The writing on the wall. By Emilie DURAND and Loic JANE

The top picture was taken on February the 18^th near the Massillon nursery school in Clermont-Ferrand. We were alone in front of this garage. There wasn't any noise except perhaps traffic. It was a very cold day. We felt a bit sad.

The second photo was taken in La Roche Blanche on 20^th February. We took the picture at the foot of the bridge at the entrance to the highway. To take this photo, it was a bit difficult because of the traffic. We felt the joy of the place. This bridge is a welcoming entrance to the town. It was cold, but it did not bother us so much.

The message of the black graffiti is clear: 'AMOUR en capitale'. The word 'AMOUR' is written in capital letters. Underneath is someone’s tag: ‘L'arsenik’. The owner of the garage is probably not pleased to have this written on his property. It’s not good to vandalize private property and it makes our city ugly to put graffiti everywhere.

The second photo is of a mural. This wall painting was commissioned by the local authority. ‘La Roche Blanche’ is written big and in white. Next to the inscription there is a woman wearing white clothes. The color white symbolizes purity and goodness and it reassures us. The figure is like an angel. In the background we can see white houses but there’s also warm colors which brings out the whiteness of the houses. There are also trees. This beautiful mural helps us escape from reality for a minute, and it also makes you want to visit the town.

Both photos show that people (artists) need to express themselves, using the city walls to do so. Some do so very well, and legally.