  Gravitymachine Member Username: Gravitymachine Post Number: 1666 Registered: 05-2005 |
seems like 2008 was a boom year for graffiti in detroit, not only in its proliferation, but also in its brazenly obvious placement. does anyone aside from the artist(s) know what this stuff is supposed to mean? | ||
Retroit Member Username: Retroit Post Number: 807 Registered: 04-2008 |
It's supposed to mean "I'm a stupid ass with nothing better to do!" | ||
Jtf1972 Member Username: Jtf1972 Post Number: 102 Registered: 08-2008 |
In NYC it has made a comeback as well. I question why some is seen as art. If I misspell FCUK on your house you want to kill me, but if it is on an abandoned house it is "art?" | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 9173 Registered: 10-2003 |
quote: If you spray FCUK on my house, a bunch of yuppies will line up looking to purchase overpriced clothes. | ||
Bearinabox Member Username: Bearinabox Post Number: 1145 Registered: 04-2006 |
Graffiti is for the gheys. | ||
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup Post Number: 5138 Registered: 06-2004 |
It means the Cut was developed so they are looking elsewhere for their canvases. | ||
Sticks Member Username: Sticks Post Number: 295 Registered: 08-2005 |
Depends on what graffiti you're talking about. Are you talking about the "IT DONT EXIST" ranting/raving kind, the 12 year-old produced Latino gang scrawls of Southwest, or the two-toned bubbly and swoopy-shaped "throwies" of the city? | ||
Bobl Member Username: Bobl Post Number: 391 Registered: 07-2008 |
Perhaps Gravitymachine is talking about the illegal and disrespectful habit of defacing other people's property, without regard to the abusers' artistic or gang related intentions. | ||
Rel Member Username: Rel Post Number: 742 Registered: 02-2008 |
I think I have mentioned before: I am a big supporter of public art. But I think most of these "artists" have never owned property... If it's not yours, don't touch it. | ||
Detroitej72 Member Username: Detroitej72 Post Number: 1059 Registered: 05-2006 |
If it's not yours, don't touch it. ------------------------------ -------------------- By that measure, the Heidleburg Project would never have seen the light of day. Art is truely in the eye of the beholder. | ||
6nois Member Username: 6nois Post Number: 786 Registered: 11-2006 |
Graffiti has existed for a long long time, going back to early roman times. Detroit has some really good examples of very artful work if you know where to look. I am happy to report from a walk I took over the weekend, the cut is still very active, even having been developed if you can call what they did development. Its an ever present part of the urban experience. As for what it means, many tags are signatures or an identifier. Although one doesn't need to understand what it means to appreciate a good example. | ||
Rel Member Username: Rel Post Number: 743 Registered: 02-2008 |
You got me there  I have donated to the Heidelberg Project, and frequently show it to out-of-towners and Detroiters alike. Tyree, as far as I know, owns his own house on Heidelberg. That is his neighborhood. But you raise a point, am I being hypocritical? | ||
6nois Member Username: 6nois Post Number: 787 Registered: 11-2006 |
Can you own a neighborhood? Does being a resident give one free reign to do as they please? What about land and places that have no known owner? How does one define ownership? | ||
Rel Member Username: Rel Post Number: 744 Registered: 02-2008 |
Well, one cannot own a neighborhood. But one can own a house. And how does a "casual" graffiti artist know who owns a house, or if it's trying to be sold or in the process of being rehabbed? Imagine you're trying to rehab a house, and how ticked you'd feel if someone painted graffiti on it and having to pay to clean it up. Not to mention, once it's painted, the scrappers become more "interested" in it, thinking it's abandoned. This type of behavior can deter people from wanting to rehab... | ||
Detroitej72 Member Username: Detroitej72 Post Number: 1061 Registered: 05-2006 |
Rel, I have no answers, as I'm a big supporter of Tyree and also frquently take guests down for a visit. Last time I spoke with him, he gave me the impression that through his foundation they were looking to aquire the property that the city currently owned. I hope it succeeds, he has done more to get people from around the world to come to his part of the city than all the leaders and federal projects have, thats for sure. I always found comfort in the fact that one man changed a rough neighborhood into a tourist destination all on his own without any public money. Thats what I call The American Spirit. | ||
