Waiting for Godard?

For my first post, I chose a graffiti tag in my neighborhood that catches my eye every time I pass it. This tag can be found in Williamsburg, Brooklyn on the corner of North 6th Street and Driggs Avenue.

I like this particular tag for its cheeky sense of humor. The artist is playing off of Samuel Beckett's famous play Waiting for Godot. The artist, unlike the main characters in Waiting for Godot, Vladimir and Estragon, is not waiting for Godot (who, in the end, never comes), but instead is waiting for Jean-Luc Godard, one of the most influential directors of the Nouvelle Vague, or "French New Wave" film movement. One must wonder if the artist was trying to draw a parallel between Waiting for Godot and the Nouvelle Vague movement, as both went against tradition. Waiting for Godot is an absurdist play in which it can be argued that nothing actually happens, while the Nouvelle Vague movement rebelled against the traditional French literary film structure through use of non-linear plot lines. Whatever the artist's intention, this is certainly a fun tag.

What is also interesting about this tag is that it has been added to. What appears to be the head of a rooster has been spray painted over the original "waiting for godard" tag. Is this the work of the original artist, or did someone else feel like it needed to be spruced up a bit?

This tag is located in the heart of Williamsburg. There are plenty of restaurants, shops, and galleries to visit in this area. A few blocks up on Bedford Avenue between South 3rd and South 4th Streets is the delicious Mexican restaurant Bonita. The guacamole is very spicy and flavorful, and the veggie quesadillas are delightful. You can choose to eat at the counter and watch the chefs prepare your food before your very eyes, or you can choose to get cozy at one of their tables or booths. It can get pretty busy, but usually the wait is not that long, and the food is definetly worth it.

After eating your fill of Mexican food, you might want to head over to Earwax Records at 218 Bedford Avenue. Here you can find an excellent selection of cds and vinyl. They carry both used and new vinyl, so if you're into records, you should definetly check this cozy record store out.

Well, that's all for this time. Next stop: Queens!