Thursday, September 2, 2010

Friday shootout: Graffiti









http://mytownshootout.blogspot.com/

http://mytownmrlinky.blogspot.com/
A few weeks back we had Public Art as the Friday My Town topic. There is formal public art: fountains, statues, freeway overpasses embossed with the state flag or the cities football team logo or ‘legal’ art as it is called. How does graffiti or illegal art fit into the scheme of things? Is it different in every city, or in the country in which we live? Or is there an international, across all borders, aspect to all this stuff that seems to cover all vertical spaces in our cities? Has you town managed to miss this outcry – this need to express oneself in a most public way. I would like to see what others have, sometimes hidden, in their towns. I would like to know how your town tries to keep public spaces clean of ‘graffiti’ or do they encourage this ‘art’ form. Ginger VanStaveren, Rio de Janeiro

I make no bones about it,
I make no apology either.
Graffiti is wrong.
It is not a freedom of expression.
You have no freedom,
The medium is not yours.
If you draw anything on other people's property,
You have no respect for the property.
You have no respect for the owner.
You are vandalising,
You are a hoolingan.
If you think you are good,
Go approach the owner,
He may even pay you to draw on his property.

I have done a few post on this topic.

http://annkschin.blogspot.com/2010/07/sunday-stills-graffiti.html

http://annkschin.blogspot.com/2009/09/hooliganism-and-graffiti-tagging.html

16 comments:

Ginny Hartzler said...

Yes, I must say that I agree with your comments. I have a whole post waiting to do on graffiti, with lots of pictures. We have a lot around here, mostly done by gangs. They got our church once and we had to call the police. Now some graffiti is very pretty and artistic, but others are filthy and ugly. Whatever it is, it is defacing property.

wenn said...

some people just love to so that.

farmlady said...

I have mixed feeling about graffiti. It's gorilla art, that's for sure and definitely defaces property.
Having worked with gang members and high risk teenagers I will have to say that it's the least of their damage to society and for some of these kids it's an expression of their lives. Some are very good artists.
We need to find a way for these people, these "artists", to express themselves in a legal way because I think that a blank wall or the side of a box car looks much better when it's covered with all this "artwork".
Maybe we could just find them the right "canvas" instead of calling them criminals.

Cheryl said...

I too agree with your comments. We are very fortunate that there is nothing like that here in our small town. Those who deface property need to find something constructive to do with their "art".

Elaine Yim said...

Some people need to break some rules in order to feel good.

Unknown said...

I found none in my town and I went every where one would expect it and someplace where it would not be expected. Nothing. That is good.
Way to go girl.
QMM

Bagman and Butler said...

I can't figure out how they do it -- climbing up on towers, most likely at night? It does seem wrong although some of it is kind of artistic...Nah.

Jama said...

I thank the Govt for implementing rules on graffiti which has kept our city almost free of graffiti.

In the eye of the beholder said...

I agree with you!

Dave said...

Well summed up Ann. It is mindless and says to the world that the creator of graffiti is just a mindless idiot! - Dave

kate sweeten said...

We have our fair share of graffiti around town (mostly gang-related)...it's a shame how sad and nasty it can make the area look.

There's a guy in my town, though, who covers up the nasty stuff with some pretty impressive artwork (all done with spray paint). The city knows about it and he has permission to do it. It makes the area look so much better - much more fun.

spiritsoflena said...

It is kind of a rogue art.

~JarieLyn~ said...

Random graffiti does irritate me and make me mad, even when it is artistic, however, there are some places where graffiti is allowed and that is when I don't have a problem with it.

I found lots of graffiti in my town but it is in the art district where it is welcomed. Some of it was random but still within the same area.

RedLan said...

Nice graffiti photos Ann.

Sarah Sullivan said...

Tagging is just starting to show up in our town..just hate it myself. Wonderful shots and words!!

Pauline said...

Despite the graffiti, I like your water tower shot, Ann. I was in Auckland at the w/end and noticed more than I usually do. Probably because it was on my mind. I just hate the stuff!