Being
rebellious at 19 wasn't easy - at least not for me. I was in college,
majoring in Creative Writing, and working part time at a paper store in
the city. One of the first people I met while working at the retail
store was a self-proclaimed graffiti artist. We'd hang out after work
and walk all over the city, where he'd tag telephone polls, utility
poles and iron beams in hundreds of train stations with simple stickers -
plastered with his street name. Most of his more elaborate artwork was
found in the East Village on walls
near empty lots. Sometimes we'd sit in Starbucks for hours and he'd
draw demonic creatures in the back of my journals, which I welcomed. I'd
be honored if he'd become a famous artist some day. Unfortunately, his
talent hasn't landed him a career in anything artistic – yet. However,
my friend is probably fuming that all of the 'hard work' put into
5Pointz, what the Daily News called 'an internationally renowned haven for urban artists,' is being destroyed.
I don't mean to be cold to those who have marked their territory over
the years on private property by spray painting their signature on
surfaces for everyone to see – but no one has rights to intervene in
this situation except the building owner. Okay, I get it...for some
street artists, tagging their name or image somewhere is the only way to
let people know they exist. For graffiti artists who haven't turned
their love of drawing into something profitable, like becoming a tattoo
artist, why are you all up in arms over 5Pointz – what you consider your
personal canvas – being demolished? Back in the 1980s, graffiti stained
the city's transit system, telephone booths and roll down gates of
thousands of private stores. For some reason, this wave of artistic
expression slapped the title of “most dangerous city” all over New York.
Graffiti was – and still is in many communities – associated with
crime, gangs and senseless acts of vandalism. When you enter a community
where buildings are covered with graffiti, the reputation of the city
doesn't come across as positive and you're probably not thinking, “This
is a quiet and quaint place to raise a family.” Some may say that
graffiti artists are showing a disrespect to their community and
property owners by making their mark.
However,
the owner of 5Pointz, Jerry Wolkoff, has every right to alter, demolish
or reconstruct his property. Not many owners would allow artists to
freely use their buildings as an open canvas. For artists to protest
Wolkoff's plans based on the “Visual Artists Rights Act” doesn't seem
logical.
Let's get real!! We're not preserving the next Mona Lisa!
There are a lot of underground outlets and groups for graffiti
artists to express themselves. There are social networking sites like
Instagram where artists can share their works and communicate. No, it's
not the same as shaking that aerosol can, hearing the metal pea rattle,
and then smelling the spray paint as it coats the concrete. True,
Instagram and Facebook posts are not the same as having someone wonder
“How the hell did they get up there to draw that?” At the same time,
graffiti artists have no legal rights when it comes to where they can
smear their art. Unless they get permission from a building owner to
paint a mural or dedication piece, it's just downright defacing of
private property. Some have told me that getting permission and being
allowed to mark up a building doesn't earn an artist the same respect as
when they're rebelliously tagging up any blank space they can find.
In today's society, stricter fines are imposed on “vandals” and one
can even get arrested if they’re caught doing graffiti. When youths are
ordered to complete community service – or youth volunteers do their
part to beautify the neighborhood - graffiti removal is usually first on
their list! Do those who oppose 5Pointz' demolition realize that
Brooklyn has changed in the past 10 years?
While graffiti artists might be perfectly okay with defacing their
own homes, Wolkoff has been more than courteous to them by allowing his
property to be marred as the city moves to a cleaner and more
aesthetically pleasing future.
Even after the luxury buildings go up on Wolkoff's property and he
allows artists to continue using it as their canvass, who said the
tenants will want to live in a graffiti-riddled building. Will the
advertisements for the new living quarters include images of colorful
walls with tag names all over them? What if tenants protest strangers
drawing outside of a wall that's within only a few feet from their
bedroom windows?
Brooklyn's reputation, as far as tourists are told, is improving and
our neighborhoods are becoming more 'yuppy' than in the 1980s. If we
want to attract more people and move forward with better looking
communities, even the most dedicated artists have to draw their own
conclusion and respect property owners no matter what.
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