Words + Images

If you’re familiar with Boston, then you know there’s a bridge called the BU bridge.  It spans the Charles River.  On one side is Boston and the other Cambridge.  One summer I crossed that bridge on foot, and then instead of continuing into a city center, I made my way down an embankment to see what lay at the base of the bridge.  Well, I found all sorts of unexpected things including an immense flock of white geese and a Whitman-esque artist garbed in a straw hat and with a pipe in his mouth sitting in the dirt sketching them.  Out of respect to the artist and a bit of fear of the geese, I steered clear of them and searched other areas near literal railroad tracks.  There I found two items I will never forget:  a beautiful golden chair chained to a tree, and a samurai warrior emblazoned on stone.

Given the transient nature of graffiti, I doubt the image is still there, but I remember standing admiring the skill of the man or woman who had created such a powerful image.  And then I wondered if it was the same person who used the golden chair as a throne.  Anyway …  To be honest I’d forgotten about this adventure until a recent conversation with the author behind the blog, The Evolving Critic.  He’s written a fascinating post about his adventures in Boston capturing the words and images to be found on the walls of the city.  As he notes, whether or not its art is up for debate, but it is certainly a debate worth having.  Read more here.