This photo I took many years ago on my first trip to Bali. We were walking along the main street down towards the beach at Kuta to watch the sunset.  There, on the way, was this telephone box. (This was in the days before the popularity of the cell-phone), so if you wanted to make a ‘phone call, you stepped inside a telephone booth to do so. Now of course these days, you would be hard-strapped to find one.

Initially, I was drawn to the Asian architectural adaptation to the phone box, and then I read its inscription, which, when you read it aloud is something like “Telepon Umom”, which is something I totally agree with. If you are away from home on vacation in a foreign land, don’t forget to let the “ol’ folks at home now that you are OK” – in other words “telephone your’ mom” (or whoever you need to).

Of course another element is present in this photo and that is the graffiti tagging – which in those days, people referred to as being the work of “vandals”. Then again, because they have written “cheque” maybe it didn’t take coins, cards or money-order. You be the judge.

As a consequence, I deem this ‘questionable art’ and nominate it under “the ugly” heading. For further nominations in this category check my “Ugly” page.

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“Is It Art?”