Graffiti Images, Art, or Nuisance

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yigal

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This is how Boston welcomes people driving in from the west. I apologize for the quality of the photos - they were taken from inside a moving bus, so it's hard to see the hideous piles of trash beside the commuter rail tracks.

How embarrassing. It's been like that for a long time, so it looks like no one feels any urgency to clean things up.

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Re: Pike Pictures (Not Pretty)

That's the least of our worries. At least it has character and urban gritty-ness. Not everything is going to be pretty, especially along the highway and railroad tracks.
 
Re: Pike Pictures (Not Pretty)

As far as I can tell, nobody's windows face out onto that graffiti, so nobody really cares about it. (I sure don't.)
 
Re: Pike Pictures (Not Pretty)

What about passengers who are not driving? Gee, I sure am glad to know other people like this stuff. I think it's an utter disgrace.
 
Re: Pike Pictures (Not Pretty)

The trash is an issue, but the graffiti I don't really have a problem with. Why dump money into removing the graffiti when no one really cares about it in the surroundings and, if you clean it, it is likely that it will quickly be covered up by fresh graffiti. I have to caravaggiste, at least it adds character.
 
Re: Pike Pictures (Not Pretty)

^ It's concerning when I see people of promoting a policy of ignoring crime and blight because if you do something about it, it will just happen again.

Police will tell you, the best rememdy to end graffit is the IMMEDIATE removal once it occurs. These "artists" enjoy their work being seen. If it is gone before it gets noticed, they move on because its not worth their money/effort/or risk of being caught.
 
Re: Pike Pictures (Not Pretty)

Well the police don't know very much about social issues and street art. Graffiti is so much more than a 'crime' and has social impacts far more reaching than any police officer could ever render fit. It is not a cause for concern or wasting your energy on trying to get rid of because it will just show up again. I could see these taggings on trains, city vehicles, certain buildings etc as being a problem, but graffiti can add a whole new spectrum of social understanding, atmosphere, and aesthetic to a city.
 
Re: Pike Pictures (Not Pretty)

No, I promote ignoring the graffiti on the basis that if you can only see it from a highway and not from a building or sidewalk, it doesn't matter.

The trash, on the other hand, needs to be cleaned up.
 
Re: Pike Pictures (Not Pretty)

I don't understand why seeing it from a highway is better than seeing it from a building, Especially when this is the first thing people see upon entering Boston.
 
Re: Pike Pictures (Not Pretty)

The link doesn't work. I wrote to the mayor's office a while ago, but never got a reply.
 
Re: Pike Pictures (Not Pretty)

I'd be angry if my tax dollars went to painting over graphitti in this day and age. They removed alot along the Red line recently and it dampened my journey: it was something interesting to look at.

Is graphitti 'evil' in some way? I'm missing where the outrage is coming from.

I'd be willing to bet every city in the country, and alot around the world, have graphitti, especially along highways and railways: this isn't something unique to Boston that disgraces it in someway. Don't you have something more important to worry about?
 
Re: Pike Pictures (Not Pretty)

exactly. I don't think it's evil, I just think it has to do with the opinions of the general demographic posting here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graffiti

"Graffiti is revolutionary, in my opinion," he says, "and any revolution might be considered a crime. People who are oppressed or suppressed need an outlet, so they write on walls?it?s free."
Click to expand...

It sure is better than high crime rates and also is an artistic direction, a culture. Isn't that what a city is supposed to embrace? Or is it supposed to stay white, upper class & insular?
 
Re: Pike Pictures (Not Pretty)

I think much of the graffiti in question was created not by the disenfranchised inner city kids you're referring to but by spoiled BU and Harvard students. In any case, I think it's disgusting.
 
Re: Pike Pictures (Not Pretty)

Alright, well we're both entitled to our opinions. I wasn't referring to any specific socioeconomic status either; just that graffiti has its conveyance of culture, art, and social understanding, whether it be from some jock type bu kid or 'disenfranchised inner city kid.' I have quite a few friends from rich white suburbs in connecticut who live in nyc and boston and have created 'tagged' the most racially ambiguous masterpieces. There is a time and place for everything and I'm not stating this specific example as being a good or bad thing, but in general, trenched highway beds and railroad tracks are prone to such occurrences because of their discrete locations at late hours. I think there should be a city wide art program that brightens up our dark, musty loading alleys and trenched highway beds.. Why waste such valuable space? I lurk the alleys daily and would love to see some freedom of expression. Not everything has to be pristine; there are some illish qualities to a city as well. We can't stray away from such original ideals. You can report it to the city but chances are they won't do anything about it...and plus, is it really any skin off your back? Are you a religious extremist or something? "DISGUSTING!"
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edit:i was totally still in debate mode with that last comment. mccain got bombed.
 
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Re: Pike Pictures (Not Pretty)

The MBTA is wasting that space, they should be covering that graffitti with ads for Vermont and art exhibitions in Philadelphia
 
Re: Pike Pictures (Not Pretty)

/\ /\ I don't know if you were being facetious or not, but that's actually a great idea.

The MBTA and Turnpike Authority are constantly scheming up ideas to produce more revenue, and right under their noses they've got miles upon miles of blank walls they can possibly monetize. Maybe they could even install a few zeotropes like the ones between South Station and Broadway on the red line.

Crass? Yeah, maybe. That never stopped them before, though. And I'd tolerate ads better than I'd tolerate fare/toll increases. It'd also be a vast improvement over the garbage graffiti that coats those surfaces now.
 
Re: Pike Pictures (Not Pretty)

Please explain to me how is "disgusting" and revolts you. I'm trying to understand this POV.
 
Re: Pike Pictures (Not Pretty)

briv said:
/\ /\ I don't know if you were being facetious or not, but that's actually a great idea.
Click to expand...

a little from column A, a little from column B

It would be smart for the MBTA to do it. Though personally I prefer looking at graffitti and old granite walls than adverts
 
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