The Coffee Shop

In the open space in front of the coffee shop, probably the village square, and under the shade of grand old trees, the artist chose to give us a scene encompassing all different phases of Cypriots at leisure. The two storey building is probably located in either Bella Pais or Lapithos village. The all male context of the Cypriot coffee shop provides the setting for recording the multiple postures of the Cypriots during relaxation and brings to mind the humorous phrase of George Mikes who claimed that a Greek needs at least 5 chairs to make himself comfortable! The priest is seen reading the newspaper sitting on one and having his legs resting on another chair. His presence in the coffee shop bears evidence to the lack of any great social segregation between the clergy and the laity in the Orthodox context. A child sits cross-legged on the ground and is leaning against the wall, watching the commotion. Another figure in contemporary clothes is seated on a chair and rests his head against his arms. In the corner on the right, a young man is playing a musical instrument and is singing while another dances to the tune waving flamboyantly a handkerchief. In the foreground, a figure wearing a moustache, a cap and dark clothing appears leaning awkwardly on the rear feet of the chair. In the centre, a man sits back to front embracing the back of a green chair. Both are typical coffee shop postures in Cyprus. A peddler in heavy black boots and dark baggy trousers, white shirt and a red scarf tied around his neck appears plying his trade. In the left corner, a curious figure sits with his legs crossed addressing the peddler with a hand gesture. He is dressed in clothes indicating a sailor on leave. A dog always forms part of such scenes. A couple of elderly figures are seen walking away. The absence of any female figures patronizing the establishment is explained by the fact that in rural Cyprus the coffee shop and its surroundings was taboo space to women. In all male dominated societies, women are excluded from public domains. Although an ethnographically informative picture, there is little artistic merit, itself attesting to the fact that Judy Findley was an amateur naïve artist.