at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris.
In Australia, art historians have judged some local graffiti of sufficient creative merit to rank them firmly within the arts. Oxford University Press's art history text Australian Painting 1788–2000 concludes with a long discussion of graffiti's key place within contemporary visual culture, including the work of several Australian practitioners.
Between March and April 2009, 150 artists exhibited 300 pieces of graffiti at the Grand Palais in Paris.
Spray paint has many negative environmental effects. The paint contains toxic chemicals, and the can uses volatile hydrocarbon gases to spray the paint onto a surface.
Volatile organic compound (VOC) leads to ground level ozone formation and most of graffiti related emissions are VOCs. A 2010 paper estimates 4,862 tons of VOCs were released in the United States in activities related to graffiti.
In China, Mao Zedong in the 1920s used revolutionary slogans and paintings in public places to galvanize the country's communist movement.
Based on different national conditions, many people believe that China's attitude towards Graffiti is fierce, but in fact, according to Lance Crayon in his film Spray Paint Beijing: Graffiti in the Capital of China, Graffiti is generally accepted in Beijing, with artists not seeing much police interference. Political and religiously sensitive graffiti, however, is not allowed.
In Hong Kong, Tsang Tsou Choi was known as the King of Kowloon for his calligraphy graffiti over many years, in which he claimed ownership of the area. Now some of his work is preserved officially.
In Taiwan, the government has made some concessions to graffitists. Since 2005 they have been allowed to freely display their work along some sections of riverside retaining walls in designated "Graffiti Zones". From 2007, Taipei's department of cultural affairs also began permitting graffiti on fences around major public construction sites. Department head Yong-ping Lee (李永萍) stated, "We will promote graffiti starting with the public sector, and then later in the private sector too. It's our goal to beautify the city with graffiti". The government later helped organize a graffiti contest in Ximending, a popular shopping district. graffitists caught working outside of these designated areas still face fines up to NT$6,000 under a department of environmental protection regulation. However, Taiwanese authorities can be relatively lenient, one veteran police officer stating anonymously, "Unless someone complains about vandalism, we won't get involved. We don't go after it proactively."
In 1993, after several expensive cars in Singapore were spray-painted, the police arrested a student from the Singapore American School, Michael P. Fay, questioned him, and subsequently charged him with vandalism. Fay pleaded guilty to vandalizing a car in addition to stealing road signs. Under the 1966 Vandalism Act of Singapore, originally passed to curb the spread of communist graffiti in Singapore, the court sentenced him to four months in jail, a fine of S$3,500 (US$2,233), and a caning. The New York Times ran several editorials and op-eds that condemned the punishment and called on the American public to flood the Singaporean embassy with protests. Although the Singapore government received many calls for clemency, Fay's caning took place in Singapore on 5 May 1994. Fay had originally received a sentence of six strokes of the cane, but the presiding president of Singapore, Ong Teng Cheong, agreed to reduce his caning sentence to four lashes.
In South Korea, Park Jung-soo was fined two million South Korean won by the Seoul Central District Court for spray-painting a rat on posters of the G-20 Summit a few days before the event in November 2011. Park alleged that the initial in "G-20" sounds like the Korean word for "rat", but Korean government prosecutors alleged that Park was making a derogatory statement about the president of South Korea, Lee Myung-bak, the host of the summit. This case led to public outcry and debate on the lack of government tolerance and in support of freedom of expression. The court ruled that the painting, "an ominous creature like a rat" amounts to "an organized criminal activity" and upheld the fine while denying the prosecution's request for imprisonment for Park.
In Europe, community cleaning squads have responded to graffiti, in some cases with reckless abandon, as when in 1992 in France a local Scout group, attempting to remove modern graffiti, damaged two prehistoric paintings of bison in the Cave of Mayrière supérieure near the French village of Bruniquel in Tarn-et-Garonne, earning them the 1992 Ig Nobel Prize in archeology.
In September 2006, the European Parliament directed the European Commission to create urban environment policies to prevent and eliminate dirt, litter, graffiti, animal excrement, and excessive noise from domestic and vehicular music systems in European cities, along with other concerns over urban life.
In Budapest, Hungary, both a city-backed movement called I Love Budapest and a special police division tackle the problem, including the provision of approved areas.
The Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 became Britain's latest anti-graffiti legislation. In August 2004, the Keep Britain Tidy campaign issued a press release calling for zero tolerance of graffiti and supporting proposals such as issuing "on the spot" fines to graffiti offenders and banning the sale of aerosol paint to anyone under the age of 16. The press release also condemned the use of graffiti images in advertising and in music videos, arguing that real-world experience of graffiti stood far removed from its often-portrayed "cool" or "edgy'" image.
