Oh Wow, tagging a building with vibes positive to your own personal group, gang, cabal or collective in a subversive Act of Happy Art (AHA). Really?
So much comes to mind. First, its non-commissioned, unrequested, unsanctioned and unauthorized. So its likely to cost someone some in the beginning and someone else much more later. Second, its done in paint and will not be easy to clean up. In an earlier comic, Randie was caught by a policeman leaving some random happy art on an otherwise empty wall. That time it was in chalk and her way out was that it would wash off. Uh, not this time. And, not done alone either. Third, tagged buildings attract rival tagging. Ever see a building, bridge, sound wall, school, traffic sign, garbage bin, delivery truck or even a neighborhood for that matter that had only one graffiti marking that never multiplied?
Yeh, this is the darker side of arts and crafts stores. Yes they sell chalk and yarn for non-permanent invasive art projects. But they also sell spray paints and those glass etching acid pens that folks use to tag business windows with bright white markings that melt deep into the glass and are not removable.
You know, negativity can just be misunderstanding and lack of reasonable communication. Some people can have certain things that are very important to them and to which they commit serious emotional energy and other people may see and feel undesired connotations in such pursuits and state such…emotionally.
Okay self, stop feeling grumpy. There is good intent in that mural. It promotes sharing happy thoughts, happy thoughts.
Have you ever seen a neighborhood that is blighted? …one that is dismal and un-cheerful to be in… one where an uplifting mural would be a welcome scene… that’s their target. I don’t believe the Art-o-rama Mamas would deface any building that was occupied or in a thriving neighborhood. That’s not their style. There is a difference between tagging… and beautifying. Granted, they didn’t ask permission, but can you not see the benefits of an uplifting mural in a scuzzy area?
If there was a rival to the Art-o-rama Mamas… It would probably be a Jimmy Chow art group… painting trash on the walls of the Marriott downtown.
… negativity a misunderstanding? lack of communication? hmmm…
Oh boy, I love these open discussions. My life and art revolves around behavior theory and I find such thought exchanges to be inspiring.
Okay, when I said that negativity can come from misunderstanding, here’s what I ment: Folks create love connections with key role models that can include parents, teachers, school friends, gang leaders filling in for absentee parents, and media-darling idols. Those connections come with defining rules and stir up particular actions. When folks following conflicting rules bump into each other, the action of one can be seen as an attack on the other’s love connection and sense of being. That can result in them feeling and expressing negative emotions.
I personally think that there’s a fine line between commando muralizing and vandalism. There was that guy in either San Diego or L.A. who plastered up a tile surfing madonna onto a storm drain canal. The city demanded it removed and some sought to preserve it, but it was costly to remove as its adhesive was a permanent one. If it were up to me I’d say that neighborhood art projects be organized affairs. But I can see how ambitious lesser artists would be left out of the process, get exasperated over being restricted and make their art anyway. Yes, art can be chaotic, just as one person’s art can be another’s eyesore…see above about conflicting self-definitions and negativity. So, yes, fine line. And, cities and businesses often waste lots of otherwise needed money covering up the work of both renegade do-gooders and territorial opportunists. You know, markings that detract from the “brand” of the city, business or neighborhood.
Also, yup, I’ve seen abandoned strip malls with boarded windows and lots of weeds, trash, dumped off appliances and graffiti. Not pretty sights, those.
We have something like this in my town. Someone at sometime drew a series of 4 foot tall puzzle pieces across the side of a building with a parking lot. Generations of graffiti artists have since taken their turn filling in the puzzle pieces with images of love and peace and whatever else was in their heads. Negative and hateful puzzle pieces are usually filled in quickly by other graffiti artists to keep the police from removing the whole thing.
Arospace… (‘ello!)… THAT IS COOL! Interaction and positive painter-ness. LOVE that idea! Where from comes you? … and is this photo documented?
Of course, you’ve heard that one of Banksy’s murals was “lifted” and put up for auction… until the negative publicity caused the auction house to reconsider and cancel said activity. (I love me some Banksy).
Beetles… inversion you say? …must look into that.
stick… for some reason, I have the Partridge Family song in my head right now… “C’mon, Get Happy.”
