Damian Hirst It 'Aint

[PattayaOneTeam]

Pattaya Focus

Pattaya Beach Road Art (Continued)

I have been trying to convince readers that there's more to Pattaya Beach Road (PBR) than scammers and thieves, and that the place is also full of art.

After the traditional Thai art featured in my last column, I thought a review of more modern art on PBR would be interesting, so I set off down there, camera in hand, to bring back some photos, and I was surprised by the amount of art I had previously walked past and ignored, or not really focused on before.

Some of it features great chunks of endangered coral, but hey ho, this is Pattaya, and it writes its own rules. And what more fitting way for PBR to yet again metaphorically thumb its nose at the world, laws and conventions, than to flaunt this artistic use of coral from who knows where, as art.

And at least looking at the coral is far more aesthetically pleasing than looking at the spalling, peeling, ugly concrete mess also known as the base of the fountain at the Central Road junction.

Why not just strip the disgusting concrete off it and paint it with weatherproof paint? Or is that too much to ask? I find it inconceivable that this unsightly mess is allowed to decay in plain sight. Unless it's a metaphor for much else wrong in the city, and thereby constitutes a vital piece of Pattaya performance art, as its cheap, thin veneer slowly peels, revealing its even uglier interior.

Then again if Damian Hirst had done it as an ironic piece, people would be praising it to the heavens and stealing bits off it by now. Or maybe they are……

In terms of innovation, my favourite piece is the one depicting water pouring from a bowl, (see photo). The bowl is suspended in the air, as a stream of water gushes out of it. This plays a trick on the mind, until you realize the water is what secures the piece to the earth.

I quite like the green-glazed and tiled pieces on PBR, the three best ones are pictured here. It took me a while to realize they are artistically linked by the representations of waves on the glazed tiles.

And finally, some more earthy modern art. Fine examples of tagging and stenciling - and robustly free expression.

NEXT EDITION - Art and architecture on other side of Pattaya Beach Road

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-- Pattaya One 2011-01-25