Gang graffiti tagging in public spaces is problematic enough, but the spray painting of "ISIS" on a river back in Pueblo, Colorado powerfully shifts the conversation to a political one. What is the message trying to be communicated by these taggers promoting a group that actively engages in beheading Americans, selling captured girls into slavery, and a wide variety of gruesome and barbaric acts? If they were caught tagging in the areas controlled by ISIS, my guess is that their punishment would be both severe and barbaric.
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An elementary school in Albuquerque, New Mexico was the target of a graffiti attack over night. The extensive black spray paint graffiti covered multiple walls and is expected to cost the School District thousands of dollars to clean up.
With school budgets stretched thin, the dollars spent to remove graffiti are reallocated from another priorities. Perhaps a vacant building or some other blighted structure is fair game for graffiti, but tagging on schools, or for that matter, churches, parks, and community centers is vandalism. No matter how good the "street art" is, the costs for removal is real and drain funds away from much needed improvements and maintenance. Not all graffiti is created equal. In Barnegat, New Jersey, after a consignment shop's white panel delivery truck was covered with a graffiti tag, a few professional graffiti artists stepped in with a solution. These Graffiti Artists are on a mission to change the negative perception of graffiti tagging and elevate the way that the public views graffiti. Using their talents, they painted over the crude graffiti tag and turned the truck into a bonafide mural, both eliminating the tag and adding value to the truck and local business.
Check out the photos here “We have a lot more vandals writing vulgarity, a lot of immature stuff, no art to any of this. It takes very little talent to write a nasty message about someone,” Bouvier says. “We classify it as vandalism.”
In South Haven Michigan, local authorities and the FBI are investigating multiple swastikas that were spray painted at a Jewish Summer Camp on a variety of surfaces including a car, a sign, a building and picnic table.
Can it be just a coincidence of the choice of a swastika and its location on Jewish Camp? What is the limit of free speech and where do we as a society draw the line. Is this an artist expression or a targeted hate crime? At least there were no physical attacks or injuries, but is their a relationship? Gang violence and gang graffiti go hand in hand. And the swastika symbol is one that clearly communicates hate, intolerance and violence. Louisville, Kentucky - Philip G. Rodriguez, 25, was arrested for stealing t-shirts from a local store. The reason for the theft was that the store owner, Jeffrey Dotson, photographed graffiti on his building and printed it on t-shirts with proceeds going to support Brightside, the Louisville beautification effort. Rodriguez, a prolific graffiti tagger, claimed the image was his and that the t-shirts violated his copyright.
So is graffiti protected by copyright law? Does the photography of the tag change its status from vandalism to art? How can one claim ownership over the tag without admitting to vandalism and potential exposure to criminal charges? More at Courier-Journal.com Brooklyn, New York - As Jackie Robinson stood for freedom in the face of ugly racism, now his sculpture which celebrates his courage has also been subjected to similar ugly racist attack.
"There was the word "N". And next to that there was a picture of a swastika and over that it said 'Heil,'" said Patrick, an area resident. The inscription on the sculpture includes the following words "Robinson endured racist taunts, jeers, and death threats that would have broken the spirit of a lesser man. U.S. Senator Charles Schumer released a statement saying, "Almost every Saturday morning I stop by the statue on my bike, and am deeply moved each time. Defacing the Jackie Robinson statue is a dagger in the heart to everything America stands for, and I hope those who are responsible are caught, punished, and taught why what they did is so disgusting and offensive." Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz said in a statement, "I am beyond disgusted by the defacing of this monument to tolerance and civil rights in America's Playground. This reprehensible behavior is a direct affront to the millions of Brooklynites that stand for diversity and respect. Whatever socially disconnected individual is responsible for this racist, anti-Semitic and frankly antisocial act is clearly consumed by self-hate. When apprehended by New York's Finest, I hope the punishment will serve as a strong deterrent to any punk thinking of copying these actions." More at ABC 7 New York Cambridge, Ontario - A typically quiet neighborhood awoke on a Sunday morning to a rash of hate graffiti on their homes and vehicles. Swastikas were found spray painted on a variety of surfaces. Neighbors were both shocked and offended.
More at CTV Kitchener Gary Youth Leadership Council and Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson are taking steps to organize motivated volunteers to remove graffiti in Gary, Indiana. The group of student volunteers, primarily between 12 and 18 year old, has quadrupled in size since it was first formed. This is a highly motivated group hoping to make a positive impact on their community
"We are improving Gary little by little," said Samantha Brooks, aged 14. "And I think we can really make a comeback." More at nwitimes.com Brooklyn, New York - Based on the lack of complaints from local residents, the positive message of a rash of "Believe in Love" graffiti tags seems to have won some over. Does the message matter? How about a positive message tagged over a well established mural? How about on your building?
More at NYDailyNews.com including photos. |
AuthorFrom Clean City Innovation Graffiti Watch Archives
August 2015
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