Saturday, March 28, 2009

Paris in Miami



When I started art school at 16 I thought the world was my oyster, or in my case the world was the biggest box of paints. I loved to paint paint paint paint (well you get the picture, or painting) So when I bumped into a very shady character who went by the name of Ronnie, my life was about to change (as in short change). Ronnie looked like he had just stepped out of the 50s and in fact he sort of did. He asked me if I knew anyone who would like to paint his amusement ride in his traveling fair. I of course jumped at the chance. ''I'll do it Ron '' I said, to which he replied ''its Ronnie'' So we struck a deal, one hundred pounds to design and paint the front of his ride called the 'Fun House' This of course was about to prove to be anything but fun.
I figured it would take a month to come up with a great colourful concept, draw it all out and paint it, maybe a month and a half tops. I of course figured wrong.
As I approached the ride, I realized it was much much much much much bigger than I had expected, and when I say MUCH! I mean MUCH MUCH BIGGER! Maybe 3 double decker buses bigger.Im going to cut this very long story sideways.I will tell you that over my many trips to the fairground which was never in the same location twice, I got to know fairground people very well, you might say a little too well. They are a different breed from most of us, they like to talk in a very strange accent (code ) they carry most of there money on them(they don't trust a soul) and they like to have sex as many times as is humanly possible and with as many different people they can (usually the local punters) I of course painted and painted and painted my way around this amazing education.
I'm now going to make the story even shorter (just so you all stay awake) It took me a year and a half to paint the bloody 'FUN HOUSE! ' When it came time to pay me, he (Ronnie) took me into his beautiful caravan and offered me a bacon sandwich made by his very sexy and somewhat dangerous wife. Then I think he offered her to me instead of paying me the hundred pounds (eeek!). I took the money (silly me) and ran for the hills. Which brings me to the photo above.This is a mural painted on to the side of a dry cleaners in Miami (Paris dry cleaners).It is badly painted but somehow has a charm most would dismiss. When ever I see badly painted murals I think of all the time and effort that went into creating it.There seem to be all kinds of things going on.The world trade center towers are still standing.The eiffel tower seems to be on a hill. I look at this mural and think I could have painted that in a week, but deep down I know it would have taken me 6 months maybe even 8. I wonder if the person was paid as much as me (HA!)

Sorry about the ugly photo but a nasty dog was snarling at me while I was snapping away. Or maybe it was the dog that was snapping away.I just got the 2 shots.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

And I read it all...and thought to myself...a year for one hundred pounds...you should have taken the sandwich too! Damn dogs...but it is amazing where you can find representations of Paris in the world...but nothing beats the real city...

I found a windmill that was not quite the Moulin Rouge...

Great story Philip and very wise for you to pass on the wife.

M

Anonymous said...

Why in the hell did you insist in using tiny,tiny brushes?

PHILIP BROOKER said...

Where is the windmill?

PHILIP BROOKER said...

I used at least 200 pounds worth of brushes...

Anonymous said...

I will have to send you the picture of the windmill...complete with tulips...yes, even here.

By the way..you say you had figured that you could have done the work in a shorter amount of time...perhaps because you saw it as completed...ah, but when you saw the real scope of the task you learned a valuable lesson. The eyes being bigger than the stomach...or in your case the project.

Still...a fabulous story.

M