To back the campaign, 123 Members of Parliament (MPs) (including then Prime Minister Tony Blair), signed a charter which stated: "Graffiti is not art, it's crime. On behalf of my constituents, I will do all I can to rid our community of this problem."
In the UK, city councils have the power to take action against the owner of any property that has been defaced under the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 (as amended by the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005) or, in certain cases, the Highways Act. This is often used against owners of property that are complacent in allowing protective boards to be defaced so long as the property is not damaged.
In July 2008, a conspiracy charge was used to convict graffitists for the first time. After a three-month police surveillance operation, nine members of the DPM crew were convicted of conspiracy to commit criminal damage costing at least £1 million. Five of them received prison sentences, ranging from eighteen months to two years. The unprecedented scale of the investigation and the severity of the sentences rekindled public debate over whether graffiti should be considered art or crime.
Some councils, like those of Stroud and Loerrach, provide approved areas in the town where graffitists can showcase their talents, including underpasses, car parks, and walls that might otherwise prove a target for the "spray and run".
Graffiti Tunnel, University of Sydney at Camperdown (2009)
In an effort to reduce vandalism, many cities in Australia have designated walls or areas exclusively for use by graffitists. One early example is the "Graffiti Tunnel" located at the Camperdown Campus of the University of Sydney, which is available for use by any student at the university to tag, advertise, poster, and paint. Advocates of this idea suggest that this discourages petty vandalism yet encourages artists to take their time and produce great art, without worry of being caught or arrested for vandalism or trespassing.[108][109] Others disagree with this approach, arguing that the presence of legal graffiti walls does not demonstrably reduce illegal graffiti elsewhere. Some local government areas throughout Australia have introduced "anti-graffiti squads", who clean graffiti in the area, and such crews as BCW (Buffers Can't Win) have taken steps to keep one step ahead of local graffiti cleaners.
Many state governments have banned the sale or possession of spray paint to those under the age of 18 (age of majority). However, a number of local governments in Victoria have taken steps to recognize the cultural heritage value of some examples of graffiti, such as prominent political graffiti. Tough new graffiti laws have been introduced in Australia with fines of up to A$26,000 and two years in prison.
Melbourne is a prominent graffiti city of Australia with many of its lanes being tourist attractions, such as Hosier Lane in particular, a popular destination for photographers, wedding photography, and backdrops for corporate print advertising. The Lonely Planet travel guide cites Melbourne's street as a major attraction. All forms of graffiti, including sticker art, poster, stencil art, and wheatpasting, can be found in many places throughout the city. Prominent street art precincts include; Fitzroy, Collingwood, Northcote, Brunswick, St. Kilda, and the CBD, where stencil and sticker art is prominent. As one moves farther away from the city, mostly along suburban train lines, graffiti tags become more prominent. Many international artists such as Banksy have left their work in Melbourne and in early 2008 a perspex screen was installed to prevent a Banksy stencil art piece from being destroyed, it has survived since 2003 through the respect of local street artists avoiding posting over it, although it has recently had paint tipped over it.
In February 2008 Helen Clark, the New Zealand prime minister at that time, announced a government crackdown on tagging and other forms of graffiti vandalism, describing it as a destructive crime representing an invasion of public and private property. New legislation subsequently adopted included a ban on the sale of paint spray cans to persons under 18 and increases in maximum fines for the offence from NZ$200 to NZ$2,000 or extended community service. The issue of tagging become a widely debated one following an incident in Auckland during January 2008 in which a middle-aged property owner stabbed one of two teenage taggers to death and was subsequently convicted of manslaughter.
Graffiti databases have increased in the past decade because they allow vandalism incidents to be fully documented against an offender and help the police and prosecution charge and prosecute offenders for multiple counts of vandalism. They also provide law enforcement the ability to rapidly search for an offender's moniker or tag in a simple, effective, and comprehensive way. These systems can also help track costs of damage to a city to help allocate an anti-graffiti budget. The theory is that when an offender is caught putting up graffiti, they are not just charged with one count of vandalism; they can be held accountable for all the other damage for which they are responsible. This has two main benefits for law enforcement. One, it sends a signal to the offenders that their vandalism is being tracked. Two, a city can seek restitution from offenders for all the damage that they have committed, not merely a single incident. These systems give law enforcement personnel real-time, street-level intelligence that allows them not only to focus on the worst graffiti offenders and their damage, but also to monitor potential gang violence that is associated with the graffiti.
