I really like today’s Stencil.

It is a homage to the “Nike of Samothrace”, a work of art that has suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.

Like graffiti cut from a wall and put on display in a gallery, the Nike of Samothrace is now removed from it original setting and is on display in the Louvre- So it now longer does what it was originally supposed to do. (But that’s okay. That’s what the plastic arts do- Change. Did you know that the Greeks and Romans would actually paint their buildings and statuary? Time cleaned the marble off, and now we associate that austere look with their cultures. An ancient greco-roman in modern DC would wonder why all the buildings are unfinished and unpainted. Why is that house still white?)

It has lost its head and arms.

The winged Greek goddess of Victory herself is now best known for her line of shoes, which she was never consulted on endorsing.

So it goes.

But I suppose that ancient Gladiators, Olympic Athletes, or Hoplite Phalanxes would actually be thrilled to have such anachronistic footwear.

To get this “Nike of Chinatown” image, I wrapped my astronaut costume around a model in a robe-like fashion. She’s also wearing my Astro-hat.


(It looks more like a Cosmonaut-esque Hat, I suppose.

I should call it the “Cosmo-hat”. But I like how “Astro-hat” sounds.


*Cough*)

She is the winged goddess of the alley- a reminder of loftier things placed amongst the trash.