These images were taken the same morning I jumped the fence of the abandoned factory. They occur just around the back of the factory or, more accurately, just behind
Moskkito Restaurant. Pity I did not yet have the 14 mm lens yet, although it is actually a 16 mm lens on the D300s. Bring on the mythical D400 with a full frame sensor I say!
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| Zombie Clowns Dummett Cres 01 |
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| Zombie Clowns Dummett Cres 02 |
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| Moskkito Restaurant (L) |
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| Moskkito Restaurant (R) |
I have tried to keep an eye out for particularly unusual murals or pieces that challenge the boundaries of what might be called the standard graffiti styles that exploded outward from New York in the 1980s; variations on themes that have evolved into new species of expression. One such variation has been the depiction of the Hindu God in its in many manifestations. Historically the Indian aesthetic has been predominantly sacred in nature, just as the mural below depicts. However, as secularism evolves into a deeper cultural value within the Indian psyche and individual artists gain the freedom to move beyond the religious strictures on aesthetic expression, we might see the flourishing of a form of art that is able to fuse both the sacred and the secular in ways that can both surprise and delight us (for a good discussion on Indian Aesthetics see
here).
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| Indian Mural: the sacred and the secular |
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| Durga killing the buffalo-demon |
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In the image above we see Durga as she vanquishes the buffalo-demon Mashisha, pinioned by her foot, she thrusts forward to transfix the demon with Shiva's trident and in so doing ensures the victory of good over evil. Mashima the buffalo-demon had just defeated all of the male gods and in despair they petitioned Durga to be their champion, in each of her hands you can see the magical weapons that the male gods gave to her in order to assist her in her fight. It seems that while the Abrahamic religions were relegating females to the roles of silence and obedience to their penis wielding counterparts, the oldest living religion on the planet (sorry Zarathustra) was telling how it was a woman who liberated the universe from darkness .
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| Hindu Street Art |
While the above continues the Hindu theme its cultural meaning lies outside my knowledge. It would be nice to hear from the artists responsible in order to get their perspective.
Oops, forgot to link to this video:
Maa Durga - Killing of Mahisasur
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