Graffiti can be good
Categories: Development, Education
There's a playground about a block away that just re-opened with a new play structure, new ball field, and so on. Unfortunately, it was also quickly marked up with new graffiti. I don't approve of graffiti; call me an old fogy if you will, but it's not right. It costs the community time and money and degrades the neighborhood. Businesses are required to clean it up; homeowners too, often enough. Even when cleanup is not mandated by law, it is by general principles. It may even encourage increased criminal activity.Be that as it may, I've come across some graffiti that I can approve of. First off is an extremely clever idea -- painting with soap and water. A graffiti artist that goes by the name Moose uses unconventional tools -- a shoe brush, water, and elbow grease. By cleaning away dirt and grime, he "paints" with cleanliness. I once biked through the Alameda tunnel to a meeting and accidentally brushed up against the wall. Thanks to the thousands of cars that go through there, the walls were disgusting and I ended up with an equally filthy shoulder. I could certainly see how a bit of cleaning could leave a distinctive mural.
Next up, I came across an interesting project out of Montreal where a "street artist" was commissioned to create a more interesting bike lane in Montreal as part of an art exhibition. The artist notes that it's rather surreal to be spray painting the street, surrounded by police who are there to make sure his work goes uninterrupted. There are some neat pictures of the trail. I think I like the telephone cord the best, although the light bulb and plug shown here are pretty cool too.
I think if I ever catch Jared or Sara drawing graffiti, I'll swap their markers for a shoe brush and a bucket of soapy water. If they're really good, maybe I'll put them to work painting the shed or something.
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