Many restrictions of civil gang injunctions are designed to help address and protect the physical environment and limit graffiti. Provisions of gang injunctions include things such as restricting the possession of marker pens, spray paint cans, or other sharp objects capable of defacing private or public property; spray painting, or marking with marker pens, scratching, applying stickers, or otherwise applying graffiti on any public or private property, including, but not limited to the street, alley, residences, block walls, and fences, vehicles or any other real or personal property. Some injunctions contain wording that restricts damaging or vandalizing both public and private property, including but not limited to any vehicle, light fixture, door, fence, wall, gate, window, building, street sign, utility box, telephone box, tree, or power pole.
To help address many of these issues, many local jurisdictions have set up graffiti abatement hotlines, where citizens can call in and report vandalism and have it removed. San Diego's hotline receives more than 5,000 calls per year, in addition to reporting the graffiti, callers can learn more about prevention. One of the complaints about these hotlines is the response time; there is often a lag time between a property owner calling about the graffiti and its removal. The length of delay should be a consideration for any jurisdiction planning on operating a hotline. Local jurisdictions must convince the callers that their complaint of vandalism will be a priority and cleaned off right away. If the jurisdiction does not have the resources to respond to complaints in a timely manner, the value of the hotline diminishes. Crews must be able to respond to individual service calls made to the graffiti hotline as well as focus on cleanup near schools, parks, and major intersections and transit routes to have the biggest impact. Some cities offer a reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of suspects for tagging or graffiti related vandalism. The amount of the reward is based on the information provided, and the action taken.
When police obtain search warrants in connection with a vandalism investigation, they are often seeking judicial approval to look for items such as cans of spray paint and nozzles from other kinds of aerosol sprays; etching tools, or other sharp or pointed objects, which could be used to etch or scratch glass and other hard surfaces; permanent marking pens, markers, or paint sticks; evidence of membership or affiliation with any gang or tagging crew; paraphernalia including any reference to "(tagger's name)"; any drawings, writing, objects, or graffiti depicting taggers' names, initials, logos, monikers, slogans, or any mention of tagging crew membership; and any newspaper clippings relating to graffiti crime.
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Protest-Tag gegen die neue Beta Version.
Bitte informiert euch über das neue Layout einverstanden seid, das Flickr offenbar zu realisieren plant:
www.flickr.com/photos/110293295@N04/11147629795/
Mehr Info:
"Die Beta Version wird im Moment bisher nur in den englischsprachigen Ländern eingesetzt. Für diejenigen, die sie bisher noch nicht gesehen haben, werden die Veränderungen nachfolgend im Einzelnen aufgelistet:
-Unter dem Bild gibt es keinen Platz mehr, um das Bild zu beschreiben; kein Kommentarfeld/Einladungen/Flickr Award Counter.
-Auf der rechten Seite des Bildes gibt es nur noch ein schmales Kommentarfeld, das NUR die letzten vier Kommentare anzeigt.
-weiße Schrift auf schwarzen und deprimierenden Hintergrund, der den Augen wehtut.
-es ist schwierig, Kommentare, die länger als zwei oder drei Worte sind, zu schreiben.
-Man kann nicht mehr sehen, wer das Bild favorisiert hat.
-Man kann nicht mehr sehen, in welche Gruppen das Bild gestellt wurde (nur noch 8 Gruppen)
-Awards werden nicht mehr gezeigt.
-Einladungen sind nicht mehr sichtbar (außer der letzten – bei den „Neuesten Aktivitäten“). Ältere Einladungen gehen verloren.
-Für die Gruppen-Admins wird die Arbeit sehr viel schwieriger oder wird gänzlich unmöglich.
Einige Gruppen werden schließen…und es sind die Gruppen, die unsere Bilder bisher sichtbar gemacht haben. Sie haben es uns möglich gemacht, wunderbare Arbeiten zu sehen und großartige Fotografen kennen zu lernen.
-Unsere Bildbeschreibungen einschließlich Zitate, links zu YouTube oder anderen Seiten sind nicht mehr sichtbar."
