I should also mention our word for center is "centar"... the space here in the graffiti is merely an artistic expression.
We have several spots in the city where ugly walls (e.g. the one separating train tracks from the residential buildings and streets) were intentionally turned into graffiti walls. Not the ugly graffiti, but true art expressions. I support such things with all my heart. However, when vandals write any type of graffiti on a building/facade several centuries old... I would make them clean it with a toothbrush, then give them a fine at the level of the restoration cost and then put them in jail for at least a year so they can think about was it really all worth it.
What is your take on graffiti in your town/city?
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I love Graffiti when it's on ugly walls or designated areas in which they can help give identity to a certain area. What I really don't like is when it becomes vandalism (i.e. on private property... and it's usally mispelled or rude messages or "art"). There was a controversy years ago when 2 Chilean vandals (because that's what they deserve to be called) peed and did some graffiti on an ancient wall in Peru. Of course they brought up that they were "discriminated" there, and the Chilean government wanted them to be extradited here. They were put on parole when they arrived, but about one year later, one of them was arrested for drug trafficking and vandalism.
ReplyDeleteInteresting photo! Sometimes graffiti can be beautiful and a nice ornamentation for cold, boring, concrete walls!
ReplyDeleteWe've got a lot of Banksy's graffiti in my city. It's thought-provoking, intelligent and very very good.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on the other type of graffiti though. Put them in prison and make them clean it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banksy
I like graffiti as long as it a form of art, when it manages to send a message or at least look pretty. I don't like tagging or signatures because I think they're just scribbling, from my part they can be classified as vandalism.
ReplyDeleteLots of graffiti over here in Buenos Aires! I'm with you on graffiti but jail for painting a wall is a punishment too harsh in my book. What's about the banksters and all the other criminals in our economy then? What punishment is to be given them? Death penalty? I think they destroy much more value, private property and life as any paint can ever do.
ReplyDelete@Buenos Aires Photoblog - every crime deserves appropriate punishment (jail, high fines & lots and lots of community work; I only support capital punishment for serial killers, mass murderers, and pedophiles). I do believe that someone who destroys a 2000yo monument by writing a graffiti on it deserves a long punishment. Actually I don't care where they sleep, but I would make them clean every graffiti that exists for many years after their offense. Why? Because cleaning up such historical a monument takes at least several hundred THOUSAND EUR of city money, which comes from taxes, which comes from MY POCKET as well. I don't see why my money should go to support his/hers whims.
ReplyDelete@ Leif - that's what I like too! :)
@ Cristobal - that always makes me mad... this wonderful piece of history survives so many things for hundreds of years and then encounters two modern-world idiots.......
@ would-be - I've never heard of Bansky before - WOW! That is incredible art! And as far as I can see, he's sticking to normal building walls and stays away from UNSECO monuments...