Surfing Madonna

This was discovered a few days ago under a train trestle bridge in our town.

It is an elaborate glass mosaic that brings a whole new meaning to the word graffiti.  I saw a story about the surfing Madonna on the news last night (NBC San Diego) and decided to bring the girls to a nearby park today so we could walk over and check it out ourselves.

The news did not do this art justice.
It is amazing.
This work of art is both intricately created and unconventionally creative.

Apparently, on Friday, a few guys posing as construction workers, complete with hard hats, orange vests, and cones, put up this 10 x 10 mosaic.  The men attached six paper covered panels to the wall, and when they peeled back the paper (and ran away????), there she was, the Virgin Mary on a shortboard, sporting booties no less.

HA!  I love people!

The art placement was well timed, appearing on Earth Day and just before Easter, undoubtedly reinforcing the artist's message.

So what's the message here?  
Save the Ocean was pretty explicit (look left on first picture).
Pray for the ocean?
Respect God's creation?
Allow more public art displays?
It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission?
You decide.

As I talked  with Samantha about what we were seeing she said two things that stuck out to me:

"I thought art was on paper.  Maybe they had to do it there because it wouldn't fit on paper."  

I clearly need to do a better job discussing and doing different kinds of art with her.

When I said that the art may be taken down because the people who made it didn't ask for permission to put it up she laughed and said, "Mommy, adults don't have to ask for permission."

What a great glimpse inside the mind of a child.  She thinks adults have it pretty good.  I'm not going to spend too much time straightening her thinking on this topic quite yet - she'd only use it against me.

I should also mention that our little town is known for unconventional public art displays.  

Here are two of our hometown heroes.  Do I live in California or what!?!?!

This is our new Tiki Head, recently carved out of the stump of a huge tree that needed to be removed.
I believe the pirate outfit was a temporary addition.

The beloved "Cardiff Kook," who is regularly dressed up for various occasions.
This outfit was in honor of Van Gogh's birthday in March.