The second post I ever did on this blog -- way back in March of 2007 -- was about how I heard a young tourist on the subway talk about her desire to see "dope-ass graffiti." (I hope, for her sake, she did.) And I concluded this post by asking:
In another post, in July of 2007, I also said that the best graffiti you could see in the city was on several buildings in Queens, easily visible from the 7 train.
In 2007, my words about graffiti were merely speculative muses and observations.
In 2019, my words about graffiti are business.
Today, in NYC and other cities, graffiti and street art of all kinds is actually welcomed. It makes neighborhoods more interesting, more tempting to the wealthy people who want to buy property in them. Some developers are actually creating dedicated walls and spaces for graffiti. The graffiti artist Banksy is one of the most famous artists in the whole world and his work sells for millions.
Long gone are the days when graffiti was a scourge of urban decay -- today, it's a symbol of the urban Renaissance (although 5Pointz, the area I mentioned in 2007, is long gone).
My how times have changed.
"Is graffiti, "dope-ass" or otherwise, something maybe we here [in NYC] take for granted? After all, it's something most New Yorkers find offensive and barely tolerate. And yet ... would we miss it if it ever went away? Is graffiti, at the end of the day, the only truly urban art form, the city speaking back to itself? That, dear city-dwellers, is one to ponder on."
In another post, in July of 2007, I also said that the best graffiti you could see in the city was on several buildings in Queens, easily visible from the 7 train.
In 2007, my words about graffiti were merely speculative muses and observations.
In 2019, my words about graffiti are business.
Today, in NYC and other cities, graffiti and street art of all kinds is actually welcomed. It makes neighborhoods more interesting, more tempting to the wealthy people who want to buy property in them. Some developers are actually creating dedicated walls and spaces for graffiti. The graffiti artist Banksy is one of the most famous artists in the whole world and his work sells for millions.
Long gone are the days when graffiti was a scourge of urban decay -- today, it's a symbol of the urban Renaissance (although 5Pointz, the area I mentioned in 2007, is long gone).
My how times have changed.
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