A man in California, who was instructed by his city to hide the boat parked in his driveway with a fence, decided to take a unique approach. Instead of covering it up completely, he enlisted the help of his artist neighbor to paint a photo-realistic image of the boat on the fence. This act of rebellious compliance allowed him to follow the city’s rules while still proudly displaying his beloved vessel.
Etienne Constable stated that the boat he uses for fishing had been parked in his Seaside driveway for nearly four years when he received a letter from the city reminding him of a municipal law requiring boats and trailers to be “screened on the side and front by a six-foot-high fence.”
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Constable stated that his initial reaction to the letter was anger, but he then discussed the situation with his neighbor, mural artist Hanif Panni, and came up with a creative solution.
Constable had a fence constructed to block his driveway, and Panni, who goes by the name Hanif Wondir, painted a photorealistic representation of the boat and the entire driveway on the road-facing side of the fence.
Constable told the Washington Post, “We managed to strike a balance between adhering to the rules and making a sophisticated statement to the contrary.”
Panni, who described the effort as an attempt to create “an illusion,” shared images of the completed piece on social media, where they rapidly went viral.
“I’m all about sparking a conversation and making people smile,” Constable told KSBW-TV. “The reaction is extremely more than we ever expected, and we’re both just tickled about it.”
The project gained enthusiasts, including Nick Borges, Seaside’s acting city manager, who called Constable to commend him on his innovative approach. Borges said he saw the photographs on social media before realizing they were from a nearby house.
“I thought, ‘Wow, that’s pretty creative.'” I laughed it off, and then I started getting calls from local media,” Borges added.
He explained that the letter Constable received was a result of steps taken last year. Borges stated that the city had received numerous complaints about lax code enforcement, prompting the recruitment of a person to investigate and notify violators.
Borges declared that the construction of the fence resolved Constable’s issue and that no further action is necessary.
“The only action I’m going to take is a high five, and that’s it,” Borges replied.
