Alison Safford [345]

Alison Safford
Boston, MA, USA
alisonsafford.com

1. from park along the Emscher River In Germany (Where Emscherkunst art show was) in a post-industrial area near Essen (amazing cultural corridor at this point). Sign by the canal, full of really nasty oily sludgy water that smelled not just foul, but chemically foul. I believe the sign said something about certain death after a while. Obviously nothing good came of this canal and it's contents.

Lebensgefahr-"Danger to Life"

2. Extra Breed-sign at Albert Heijn grocery store in the Netherlands, I know what it means, but I like to think it's telling people to have more children

3. Amerika = potato chips (Bratislava, Slovakia)

Alison Safford [342]

Alison Safford
Boston, MA, USA
alisonsafford.com

1. Dogtime
Rietveld Academy, Amsterdam
Someone said it referred to their continuing ed program, but all I could think of was MC Hammer's "hammer time" danced by dogs. In MC Hammer pants. Going up and down the stairs.

2. Fuck You-in pink spray paint, in a lovely font, on the reflective surface of a boutique in Paris around the corner from Notre Dame. THe nicest "fuck you" I have ever received.

3. "I make Monet Like CLaude Money"
Paris, Clingincourt Flea Market. Capitalistic graffiti with an art historical reference, nicely played

Alison Safford [189]

Alison Safford
Jamaica Plain, MA, USA
alisonsafford.com

1. American Aggressors: from the Museum of Communism in Prague (above a McDonald's just to make sure Lenin is spinning in his box)

2. Hell Toast: from a restaurant in Prague, no idea what it means, but of course I want some. Didn't think toast had it in it.

3. Duck Tour: Was on the Corridor in Jamaica Plain, someone had spray painted FUCK YOU, and some optimist came along and corrected it to read DUCK TOUR, twisting the mean aggression (by an American Aggressor no doubt) into something that made me laugh every time I walked by.

Alison Safford [30]

Alison Safford
Jamaica Plain, MA, USA
www.alisonsafford.com

Both are snapshots taken while visiting New York City (Sardines) and Reyjavik (God) respectively. To me, they are both incredibly funny and deeply sad, seemingly opposite emotions which aren't always that far apart.