6nois Member Username: 6nois Post Number: 788 Registered: 11-2006 |
How often do you see really good artful graffiti on a house? Not very much because anyone with any talent generally wouldn't do that. Most graffiti artists have a code of rules and conduct to which they follow. And if your rehabbing a house in Detroit and a fear of graffiti is what scares you away you probably shouldn't be rehabbing a house in Detroit. | ||
J_to_the_jeremy Member Username: J_to_the_jeremy Post Number: 160 Registered: 03-2007 |
^^^ Accurate post. | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 5901 Registered: 10-2003 |
If you support graf please post your address so I can mark your home. Otherwise STFU. They are punks that ruin others property. If anyone knowns how I can get in touch with then please let me know so I can botch slap them. Yes, my ome has been graff'ed | ||
Wolverine Member Username: Wolverine Post Number: 580 Registered: 04-2004 |
I hate it when some 14 year old runs from utility box to mailbox to signage scrawling their name in red spray paint so that the achieved look is a mess when you look up the street. Cities will never clean this up. Such was the case in Ann Arbor, once it's on a sign or box, it's there forever. Private owners bear the burden of removing it or painting over it. | ||
Gsgeorge Member Username: Gsgeorge Post Number: 663 Registered: 08-2006 |
depends on the style. i have seen some great works, some wonderfully detailed renderings of people, creatures and caricatures, and some amazing 'lettering'. but there is useless scrawl, garbage, vandalism, and this unfortunately seems to be the majority. | ||
Sstashmoo Member Username: Sstashmoo Post Number: 3123 Registered: 02-2007 |
Quote: " Private owners bear the burden of removing it or painting over it." Easy-off oven cleaner will remove spray paint and even lettering paint over factory paint. That's how car lots remove lettering from commercial vehicles for resale. | ||
Reddog289 Member Username: Reddog289 Post Number: 860 Registered: 08-2007 |
easy off is good also for removing wax from asbestos tile and ? undercoating on a 65 comet. My Mom loves graffiti, on trains on buildings, ETC. GO FIGURE. | ||
Navi Member Username: Navi Post Number: 19 Registered: 09-2005 |
In regards to the title, it just comes down to two dudes who paint words and find it funny to paint on one side to create a saying. I.e. Dude 1 paints GET, so he paints on the left. Dude 2 paints PAID, so he paints on the right. I'm still waiting on OAR and GASM to start painting together. | ||
Navi Member Username: Navi Post Number: 20 Registered: 09-2005 |
quote: I question why some is seen as art. If I misspell FCUK on your house you want to kill me, but if it is on an abandoned house it is "art?" If you spray FCUK on my house, a bunch of yuppies will line up looking to purchase overpriced clothes. Ahahahaha! This had me lol'ing. | ||
6nois Member Username: 6nois Post Number: 789 Registered: 11-2006 |
I don't know Jt, are you any good. My apartment building has two walls that could really use a coat of paint. But only if your good. Most of the artists I know, you would never know they do what they do, and even if you did you would never catch them. They are stealthy and sly like a cat. Jt as for your house being sprayed was your average variety gang /punk tagger crap or was it a well thought out composition with multiple colors. My guess it was the first one, thats not art by an artist. Its just punk kids playing ghetto games. I don't love all graffiti, but there is a place for it in our world. Things happen and its best to just deal and not get all angry about it. | ||
Jams Member Username: Jams Post Number: 7585 Registered: 10-2003 |
...Until you have to clean it off your house or garage. | ||
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus Post Number: 3642 Registered: 06-2008 |
