West Seattle mystery? Searching for the meaning of the purple fish

We haven’t been able to find the answer to this question – so we’re hoping maybe you know. Karen shared the photo above, earlier this month, after seeing fish like that all over The Junction; in a note tonight, Mark is the latest to ask:

Does anyone know what is the meaning of the “purple fish” graffiti that has been sprayed on many different walls and surfaces at the Junction and other places? I’ve also seen them at the 35th & Fauntleroy intersection. They may well be other places around W. Seattle, and maybe other places in the city as well. They are about 12-18 ” long, and look like they were made with a fish-shaped stencil and a can of purple spray paint.

We’ve tried search phrases from purple fish to purple shark. No luck. But maybe you know the story…

47 Replies to "West Seattle mystery? Searching for the meaning of the purple fish"

  • nmb April 22, 2010 (10:43 pm)

    Looks like simple graffiti to me.

  • SomeGuy April 22, 2010 (10:46 pm)

    Oh crap, the Mayan 2012 calendar mentions the dreaded purple nurple!

    • WSB April 22, 2010 (10:47 pm)

      Oh, is THAT Quetzalcoatl’s earthly form? Couple years early, tho.

  • Dill April 22, 2010 (10:48 pm)

    Good job glorifying the graffiti, WSB. Who cares what “the meaning” is. It’s just some jerk defacing public and private property.

    The real mystery is why you’d even consider trying to find something worthy in it.

    • WSB April 22, 2010 (11:11 pm)

      Well, Dill, we’re no vandalism fans. We’ve railed about it before. However, if we receive multiple questions about something that has popped up in multiple places – last time was the paper/paste wolves under the bridge, which also were vandalism, but also sparked a lot of discussion – we throw it out to see if anyone knows; usually someone does. I apologize for not tacking on a repeat of what we reported that police said at last night’s Morgan Community Association meeting, which is to call 911 if you see anybody in the process of vandalism – TR

  • Dennis Cheasebro April 22, 2010 (10:48 pm)

    It’s a stencil. That isn’t how ordinary graffiti is done. Someone’s trying to say something and be mysterious at the same time.

  • toddinwestwood April 22, 2010 (11:08 pm)

    …and so it has been foretold.

  • Garden_nymph April 22, 2010 (11:13 pm)

    It will be interesting to see how this plays out. My guess is this will be regarding an environmental message since the first sighting of the stencil was on Earth Day, shortly after a whale dies just off the West Seattle shore, with trash in its stomach. That’s my guess anyway!

    • WSB April 22, 2010 (11:20 pm)

      GN, it’s actually been a couple weeks since I received the photo – had held onto it and kept an eye out for this, but then a few more people asked including the gentleman whose note is included above. So it predated Earth Day.

  • Garden_nymph April 22, 2010 (11:33 pm)

    Drat! It was first seen earlier this month… there goes my theory! Land shark!

  • nmb April 22, 2010 (11:38 pm)

    Dennis, it doesn’t matter *how* it was made; it’s still graffiti. If it’s not “ordinary” graffiti, what is it? “Special” graffiti? Well then I’m sure the people whose properties have been defaced won’t mind the damage because of the deeper meaning and mystery of the spray paint that they are now required by law to remove or cover up at their own expense.

  • patt April 22, 2010 (11:53 pm)

    I have seen those around a while, usually by drains or manhole covers. Maybe it is by the same person who did the light plug outlets that were on West wall of the Junction Safeway for about a year and a half. Someone noticed they were a stencils and painted them over about a month ago. look up
    street shadow art, culture jamming, stencils graffiti
    IMHO Best done in chalk

  • Diane April 22, 2010 (11:54 pm)

    I like it!!!

  • Celeste April 23, 2010 (12:06 am)

    I wonder if it has to do with a RAVE or a drug deal. Sometimes with a RAVE you have to look and follow symbols. Has anyone tried to follow the fishes to see if they all face the same way and where they lead?

  • homedk April 23, 2010 (1:03 am)

    Random thought here…but a few years ago fish designs were added into the concrete around storm drains in neighborhoods throughout Seattle. It was a campaign to raise awareness of how fertilizers, motor oil & other pollutants put into drains make their way into fish habitat. It was clever & got people wondering & thinking.

  • sam April 23, 2010 (8:22 am)

    in the past WSB chose to block out the graffiti, in order NOT to give publicity to the ‘tagger’ but since this graffiti is ‘art-sy’, it’s not blocked out.

  • displacedcoastie April 23, 2010 (8:41 am)

    I followed all the fish and it led me to Ivar’s…great fish and chips…

  • austin April 23, 2010 (8:45 am)

    re: former wheatpaste wolves / bear / owl under the bridge; the only vandalism committed there was by the city crew hired to paint over them.

  • Smitty April 23, 2010 (8:56 am)

    Looks like it will be everywhere now.

  • marty April 23, 2010 (8:58 am)

    Fins to the left, fins to the right…..

  • Justin April 23, 2010 (9:22 am)

    Will someone please think of the children!!!

