[RP TownTalk] Graffiti

Wed Mar 23 14:47:53 UTC 2011

Hello all,

I haven't written in awhile, but I wanted to chime in on the issue of 
graffiti as art. First, though, I'd like to express my gratitude to our 
town government and our police force for taking such swift action 
regarding the graffiti I discovered in the park. Also, thanks to Mayor 
Archer for following up with us in person.

Now, regarding graffiti in general, in my opinion it can be a truly 
artistic endeavor. This doesn't in any way mitigate the sting I felt 
last week when I got to the bottom of the slide with my son and noticed 
the hateful comments that sparked this debate. It also doesn't mean that 
I think simply scrawling some words on a surface constitutes making art. 
But, I've seen some truly inspiring graffiti along the Red Line in 
Silver Spring and near Ft Totten, along the train lines in rural 
Netherlands and downtown Zurich, etc. The people who created those works 
obviously put a great deal of thought and effort into what they were 
doing, and are, imo, undeniably talented artists.

Having said that, I do find it to be extremely disrespectful and 
rightfully illegal to deface public or (especially) private property. 
But, I don't see how that has any bearing whatsoever on whether or not 
the lawbreaker is making art. The two issues are utterly discrete. 
Imagine if some of the more impressive specimens you might see were 
commissioned murals on the side of a building or on a piece of canvass 
in a museum; would it be as offensive? Is the vitriol that arises in 
response to graffiti a reaction to the defacing of property or to the 
imagery itself?

If the phrase "intellectual cultural perverts" is a reaction to the 
imagery of a perceived generic "graffiti", then I wonder what that 
phrase sounds like in Liturgical Latin. Art has always had the power to 
deeply offend the general population and rouse the ire of those who seek 
to and sometimes succeed in controlling what is and isn't acceptable 
self expression (the Church, authoritarian regimes, curators, art 
teachers, critics, etc). Fortunately, art is irrepressible and it is 
increasingly common to find examples of graffiti being displayed in 
respectful ways (commissioned murals, in museums, etc). Now, I'm not a 
highly-educated armchair artist (aka, an art critic), but I've taken 
myriad art and art history courses over the years, have visited 
countless art museums in the US and Europe, the halls of the Vatican, 
the Sistine Chapel, etc., and have known and worked extensively with 
artists on various projects over the years. The only constant I've 
noticed regarding flourishing new art forms is their ability to outlive 
the critics of their day.

Anyway, to hold out what I discovered in our park as a defining example 
of graffiti or to suggest that there's some monolithic style or intent 
is highly inaccurate. It'd be like saying Mondrian exemplifies all 
modern art ;). Seriously, though, I'm not sure how many of you saw it, 
but it was literally just unadorned words written with a sharpie marker; 
the first page of images arising from a Google Search of "graffiti" make 
it obvious that the art form is far more evolved than that:
http://www.google.com/images?q=graffiti&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1440&bih=815 
<http://www.google.com/images?q=graffiti&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1440&bih=815>

(I'm realizing now that these are similar to the results Bruce linked, 
but I'll leave it in anyway ;).

