Open air toilets
Tuesday, February 09, 2010 Posted by Eric Tenin
I know it may not be the best taste graffiti I ever published here, but it's undoubtedly the funniest (that is, providing you noticed the drain pipe on the right!). To be honest I did not find it myself, but noticed it first on the excellent blog I love Paris then went to La rue du Colisée in the 8th arrondissement. If you're a true PDP reader, you will probably have noticed that the author of this graffiti is is Miguel Donvez, aka "Mimi the clown", whom I already featured in this post. You can also check his website.
February 9, 2010 12:15:00 AM GMT+01:00
Really a piece of classic graffitti. I did not notice the drainpipe immediately. Nice...er...eye...
February 9, 2010 12:15:00 AM GMT+01:00
I agree, it is a funny piece of graffiti art. Very clever, incorporating the existing drain pipe.
February 9, 2010 12:26:00 AM GMT+01:00
And thanks for the location: I found the wall with Google Maps Street View.
February 9, 2010 12:27:00 AM GMT+01:00
Very funny! and I agree a piece of classic graffiti.
February 9, 2010 1:04:00 AM GMT+01:00
French Graffiti, my fav!!! Funny and clever. Sort of incorporating a readymade like M. Duchamp.
I am surprised the graffiti is found in a fancier part of town, and not the Marais.
February 9, 2010 1:57:00 AM GMT+01:00
Merde!!
Sorry, had to.
February 9, 2010 2:24:00 AM GMT+01:00
LOVE it!
February 9, 2010 3:35:00 AM GMT+01:00
It's definitely even funnier because it's in the 8th. I see that you went for the well-known perspective and I'm guessing that makes this drawing look bigger than it really is. (You know what? I'll bet men pee on that wall late at night—it does present a pretty big temptation.)
February 9, 2010 4:02:00 AM GMT+01:00
Oh my! Alexa you are too funny.
& Yikes! this picture is gross. I would hate to have to look at this every day.
but it is still funny to see here...
February 9, 2010 6:08:00 AM GMT+01:00
lol, Alexis
February 9, 2010 6:40:00 AM GMT+01:00
I'll be the naysayer. I'm not a fan of graffiti anyway but even so, I've seen much better work than this. If I had to walk by this every day I'd find a different route!
February 9, 2010 7:06:00 AM GMT+01:00
And Eric, you forgot to mention that which seems to have missed the pot and landed on the sidewalk .....
Sorry, Petrea, but I think this is great human art. Poor taste in some circles, yes, but funny and even a bit refreshing.
February 9, 2010 7:10:00 AM GMT+01:00
Oh I don't mind being disagreed with, Chuck. After all, it's art. There can be no definition of what's good or bad. There can only be what each person is drawn to.
February 9, 2010 7:56:00 AM GMT+01:00
This is so crazy!
February 9, 2010 8:59:00 AM GMT+01:00
C'est comme si on voyait à travers le mur de l'immeuble. Open Air toilets, ha!! Sous surveillance partout, ce serait terrible... lol
February 9, 2010 9:21:00 AM GMT+01:00
Brilliant idea! I've never seen this guy's work before. Is he anonymous? A bit like a Parisian Banksy?
February 9, 2010 1:50:00 PM GMT+01:00
Yes Flore, one of the drawbacks of X-Ray vision, n'est-ce pas?
At least Mimi has left our straining friend a supply of toilet paper - nothing worse than to realise too late that some swine has used it all and not replaced it.
February 9, 2010 2:04:00 PM GMT+01:00
Very funny. Sort of like the London Banksy but perhaps not quite so good?
February 9, 2010 2:41:00 PM GMT+01:00
I can do without this.
February 9, 2010 3:29:00 PM GMT+01:00
Art communicates ideas, sometimes crude or offensive, sometimes intended to be clever or provocative. Street art is rarely about beauty, and seems to me the works are primarily the artist drawing attention to themselves or their work as a statement.
Eric, I've been following the daily news reports on the discussions in France of what it is to be French and what are acceptable expressions of dress not in conflict with French cultural values. Here in the States all manner of different dress and outward expression of religious practice is allowed and protected under the law, so it is interesting to view your national debate and consider these questions from a French perspective.
-Kim
February 9, 2010 4:06:00 PM GMT+01:00
Funny and crazy!
February 9, 2010 4:07:00 PM GMT+01:00
Love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it!!!!
February 9, 2010 5:08:00 PM GMT+01:00
Just read where the blogger from Tehran Daily Photo has been arrested. http://tehranlive.org/2009/12/27/war-in-tehran-streets-on-ashura-day/
February 9, 2010 5:14:00 PM GMT+01:00
Just found your blog and I'm hooked!
February 9, 2010 5:20:00 PM GMT+01:00
Hi Drummond, I like picturing you as a X-Ray man and I'm glad my toilets are very hidden ;) I did not think of X-Ray visions in fact.
Thank you for making me laugh with your toilet paper story! Hope you don't think of me doing such a thing, do you?
Well I know what you may think...that's crazy!!!
February 9, 2010 6:47:00 PM GMT+01:00
Michael, there's already a facebook group organized around Amir.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=294615784889&ref=mf
Several CDP bloggers have joined and are posting about Amir today. Feel free to do the same!
February 9, 2010 7:30:00 PM GMT+01:00
A lot Graffiti can fall under the heading of Art. But not everything is Art just because it is drawn or painted on a wall or even on a canvas. This is just tacky.
Obviously done for shock value. Some of my fellow artist's are so desperate for attention. lol
But what do I know? Michael seems to love it. Art is in the eye of the beholder, right?
February 9, 2010 10:29:00 PM GMT+01:00
I like it, but wish that they could use a paint that would bio-degrade or wash away after a few weeks , because that's going to be a lot of work for someone to paint over. Plus, with such a scenic city, you cannot really condon people painting "art" on every blank surface.
That being said, the toilet paper is a nice detail!
Sean
February 10, 2010 12:13:00 AM GMT+01:00
@Suzy "Merde!!" LOL!
@Alexa "You know what? I'll bet men pee on that wall late at night—it does present a pretty big temptation." Well, I would not be surprised...
@Chuck Pefley "And Eric, you forgot to mention that which seems to have missed the pot and landed on the sidewalk ....." I know, it's terrible, isn't...
@Andrew. "Is he anonymous? A bit like a Parisian Banksy?" Well, I think so. I've never seen him anyway.
@Kim. "Eric, I've been following the daily news reports on the discussions in France of what it is to be French and what are acceptable expressions of dress not in conflict with French cultural values." Yes I wanted to post about this, but I have found no photo opportunity yet. It's a very interesting difference of point of view between the US and France.
@Michael "Just read where the blogger from Tehran Daily Photo" That is a very sad news. Especially since they say the Iranian Government is currently trying to make example of arrestees.
@The Shutter "Just found your blog and I'm hooked!" ;-) I hope it's not too painful!
February 10, 2010 8:14:00 PM GMT+01:00
Joli!
February 10, 2010 9:56:00 PM GMT+01:00
Merci pour le compliments sur mon blog Eric
au plaisir
March 4, 2010 2:25:00 AM GMT+01:00
similar one:
http://marianaceratti.blogspot.com/2010/01/c.html