Julia Horeftari for Art-Sheep
Greetings, my brave reader.
Some places on this planet are more rainy than others -yeah, Britain is probably the most popular but the coast of the Northwest Pacific in U.S.A. is no different. And, although rain is an important element for life itself, the cloudy skies with their grey colour that produce it are rarely welcome -not unless you’re in the desert, that is. Hence, the gloomy faces and the low spirits when it’s raining.
But there’s a street artist in Seattle, WA, who decided to have fun with rainy days and help others have some fun, too. 21-year-old Peregrine Church creates stencils which appear only when it rains. A while back, Church saw a video about a non-toxic super hydrophobic (water repellent) substance that went viral and showed how liquids such as wine and melted chocolate run off clothes and surfaces when these are sprayed with the chemical -which is biodegradable and friendly to the environment- leaving no trace whatsoever. A guy always willing to have fun and share it -he carries a red clown nose with him and puts it on whenever the mood strikes, Church saw an opportunity to use this substance for the benefit of the people of Seattle. “Rainy days are going to happen no matter what. Why not do something fun with them?” the artist says.
“Rainworks” is a series of stencilled messages and images on the streets and pavements that show themselves only when it rains and can stay there for months on end, depending on the traffic. A playful way to jar people out of their routines, “Rainworks” is now also on the streets of Olympia, WA, where Church and his partner Xach Fischer were called to spread their positive messages on the city’s sidewalks.
What a lovely surprise it would be for a frog that hops from one lillypad to another to suddenly appear in front of you on the pavement while you walk with your head hung with the rain falling on you. Or a hopscotch game inviting you to become a child once more and start playing in the rain. The only thing that worries me, my brave reader, is how long will it be before advertising companies get their claws on that idea, too, and take advantage of city councils in need of some money in order to keep attacking us with their ads. But, as one of Churche’s messages says “Worry is a misuse of imagination”, so let’s just enjoy “Rainworks”, shall we?
