I slept with a Banksy. After it had been prized off the
external wall and brought inside a Bristol boys’ club for safe keeping, youth
worker Jordan Powell stayed the night with the stencilled image of a man and woman
embracing while checking their phones; or, checking their phones while embracing
– just as long as they both saw it the same way.
The mural is thought to be the work of graffiti artist
Banksy. There were clear skies across
England overnight, and temperatures fell towards freezing. Mr Powell may have snuggled
up to the couple to stay warm (assuming they hadn’t turned cold towards each
other).
Winched to safety in wire baskets (like pets on the way to
the vet), survivors of the South Korean ferry disaster are wrapped in checkered
blankets, pink and blue. Their faces are inscrutable. Yes, I said it; but this
is not to continue the Occidental caricature of Orientals. The young woman
stepping out of the basket and into the helicopter, is so busy taking the crucial
step to safety she cannot also make the leap to her own emotions. Similarly, high
school students in matching red life-jackets – looks like they all made the team, sitting on the
upturned hull of the stricken ship, calmly await their turn for the winch. On
the face of it, there’s more trauma at the average adventure playground.
Nearly 300 passengers still unaccounted for. Back at Danwon
High School in Ansan, near Seoul, more blankets are issued as parents and
relatives prepare for a long night.
A mother’s profile, head tilted back on her husband’s
shoulder, eyes aligned upwards. She isn’t, they’re not; but you could hardly
blame them for checking their phones.
Beyond Banksy, Henri Matisse could not have made her more beautiful; but if he wanted to make her feel better, he should have cut out her heart.
Beyond Banksy, Henri Matisse could not have made her more beautiful; but if he wanted to make her feel better, he should have cut out her heart.
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