Der Info Absatz ist als 'Zitat' (ohne Quelle, ich weiß) aus ähnlichen Protest-Postings kopiert. Wieviel davon zutrifft kann ich nicht aus eigener Kenntnis sagen. Ich habe auch schon bei youtube aufgezeichnete Screenshots der beta gesehen, die halbwegs OK aussahen. Meine persönliche Meinung auf heutigem Kenntnisstand ist trotzdem, dass die erkennbaren Änderungen Käse wären und mich potentiell in Richtung 500px o.ä. vertreiben würden. Ich versteh's auch einfach nicht. Das letzte Update ist doch erst ein Jahr alt?
Don't use without permission of 4WheelsofLux.
Website: www.fourwheelsoflux.com/
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Shot with Woody, an ONDUPinhole camera, on World Pinhole Day, 24 April 2022.
Kodak Ektar 100, 5 second exposure.
Copyright © 2009 Ruggero Poggianella. All rights reserved.
Please, do not use my photos without my written permission.
Il Convento dell'Ordine di Cristo (portoghese: Convento de Cristo), o più semplicemente Convento di Cristo a Tomar, in Portogallo, fu originariamente una fortezza appartenente ai cavalieri templari costruita nel XII secolo. In seguito alla dissoluzione dell'Ordine dei templari, avvenuta nel XIV secolo, il ramo portoghese dell'ordine si trasformò nell'Ordine del Cristo che finanziò le grandi scoperte del quindicesimo secolo.
Il Convento è uno dei monumenti storici ed artistici più importanti del Portogallo, e fa parte dei Patrimoni dell'umanità dell'UNESCO dal 1983.
Nel 1118 due cavalieri francesi, Hugues de Payns e Geoffrey de Saint Omer, ottennero dal re cristiano di Gerusalemme Baldovino II il benestare per fondare un'istituzione religiosa che avesse come scopo la cura della moltitudine di pellegrini che affluivano ogni anno in Terra Santa per pregare davanti al Santo Sepolcro.
Dieci anni dopo la confraternita venne legalizzata dal Papa con la Bolla pontificia Omne datum optimum. Nel frattempo l'Ordine del Tempio era già di fatto divenuto un'importante congregazione di "monaci-cavalieri". La decisione papale, che comportava un'infinità di benefici ed esenzioni, era inoltre un'eccezionale lettera di presentazione per monarchi e governanti europei: gli appartenenti all'Ordine, denominati Templari, conobbero una vertiginosa ascesa e diventarono, grazie anche a una grande disponibilità finanziaria, una presenza chiave nella politica europea del Medioevo.
Il castello dei templari di Tomar venne costruito da Gualdim Pais, capo provinciale dell'Ordine dei Templari, attorno al 1160. Alla fine dello stesso secolo il castello venne scelto come quartier generale dell'Ordine in Portogallo. Il castello di Tomar fece parte del sistema difensivo creato dai templari per difendere i confini del neonato Regno Cristiano dall'aggressoine dei Mori, che in quel periodo (metà del dodicesimo secolo) arrivava approssimativamente al fiume Tago.
La famosa chiesa rotonda (rotunda) del castello venne eretta nella seconda metà del dodicesimo secolo. La chiesa, come altri edifici religiosi templari in tutta Europa, seguiva il progetto della Cupola della Roccia a Gerusalemme, che i crociati ritenevano erroneamente il Tempio di Salomone. Anche la Chiesa del Santo Sepolcro, anch'essa a Gerusalemme, venne usata come modello.
Secondo gli storici cristiani il castello di Tomar resistette nel 1190 agli attacchi del califfo Yaqub al-Mansur, che aveva già conquistato le fortezze del sud. Una targa nei pressi dell'entrata ricorda questi eventi.
Sede dell'Ordine di Cristo
L'ordine dei templari venne soppresso in quasi tutta l'Europa nel 1311-1312 per volere di papa Clemente V, istigato da Filippo il Bello, ma in Portogallo i suoi adepti, i beni, ed in parte la vocazione, vennero trasmessi al nuovo Ordine di Cristo, creato nel 1319 da Dionigi I. L'Ordine di Cristo si spostò a Tomar nel 1357.
Uno dei più importanti Gran Maestri dell'Ordine fu Enrico il Navigatore, che lo guidò dal 1417 fino alla morte, avvenuta nel 1460. Il principe Enrico diede enorme impulso alle spedizioni pionieristiche portoghesi durante l'era delle grandi scoperte. Nel convento il principe Enrico ordinò la costruzione di vari chiostri ed altri edifici. Sponsorizzò anche miglioramenti urbanistici nella stessa città di Tomar.
