Mellow Mushroom Grafitti?

[MEGATRON]

Is false pizza some sort of calzone?

[Dog Walker]

Thinking out loud: There are crimes of passion (murder of a hated person); of greed (like Madoff); survival (robbery for money to live on); etc. In what category could we put graffiti vandalism? The six or so who were arrested months ago were all old enough to be past whatever motivates juveniles; they were showing off to one another. But juvenile or adult, they all know that they are harming someone else's property and for no reason other than some twisted idea of self-gratification.

We're too damn permissive these days. Lock up some of these folks for a few months and the example it sets will probably bring this kind of vandalism to a screeching halt. Behave, dammit or bear the consequences! It's a life lesson.

actually several of the taggers who were arrested a few months ago, if we are talking about the same people, are in their late teens and early twenties. One of them in particular is a very young man, whose life has been ruined by the onerous and out of bounds response.

And surely there are enough people speculating wildly about the motivations of others that the world is not improved by more of it, william.

The fines and imprisonment that these kids face isnt a 'couple of months'.  Its far more onerous.  And it didnt bring tagging to a 'screeching halt', so I think that rather takes care of your theory about it.

The greatest irony is that of this era, one of the most important artists who will be remembered and whose work is being celebrated by the very people trying to impose some monstrous act of spite on kids with spray cans will leave an indelible mark on the historic core.  His art is right now defining the mental picture that most visitors are forming of the historic neighborhoods, and he comes from the incredible art culture of graffiti.

But irony is lost on the ironic, I suppose.

Correction, Stephen.  The crew of graffiti vandals that were arrested a few months ago ranged in age from 23 to 42.  One was 27 and the others were in their 30's.  Hardly teenagers.  The youngest did not get a felony conviction as all of the others did, but is in pre-trial probation, so if he behaves his life is not ruined as he will not have a conviction on his record.  He did cost his parents a bundle of money.  The oldest went back in jail for a while for violating his probation by getting a DUI late at night during hours he was not supposed to be out.

Cumulatively they did a couple of hundred thousand dollars damage to private and public property.  They even named themselves the Bastard Sons of Vandalism (BSOV) so they certainly knew what they were doing was wrong.

[Dog Walker]

We will just have to agree to disagree on the graffiti issue.  Actually one of the few areas where we do disagree.  I guess that I'm just more of a property rights person.  Don't paint on my buildings and don't keep me from enjoying the inside of my house with your amusements.

I don't feel a bit sorry for the graffiti vandals and what happened to them.  Breaking the law has consequences.  If they now have troubles, they brought them on themselves.

[BoldBoyOfTheSouth]

Artists can graffiti all over their own property or property owners who request their "art".

The people of Jacksonville should not have to look at public buildings or utility boxes painted because some people have mommy and daddy issues.

Private businesses should not have to pay to clean up somebody else's spray paint.   

Would you like your car, house or clothes spray painted in the middle of the night by people who have personal issues they don't have any other outlet to deal with?

[BoldBoyOfTheSouth]

It's fascinating that starving and misunderstood artists throughout history managed to create great works of art & largely forgetable third rate art without having to spray paint public and private walls.

[AKIRA]

Good deflection, Stephen, working it back to the same old dead horse flogging about noise complainants.  Only comparing the monetarily short sighted and doesn't tell the complete picture.  Noise issues are primarily civil, criminal mischief is criminal.  The various members of that crew were either warned in person about what was going to happen if they continue or have been previously arrested for the same.  Nearly all scoffed and then went about their way continuing to commit their chosen crime. 

In terms of the artist you mention, there is no irony there, unless you consider the laws regarding protection of property spiteful in nature.

[AKIRA]

That assault on your aesthetics is something the civil realm needs to address, not the criminal.  How many other crimes should we turn a blind eye to for the sake of a few people's opinion of what is better. 

Essentially the same rights that protect your property also protect your property from the government.  How much trust do you have in the government, both local and federal, to decide what is best for yours?  In the case of noise violations?

[I-10east]

Since pizza is Italian, technically that's a hate crime. JK

[simms3]

Totally in agreement with every statement Stephen has said in this thread.  Kinda' baffled how nobody can see even an inkling in Stephen's way, here.

This is a "tag", and is not street art.  The loosest term for graffiti encompasses both, but the word graffiti is more and more coming to be associated with "officially" uncommissioned art in public space.  Tagging is most closely associated with gangs, and is often considered a nuisance and potential public hazard (what with certain signs saying certain things and influencing certain behavior in public spaces), however, I have seen some tags that to me seem quite artistic and are appreciated.

