Ti amo means “I love you” in Italian. Where there is graffiti in Italy, you often find this phrase mixed in. What is it about love that makes people want to declare it to the world in this fashion? It’s as if it somehow makes it more permanent, less subject to the whims of life and human nature, if it is written down. Not just written down on a piece of paper either, but on a permanent structure, something that will be around a while.
I have to admit that my personal suspicion is that many of the romances with declarations of love in graffiti don’t last. Call me unromantic, but grand declarations of love in spray paint are not what makes a relationship. To me, love is trust and honesty and acceptance, not words on a wall. It is support day in and day out, not flowers or candy on a specific day that calls for it.
While I love to capture these little message of love I find left about, I also wonder about the stories behind them. What brought someone to this point, and what happens after the ink dries and fades away? I hope the couples have found something more lasting than ink on a wall. I truly do.
ti amo… it sounds so beautiful, more romantic than I love you…
I love the song 'ti amo' from Umberto Tozzi, it's one of my favourites!
these words written in pink, even if the love wouldn't last, give a nice picture.
Love your processing on this. Would be great as a canvas! Happy Valentines Day!
I agree with what you say about declarations of love but I really, really like chocolates 🙂
Do you ever wonder if we are more in love with the idea of being in love than the actual love itself? Love takes work to maintain fater the initial honeymoon phase and let's face it, we are not all into a lot of work. Love is a noun, it's a verb – it is all over the place. But, you have to admit that Ti Amo looks good on a wall!
Interesting…are these the same people that jump up and down on Oprah's couch? Cough Cough Tom Cruise? Either way, happy valentines day my friend!
Love always sounds better in a foreign language I think, french especially. Hope you have a lovely valentine's day in such a romantic country!
I remember the excitement and joy of teenage love — that crazy love when you can't sleep or eat and have to post it on the wall for all to see. Yes, it can be fickle, but what fun!
Great post. It makes me wonder if they are searching for love…
great picture as well!
xo
lynn
I grew up in a small town so our form of graffiti was more often a carving in a tree – I know it wasn't great for the trees, but I loved the though that the scar would grow, weather and age. It didn't stay the same, but aged and adapted, just like real love does.
yeah…like wondering if the words are written LARGE it is overblown, and will not last for the long haul….and these small, square letters in your photo…too closed in? Too controlled? A bit depressed because the individual who wrote the words may not fully believe in them?
What a wonderful study!
I completely agree with you although I think a little 'outburst' of publicly declaring your love like this every now and then can be a really nice surprise 🙂
Happy Valentines to you 🙂
Ti amo-that does sound beautiful. Who hasn't left a little love graffiti somewhere?
so i guess the "I heart kat" I chiseled into the old oak tree out front today will not be the profession of love you were waiting to hear from me? drats.