Un'altra persona famosa legata all'Ordine di Cristo fu Manuele I, che divenne Maestro dell'Ordine nel 1484 e re del Portogallo nel 1492. Sotto il suo regno vi furono numerosi miglioramenti al convento, soprattutto l'aggiunta di una nuova navata alla chiesa circolare e le decorazioni effettuate con pitture e sculture.
Il successore di Manuele I, Giovanni III, demilitarizzò l'ordine, trasformandolo in un ordine religioso con una regola basata sugli insegnamenti di Bernardo di Chiaravalle. Ordinò anche la costruzoine di un nuovo chiostro nel 1557, uno dei migliori esempi di architettura del Rinascimento in Portogallo.
Nel 1581, dopo una crisi di successione, la nobiltà portoghese si radunò nel convento e riconobbe ufficialmente Filippo II di Spagna (Filippo I del Portogallo) come re. Fu l'inizio dell'Unione Iberica (1581-1640), durante la quale il Regno del Portogallo e di Spagna furono uniti. L'acquedotto del convento venne costruito durante il regno spagnolo.
Arte ed architettura
Il castello ed il Convento di Cristo mostrano esempi di stile romanico, gotico, manuelino e rinascimentale.
Il castello di Tomar venne costruito attorno al 1160 in un punto strategico, sopra una collina e vicino al fiume Nabão. Possiede delle mura difensive esterne ed una cittadella (alcáçova) con una torre principale all'interno. L'uso della torre centrale, eretta a scopo residenziale e difensivo, venne introdotto in Portogallo dai Templari, e quella di Tomar è tra le più vecchie dello stato. Un'altra novità introdotta dai templari sono le torri rotonde che dominano le mura esterne, più resistenti agli attacchi di quelle quadrate. Quando venne fondata la città molti residenti vivevano in case situate all'interno delle mura difensive.
Chiesa rotonda
La chiesa rotonda romanica del castello (charola, rotunda) venne costruita nella seconda metà del dodicesimo secolo dai templari. La chiesa ha una struttura poligonare a sedici lati all'esterno, con contrafforti, finestre rotonde ed un campanile. All'interno ha una struttura ottagonale connessa alla galleria (deambulatorio) tramite archi. In generale la forma ricorda quella della Cupola della Roccia e della Chiesa del Santo Sepolcro di Gerusalemme.
I capitelli delle colonne sono in stile romanico (fine del dodicesimo secolo) e mostrano motivi animali e vegetali, oltre alla scena di San Daniele tra i leoni. Lo stile dei capitelli mostra influenze degli artisti che lavorarono alla Vecchia Cattedrale di Coimbra, contemporanea alla chiesa rotonda.
Gli interni sono finemente decorati con sculture e dipinti gotici/manuelini, aggiunti durante un restauro promosso da Manuele I a partire dal 1499. I pilastri dell'ottagono centrale e delle mura del deambulatorio hanno statue policrome dei santi e degli angeli sotto un baldacchino fastoso, mentre muri e soffitto del deambulatorio mostrano dipinti gotici raffiguranti la vita di Cristo. I dipinti sono attribuiti al lavoro del pittore di corte di Manuele I, il portoghese Jorge Afonso, mentre le sculture sono dell'artista fiammingo Olivier de Gand e dello spagnolo Hernán Muñoz. Un mosaico raffigurante il martirio di San Sebastiano, del pittore portoghese Gregório Lopes, venne creato per la chiesa rotonda ed attualmente è esposto presso il Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga di Lisbona.
Navata manuelina della chiesa
Durante la guida di Enrico il Navigatore (prima metà del quindicesimo secolo) venne aggiunta una navata gotica alla chiesa rotonda del convento, trasformando quindi la vecchia chiesa rotonda nell'abside di quella nuova. Dal 1510 Manuele I ordinò la ricostruzione della navata nello stile del tempo, un misto tra gotico e rinascimentale in futuro chiamato stile manuelino dagli storici d'arte.Gli architetti coinvolti furono il portoghese Diogo de Arruda e lo spagnolo João de Castilho.