This "tag" is a very very very minor nuisance.  Yes, it will cost the owner some money and some mental grief, but it's not going to come close to impacting his business.  It could have been MUCH worse, like when Justin Bieber threw eggs at his neighbor's house and caused $20,000 worth of damage.

Finally, Jacksonville's aesthetic is about the most boring of any city/metro > 500,000 people I have ever been to.  Frankly, at minimum, a little more tagging here and there would spice things up.  At maximum, clever street art from talented artists placed appropriately around town, perhaps even at the request of some property owners who think it could add to their building, would be a creative and bold way to make the city appear brighter, friendlier, and livelier.

My hair stylist worked with a couple other artists to spray paint something on the security doors of a shop in the seedy 6th and Market section of San Francisco, and instead of gray metal doors with some gang tags on it, now when the business is closed and the doors are pulled down, there is actual art.  And thus far, months later, there are no tags on top of the art.  Even gangs have some amount of R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

My company owns a mid-rise office tower in SF (~17 floors visible from the highway), and we are commissioning some of the city's best street artists to paint a mural at the very top, like a frieze.  We think it will be cool and unique.

Anyway, that's my take on street art.  The COO of my company has a nephew in NYC who was arrested one night for street art; he is really well known in the city and is supposedly acquaintances with "Banksy".

Now I don't want to hear any of you all gripe on about how Jax is too strict with signage and Bill Brinton needs to cool it, bla bla bla.  Your colors are all revealed - you are all boring party poopers who believe in a totally "clean" image of the city with nothing that fits your definition of "filth" or clutter (yet I bet half of ya'll have an overgrown un-landscaped yard and a roof that needs replacement and paint peeling from the outside of your house - that very typical Jax/Avondale/Riverside look is much more unsightly than the tags and graffiti I hope and expect to see in any major city). 

[Charles Hunter]

Simms3, this

Finally, Jacksonville's aesthetic is about the most boring of any city/metro > 500,000 people I have ever been to.  Frankly, at minimum, a little more tagging here and there would spice things up.  At maximum, clever street art from talented artists placed appropriately around town, perhaps even at the request of some property owners who think it could add to their building, would be a creative and bold way to make the city appear brighter, friendlier, and livelier.

"At the request" of the property owner, is the key - otherwise, no matter how artistic, it is vandalism.  Now, should more owners of dull, boring, walls be open to having art on those walls?  Yes!

My company owns a mid-rise office tower in SF (~17 floors visible from the highway), and we are commissioning some of the city's best street artists to paint a mural at the very top, like a frieze.  We think it will be cool and unique.

Good for you.  Now, how would your company feel if some of the not-so-good street artists - still learning their craft, perhaps - were to paint the ground floor of your building?

[simms3]

^^^We have graffiti removal in every one of our budgets, for every building in every city we invest in.  It's one of the costs of being in a place inhabited by humans.

Also, many of our office buildings have a mandatory requirement to clean and care for the surrounding city sidewalks.  in SF, with the amount of homeless there are and despite all the public toilets, we still need to budget for power washing the sidewalks on a regular basis.  Again, people are the basis for our buildings, but they also inadvertently increase the costs.  It's just part of doing business.  Sometimes a problem can turn into a wonderful solution or idea.  Other times, what starts off as a wonderful "commissioned" idea (like our fancy lobby LED display and waterwall in this same referenced building) turn into f**king nightmares.

We have a "living wall" on one side, with plants and what not, and a waterwall that messed with the electrical systems of the whole tower when it leaked, on the other.  At this point, random and tasteful graffiti by a street artist, on that wall instead of the waterwall, may have been significantly more appreciated (and free), had we the foresight.

[simms3]

^^ you have a hair stylist???

Yes, do you cut your own hair?

[simms3]

^^Haha, ok.  I am not one to be ashamed to admit I have a stylist - I have been known to serially date my stylists, so I know right off the bat that it ain't happening with some musty old barber with antiquated views of how hair should look on a "man"! 

[AKIRA]

Somewhere Ron Swanson is weeping (on the inside).

[simms3]

A team of queens and bees works on Ron Swanson's hair for 1-2 hours a day!  Here is Nick Offerman's many Dos:

Ron Swanson look (a barber is NOT piecing this thing together each day, LoL):


Conan look:


Awards look (seriously?):


Jack Nicholson look:


Hood look:


Rugged look:


Appalachian look:


Early 2000s gay look?:


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I'm pretty sure this is all actually one guy!