Street artists, your reign of terror ends now!

[DeadGirlsDontDance]

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office: bravely keeping Riverside safe from its own artsy residents. Cameras have been installed in 5 Points, monitored by JSO to bust writers, painters, and dangerous maniacs armed with wheatpaste. Don't put a sticker on anything, they want to put you in jail, for such ridiculously high bail I refuse to post the figure I was quoted. It can't POSSIBLY be correct.

God forbid they should endanger the cops by putting those cameras in areas where people get shot daily...

[904Scars]

I heard about this last night through a local artist. This is absolutely insane. I realize some people's thoughts on "street art" are different than mosts but really?! Like you said, why aren't we putting cameras up in places where violence is a reaccurence? My question is how are cameras going to bust these "perpatrators" anyways? Are they going to start putting "WANTED" POSTERS up around Riverside with the alleged artist's face on it?!

[mtraininjax]

Are they going to start putting "WANTED" POSTERS up around Riverside with the alleged artist's face on it?!

I can think of a few MJers who would look good on a "WANTED" poster. 

[wsansewjs]

Awww! The cops are the party poopers! I really enjoy artists' contribution and message to the street as long as they can clean it up or restore back to its former condition, therefore I have no problem with street art.

If you are going apply your own art to a public area and leave it, then it is like taking a dump near a lamp post and let it rot for every bystander to smell and see it. That's called littering.

Jacksonville Sheriff Office are full of idiots for spreading their resources thin and focusing on this part of the overall crimes which they should work on others which are much more important.

-Josh

[ChriswUfGator]

I dunno, call me a grouch, but we aren't talking about a bunch of little keith harings running around enlightening us with their talents. Most of the graffiti here is just tagging, which for those unfamiliar with the term is a bunch of d-bags running around spray-painting their name on everyone's private property. Graffiti art is one thing, but for the most part we aren't talking about that. The tagging needs to stop.

[904Scars]

I dunno, call me a grouch, but we aren't talking about a bunch of little keith harings running around enlightening us with their talents. Most of the graffiti here is just tagging, which for those unfamiliar with the term is a bunch of d-bags running around spray-painting their name on everyone's private property. Graffiti art is one thing, but for the most part we aren't talking about that. The tagging needs to stop.

Agree to an extent. There is a difference between graffiti art and those who "tag" and think it's art. For instance, the stuff at Underbelly is what I would consider art. Even some tagging, such as the late great OILER is eye pleasing to me at least but these guys going around with a sharpie marking up every utility box they walk past is pretty dumb. Whether some realize it or not, there is talent behind actual tagging. I personally have no problem with wheat pasting either, as long as it doesn't get out of hand. But I see how some would disagree. There are a few other threads on here about "street art" and the city's view on it. All in all, I think the city is taking it a bit too far. There are more important things to worry about. Most of the people contributing to the street art, graffiti, tagging, whatever you want to call it, are Jacksonvillians who for the most part stay out of trouble.

[urbaknight]

Why don't they put the cameras at traffic lights to combat against bad driving? Oh that's right, bad drivers are Jacksonville's best friends. Stupid redneck floridiots! I say we organize every street artist and simultaneously go into the streets in protest. I mean jam up traffic and everything. But unfortunately, no one truly cares.

[ChriswUfGator]

I agree criminalizing it is not necessarily the solution, at least not by itself.

I think there should be designated areas for graffiti art, and the real problem is that if some of the property owners want to allow murals or exterior artwork, then code enforcement needs to back off and let it be. They're usually up your ass about it, like what happened with the Preservation S.O.S. hearts in Springfield, during the boarding/sealing project they were boarding up vacant properties so Code Enforcement wouldn't tear them down for being open and vacant, and they had painted little red hearts on the boards so instead COJ cited them for "Graffiti." How asinine.

But with all that said, the tagging is what has everyone in Riverside upset and it really needs to stop. I'm sorry, but in my view the circumstances under which a bunch of douchebags can run around spray painting their name all over everything in sight and then have that behavior somehow get considered "art" are pretty darn limited.

The taggers are really spoiling the whole pie for everyone else.

[904Scars]

I say we organize every street artist and simultaneously go into the streets in protest. I mean jam up traffic and everything. But unfortunately, no one truly cares.

I could think of a few local names that would actually consider coming out to something. We'd need to make it a fairly civil and organized gathering. Maybe even have a graffiti / street art event in 5-Points where artist can come out and do some live painting, sell some work, maybe cheese and crackers (kidding on that part) etc etc.

I'd like to know where these cameras are? Has anyone actually seen one yet?

[Dog Walker]

Taggers had better be very careful about "coming out".  If JSO can connect names and faces on the street to the faces seen on the cameras, there will be arrests.

If it's art, how come they don't do it on their own houses?

It is almost impossible and is very expensive to get spray paint off of brick or masonry.  Why not chalk on the sidewalk like some of the European street artists (real artists!) do?

[Dog Walker]

Like this:

[danem]

This all reminds me of that neighborhood watch in Hot Fuzz where they go after the living statue guy.

THE GREATER GOOD.

[904Scars]

Taggers had better be very careful about "coming out".  If JSO can connect names and faces on the street to the faces seen on the cameras, there will be arrests.

If it's art, how come they don't do it on their own houses?

It is almost impossible and is very expensive to get spray paint off of brick or masonry.  Why not chalk on the sidewalk like some of the European street artists (real artists!) do?

I see where you're coming from but I wasn't necessarily speaking about "taggers" but more or less those that do real street art. Those who take boring walls and turn them into something amazing. Like the side of BG or Fans & Stoves or Shanty Town. True they have done all these with permission but it would at least bring recognition to the positive possibilities of street art in our city.

[Dog Walker]

Real artists buy their own canvas.  They don't write their street names on my buildings and city traffic signs.  That isn't art.  The intent of that isn't artistic expression, but something else.

It all reminds me strongly of my male dog lifting his leg on every post and tree in the neighborhood.  That's not art either.  Just his way of saying, "Hey, I've been here.  It's me."

The graffiti we get in Riverside is the same thing.  At least the rain washes away dog pee.

[Dog Walker]

Not only were all those done by people with real artistic talent, but those people were PAID to do them.

How about I scratch my name in the paint on the hood of your car?  Is that art? Is it right?  Would you mind it?  What if it was a happy face?