I've never understood the whole graffiti thing. All those guys ever seem to do is draw bubble letters that are so smooshed together to the point that they are completely illegible, which would seemingly defeat the purpose of getting their "message" out or whatever it is they are attempting to do. And in a place like Detroit particularly, all it does is make an already depressed area look even worse. And then you have parts of the city such as the area around the Lafayette building which is actually a pretty nice area but for that giant eyesore these no-talent faux artists created by covering that building with their garbage. It would be nice to see Detroit create extremely harsh penalties for this sort of behavior. While its difficult to catch these clowns in the act, perhaps the prospect of being thrown in the slammer with Bubba for six months to a year will serve as an effective deterrent. | ||
Retroit Member Username: Retroit Post Number: 824 Registered: 04-2008 |
^Amen to that! | ||
Caboose Member Username: Caboose Post Number: 2 Registered: 08-2008 |
I saw a graffiti artist use a wire system over the freeway to paint a bridge...those kids are crazy. | ||
J_to_the_jeremy Member Username: J_to_the_jeremy Post Number: 161 Registered: 03-2007 |
Let's have a roll call of anyone whose house has been tagged or who has been DIRECTLY negatively affected by graffiti. I'm just curious. | ||
Townonenorth Member Username: Townonenorth Post Number: 710 Registered: 10-2007 |
 | ||
Retroit Member Username: Retroit Post Number: 827 Registered: 04-2008 |
^It won't be long. | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 9196 Registered: 10-2003 |
For thousands of years, mankind has managed to produce art without destroying property. Suddenly this is a difficult issue because kids with too much time want to spraypaint shit that doesn't belong to them? If it's not yours, don't cover it with your "art". Utrecht on Woodward will be happy to sell you large sheets of paper and any other supplies you may need. | ||
Big_baby_jebus Member Username: Big_baby_jebus Post Number: 34 Registered: 09-2008 |
Detroit Graffiti Archive http://onlyndetroit.com/html/g raff/graffsubmenu.htm | ||
Grumpyoldlady Member Username: Grumpyoldlady Post Number: 329 Registered: 06-2005 |
Some of these graffiti artists have real talent. Too bad it can't somehow be directed to a more profitable canvas. Some of them belong in art school or in positions in graphics design, not tagging walls. | ||
Big_baby_jebus Member Username: Big_baby_jebus Post Number: 35 Registered: 09-2008 |
Funny you say that^^^^ Most graff artist I know are art students and/or employed as GFX artist. HAHA ;-) | ||
Wolverine Member Username: Wolverine Post Number: 581 Registered: 04-2004 |
Some cities have provided public graffiti walls in effort to keep the paint off public and private property. The sad thing is, I doubt this would work with the large amount vacant property canvas available. Interesting note: Some city (can't remember) constructed a graffiti wall in a park and an angry citizen spray painted over it, "All my taxpayer money got is this lousy graffiti wall." Ironically, police considered this act a form vandalism and the dude ended up getting arrested. Similar thing happened in AA when someone painted the entire Michigan Theater alley white, covering all the graffiti. Police are still looking for the individual who did this, but in the past never made an effort to stop people from tagging up the alley. | ||
J_to_the_jeremy Member Username: J_to_the_jeremy Post Number: 162 Registered: 03-2007 |
I was wondering what happened to that alley in Ann Arbor...it's bizarre to see it without the murals now. | ||
Rel Member Username: Rel Post Number: 745 Registered: 02-2008 |
"And if your rehabbing a house in Detroit and a fear of graffiti is what scares you away you probably shouldn't be rehabbing a house in Detroit." Fear of graffiti wouldn't be the worst fear, but it would be a frustration. Last time I checked, we don't have a mad, plentiful rush of rehabbers in the City to casually toss aside or discourage any. So I think any negative factor, no matter how large or small, should still be paid attention to. There is a whole host of "worst fears" when rehabbing in ANY city (scrappers, cost overruns, bad contractors, safety issues, fire, theft, vandalism, termites, taxes, utility bills, cost of equipment, crime, bringing stuff up to code), so why not minimize risk when we can? Why not try to stem just another item on the list? Detroit shouldn't settle in the sense that we should just tell people, "That's the way it is when you do business in Detroit". We are better than this. We need to expect more. Detroiters deserve homes without vandalism, and graffiti shouldn't be acceptable and (no pun intended)written off. Respectfully, REL (Great discussion, all) (Message edited by rel on January 16, 2009) |
