Puns
Ever since April last year, artwork has been popping up across Bratislava in Slovakia. Far from your average graffiti or the stickers and posters you usually see, they are a series of graphics by Slovakian artist Saturejka, a student at the Academy of Fine Arts there. Her street art project, entitled Puns, is based on two-colour linocut prints, with one used for the background colour while the second is for the black illustration and text of the final image. Saturejka says the text in the graphic carries the main idea, accompanied by a simple sketch representing a pun. By switching letters around, encouraging mispronunciation, a usually embarrassing situation is harnessed and used as a jumping off point for her humorous artworks. As an example, instead of ‘ I need my advocate,‘ Saturejka uses ‘I need my avocado‘, so a small mistake generates a sketch of the fruit behind bars – again a reference to the original context. A similar occurrence happens in ‘Here You Go, Your Ketchupino,‘ which depicts a cup of ketchup instead of cappuccino.
To date, Saturejka has created three series, each consisting of four puns. You can see them all over the streets of Bratislava, although often they are hidden down back streets or in unexpected place, only occasionally leaping out from more obvious locations, delivering a cheeky slap in the face. Saturejka muses that we all make mistakes and these works represent a chance to make something good from them. „The most important thing is how we deal with them,“ she explains.
Nina Vidovencová
Mám to z vlastnej hlivy! / I’ve got it from my own oyster mushroom! [hlava(head), hliva (oyster mushroom)]
Instead of I’ve got it from my own head!, I used I’ve got it from my own oyster mushroom!
Instead of I’ve got it from my own head!, I used I’ve got it from my own oyster mushroom!
Milujem ťa najviac na svetle / I love you the most in this light [svetle (light), svete (world)]
Instead of I love you the most in this world, I used I love you the most in this light.
Instead of I love you the most in this world, I used I love you the most in this light.
Predám ťa na origami! / I will sell your origami! [origami (origami), orgány (organs)]
Instead of I will sell your organs! I used I will sell your origami!
Instead of I will sell your organs! I used I will sell your origami!
Pozor! Padá omeletka/ Watch the falling omelette [omeletka (omelette), omietka (facade)]
Instead of Watch the falling facade, I used Watch the falling omelette.
Instead of Watch the falling facade, I used Watch the falling omelette.
Potrebujem svojho avokáda! / I need my avocado! [avokádo (avocado), advokáta (advocate)]
Instead of I need my advocate! I used I need my avocado!
Instead of I need my advocate! I used I need my avocado!
Je toto mužné? / Is this manly? [mužné (manly), možné (possible)]
Instead of Is this possible? I used Is this manly?
Instead of Is this possible? I used Is this manly?
Nech sa páči, vaše kečupínko! / Here you go, your ketchupino [kečupínko (ketchupino), kapučíno (cappuccino)]
Instead of Here you go, your cappuccino, I used Here you go, your ketchupino.
Instead of Here you go, your cappuccino, I used Here you go, your ketchupino.
Najťažšia tapeta môjho života/ The most difficult wallpaper of my life (tapeta (wallpaper), etapa (part)]
Instead of The most difficult part of my life I used The most difficult wallpaper of my life.
Instead of The most difficult part of my life I used The most difficult wallpaper of my life.
Potiaci sa slamky chytá / Someone who is sweating try to grasp a straw [potiaci (sweating), topiaci (drowning)]
Instead of Someone who is drowning try to grasp a straw I used Someone who is sweating try to grasp a straw.
Instead of Someone who is drowning try to grasp a straw I used Someone who is sweating try to grasp a straw.
Vezmeš si ma smaženú? / Will you fry me? [smaženú (fry), za ženu (merry)]
instead of Will you marry me? I used Will you fry me?
instead of Will you marry me? I used Will you fry me?
Na návšteve ustrica / Visiting Oyster [ustrica (oyster), u strýca (your uncle)]
Instead of Visiting your uncle I used Visiting Oyster
Instead of Visiting your uncle I used Visiting Oyster
Syseľ môjho života / Ground squirrel of my life [sysel (ground squirrel), zmysel (meaning)]
Instead of Meaning of my life I used Ground squirrel of my life.
Instead of Meaning of my life I used Ground squirrel of my life.
Preskočila medzi nami ikra
Troska v majonéze
Človek s veľkým legom
Som z toho na hrášky
Dramatické chyby
Nahota neexistuje