Vista dall'esterno la navata rettangolare appare ricoperta da abbondanti motivi manuelini, tra cui alcuni gargoyl, guglie gotiche, statue e "corde" che ricordano quelle usate sulle navi durante l'era delle grandi scoperte, oltre ad una croce dell'Ordine di Cristo ed allo stemma di Manuele I, la sfera armillare. La finestra della casa capitolare (Janela do Capítulo), un'enorme finestra visibile dal chistro di Santa Barbara sulla facciata occidentale della navata, contiene numerosi motivi manuelini: il simbolo dell'Ordine di Cristo e di Manuele I, oltre a corde coralli e motivi vegetali. Una figura umana nella parte inferiore della finestra rappresenta probabilmente il progettista, Diogo de Arruda. Questa finestra rappresenta uno dei lavori migliori del convento tra quelli in stile manuelino. Sopra si trova una piccola finestra circolare ed una balaustra. La facciata è divisa da due corde annodate. I contrafforti ad angoli arrotondati sono decorati con giarrettiere giganti che alludono all'investitura di Manuele I avvenuta dall'Ordine della Giarrettiera per mano di Enrico VII d'Inghilterra. L'entrata della chiesa è costituita da una magnificente porta laterale, decorata anch'essa con motivi manuelini e da statue della Vergina Maria con il bambino, e dei profeti del vecchio testamento. Questo portone venne progettato da João de Castilho attorno al 1530. All'interno la navata manuelina è unita alla chiesa rotonda romanica attraverso un grande arco. La navata è coperta da un apprezzabile volta a coste ed ha un coro sfortunatamente distrutto dall'invasione delle truppe Napoleoniche all'inizio del diciannovesimo secolo. Sotto il coro si trova una stanza usata come sagrestia.
Scala a chiocciola nel chiostro di Giovanni III.
Il Convento di Cristo ha un totale di otto chiostri, costruiti nel quindicesimo e sedicesimo secolo.
Claustro da Lavagem (Chiostro della Lavanderia): chiostro gotico a due piani costruito attorno al 1433 da Enrico il Navigatore. Gli indumenti dei monaci venivano lavati in questo chiostro, da qui il nome.
Claustro do Cemitério (Chiostro del Cimitero): anche questo costruito da Enrico il Navigatore, è in stile gotico ed è il luogo di sepoltura di templari e monaci dell'Ordine. L'elegante doppia colonna di archi ha ottimi capitelli con motivi vegetali, e le mura del deambulatorio sono decorate con mosaici del sedicesimo secolo. In una tomba (circa 1523) riposa Diogo da Gama, fratello del navigatore Vasco da Gama.
Claustro de Santa Bárbara (Chiostro di Santa Barbara): costruito nel sedicesimo secolo. La finestra della casa capitolare e la facciata occidentale della navata manuelina sono ben visibili da questo chiostro.
Claustro de D. João III (Chiostro di Giovanni III): iniziato sotto Giovanni III, venne terminato durante il regno di Filippo I del Portogallo (anche re di Spagna sotto il nome di Filippo II). Il primo architetto fu lo spagnolo Diogo de Torralva, che iniziò nel 1557 i lavori che sarebbero stati portati a termine dall'italiano Filippo Terzi. Questo splendido chiostro a due piani collega il dormitorio alla chiesa, ed è considerato uno dei principali esempi di Manierismo in Portogallo. I due piani sono collegati da quattro scale elicoidali situate nei quattro angoli.
St George, Stowlangtoft, Suffolk
Given that our parish churches almost without exception underwent restorations in the 19th Century, it should be obvious that when we enter a medieval church, we are encountering a Victorian vision of the medieval. Even when the actual furnishings and fittings are medieval, the whole piece is still a Victorian conception.
Inevitably, the question arises of what was there before the restoration and what wasn't. The obvious answer is that we must assume that nothing is as it first appears.
A prime example of a church that assumes a continuity that may not actually be the truth is here in the flat fields between Woolpit and Ixworth. This part of Suffolk can be rather bleak in winter, but in summer the churchyard here is verdant and golden, as beautiful a place as any in the county. The church is large, and yet unusually narrow. It sits on a mound that has been cut down on one side by the road. In the churchyard you'll find the well-known memorial to the art critic Peter Fuller and his unborn son, killed in a car crash in 1990.
In the churchyard wall there is what appears to be broken medieval window tracery, which is worth noticing, for hereby hangs a tale.
St George is one of the great Suffolk churches. Although it may externally appear a little severe, and is by no means as grand as Blythburgh, Long Melford and the rest, it is a treasure house of the medieval inside. Unusually for a church of its date, it was all rebuilt in one go, in the late 14th century, and the perpendicular windows are not yet full of the 'walls of glass' confidence that the subsequent century would see. The tracery appears to have been repaired, and possibly even renewed, which may explain the tracery in the churchyard wall. However, it doesn't take much to see that the tracery in the wall is not perpendicular at all, but decorated. So it may be that the broken tracery is from the original church that the late 14th century church replaced. But the wall itself isn't medieval, so where had it been all those years? Is it possible that the current window tracery is not medieval at all?
