Caution to those who enter
London, ON, February 2012
Graffiti is an interesting thing - a blank wall in an urban setting will typically soon be covered with the stuff. But paint a mural on it and so-called graffiti artists (sorry, just can't give vandals any more credit than that) keep their paint cans to themselves, almost as if they respect the fact that it's a mural.
London's been experimenting with murals for a while, and the downtown area is now dotted with them. The optimist in me would like to believe that with enough commissioned art out there, there won't be any room left over for the talentless taggers who ruin the landscape for the rest of us. But we all know what optimism gets you these days.
For now, I'll grab them photographically whenever I can. Because art can happen anywhere, and you never know when today's graffiti "artist" will graduate to one without the quotation marks.
Your turn: I'm guessing this alley has a story. Care to take a shot?
(Click here for more Thematic past-its-prime.)
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4 comments:
In my book there are no quotes around the word artist in reference to graffiti..I think the ones who do add quotes are laying judgment or are afraid to admit that graffiti is art.. Have u ever noticed that the one who can take an aerosol can and just create free hand is the most creative? I know I couldn't do it.. Graffiti has gotten a bad rap and we all know its because so called gangs would leave their tag.. I will say that even the tags left are quite artistic.. The style of lettering, angle.. Some even have a 3-D effect , creativity comes in so many flavors- so-to-speak.
Well, I suppose it’s art ....until someone does it on the lovely white painted walls of the houses in Lanzarote, where I live - then it’s vandalism! The old lighthouse here has been desecrated in just such a way, and I have to say, I don’t like it!
Depends on where it is and if they have the building owner's permission, I suppose, but really graffiti is a form of creative expression which makes it art. It becomes vandalism when its hateful or distasteful, or not in a spot that compliments it. I think graffiti is a great inner city art when done in a proper fashion.
Little Nell's lighthouse is vandalism.... an alley in Toronto, art.
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