Slinkachu

I love randomly finding artist's websites. I do believe that this is one of my favorites that I've come across. This artist goes by the name of Slinkachu, creating mini urban installation art, which he documents with photography. Before looking at his art, though, I strongly recommend reading over his bio and faq - both are relatively short and informative, with a twist of humor and some sound-footed meaning. His two projects, 'Little People Project' and 'Inner City Snail', are both right up my ally because they confront the soul-sucking banality of urban life with small, poignant (and sometimes very tongue-in-cheek) touches. A man after my own heart, though he claims to be too much to handle.

I have found myself often writing about the isolation and anonymity of urban life in my poetry, specifically when it is about my current home city, New Brunswick. I empathize with the feelings and thoughts evoked in the 'Little People Project'. Not only do the themes of the pieces reflect some sort of social/personal tension - whether it is an attempt to make connections with others, to vent frustrations, or to reflect tragedy and irony - but the tiny, probably mostly unnoticed figures themselves exude loneliness in the midst of a city full of people. The little fish in the big pond kind of thing. These are just little people lost to the daily disinterest of big people.

This work also deeply intrigued me because I generally try to take great care to notice small things in everyday life and to celebrate the beauty in things commonplace. I would like to think that I would notice a Little Person, should I pass him or her on the street. I admit that I probably fall into the trappings of routine and my own thought pools more often than I would like, and probably more often than I know, but those thoughts might now include looking for these little guys... even though I know Slinkachu is working somewhere over on the other side of the ocean.

Anyway, this isn't supposed to just be about how I "get" this work, but more about how these things that I "get" are things I would like to share. So please take a look at Slinkachu's stuff, let me know what you think, if just to humor me. But it will be good for you, just swallow it whole. I think New Brunswick could use some Little People at least... we don't have many snails here. Squirrel art, maybe? Scrap bottle cap faces? I could give that a go, myself. Nothing like a little creative inspiration.