Stowlangtoft church featured in Simon Jenkins' book England's Thousand Best Churches, which sends plenty of visitors to its locked door, and may help stave off the inevitable for a while, for there is no real congregation here any more and the church is moribund. Regular services are held across the fields at Pakenham, and St George is now only used on special occasions. The key is kept across the road, where the very nice lady told me in February 2018 that the church is now headed for redundancy. It seems likely that care of it will be conveyed into the hands of the Churches Conservation Trust.
You step in through the chancel door (the lock here is very awkward, but do persevere) and if you are anything like me you will head straight down to the west end where you will find the font. Likethe window tracery, it asks some questions. Unusually, it features a Saint on seven of the panels, Christ being on the westwards face. Mortlock dates it to the early 14th century, and the Saints it shows are familiar cults from that time: St Margaret, St Catherine, St Peter and St Paul, and less commonly St George. The cult of St George was at its height in the early years of the 14th century. Mortlock describes the font as mutilated, and it certainly isn't looking its best. But I think there is more going on here than meets the eye. Fonts were plastered over in Elizabethan times, and only relief that stood proud of the plaster was mutilated. These are all shallow reliefs, and I do not think they have been mutilated at all. To my eye at least, this stonework appears weathered. I wonder if this font was removed from the church, probably in the mid-17th century, and served an outdoor purpose until it was returned in the 19th century.
The story of this church in the 19th century is well-documented. In 1832, as part of his grand tour of Suffolk, David Davy visited, and was pleased to find that the church was at last undergoing repair. The chancel had been roofless, and the nave used for services. A new Rectory was being built. Who was the catalyst behind all this? His name was Samuel Rickards, and he was Rector here for almost the middle forty years of the 19th century. Roy Tricker notes that he was a good friend of John Henry Newman, the future Cardinal, and they often corresponded on the subject of the pre-Reformation ordering of English churches. It is interesting to think how, at this seminal moment, Rickards might have informed the thought of the Oxford Movement. Sadly, when Newman became a Catholic, Rickards broke off all correspondence with him.
During the course of the 1840s and 1850s, Rickards transformed Stowlangtoft church. He got the great Ipswich woodcarver Henry Ringham in to restore, replicate and complete the marvellous set of bench ends - Ringham did the same thing at Woolpit, a few miles away. Ringham's work is so good that it is sometimes hard for the inexperienced eye to detect it. However, as at Woolpit, Ringham only copied animals here, and the weirder stuff is all medieval, and probably dates from the rebuilding of the church. The glory of Stowlangtoft's bench ends is partly the sheer quantity - there are perhaps 60 carvings - but also that there are several unique subjects.
The carvings appear to be part of the same group as Woolpit and Tostock - you will recognise the unicorn, the chained bear, the bull playing a harp, the bird with a man's head, from similar carvings elsewhere. And then hopefully that little alarm bell in your heard should start to go "Hmmmm....." because some of the carvings here are clearly not from the same group. It is hard to believe that the mermaid and the owl, for example, are from the same workshop, or even from the same decade. The benches themselves are no clue, as it was common practice in the 19th century to replace medieval bench ends on modern benches, or on medieval benches, or even on modern benches made out of medieval timber (as happened at Blythburgh). Could it be that Samuel Rickards found some of these bench ends elsewhere? Could he have been the kind of person to do a thing like that?
Well, yes he could. As Roy Tricker recalls, the medieval roof at the tractarian Thomas Mozley's church at Cholderton in Wiltshire is East Anglian. Rickards acquired it after finding it in storage in Ipswich docks. It presumably came from one of the Ipswich churches. In the ferment of the great 19th century restoration of our English churches, there was loads of medieval junk lying around, much of it going begging. But was Samuel Rickards the kind of person to counterfeit his church's medieval inheritance?
Well, yes he probably was. The faux-medieval roundels in the windows of the nave are clearly not medieval at all, but were in fact the work of the young Lucy Rickards, daughter of Samuel Rickards himself. Some are clearly to the young girl's design, and Pevsner notes that others are copied from medieval manuscript illustrations in the British Museum, although the Holy Kinship and Presentation in the Temple roundels at least are very close copies of the Flemish roundels of the same subjects in Nowton church on the other side of Bury St Edmunds.