  • Bianca April 23, 2010 (9:32 am)

    @ justin – :)

  • jsrekd April 23, 2010 (9:35 am)

    There’s a “stencil tagger” in the City – maybe it’s related – don’t think anyone really knows who it is/they are…

  • madashell April 23, 2010 (10:08 am)

    Maybe it’s to help a male salmon who needs to spawn but won’t ask for directions.

    Dill, don’t be such a picklepuss…

    picklepuss – someone with a habitually sullen or gloomy expression. gloomy Gus, pouter, sourpuss

  • John April 23, 2010 (10:09 am)

    Saw two guys and a girl (I think) at 3am. Kinda hippie looking with colorful clothes and such. Thought they were just adding another layer of stickers to the pole promoting a concert or something until I saw all the paint the next day.

  • enviromaven April 23, 2010 (10:31 am)

    The WSB is reporting news and providing a forum for comments, not glorifying vandalism. Thankfully, those who think otherwise appear to be in the minority.

  • margaritaville April 23, 2010 (10:40 am)

    Carpe diem!

  • here today April 23, 2010 (10:40 am)

    I like the mysteries the WSB provides us with. Whatever happened to the Totem Pole guy?

    • WSB April 23, 2010 (10:52 am)

      Prosecutor STILL reviewing the case. Decisions on restoring it STILL pending whatever is resolved with the suspect (whether restitution might fund it, or whether the Rotary will need to raise money, etc.). I keep meaning to write up something separate.

  • AnotherIdiotInWS April 23, 2010 (11:44 am)

    It must be a slow “news” day for the blog. On a good note, it sure brings out the folks that love to nitpick and argue all day.

  • Justin April 23, 2010 (12:07 pm)

    personally, I love stencil graffiti

    http://www.banksy.co.uk/outdoors/horizontal_1.htm

  • wisepunk April 23, 2010 (1:08 pm)

    And Banksy is in Seattle today, he just did a wall at the Harvard Exit theater last night. His movie is showing there this evening.

  • Tony S April 23, 2010 (1:53 pm)

    The horror. The Horror.

  • S April 23, 2010 (2:03 pm)

    Saw the Banksy movie in a preview screening last night (Exit Through the Gift Shop). A very entertaining and amusing look at the question of just what is art (vs trash), anyway? I recommend it.

  • Hippie9 April 23, 2010 (2:30 pm)

    Yesterday I saw the purple fish on one of the “Walk All Ways” signs at the Alaska Junction. I actually kind of like those signs! They signify (to me, anyway) the power of the pedestrian and the summery vibe of West Seattle.

    It was a drag to me to see one of them defaced.

  • T_Bickle April 23, 2010 (4:15 pm)

    Lots of wack TOYS out there.

  • rudy April 23, 2010 (4:32 pm)

    This sounds a lot like the Spacecraft stickering campaign. Spaceraft clothing stickers are EVERYWHERE. People loyal to the brand recognize them immediately. Others who are unfamiliar will wonder what they mean. I’m not the target demographic for Spacecraft so it took me a long time to get in on the joke, which I think was half the point behind the campaign. I’m guessing if you don’t recognize the fish/shark logo in question – you might not be cool enough to get in on the shenanigans!

  • Ryan April 23, 2010 (4:47 pm)

    Look closely at the tail. You would think that for a stencil, it would be better and cleaner. Take three tails, put them together at 120 degrees apart and you have a biohazard symbol. With the proximity to earth day, you have some environmental tagging if you ask me.

  • james April 23, 2010 (6:13 pm)

    @homedk I believe you are correct. It is meant to bring awareness that our drains lead into the Puget Sound.

  • patt April 23, 2010 (7:35 pm)

    If I am not mistaken there are two different stencil sharks out there.
    One kind is in places that the paint will wear off in use and brings a smile to one’s face.
    The other is some shark stenciler want-a-be, with sloppy technique and bad edges, They are putting them in places that the shark, if kept true to its spirit doesn’t belong.
    Maybe it is a competitor…giving the shark a bad name.

  • I. Nertia April 23, 2010 (9:22 pm)

    One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish.

    It’s likely hobo code for “good fishing here”.

  • sandy April 24, 2010 (12:44 am)

    Personally, I hope they never solve this mystery.
    I don’t think vandalism is funny, I just like a mystery.
    If these appeared in the Junction couldn’t someone check bank and business security cameras/tapes for clues.? Maybe too time consuming.

  • justme April 24, 2010 (10:58 pm)

    maybe they’re just doing it so they can read what we end up writing.

  • nmb April 26, 2010 (1:07 am)

    A timely article:

    http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011702691_graffiti26m.html

    Bottom line: Graffiti is illegal and costs us all a lot of money.

  • Christi S. April 26, 2010 (11:57 am)

    aaron grimes going to idaho instead of udub?

  • Christi S. April 26, 2010 (12:13 pm)

    something about skateboarding? drydek has a “purple shark” board. Nike also has a “purple shark” skateboarding shoe.

  • Livenwell May 15, 2010 (2:40 pm)

    Check on the meaning of searching for the purple fish in Gail Godwin’s book “Evensong.” Page 28. There is a pretty good answer but I am thinking there is more to it than she says. If she is right, perhaps the purple fish appearing everywhere is a Christian sign. Check it out.

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