Graffiti seems to be a guaranteed comment generator on local blogs: is it a blight on our community or free expression of rogue artists? What’s the difference between a “graffiti artist” and a “tagger”?
Well, if you want to voice your opinion, you’re welcome to leave it here in the comments field, or, better still, fill out this survey from the City of Seattle Office of City Auditor on the city’s response to graffiti. Just don’t tag my garbage can. Again.
Survey closes May 10.
Any tagger who tags public or private property without the permission of the owner is a criminal, and should be dealt with accordingly. Personally, I’d like to read a newstory about some homeowner catching them and inflicting some serious pain on them. Give them a good, well deserved beating. Years ago, a friend of mine caught some “Ave rat” tagging his garage. He held him down, grabbed his spraypaint, and sent the punk away crying with his face painted green. That is how they should be treated. And make them scrub every last bit of grafitti for community service. Why should taxpayers and private property owners have to pay for it?
If these miscreants think a bunch of unintelligible scribbles is “art,” fine. Let them use their own canvass. After all, how would they like it if someone vandalized their property ? Who knows, they could probably sell it at some downtown boutique, people would buy it because it’s urban and “gritty.” But of course, then it wouldn’t be “art”, because it’s not daring and illegal.
Well said, Hayduke!
I’m a little at odds with the blog posting of “.. is it a blight on our community or free expression of rogue artists? What’s the difference between a “graffiti artist” and a “tagger”?” – It is all criminal and should be dealt with as such.
I just can’t understand the mentality of those who think they can scribble crap anywhere they please and think that is o.k. to do that. I wish there was a better way to catch these criminals. Graffiti just drags a neighborhood down and there has to be a way to stop it. It is unfair to have the businesses have to pay to clean up after these vandals. They should be caught, put in the orange jump suits and made to clean up their and others’ markings.
And we need to refer to them as vandals – there is no “art” in their marking up public and other’s private property. Vandal = ” one who willfully or ignorantly destroys, damages, or defaces property belonging to another or to the public.” If someone romanticizes or sympathizes with taggers or the like, then set aside a wall of their own house or garage to get marked up.
http://www.thegraffitiartist.com/
So, what’s your point, Chris? Sympathy for unemployed, directionless vandals with spray cans marking up whatever seems to be an open wall?
I don’t have much sympathy for them. They need to find other ways to express themselves that isn’t vandalizing others’ property and degrading the neighborhood. If a neighborhood likes the images, maybe they could get the o.k. from a property owner and have a wall for that. But the taggers have lost their respect for organized art, i.e. the mural on the Green Lake / Aurora underpass. I’ve seen tags on that mural, where the mural used to be left alone.
@SeattleAlan. Watching the movie made me think of these guys more as artists than vandals, even though the activities & lifestyle the characters lived were what I’d normally consider criminal. I was quite surprised to find myself grinning after seeing the “actor” in Lake City with a backpack one day. I guess it changed my perspective a little.
Artists are artists when they own or are given permission/access to the canvass.
Vandals are vandals no matter how nice their work is if they deface property belonging to another or to the public. Movies can romanticize anything.
Perhaps the more talented should look for work creating murals for businesses or individuals. You would just have to hope that the vandals don’t mark up their mural with their “tags”.
Unless you plan to help everyone troubled out there, you’re not going to clean up the streets. The kids who tag are riled up, with no outlet, usually up to no good but clearly seeking a way to express themselves and gain status.
So does anyone know the story with the building on 50th and Roosevelt? I mean, if its one place they’re allowed to Tag, let em have it. I kinda like that evertime I walk by it, It’s completely different.