Spanish Paintings in Las Ramblas, Barcelona: Collage

Here is a collage of Spanish paintings about topics such as bullfighting and flamenco plus some everyday scenes of Barri Gotic or El Raval streets, two quarters nearby Las Ramblas in Barcelona. Paintings like these are frequently ignored by Barcelonians and I guess this happens in other cities like say Paris, London...,but they obviously trap tourists like ants on a sugar lump. I don't say it isn't art but they are mostly centered on cliches and contribute to enhance them. When we visit Paris or London they do the same to us and we bite on the bait! Come to think of it I would do the same if I were to paint for money. So this is not the artist's fault, it is the cultural authorities' responsibility to promote a more representative art without forgetting, and I stress this, the cliches which are also part, in this case, of Spanish culture.

Seasoned Human Statue Sitting in Las Ramblas, Barcelona

Yet another street artist or human statue I captured while walking down Las Ramblas towards the sea. The weathered man was sitting on this chair showing off his painted clothes and glasses while he read a book. I couldn't really tell if he was sleeping or watching you drop a coin on the can cause his eyes were hidden behind a thin orange coat of paint in the middle of the spectacles. The whole disguise made him look elegant, like some famous writer, maybe he was some sort of Kafka. He wouldn't say being a statue and all.

Street Artists in La Rambla, Barcelona: Human Statue

As I said yesterday I took some new pictures of street artists performing in La Rambla, Barcelona. Human statues that turn around and make funny faces, wink an eye, freak you out with a sudden movement or hold a ball on their fingertips while they elegantly pose for your camera as this man, dressed like a tree or some kind of deity, maybe trying to suggest a fruit and the equilibrium Mother Nature needs nowadays to survive.

Recommended: I would like to recommend Olivierdestroy whose artwork I came across today at Flickr. Some may like him, some others not so much but you won't remain indifferent. Note: requires to be logged in.

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