Mundane Caracas
I did a little sightseeing yesterday in downtown Caracas which isn't exactly awash in oil wealth and the splendor you might expect from to see in an OPEC nation. Coming out of the subway into the hustle and bustle felt good. The place has lots of movement and a lovely mix of faces. Downtown is much more working class these days as the rich folks have all moved East. I was just blocks from the birthplace of Simón Bolívar so off I went.
Along the way my route was blocked by some army men and a blairing pre-recorded political speech being blasted from a makeshift stage in front of some government building. Having had to pause in my approach I noticed a painting of Jesus on the wall and snapped away. Not five minutes later I found myself at Bolivar's birthplace and continued my picture taking. Mundane was on my mind.
Returning to the house later in the day and starting the process of making some diptychs prompted my friend to suggest combining Jesus with something more political. He's been living here for a while and is sensitive to the shared territory of religion and Venezuelan politics. His idea sat in my head overnight and this morning a new mundane diptych was born. Just yesterday I heard this quote said by Simón Bolívar to sum up his life in his depressing waning days. (He died disillusioned, depressed and pretty much alone.) He said, "There have been three great fools in history: Jesus, Don Quixote and I."
Take pictures.
Along the way my route was blocked by some army men and a blairing pre-recorded political speech being blasted from a makeshift stage in front of some government building. Having had to pause in my approach I noticed a painting of Jesus on the wall and snapped away. Not five minutes later I found myself at Bolivar's birthplace and continued my picture taking. Mundane was on my mind.
Returning to the house later in the day and starting the process of making some diptychs prompted my friend to suggest combining Jesus with something more political. He's been living here for a while and is sensitive to the shared territory of religion and Venezuelan politics. His idea sat in my head overnight and this morning a new mundane diptych was born. Just yesterday I heard this quote said by Simón Bolívar to sum up his life in his depressing waning days. (He died disillusioned, depressed and pretty much alone.) He said, "There have been three great fools in history: Jesus, Don Quixote and I."
Take pictures.
1 comments:
this really is a very pleasing blog.
it pleases me. and i am grateful.
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