The world may be falling apart about our ears, but some people are trying to stick it together again one piece at a time.
Spurtle’s unusual optimism has been prompted by the appearance of at least two intricately tessellated designs in Broughton.
The first was spotted on Monday, situated low down on the western wall of the Rodney Street Tunnel. We estimate the flowering poppies (?) comprise around 500 individual pieces, and the work seems to serve no other purpose than to bring colour and delight into the dark.
In that, it succeeds admirably.
The second was spotted this morning on the wall between Calton Hill and the private garden behind Royal Terrace.
This piece discreetly intervenes in the work of another artist, a Pompeian-style speech bubble putting words into the mouth of the grumpy girl with attitude we first featured here three years ago.
Does ‘Why me?’ complement the grumpy girl, imagining how she might originally have interrogated her own condition? Or does it imagine the grumpy girl’s current additional irritation at one street artist imposing his or her practice uninvited on that of another?
It seems significant that the original, perhaps authorial, ‘PIPSQUEAK WAS HERE!’ has been partially obscured. Is this then a piece about creative inspiration and ownership? Does it obliquely refer to the ancient Greek etymology of ‘mosaic’: muse?
Spurtle has no idea, but we enjoy the fact that such an intriguing conversation can spontaneously unfold before our eyes without public fanfare or £80k grants from the Council (see Issue 273, out soon).
If you’ve noticed other works by the Mystery Mosaicist, please let us know. We’re interested in all examples of well-executed and thought-provoking street-art, wherever they crop up in the capital.
Got a view? Tell us at spurtle@hotmail.co.uk and @theSpurtle and Facebook
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UPDATE: FOR MORE IN LATE DECEMBER 2018, GO HERE.