Interventions

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria · Category: Art · Subcategory: Urban art · Year: 1983-2011 · Authors: Bosslet

Interventions. Building ruins. Painted with white lines, or black coloured areas on the fronts of abandoned houses or around ruined industrial sites. 

It had been a while since I had been infected by this Canary virus that affected both islanders and foreigners coming over to spend their holidays on the islands: I began to think of how I could get hold of a house on this sun blessed archipielago.

It was all about this style, if it was a new construction, starting off with a plan, continuing to lay foundations and ending up with a finished building. Either that, or you look for the right house that might be available. The whole time on the back of my Vespa, I would delve into the most concealed spot on the island. Abandoned farmholdings and unfinished buildings left at God's mercy held a great fascination for me. I was especially interested in those buildings who initial function was inexplicable to me. In most cases it was concrete buildings that didn't encircle any particular space, they just seemed to be knocked up with a total lack of professionalism, and just adhered to some kind of agricultural or industrial purpose. They were ruins, which by their shape, colour or materials, and despite their artificial origins, seemed to be perfectly integrated into their rocky and bare surroundings.

As these ruins constituted a tip, they tended to be ignored, with some kind of generalized acceptance to blame. This circumstance jumped out at me and forced me to do something. I proposed to enhance them positively, by the simplest means possible, and give these run down constructions something to smile about. I managed this with a brush measuring between 12 and 15 centimetres, and applying a little white plastic paint or lime. I painted a white line around the edges of the building, marking it out without any particular creativity involved. Thanks to this process, the building stood out strikingly against its immediate background. The respective shapes of each building became explicit and perceptible, while at the same time transfiguring its general appearance. I documented the result with a photo, trying to capture the most representative image possible. In the beginning I gave this group of interventions the name of Construction Plans, and then called them Refurbishments. So far I have done 25 interventions in this way.

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