Sandro del Prete

As in surrealistic image, two worlds have merged. The central image is dominated by a huge faucet emerging from cloud. A bulb has been twisted into the spout of the faucet. Consequently, the faucet is not dispensing water but drops of light, which illuminate the scene. In the bottom right-hand quadrant, a puddle delimits the main image. On the left side, a street sweeper, whose face is composed of numbers, hold up the surface of the water as though it were a rug under which to sweep the garbage. The street sweeper belongs to the surrounding background image, though he stands superimposed on the water.

An acqueduct snakes through the central image and vanishes. Water is flowing through the acqueduct, which also has rails to allow steamboat/locomotive to drive over it. A fisherman is sitting on it, fishing in the air for one of the fish hanging from the mobile, since all the fish in the lake are dead.

In the foreground, a statue of Hermes can be seen. The gods have sent him to protest against careless waste disposal. The sword he holds symbolizes the dangers of abusing nature. If we do not begin to treat nature with care and respect, not only will we destroy her, but we could compromise the very survival of mankind.