Chicago graffiti, skeletons on pavement, Robots, etc. (Paris: transplants, sales)

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by xGrendelx

...The pieces shown are all individual pieces done individually from each other. No gang affiliation at all. And I guarantee Chicago has spots just like this. Here's one example (it was taken in Chicago):
Chicago Graffiti on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/kenilio/305401501/ - broken link)

That was not done by a gang. You know how I can tell? There's no common theme and no where does it say the name of a tag crew or gang. That one picture alone disproves your assumption that Chicago graffiti is different from Virginia Beach, France, and the rest of the world. Graffiti is NOT always about territory. Period.

This graffiti is inspired by gang graffiti. I can guarantee you that many of the "artists" are past,present,and future gang members.

Your pic does not disprove anything whatsoever. When did you become such and expert on Chicago gang names and tagger names? You could not have even seen the whole wall yet you are claiming there is absolutely no gang symbols in any of these pieces?

The CTA,city,and community groups let this gang inspired schlock go up on public property in an attempt to so to speak pay off gang affiliated delinquents and other assorted losers from tagging other properties in the neighborhood.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by xGrendelx

Haha, ok man. If someone says a "ramble of nonsense letters and symbols," that gives me the impression of something like this: *&)(kjkjIL. That's a ramble of nonsense letters and symbols. Pretty random, right? That's not what tags are.

What he was saying is tags are juvenile in which the foundation of thought behind the tagger mindset is gibberish. Gang symbols and names are juvenile. It is all "nonsense" meaning dumb cryptic juvenile gibberish in this case.

[Fred314X]

I always find it interesting how graffitists have an endless supply of justifications for what they do. But the bottom line, despite their continual use of terms like "statements" and "art" is this: when you apply your spray paint to something that isn't supposed to be spray painted, it isn't art and it isn't a statement. Nor is it freedom of expression. It's vandalism, and nothing else.

Ask yourself how you'd feel if you woke up tomorrow morning to find that someone (or several someones) had tagged your car, or the front door of your house...and then got offended if you didn't believe it was "art."

[dcashley]

Originally Posted by xGrendelx

You probably wouldn't even have to pay them, haha. Artists get wind of a safe wall, and they come in droves.

Criminals get wind of a blank wall and come in droves to deface it.

[WhaThe]

Originally Posted by xGrendelx

You probably wouldn't even have to pay them, haha. Artists get wind of a safe wall, and they come in droves.

I like the idea of commissioning someone.

Anyone remember that piece at the North&Clybourn station? I think THC did it. Whimsical. A lot of fun. The city let it stand for a looong time. I think it stopped them in their tracks. Eventually they painted over it. Too bad. The blank wall sucks in comparison.

[xGrendelx]

Originally Posted by dcashley

Criminals get wind of a blank wall and come in droves to deface it.

Ah, but it's not a criminal activity if they have permission. The people who paint that person's wall are not going to be criminals, but artists.

[xGrendelx]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

What he was saying is tags are juvenile in which the foundation of thought behind the tagger mindset is gibberish. Gang symbols and names are juvenile. It is all "nonsense" meaning dumb cryptic juvenile gibberish in this case.

Fair enough.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by xGrendelx

Ah, but it's not a criminal activity if they have permission. The people who paint that person's wall are not going to be criminals, but artists.

99% of the graffiti in Chicago is illegal. There are not very many places where these "artists" have been allowed to "paint" by the owners of property. So now you have a big difference between graffiti in Chicago versus many other places.

[Avengerfire]

Splat. What a waste.


2004
"...she never knew of his trips through tunnels where trains sped by, or how he climbed a 200-foot crane to write his name on the top, or found the strength to mount an overpass on the Stevenson Expressway just so he could leave his mark on steel."

"A longtime fixture among Chicago's group of graffiti taggers who illegally write their names on walls, buildings, platforms, buses and trains, ***** was killed in the early morning hours of Aug. 16. He was hit by a northbound CTA Red Line train near the Morse Avenue station. The death was ruled accidental. He was 22.

Taggers death sheds light on graffiti dark world (http://nograffiti.com/grafnews/9_04/taggers_death_sheds_light_on_gra.htm - broken link)

[xGrendelx]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

99% of the graffiti in Chicago is illegal.

Let's see some sources for these figures.