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'An aphorism, properly stamped and molded, has not been "deciphered" when it has simply been read; rather one has then to begin its interpretation, for which is required an art of interpretation.' -- Nietzsche, 'On the Genealogy of Morals'

anti-graffiti « Previous | |Next »
August 31, 2011

What is up with The Fairfax Press these days. We have another tirade at the National Times, this time against graffiti by one of their Sydney based writers.

streetartfacedown.jpg Gary Sauer-Thompson, street art, Jimmy Cochrane, Blyth St, Adelaide 2011

Charles Purcell says that many councils spend a frustratingly large amount of time and money cleaning up the mess our urban graffiti ninjas leave behind. They're not handing out grants in the search of the next Basquiat. They feel the same as he does.

He writes:

Put your graffiti detector on as you travel to and from work and you'll be astounded by how many instances you will spy. Hasty scrawls on power plants. Words winding up power poles. Tags on buildings. Tunnels completely covered in drivel. Schools covered in pubescent angst. Then consider your reaction to it. Do you ever feel uplifted? Amused? Entertained? Has a clever pun ever tickled your fancy? Has an important message ever been passed on? Have you ever stopped and thought, "Hmm, knowing 'Gordo has herpes' is something that really has brightened my day"? Are public parks improved with black and blue scrawls everywhere? Or do they add a sense of urban decay to the swings and greenery? In short, does graffiti fulfil the proper function of art? Because I've yet to see some that has moved me like a Carvaggio. Or even the Ginger Meggs cartoons in the newspaper. Or Garfield...

Purcell adds that he has yet to see compelling cases of graffiti adding anything to the urban landscape. Banksy's works could be seen to legitimise an army of youths with cans rampaging through our streets, leaving incoherent colour schemes everywhere.

Purcell does not clearly distinguish between tagging and street art----he runs them together --and he fails to acknowledge that some city councils give up walls for street art.

| Posted by Gary Sauer-Thompson at 8:43 AM |