Art Archives - Page 2 of 5 - Maggie InkMaggie Ink

World’s best valentines (for people who don’t like Valentine’s Day)

February 4, 2012

You’d think that I’d love Valentine’s Day, what with all the candy and cards and heart-shaped pizza. But I don’t.

It’s just that I hate being told what to feel. How can you possibly be starry-eyed and romantic when everything is shoved down your throat? It’s like the Linda Lovelace of holidays.

This is the same way I feel about the forced fun of Las Vegas. Yeah, yeah. You’re supposed to be all, “Vegas is so crazy epic, man, and what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” You know what happens in Vegas? You spend too much money, cry in front of a stripper and vomit on yourself in an elevator. That’s what happens in Vegas. You want a truly debaucherous weekend? Go to Fresno. Shit gets real in Fresno.

That said, Valentine’s Day is going to happen every year whether I want it to or not, like a pap smear. So I might as well make the best of it with really weird, unconventional valentines.

So here you go — some of my very favorite lovey-dovey, but not cloyingly so, images. Consider this a sickeningly sweet, candy conversation heart just for you.

For the one who plays hard to get:

For the boring-ass couples in your life:

“Walking Dead” fans:

For medical students:

When love hurts:

And when love is taboo:

When you’re crushing on a glassblower:

For those who enjoy stern, disappointed animals:

And for my very close friends:

Street art in Asia

August 28, 2011

Sometimes I’m embarrassed I can’t see the world the way street artists do.

I don’t look at a metallic sliver of garage door and see a robot. I don’t know how a dark alleyway can transform into a dazzling display. I can’t find the rainbow of colors in concrete.

I don’t have that kind of vision — but thankfully, I can still get a peek.

PHOTOS: Public art in Vietnam

May 24, 2011

What I expected in Vietnam: Chaos, scooters, noodle soup. And that’s what I got.

I didn’t anticipate lovely green spaces in the middle of the cities. And that’s what I got too.

Here are some of my favorite public art pieces from across the country.

Can I get a wat wat?

May 14, 2011

As a writer, there’s nothing more humbling than Cambodia’s Angkor Wat and the complex of surrounding temples.

A million feet have already walked these stoney paths, and a million mouths have uttered the only thing that really needs to be said: Wow.

The complex of wats is massive. It’s magical. It’s striking. It’s stirring.

It’s … wow.

Words actually fail me.

Karmic relief

May 13, 2011

It’s easy to get Buddha fatigue in Southeast Asia. The temples become routine, the gilt gets old, and eventually even The Awakened One puts you to sleep.

Sukhothai is the cure.

Once the capital of the Siam empire, the ancient kingdom is often overlooked by travelers in a rush to get from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.

I had some time to kill before a friend was scheduled to arrive in Bangkok, so I penciled in a couple days in the city known as the “Dawn of Happiness.” I didn’t do any research about the place. I had no expectations. I just rolled into town, checked into a cheap hostel and rented some wheels.

Check out my sweet ride.

With a poorly photocopied map in hand, I put my mettle to the pedal and rode directly into the thick, warm sock of Thai humidity. Though Sukhothai is home to more than 190 temples, my first stop was Big-Ass Buddha. (Not the official name.)

I still can’t say what attracted me to this particular Buddha. I just knew I had to see it. And I had to get there before busloads of tourists arrived.

I got lucky. When I parked my bike, nobody else was there.

It was silent.

I’m not ashamed to say I cried as I approached the statue.

Have you ever seen something so powerful in its beauty, it’s like you’ve never opened your eyes before? That was this Buddha.

I spent about a half hour there in silence. Then a truckload of Germans arrived, and I pulled my bike off the rack, turned around and moved on — fulfilled.