Grafitti Art: What a Controversy!
Ξ April 21st, 2008 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Graffiti, Visual Pollution |
Grafitti Art: What a Controversy!
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About three weeks ago the Associated Press had an article about the artwork, murals painted by mural artists on the walls of a section of the Los Angeles River. A man-made 10,000 square foot section on the walls of that concrete flood control channel.
Many families had watched the mural artists paint the colorful pictures. Now however, they had been overlaid in some places with “grafitti”. Imagine grafitti artist paintings tagged with graffiti.
There was immediate controversy over whether it was right to allow such graffiti art when the city spends big-time millions cleaning up graffiti. Also some politicians (of course) complained some of the paintings were inappropriate for a public art display near where city planners want to build bike paths.
In 2006 county crews removed about 60 million square feet of graffiti at a cost of about $32 million, county officials have said.
The organizer of the project, Alex Poli had the proper permits - a hassle to get - since several govermental jurisdictions over see that particular part of the Concrete river. Poli said politicians don’t understand the difference between graffiti and graffiti art, which is exhibited in museums and galleries around the world. “People still have trouble considering it art because we use a spray can,” he said.
Maybe the politicians should visit those museums and galleries I say. In any event Poli was under fire also for not keeping the surrounding area free of additional “grafitti”.
I haven’t heard whether the grafitti art can remain or not.
What do you think - should the government powers that be allow that controlled graffiti art in the face of the overwhelming problem of graffiti all over the city and So. California in general?
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