Truly medieval is the vast St Christopher wall-painting still discernible on the north wall. It was probably one of the last to be painted. The bench ends are medieval, of course, as is the fine rood-screen dado, albeit repainted. There is even some medieval figure glass in the upper tracery of some of the windows, including St Agnes holding a lamb and four Old Testament prophets. The laughable stone pulpit is Rickard's commission, and the work of William White. What can Rickards have been thinking of? But we step through into the chancel, and suddenly the whole thing moves up a gear. For here are some things that are truly remarkable.
In a county famous for its woodwork, the furnishings of Stowlangtoft's chancel are breathtaking, even awe-inspiring. Behind the rood screen dado is Suffolk's most complete set of return stalls. Most striking are the figures that form finials to the stall ends. They are participants in the Mass, including two Priests, two servers and two acolytes. The figure of the Priest at a prayer desk must be one of the best medieval images in Suffolk, and Mortlock thought the stalls the finest in England.
The benches that face eastwards are misericords, and beneath them are wonderful things: angels, lions and wodewoses, evangelistic symbols and crowned heads. A hawk captures a hare, a dragon sticks out its tongue. Between the seats are weird oriental faces.
Now, you know what I am going to ask next. How much of this is from this church originally? It all appears medieval work, and there is no reason to believe it might not have been moved elsewhere in the church when the chancel was open to the elements. What evidence have we got?
Firstly, we should notice that the only other Suffolk church with such a large number of medieval misericords of this quality is just a mile away, at Norton. I don't ask you to see this as significant, merely to notice it in passing. Secondly, I am no carpenter, but it does look to me as though two sets of furnishings have been cobbled together; the stalls that back on to the screen appear to have been integrated into the larger structure of stalls and desks that front them and the north and south walls.
However, if you look closely at the figures of the two Deacons, you will see that they are bearing shields of the Ashfield and Peche families. The Ashfield arms also appear on the rood screen, and the Ashfields were the major donors when the church was rebuilt in the 14th century. So on balance I am inclined to think that the greater part of the stall structure was in this church originally from when it was rebuilt. And the misericords? Well, I don't know. But I think they have to be considered as part of the same set as those at Norton. In which case they may have come from the same church, which may have been this one, but may not have been. Almost certainly, the stalls at Norton did not come from Norton church, and folklore has it that they were originally in the quire of Bury Abbey.
Other remarkable things in St George include FE Howard's beautiful war memorial in the former north doorway, and in the opposite corner of the nave Hugh Easton's unexpectedly gorgeous St George, which serves the same purpose. He's not an artist I usually admire, but it is as good as his work at Elveden. Back up in the chancel is a delightful painted pipe organ which was apparently exhibited at, and acquired from, the Great Exhibition of 1851.
But St George at Stowlangtoft is, of course, most famous for the Flemish carvings that flank the rather heavy altarpiece. They were given to the church by Henry Wilson of Stowlangtoft Hall, who allegedly found them in an Ixworth junk shop. They show images from the crucifixion story, but are not Stations of the Cross as some guides suggest. They date from the 1480s, and were almost certainly the altarpiece of a French or Flemish monastery that was sacked during the French Revolution. The carvings were once brightly painted, and piled up in a block rather than spread out in a line. The niches, and crowning arches above them, are 19th century.
One cold winter's night in January 1977, a gang of thieves broke into this locked church and stole them. Nothing more was seen or heard of them until 1982, when they were discovered on display in an Amsterdam art gallery. Their journey had been a convoluted one. Taken to Holland, they were used as security for a loan which was defaulted upon. The new owner was then burgled, and the carvings were fenced to an Amsterdam junk dealer. They were bought from his shop, and taken to the museum, which immediately identified them as 15th century carvings. They put them on display, and a Dutch woman who had read about the Stowlangtoft theft recognised them.
The parish instituted legal proceedings to get them back. An injunction was taken out to stop the new owner removing them from the museum. The parish lost the case, leaving them with a monstrous legal bill, but the story has a happy ending. A Dutch businessman negotiated their purchase from the owner, paid off the legal bills, and returned the carvings to Stowlangtoft. Apparently this was all at vast cost, but the businessman gave the gift in thanks for Britain's liberation of Holland from the Nazis. No, thank you, sir.
Today, the carvings are fixed firmly in place and alarmed, so they won't be going walkabout again. But a little part of me wonders if they really should be here at all. Sure, they are medieval, but they weren't here originally, and they weren't even in England originally. Wouldn't it be better if they were displayed somewhere safer, where people could pay to see them, and provide some income for the maintenance of the church building? And then, whisper it, when St George is taken on by the CCT they might even be able to leave it open.