Street Art Vienna 7.24

If you are familiar with this section of my blog, you know that I view street art as a reflection of the general sentiments of a place, sometimes the bellweather of change. I visit Vienna fairly frequently. The city issues permits for painting along the Donau Canal, which I find exceptionally cool. So I like to record the new scenes here. I haven't yet made it very far on my stroll along the river, but still have been struck by the dearth of political discourse, a change. And I recognize my own withdrawal. The political scene in the US presently is almost too dismal to be true, and unfortunately, through I cannot brag that the civilization, the culture is more or even close to as advanced or sophisticated as the European culture, the US is still a power financially and could sway the fate, the security of the world really. I am embarrassed by our lack of intellect in leadership, but I cannot shoulder the blame and too must withdraw from allowing the circus to entrain me into hopelessness. I don't have that many years left to live! And maybe it is simply a time to dream a better future.

This is not new, but mushrooms are just surfacing to the consciousness of the general public, at least on the US. With Johns Hopkins embracing studies on the beneficial aspects of ingesting psilocybin mushrooms, the discourse is becoming more mainstream. People who have not had their minds opened, want them opened.

This is the underside of a bridge. Grafitti is everywhere it can be, including on the stones and asphalt of the walking and biking trail and along the walls bounding the u-bahn. As in Philly, where small bits of advice are stenciled in unlikely but well-traveled spots, I found the same encouraging slogans I noted as the exposing the soft underbelly of a gritty city. I look at it now as more widespread. A signal that it is love that is important. These make me a bit sad as they seem like tiny messages of hope meant for the downtrodden. Sad because there are so many. It is so easy to lose yourself, to lose hope in this blaring world of advertising and expectations, that you can make your way.

This is a big ask. Never stop smiling. You've got to believe in something bigger than mankind for sure. A bigger picture where you can believe lousy things happen, but can be transcended. I think of the Dalai Lama able to smile even when speaking of something as painful as the Chinese massacres and their occupation of Tibet, able to consider their actions with compassion. We are human. We feel anger and grief. Sometimes I do an exercise, that is when I feel an RBF, a resting bitch face coming on, and that is to force myself to create a half-smile. It's easier to turn into a full one from the halfway point.

This one is kind of a crazy reminder of who we are, isn't it? Sure, the world is on board understanding that humans tend toward racism and this must be changed. But it's a bit late in the game to be calling out speciesism unless there's another humanoid one of the horizon. I mean, we wiped out the Neanderthals. There is an exhibit here in Vienna at the Museum of Natural History: a video that shows in blood red the advancement of homo sapiens and our extermination of the last remaining species like us. Certainly, it's good to keep on our radar the understanding that we are aggressive and can be violent and unreasonable. Or maybe it's referring to our extermination of biodiversity?

I don't like to include the basic calligraphy of a street artist's name as it is as sad to me as guys who drive souped-up loud cars or motorbikes, crying for attention. I'm not even sure if this is a name, but supposing it is, it fascinates me as it is possibly meant to reflect different aspects of her personality.

And while we're on the subject of mental fragments, that's what these are to me. How about to you?

Here are a few that make you stop and contemplate.

He looks concerned. Is she pulling a fish out of her lower back while holding up a moon?

Examine this cat's legs. Is he painting his world?

The smoking here is killing me. Seriously, the majority of the population smokes cigarettes. And they are completely insensitive to anyone else's right to clean air. There is no place you can go to escape it. People smoke flagrantly on the sidewalks, on benches in front of baby carriages, while holding the hands of toddler as though they've a god-given right to destroy the air, in open-air cafes. It's awful. The children are not taught that it is bad and so even the young people smoke. They hold a mass delusion that it's not unhealthy! Seriously, they think Americans have been brainwashed to believe smoking us bad for your health. Crazy shit.

While you're reflecting on somber thoughts...

That's the Palestinian flag. Imagine being born into this ethos.

And then of course there's this. Palestine has been crossed out and Israel painted in by supporters of Israel. I may have mentioned this in another post, but the Sigmund Freud museum contains a letter from Albert Einstein to Freud. I think he was awarded the right to correspond with whatever brilliant minds he was inclined to, sounds like an award from the Academy of Royal Scientists. But at any rate, Einstein decided to ask Freud if he thought it is possible for humankind to live in peace.