As I’ve stated here in the past, I’m not a huge fan of graffiti. With that said, however, I occasionally come across a piece of work that I like. There’s a stencil that I’ve seen around town for instance that says something like, “You Are Being Surveilled.” I like that. I think it’s a good thing for people to be aware of. It’s like a public service. And, as it’s on a sidewalk, it won’t last forever. The more people walk on it, the more it will fade… And, as you all know, I’m partial to the work of the Ypsi Tooth. I’m a little less than enthusiastic about her spray painting, but I very much like her sewn pieces, and, on the whole, I’d say she’s a good thing for the community. I’m not sure I can say the same for the Ypsi Heart. Has anyone else noticed a lot of heart-themed work showing up around town lately? My guess is that someone is establishing himself as the archrival of the Ypsi Tooth, but that’s just the guess of a wishful comic book reader. If you have any inside information, please feel free to leave a comment.
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I tend to have a relatively high threshold for graffiti compared to most folks, but this heart person has crossed the taste line on many fronts in my opinion as well.
What crossed the line for me was the spray painted stenciled boys head with a spray painted stenciled gun pointing in the boy’s mouth. There is a hand painted red heart painted within very close proximity to these boy/gun graffiti pieces. I’ve seen a few of them around town, two of them in places I walk my son by on a regular basis.
I can’t see any artistic merit to this sort of public graffiti. If it were an art gallery, I still wouldn’t get it and likely wouldn’t like the art work, but I would be fine with it being there. Out in the public for everyone to see whether they want to see it or not is totally inappropriate.
Noticed this morning that the heart on the above referenced graffiti is supposed to be the exit wound of the boy. Real classy stuff.
According to city ordinance grafitti is to be removed within 48 hours or the property owner will be ticketed and find. Not my rule just passing alone the rule passed by our City Council.
steve
I’ve heard it suggested that Heart Attack (that’s what we call him in my neighborhood) is an alternate personality of the Ypsi Tooth. I pray that it isn’t true.
where are these things?
I haven’t seen any of the more elaborate stuff described here, just a few hearts on the sidewalk around town and one on the concrete of the bridge on cross over the river.
I’ve been seeing hearts. Some graffiti is artful, some is protest, some earnest, some drunken, some dangerous, some simply destructive. The hearts just kinda suck.
Visitor, the photo that I took was right across the street from the brewery.
Well, it’s December 19th, and this thread has started a War On Graffitti is downtown Ypsilanti!
The police are scouring the city streets, alleys and byways. The building owwners are being contacted with warnings. The police are going into businesses and quite literally interrogating the clerks/owners, taking names and dates of birth!
As Steve said, building owners have 48 hours … and if you have an historic facade that’s been defaced … you have a double problem.
Gang graffitti has no place in the city.
But these little “artsy” things … by the way … it’s “Bush blowing out his brains” and the “Heart” above is an added thing by the “Bush” artist or someone else. The “hearts” are all over the place by themselves 90% of the time.
Further, I agree with others I’ve talked to that city life is city life … it’s sometimes messy … what’s crossing the line? If the building owner isn’t offended … then what? One building owner likes the stuff and will fight the city on it. Others will paint over it or have it removed.
I’ve sent a few emails today saying that I agree … and I don’t want to liove in a “sanitized” city. Question is … where do we draw the line? Do our police have anything better to do than inventory graffitti and “interrogate” citizens?
Is “liove” one of those Lewis Carroll things I’ve been hearing so much about lately?
Live + Love
That reminds me. I meant to mention that one of my favorite unrecognized crazy poets, Abraham Lincoln Gillespie, coined the perfect word for you: harmonkey.
I hope your brain feels better.
I’m more partial to the work of James Polk Satchmo.
And, yes, my brain does feel quite a bit better. Nothing like floating suspended in a electro-magnetic field for half an hour, listing to crashes and expolsions.
Just wanted to let you know. It’s not Bush. Not even close.
Can I guess?
Is it Carol Channing?
My hands are freezing cold. It’s hard to type.
Eh all i know is that ypsi has a new graff artist in town, and it might be the same person from the shop on perl, but to me the stencil graff from the feed i got looks better.
Here it is, eat it up, tell us what you like and don’t
http://api.flickr.com/services/feeds/photoset.gne?set=72157605140788042&nsid=40863908@N00&lang=en-us
I’m getting into the scene too, I guess A-2’s art culture is seeping into ypsi.
The only problem with having graffiti around is that it makes other people want to do it too, and some of those people just suck, and nobody wants graff that sucks in their town, I can only hope that the 2 or 3 artists in ypsi keep it clssy and that the toys (bad graff artist/begginer) relize they suck (if they do)
then the scene will be perfect
Yesterday, my wife, son and I saw a blood-dripping heart painted on a wall by Pray-Harrold on the EMU campus. I forget what was written under it.
Oh, I see from John Dough’s Flickr link that Brett has pictures of graffiti from that same wall.
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So, any people doing good/interesting street art these days in Ypsilanti?