The Observation Deck

Reported a nasty tagging at the old Maria's and got a call from Kevin Kelly that it was cleaned up, and thanked me for reporting it. Chalk up one for the system ...

Getting a bit tired looking at empty lots and empty storefronts over here on the east end.

Paul Schrimpf wrote:Getting a bit tired looking at empty lots and empty storefronts over here on the east end.

Paul,

While I am admittedly engaged in thread-drift, I am surprised that there is not more concern that Mike Summers and City Hall appear to not really want businesses in Lakewood, and appear proud of discouraging businesses from calling Lakewood home. See, e.g., http://onelakewood.com/News.aspx?NewsID=201.

I think Bill Applegate got it right in the following video: http://www.woio.com/story/16057549/editorial-anti-poaching-agreement-is-bad-business?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=6460342.

Bill Applegate wrote:Cuyahoga County Executive Ed Fitzgerald is a former Mayor of Lakewood so I guess it's no surprise why the current Lakewood Mayor and its city council have agreed to the county's much heralded anti-poaching agreement.

***

Communities in the county ought to act first in the interests of their own citizens and that should include building an environment that is attractive for businesses to re-locate there - even if they come from somewhere else in the county.

http://www.woio.com/story/16057549/editorial-anti-poaching-agreement-is-bad-business

Matt

From July 2009: http://www.lakewoodobserver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=8327

From June 2007: http://www.lakewoodobserver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=3740

Warning: Graffiti found at my church.





City Hall to close all churches at dusk.

Matthew John Markling wrote:Warning: Graffiti found at my church.





City Hall to close all churches at dusk.

Matt - don't worry, the culprits are surely going to h-e-double-hockey-sticks ... a far harsher punishment than a citation and paltry fine for a misdemeaner offence.

Some of the art is intentional (I'm thinking the square by the west side market and the underpass at edgewater Park). See http://www.land-studio.org/. And some cities (Philadelphia, Brussels) have made public art an attraction.

It seems to me the trick is how to embrace public art while stopping vandalism.

Will Brown wrote:Some of the art is intentional (I'm thinking the square by the west side market and the underpass at edgewater Park). See http://www.land-studio.org/. And some cities (Philadelphia, Brussels) have made public art an attraction.

It seems to me the trick is how to embrace public art while stopping vandalism.

The first step is to not call vandalism "public art."

Cities tend to embrace vandalism, when they have lost the war on vandalism.

Public art cities need, tagging, unwanted art, not so much.


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Jim O'Bryan wrote:

Will Brown wrote:Some of the art is intentional (I'm thinking the square by the west side market and the underpass at edgewater Park). See http://www.land-studio.org/. And some cities (Philadelphia, Brussels) have made public art an attraction.

It seems to me the trick is how to embrace public art while stopping vandalism.

The first step is to not call vandalism "public art."

Cities tend to embrace vandalism, when they have lost the war on vandalism.

Public art cities need, tagging, unwanted art, not so much.


.

Okay, where do you all stand on the world-famous graffiti artist (vandal?), Banksy?

Two pieces of Banksy's graffiti/art/vandalism, done illegally in Park City, UT, became "public art" celebrated and protected by the community, then were vandalized with spray paint. Now police are searching for the spray-paint vandal/criminal that destroyed the tens-of-thousands of dollars worth of Banksy graffiti/art/vandalism to bring him to justice.

Here's a link to a KUTV story about the January, 2014 vandalism incident, not the original Banksy vandalism:

http://www.kutv.com/news/top-stories/st ... 8956.shtml


The policeman in this story is talking about an attempted recovery of the original graffiti/art/vandalism. He says they will analyze the vandal's (That's vandal number two, not Banksy.) brown paint to see if it can be separated from Banksy's original graffiti/art/vandalism.

The real irony of all this may be lost because of the current and inaccurate use of the word "ironic" in this second decade of the millennium, but I'm sure you over-30 non-hipsters may see it.

What if Banksy made a tour through Lakewood?

I think graffiti should be treated as a criminal act, but this Banksy thing still confuses me. My son gave me Banksy's book years ago. I've also seen his movie, Exit Through the Gift Shop.

(Just picture me right now with my eyebrows raised, head tilted to the side, and hands in the air palms up.)

.

Vandalism - " I know it when I see it. "

Steve

I cannot imagine comparing this



to this




this...



or even this...



But I suppose some out there thinks street art i street art.

I remember getting involved with one local shop owner, that rents, that believed all street
art is street art, and it is all cool. Well as many building owners know, it is not. And to
have a Banksy on your building could bring you anywhere from negative $1,000 for the
clean-up to over $100,000 of you could find a way to sell it.

I mean even Haring street art is better than that!



.

.

Steve,

Is this art?





Matt

Let's not get confused by any false distinction between vandalism and art.

The terms are not mutually exclusive, and in fact address completely different aspects of whatever the subject may be.

Vandalism can be art. Art can be vandalism. Vandalism is crime. Art can be crime. All that work by Banksy is criminal. It's easy to like Banksy's work because he is witty, aware of context, has relevant points to make, and is skilled with a stencil. Arresting Banksy would probably send his value higher.

Graffiti at the level of Banksy is not a relevant discussion in Lakewood. The picture above is clearly the work of some unskilled kids who don't even know very much about what they are doing. Sucks that it's on vinyl. Careful you don't melt it in the removal process.

Just wanted to add to this thread by saying that I met my son for lunch this afternoon at Lakewood Park. After eating, we walked around the park, cutting through the playground to get back to our cars. On our way out, we noticed some "offensive" graffiti on that lighthouse structure near the playground entrance. My son sent it in via the MyLakewood app on his mobile phone. Within five minutes, we saw some parks employees removing it. Kudos to these parks workers. You can't get a quicker response than that.

City Hall is reporting that graffiti is back in Lakewood.

Graffiti has never left, but we need to work together to win the fight against graffiti.

If you see graffiti, please report it.