Back when the subway had character... (*vintage photos included*) (New York: crimes, how much)
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Moth we have plenty of things that scare people without having trains vandalized or bums living on trains. Have you seen your electric bill lately? That should be scary enough.
Moth we have plenty of things that scare people without having trains vandalized or bums living on trains. Have you seen your electric bill lately? That should be scary enough.
I am not advocating people start using spray cans again. I was merely offering a tongue and cheek comment in response to another comment.
However, I will note for the record that I got a kick out of some of the old graffiti artists such as Smith Sane, The Acid Writer, and Cost Revs. For better or worse, they were indelible images of the New York I knew and loved.
There is a difference between guys who actually did murals and logos and most of the others who simply tagged a place. And others must agree as one can find books devoted to this type of art.
I no longer reside in New York, but my electricity bill is scarier than ever.
Defacing public/private property is pushing your personal views on a person/society. Keep that "art" in an art gallery or a canvas.
How about using public money to produce and promote your art? How about restricting the playing field to suit the whims of a particular social class or clique of critics? Personal views get pushed on society in all sorts of ways. And, no, this post is not meant to defend vandalism as art.
The way some people become nostalgic about the violent, crime ridden NYC of the 70's and 80's reminds me of how eager young people used to be to go to fight prior to the Vietnam war. So wide eyed and excited about all the heroism and glory they would get to experience but completely unaware of the extreme suffering they were about to face.
Of course not all was bad about that time period in the city and not all is good now, but la
rgely life is much better and less harsh than it was then. Anyway, enjoy the safety and relative prosperity of today because bad times always cycle back. Anyone that wants graffiti and fear will eventually get to experience it.
That's fair for people who didn't experience it. For those that did, well, it was just a period in their life, and they're entitled to remember it how they want. Even if it mostly sucked, there's still things you can look back on and remember fondly. Even if things are mostly better now, there are still things that you might be sad to see gone. My grandparents had less than perfect lives in the tenements of old Manhattan, but they still spoke fondly of their old neighborhoods. I think a lot of people on the east coast are sad to have seen their cities go from miserable and dangerous to overly sanitized in such a short period of time. I, for one, in the DC area, was holding out for some sort of middle ground, and it just never happened. I've seen graffitti everywhere I've ever lived. I'll admit, it is easy to admire ballsy tags placed on some impossible location on the Verrazzano bridge or colorful murals on a subway or freight car when you spend most of your time down in the mid-Atlantic looking at crudely drawn gang symbols or so-and-so is a **** or whatever. I think we'll end up more like Europe in the long run, with the ghettos situated in outlying neighborhoods far from the city center. I don't think we'll see graffitti ever get back to what it used to be, for all sorts of reasons.
How easy is it to admire a "ballsy tag on some impossible location" when it is the building YOU OWN or YOUR CAR? Something tells me it is a bit harder to admire when you pay $1,500 to get the tag removed, and then they continue tagging over and over everytime..wouldn't you say? And therein lies the problem...it's great and beautiful when people vandalize, ahem, "paint" on everybody's else's stuff....so long as it isn't mine, right?
How easy is it to admire a "ballsy tag on some impossible location" when it is the building YOU OWN or YOUR CAR? Something tells me it is a bit harder to admire when you pay $1,500 to get the tag removed, and then they continue tagging over and over everytime..wouldn't you say? And therein lies the problem...it's great and beautiful when people vandalize, ahem, "paint" on everybody's else's stuff....so long as it isn't mine, right?
Good lord, take it easy. I was actually talking about a specific tag that I used to see on an outside face of one of the towers on the Verrezzano. As in, holy crap, that's crazy, how did they do that?
Yes, I get that it sucks when people vandalize your property. Yes, I get that the public has a right not to be subjected to it on trains and whatnot. Yes, I get that graffitti is correlated with all manner of social ills.
Since that's apparently the only thing one can say without drawing a blast of sarcastic ire, I'll leave it at that.
How easy is it to admire a "ballsy tag on some impossible location" when it is the building YOU OWN or YOUR CAR? Something tells me it is a bit harder to admire when you pay $1,500 to get the tag removed, and then they continue tagging over and over everytime..wouldn't you say? And therein lies the problem...it's great and beautiful when people vandalize, ahem, "paint" on everybody's else's stuff....so long as it isn't mine, right?
a random wall on the street is in the public space, it isn't like you tag INSIDE the building, not the same. Further more you ain't suppose to own an entire building, and I've never seen a single tag on john doe's car (which is not an "impossible location" btw) and believe me sir I live in a place "plagued" by graffs, ask KRS-One for example he will tell you, Paris inner city is nothing but graffs everywhere, not on people's cars though.
At the age of five around 1988, 1989 I do remember graffiti trains on frame of the train and thats about it, I thought it was cool back then quite frankly. The city of new york should kept a graffitti train in the transit museum.
At the age of five around 1988, 1989 I do remember graffiti trains on frame of the train and thats about it, I thought it was cool back then quite frankly. The city of new york should kept a graffitti train in the transit museum.
I agree with the last part
But anyway I like graffiti I think it looks dope one of my friends is actually a graffiti artist he did some work at the 5 ptz in LIC, yea I'd be pissed if someone did it to my private residence but besides that idc it looks good to me.
Last edited by joshd9124; 01-20-2012 at 04:09 AM..
Frenchy how can you believe a "random wall in the street" isn't owned by someone? It magically grew from the ground? It is in the public space, as is a car, bike, or any building...all of which are owned by someone...get it? Someone pays for it..it doesn't take care of itself.
You are not supposed to own an entire building? WTF are you talking about? You have no idea what you are talking about..now please go back to sleep.
Josh you have it exactly right unfortunately....it looks "dope" so long as it isn't on anything that's mine. Sad.
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