Consequences

I support the idea that graffiti can be both a form of protest and an art form.  Still, I respect the fact that property owners or those responsible for public property have the right to protect the places and buildings they care about.  If an artist believes his or her work belongs somewhere and puts it up without permission, they have to be willing to accept and even expect consequences.

The taggers who sprawled paint across the rear of the Imperial Theatre have been arrested.  According to 94.1 FM news:

“The two men responsible for spray painting the Imperial Theatre and the area behind the Hilton are facing charges.
Staff Sergeant Jim Fleming says the two men caused at least $20,000 dollars in damage and will appear in court on July 6th.
He says charging them is a key step in preventing more vandalism because it will stop young people from doing the same.”

Maybe I’m going soft in my anti-authoritarianism as I age, but this is similar to my thoughts about people getting arrested for illegal activities at protests.  If you believe that doing something illegal is necessary or “right” you should be willing to deal with the consequences – fair or otherwise.

Private property

The president of Hayward and Warwick wrote a letter to the editor expressing disappointment about graffiti at the rear of his building (the owners painted over a picture of a girl with balloons, and apparently someone with a spray can came back and tagged the wall). 

While I liked balloon girl, I respect the right of a building owner maintain the exterior of his building the way he finds fit. 

I still find graffiti interesting but wanted to balance this interest with a respect for property owners. 

It would be great if artists could work with interested property owners to create interesting aesthetics – that way owners wouldn’t have to paint over unwanted work.