Javier Abarca: Pifostio

January 5th, 2006

An old acquaintance of the house, designer, artist and careful observer of the urban surroundings, Javier Abarca, has recently created a webiste that we strongly recommend that you visit: www.pifostio.org. The site contains a superb collection of pictures, taken over the years, depicting a multitude of bizarre visual elements from the streets of Madrid. Through these pictures Javier Abarca has captured commercial signs, garbage containers, and basic forms of street advertising in which the artistisc aspirations of the anonymous people behind them are visible although most of the time, quite far from what we could call aesthetic correctness. And that’s precisely the point. What’s new in the visual elements that we can find around our cities created by advertising agencies, design studios or creative departments of the big brands, companies and institutions?

My favourite section if definitely the garbage containers one. I find quite amazing the artistic intentions and care of the apartment houses managers, small shop owners or restaurant employees when labeling the containers when this in fact should be a pretty much functional and unimportant task.

Also recommended is another of Javier Abarca latest projects: “No compres”, mixture of urban intervention, photography and Net Art?? that I’d rather not try to explain so I don’t spoil the effect. Simply go there: www.manklared.com/nocompres and follow the order of the pictures.

Entry Filed under: Miscellaneous