Comments on: Graffiti demystified @ West Seattle Crime Prevention Council

By: Ace20604

Ace20604 — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 16:02:28 +0000

Best pieces are the first to be buffed, while peoples names are written all over the place.

By: Lea

Lea — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 02:26:04 +0000

Actually, taggers leave murals and other adorned surfaces alone, not out of respect, but because their tags won’t stand out on them. I wanted to make the meeting also, but had a prior commitment. I hope they hold more similar meetings.

By: The Farm

The Farm — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 16:14:11 +0000

Back in the 90′s I painted a lot of garages that were being hit by taggers. I painted simple huge flowers that covered most of the garage leaving little space for tagging. This deterred the would be taggers. Some of the buildings were demolished but others are still there and haven’t been tagged. I believe the “tagging artists” do respect other “art.” So if you have a problem paint it with flowers….also making the background gray seems to discourage tagging too.

By: nick

nick — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 03:23:20 +0000

I fully agree neighbor some of the graffiti parks in philly were really cool. However here at least in my neighborhood I do see a lot of gang graffiti and crappy tags. I always report it but it usually goes right back up

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 03:20:37 +0000

I try to report graffiti that I see using the online report found on Seattle.gov. They are very responsive to those reports and get out pretty quickly to clean up the graffiti.

I think it makes a difference, at least for my route home from work!

By: Neighbor

Neighbor — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 01:46:56 +0000

Growing up back east I saw beautiful work, it was funny, thought provoking, and done with style. In this city it’s all just so crappy. It’s insulting to the eyes and to the precious clean air we all breathe. It’s become visual masterbation that no one really wants to see.
At least no one in this town will ever have to worry about their pieces being stolen off the wall and sold by some scumbag art dealer…

By: MB

MB — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 23:58:47 +0000

I knew a LOT of people in high school here in West Seattle who tagged, none of which were involved in any sort of gang activity, all of which grew up to be productive, successful, respectable adults. Hell, some probably even read and comment on the blog! Doesn’t make it ok, but I think most of them were just misdirecting their energy…a combination of being bored and knowing it was something they “weren’t supposed to do.” A few were very talented artists and can do some amazing stuff with a spray can. That said, now that I’m a “grown up” who owns a home and truely understands the value of other people’s property, I pretty much want to drop kick taggers ;) And as an artist myself, I cringe at some of the crappy tags I see around…sheesh, at least have some pride in your “work” and make sure it doesn’t completely suck!

By: April

April — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 23:30:58 +0000

Thank you for reporting on this. Interesting information!

By: ghar72

ghar72 — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 23:18:10 +0000

I know Det Young said only 1% of graffiti is gang graffiti, but is there any way to tell? And what’s the purpose of that sort of tagging? Identifying “turf”? There was mention in the report on the 20th and Cloverdale drive-bys about tagging on the steps. Was there any talk about this being a gang tag? And ditto the thanks, WSB, for attending and reporting for those of us unable to make it.

By: Watcher

Watcher — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 23:01:00 +0000

I’m working on an invention – paint that has inert knock-out chemicals in it. If spray paint is applied the chemicals become gas and are released and the tagger passes out. I’d make it fatal but that’d get some people’s underpants all wadded up. Alternatively a possee in hiding with paint ball guns.

By: Mark S.

Mark S. — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 22:08:07 +0000

Outside the thrill seekers and the utterly pointless tagging, there is work worth appreciating out there. Sadly those that do it are self sabotaging by continuing to do it in a criminal way. I’d like to see a call to arms among those that can call themselves artists to find a way to do their work legitimately.

I know I’d rather see that space at the Seattle Center filled with great “graffiti” art than Chihuly stuff.

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 22:04:06 +0000

Thank you for that report WSB. I had wanted to make it to the meeting but life got in the way. Stiff kicks in the arse is what these numbnut psuedo artists need! As they get older I curse that THEIR houses, fences, cars and propery be plagued by other spray can wielding idiots.

By: Polly Aldrich

Polly Aldrich — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 21:57:00 +0000

I did find a product that would take spray paint off certain finishes, metal doors and painted walls it is Goof Off in the spray can worked pretty good if you get it early. they need to make these little pricks do all the work and stronger fines and sentencing as it is sooo much work for the victims. just my 2 cents

By: MTHS

MTHS — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 21:53:10 +0000

I want to mention a certain tagger by his tag name but won’t because why give him more attention. But I do wish I could tell him: if you’re going to leave your name everywhere, at least learn how to draw. Your tagging is crap.

By: WSB

WSB — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 21:44:02 +0000

He did bring that up. In the beginning, when the mural is nice, apparently it’s generally left alone. But then it fades, or somebody goes ahead and tags it anyway, and then it’s a free-for-all. To some degree, this is what unfortunately has happened to the breezeway murals on the NW Art and Frame/Puerto Vallarta side of The Junction – TR