Friday, August 06, 2010


OK so I get to work this morning coffee in hand I am poised at the crossing. Light goes green but I stop dead in my tracks. My stomach sinks and I realize someone has tagged my windows. I can't say i used words my mother would be proud of and I cant say I was very zen about it. I'm human and I work really hard (as do most of you) and to see tagging there for no good reason or merit was just messed up. So with some Eco spray and steel wool pad I went to work. It took some elbow grease for sure. Over the next few hours of my workday I weighed up the tagging debate. Is it ART? Is it Self expression? Is it destruction of property? I think clearly the latter. No one needs to see some punks initials no matter how cleverly configured on a shop window. That's the space I rent to show the world what I want to show.
That MY canvas. Don't get me wrong, I do actually love urban ART and I own pieces from artists who respect that to share your art you display it removably not force it down peoples throat permanently damaging surfaces. I'd be interested to know how any of you feel.

5 comments:

Amy Bubba said...

Definitely no on the windows and buildings - but the Snail looks RAD, yes I said RAD!!!

Paula said...

Vandalism. Pure and simple

Paula said...

Our garage has been done a couple of times - it makes me so MAD! That's my property, goddam it!!

Zilliah said...

Would it be different if they tagged, say, the back of your building? So it didn't interfere with your business?

Personally, I love street art, but there's a difference between street art and someone's badly drawn initials...and I definitely wouldn't want anything interrupting a window display! That's just bad manners.

Mindy@Juniper said...

thanks for your comment Zillah. I think on abandoned buildings fine but these same taggers have sadly tagged not just my business but all over the beutiful heritage building across from me and and every other house frontage up colombo st. It just makes my stomach sink when I see these peoples beautiful homes damaged. I like your comment and you are right, Badly written innitals are not art.Thanks for sharing you view. I think you raised some interesting questions.