A painted masterpiece

A half-painted house in Malaysia caught my eye.

Painted House Half

This made me think back and ask, how did this occur?

  • Did the painter run out of paint?
  • Did the owner really contract just to paint just the ten feet of his building closest the street?
  • Did the owner run out of money to pay for the work?
  • Was there previously another building blocking the way? No, it seems unlikely since there is a window in the unpainted area.
  • Did something unrelated interrupt the work? Public holiday? Civil unrest? Family obligations?
  • Even if the original job was interrupted, why was the work never completed?

4 Comments

  1. Perhaps this is similar to the false facade used in old western films. Maybe the owner was taking a street side photo of the building and was just going to be careful to frame out the unpainted section.

  2. conalldempsey says:

    @ Mark

    I hadn’t thought of the idea of shooting a picture of just the front of the house. That is definitely a reasonable explanation of what may have happened. Thanks for the comment.

  3. Jin Sheen Yeoh says:

    They only painted parts that mattered (Which is the front and parts of the side) – this mirrors your friend’s comment about films. I think the funny thing is that this building was even painted after all! I am sure you’ve seen tonnes of buildings at home which need a paint job and it has never been done after it was built..
    Another hting to note is that it’s actually really expensive to get your house painted in Malaysia – the weather is so wet and humid that a lot of paints don’t last very long…and most paints are imported (Japan mostly i think?) – so it does end up becoming a cost issue…

    I love that you flew a kite in Malacca (English spelling of the name)! Did you go to A Formosa? Did you go to Makam Mahsuri (Tomb of Mahsuri?)

    And good to know you are surviving and enjoying your travels! 😀

  4. conalldempsey says:

    @ Jin

    Exactly. If you’re not going to paint it all, why paint it AT ALL? I am not saying they had no reason, I was just musing about what the reason could be. Trying to divine the cause based on the results.

    I did go to A Formosa, not too impressed. I didn’t get to Makam Mahsuri.

    Thanks for the comments!

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