An End to Water Wastage

The phenomenon of modern art and performance art is surely a travesty and a scourge on the very concept of art. This kind of nonsense which seeks to provoke and stir controversy is devoid of any artistic merit because it lacks beauty. Its' self-aggrandizement as a social commentary or conversation piece is vain-glorious. For years, people like Tracy Emin and her prurient interests have been foisted on the public as art. Who can forget the antics of Chris Ofili in New York whose depiction of Our Blessed Mother utilising elephant dung and pornography was designed to be offensive, blasphemous and plain stupid?

Just before I left England this summer, I read about a ridiculous stunt by 'artist', Mark McGowan who turned on a tap on 28 June and decided to leave it running for an entire year to highlight the wastage of water! It's as insane, pointless and plain scandalous as if one were to walk into a room and shoot people dead to highlight the slaughter of innocents. Fine, that's a hyperbole but you get my point! This kind of 'art' lacks any logic or sense apart from the nonsense that fills the deluded 'artists' mind. Bear in mind too that this stunt is happening during a period of water shortage in England and parts of Europe.

I was pleased to see that the authorities have finally decided to put an end to this. The Guardian reported today that Thames Water has stepped in after he let 800,000 litres of water run down the sink, a crying shame when one considers that millions on our planet do not have access to potable water, to say nothing of water for lawns, agriculture etc. Do refer to the UN Water for Life site for more information. If Mr McGowan really wished to highlight the waste of water that occurs daily - and this is a matter I am intimately familiar with here in Manila as we struggle with our water supply daily - I suggest he collaborate with the UN and other international bodies rather than indulge his selfish fantasies of so-called art.

I'm glad someone has seen the sense to end his indulgence and the sooner his peers are put in their place (and regarded as talentless pretenders) the better!

Natural running water is true art... The photo above shows spring water flowing from a giant ceramic pitcher in Laguna, the Philippines.