Tuesday 16 March 2010

It Fills a Hole...

My sister sent me a link to the work of Pete Dungey, a British artist and designer who has taken guerilla art to the streets by filling in potholes with pot plants. Beautifully absurd, Dungey is trying to highlight the imperfections of British road surfaces. I've been driving for nearly six years and some of the roads I've driven on have been appalling, I even went through a particularly memorable pothole that popped my hubcap (luckily not off) and bent the metal rim of the wheel so badly, that my dad had to take a hammer to it in order to everything fitting again.

Had there been a Pothole Garden in road, I dare say I'd have saved my wheel a little trauma. "If we planted one of those in every hole, it would be like a forest in the road" (Dungey) and after this last winter, the roads have only gotten worst.

I do love the idea of this, I find it kind of fascinating the way plants can establish themselves in the cracks and crevices of walls and pop up between the gaps in the pavement. There's a book I love call The Guerilla Art Book by Keri Smith, and she gives you instructions how to construct seed bombs, which you them drop or throw them into places you feel need brightened up. I think when all the seed pods are ready this year - our garden somewhat overflowing with aquilegia - I'll collect some up and try scattering them around Dundee and Perth, see if any of them pop up next summer. Might even try sneaking some up to DoJ and see if I can leave my mark in pretty plants.

Pothole Gardens by Pete Dungey

4 comments:

Ali said...

Really like the new blog design :)

Emily Boyd said...

Tah love :) Twas bored...amazing what vertigo does to a gal ;)

xx

Louise Boyd said...

I wish to throw - like a girl - seeds in unexpected please. Can we can we?

xx

Emily Boyd said...

Of course we can my beamish girl! Callooh callay!

Though you'll have to help collect them! xx

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