-Eric

> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 22 Mar 2011 13:51:31 EDT
> From: Euniverz at aol.com
> To: towntalk at riverdale-park.org
> Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] TownTalk Digest, Vol 56, Issue 16
> Message-ID:<4619c.593f93b2.3aba3ba3 at aol.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Well, one can find graffiti across the stretches of human history and
> prehistory. There's no use in lamenting about it or thinking it's  going to go
> away anytime soon.  After all, if graffiti is art,  then the plain monotone
> color one paints over graffiti is art  too.
>
> Thanks, public works or whomever re-redecorated the park.  We  appreciate
> it.
>
> Adrianne Lefkowitz
>
>
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Mon, 21 Mar  2011 15:36:25 -0400
> From: gerald at geraldking.com
> To:  towntalk at riverdale-park.org
> Subject: [RP TownTalk] Graffiti  Gaffe
> Message-ID:
> <18235acef5cd2d2aaf2393584c04173e.squirrel at emailmg.ipower.com>
> Content-Type:  text/plain;charset=iso-8859-1
>
> Just a little note on the graffiti found in  the park.
> Thanks to the intellectual cultural perverts of our time, this  juvenile
> hate speech is to be considered as Art. You can find it in the  finest art
> museums in the world, in text books, in history books, in movies  and on
> TV. You find children being taught it in schools and even producing it  in
> art classes. Because there are no standards of excellence other than  the
> opinion of an art ignorant teacher, graffiti becomes a substitute  for
> talent, skill, or esthetic observation. Because of the glorification  of
> graffiti as sublime human accomplishment- Art, half assed juvenile  minds
> can spew hatred as worthy self expression. I?m sure the creators of  this
> Contemporary Art feel a sense of righteousness and superiority  because
> their repulsive marks annoy average citizens of a quiet  peace-loving
> community.
> Our Police Chief Chambers writes:
> (As the  weather gets warmer, the days get longer, and individuals look for
> creative  ways to express themselves,?)
> Please wake up. Graffiti is not a creative way  to express human feelings
> unless you want to say defecating on a sidewalk  with a note protesting
> city hall is creative. Graffiti is not Art; it is not  sublime human
> accomplishment. At best it is calligraphy. Most of it is just  rubbish. It
> does not belong in our Art Museums and its presence in these  citadels of
> culture is indication of ignorance and fallacious disregard for  truth. It
> should not be taught in our schools as Art especially if it is to  be used
> as hate speech. There is no dignity in spewing ugly thoughts and  calling
> it ?creative self expression.? It is what it is-babbling of bone  heads.
> Gerald King
>
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> Message: 2
> Date: Wed, 23 Mar 2011 03:46:50 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Sue Collins<wheadle at yahoo.com>
> To: towntalk at riverdale-park.org
> Subject: [RP TownTalk] Graffiti
> Message-ID:<461107.18550.qm at web112616.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>
> Gerald King, I agree with you, graffiti is NOT art, it's vandalism, pure and
> simple.? We're each entitled to our own opinion but I wonder if those people who
> consider it art would like it if they woke up one morning and found their house
> and car spray-painted, esp. with vulgar words and pictures?? Most of the
> "children" who do this stuff are more than old enough to know right from wrong
> and I think one of the best punishments if they're caught would be to make them
> clean up the painted areas and do maintenance in the parks, etc.? Maybe if they
> were responsible for keeping an area nice, they'd see what it means when someone
> else vandalizes that property?? And yes, graffiti has been around 'forever,' but
> so have murder and a lot of other ugly things.? All that means is that there's
> been idiots and vandals throughout recorded history, not just in our day.?
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Wed, 23 Mar 2011 07:54:24 -0400 (EDT)
> From: bruce.wernek at mindspring.com
> To: towntalk at riverdale-park.org
> Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] Graffiti
> Message-ID:
> 	<31714645.1300881264849.JavaMail.root at mswamui-thinleaf.atl.sa.earthlink.net>
> 	
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>
> I don't agree with Gerald.  Graffiti is art in it's finest form because the artists get the kind of "reviews" below.  There is no expectation of reward or recognition.  There are no preconceived notions based on mainstream concepts.  The artists just imagine and paint.  It's art simply for the sake of art, pure expression.
>
> Graffiti should not be debased simply because the "canvas" is the side of a railroad car, building, or bridge abutement.  There's going to be vulgarity, but this is more the exception rather than the rule.  The best artists don't need to use vulgarity to get your attention.  After all, that's what graffiti is all about.  Check out this link, reflect, and decide for yourself.  In many ways, these works are a window into who we are because they are painted by people just like us.  From where I stand, if this isn't art, I don't know what is.
>
> http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=graffiti+pictures&cp=11&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&wrapid=tljp1300878955041020&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&sa=X&ei=cdaJTe2OCYLJgQfy0t26DQ&sqi=2&ved=0CCcQsAQ&biw=1110&bih=634
>
> P.S. If somebody painted the side of my commerical building with art like this, I'd be gratefull.  It beats the hell out of white cinder block.
>
> Bruce
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Sue Collins<wheadle at yahoo.com>
>> Sent: Mar 23, 2011 6:46 AM
>> To: towntalk at riverdale-park.org
>> Subject: [RP TownTalk] Graffiti
>>
>> Gerald King, I agree with you, graffiti is NOT art, it's vandalism, pure and
>> simple.? We're each entitled to our own opinion but I wonder if those people who
>> consider it art would like it if they woke up one morning and found their house
>> and car spray-painted, esp. with vulgar words and pictures?? Most of the
>> "children" who do this stuff are more than old enough to know right from wrong
>> and I think one of the best punishments if they're caught would be to make them
>> clean up the painted areas and do maintenance in the parks, etc.? Maybe if they
>> were responsible for keeping an area nice, they'd see what it means when someone
>> else vandalizes that property?? And yes, graffiti has been around 'forever,' but
>> so have murder and a lot of other ugly things.? All that means is that there's
>> been idiots and vandals throughout recorded history, not just in our day.?
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>>
>> For more information about Riverdale Park, visit http://www.riverdaleparkmd.info
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Wed, 23 Mar 2011 07:58:22 EDT
> From: OurDollMom at aol.com
> To: wheadle at yahoo.com, towntalk at riverdale-park.org
> Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] Graffiti
> Message-ID:<751d2.1fbb073e.3abb3a5e at aol.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> People around the world have the same
> problem with graffiti.  Wherever there is
> graffiti, there is trash, garbage.  If the
> town does not clean it up immediately,
> property values plummet.  The last article
> I read on the topic that only in a few designated
> places around Philadelphia allowed it and some
> places in NY allowed it - and it was on old
> abandoned warehouses due to be torn down.
> It is NOT an acceptable form of expression to the
> public any where.  There are many different kinds
> of art classes listed&  within each form of art there
> is a criteria&  levels of achievement in the
> field except for 2 kinds that have not been
> rated.  People who do graffiti are said not
> to have much artistic talent for if they did
> they would pursue the arts&  become
> educated in an acceptable art field.
> Emily
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