Conor Donnelly wrote:
I consider a well placed, well done piece of graffiti to be aesthetically
pleasing and a positive contribution to some
discarded parts of the urban landscape that I love.
David Piehl writes:
Admittedly there is a bit of mystique when you see an abandoned building with a
bit of graffitti. When you really think about it,
though, how much graffitti is actually "well placed" or "well done"? People are
having their property defaced and vandalized!
Consider how you would feel if you woke up one morning and discovered graffitti
on your house? On a house it's easy
enough to re-paint the targeted area (unless it's stucco), unless the owner has
physical limitations. Businesses typically have
brick or marble facades that require professional attention. What is pleasing,
though, is not the graffitti but rather the
murals that have appeared on the side of many businesses, sometimes with
neighborhood funding, sometimes youth
groups that do it with the permission of the building owners.
Wizard Marks correctly pointed out that often the graffitti is gang related -
many have symbols that they paint to mark
"their territory", which adds a further element to the fold.
A few years ago some of the CNIA volunteers took up graffitti issues - I think
with CCP Safe and maybe also the Lake
Street Council (not certain) - if memory serves, Wizard also was involved
(through the safety center?) In any case, they did
achieve a reasonable reduction of graffitti. Perhaps Jana Metge or Jan Roessler
could provide some insight into this.
Of course, what ultimatly needs to happen is that our elected officials need to
understand that graffitti is indeed one of those
liveability issues, like potholes, litter, etc. I wonder if Sharon Sayles
Belton, Lisa McDonald, and RT Rybak would consider
sharing their views with us? (I for one, would appreciate knowing)
I have heard that St Louis Park has very stringent laws for the graffitti
"artists", does anyone have more information on
that?
David Piehl
Central
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