I painted a provocative spectacle back in 2012: A big woman with dark red plastic leg ins. Silvery-white hair with a pink-dyed stripe.
April 2012. Gold was at $1,700. In the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis, quantitative easing (QE) from central banks, and even the “2012 Mayan apocalypse” predictions had their effect; “hard money” enthusiasts were highly energized.
Was my – Deutsche Frau Ausserhalb der UBS Basel – “German Lady Outside the UBS Basel similarly “energized”?
Outside, on the street, she was standing with two crutches.
A German woman. Here for a visit, a day trip, to save on VAT, who knows.
I thought it was beautiful. The whole scene. Tragi-comic.
If you live in Basel, you know the difference instantly. The Swiss are affluent, self-contained, often healthier. The Germans who cross the border are different—less well off, often worn down. Victims of our society. Go to Germany, and I’m always reminded of the UK: boy racer techno cars, gangs, the smell of weed. Tattoo and barbershops.
You can romanticize and say the mountains form the Swiss, or you can cycnicize and say the money does.
Subscribe to continue reading
Become a paid subscriber to get access to the rest of this post and other exclusive content.