… commando muralizing…. makes me think of Arnold Shwartza with a paint brush. No matter…. art is a productive and unifying activity for the most part. I remember the mural tile guy story. Shame. I understand the private property thing… I do. But areas that people have given up on… ghettos, industrial wastelands of concrete ugliness is just begging for artists to re-invent. If it warn’t for the artists, many upscale, trendy, and overpriced neighborhoods wouldn’t exist.
You see artists find the cheap low-rent areas and move in, because the can afford it. They do their artsy magic with the area (murals, paint, design, etc.) This makes the area cool, chic and desirable. The rents go up, the artists can’t afford to live there anymore, and they move on to some other blighted low-rent area… and the process repeats. Artists are like the scrubby bubbles.
Oh Wow, tagging a building with vibes positive to your own personal group, gang, cabal or collective in a subversive Act of Happy Art (AHA). Really?
So much comes to mind. First, its non-commissioned, unrequested, unsanctioned and unauthorized. So its likely to cost someone some in the beginning and someone else much more later. Second, its done in paint and will not be easy to clean up. In an earlier comic, Randie was caught by a policeman leaving some random happy art on an otherwise empty wall. That time it was in chalk and her way out was that it would wash off. Uh, not this time. And, not done alone either. Third, tagged buildings attract rival tagging. Ever see a building, bridge, sound wall, school, traffic sign, garbage bin, delivery truck or even a neighborhood for that matter that had only one graffiti marking that never multiplied?
Yeh, this is the darker side of arts and crafts stores. Yes they sell chalk and yarn for non-permanent invasive art projects. But they also sell spray paints and those glass etching acid pens that folks use to tag business windows with bright white markings that melt deep into the glass and are not removable.
You know, negativity can just be misunderstanding and lack of reasonable communication. Some people can have certain things that are very important to them and to which they commit serious emotional energy and other people may see and feel undesired connotations in such pursuits and state such…emotionally.
Okay self, stop feeling grumpy. There is good intent in that mural. It promotes sharing happy thoughts, happy thoughts.
Have you ever seen a neighborhood that is blighted? …one that is dismal and un-cheerful to be in… one where an uplifting mural would be a welcome scene… that’s their target. I don’t believe the Art-o-rama Mamas would deface any building that was occupied or in a thriving neighborhood. That’s not their style. There is a difference between tagging… and beautifying. Granted, they didn’t ask permission, but can you not see the benefits of an uplifting mural in a scuzzy area?
If there was a rival to the Art-o-rama Mamas… It would probably be a Jimmy Chow art group… painting trash on the walls of the Marriott downtown.
… negativity a misunderstanding? lack of communication? hmmm…
Oh boy, I love these open discussions. My life and art revolves around behavior theory and I find such thought exchanges to be inspiring.
Okay, when I said that negativity can come from misunderstanding, here’s what I ment: Folks create love connections with key role models that can include parents, teachers, school friends, gang leaders filling in for absentee parents, and media-darling idols. Those connections come with defining rules and stir up particular actions. When folks following conflicting rules bump into each other, the action of one can be seen as an attack on the other’s love connection and sense of being. That can result in them feeling and expressing negative emotions.
I personally think that there’s a fine line between commando muralizing and vandalism. There was that guy in either San Diego or L.A. who plastered up a tile surfing madonna onto a storm drain canal. The city demanded it removed and some sought to preserve it, but it was costly to remove as its adhesive was a permanent one. If it were up to me I’d say that neighborhood art projects be organized affairs. But I can see how ambitious lesser artists would be left out of the process, get exasperated over being restricted and make their art anyway. Yes, art can be chaotic, just as one person’s art can be another’s eyesore…see above about conflicting self-definitions and negativity. So, yes, fine line. And, cities and businesses often waste lots of otherwise needed money covering up the work of both renegade do-gooders and territorial opportunists. You know, markings that detract from the “brand” of the city, business or neighborhood.
Also, yup, I’ve seen abandoned strip malls with boarded windows and lots of weeds, trash, dumped off appliances and graffiti. Not pretty sights, those.
stick,
Try inversion therapy.
We have something like this in my town. Someone at sometime drew a series of 4 foot tall puzzle pieces across the side of a building with a parking lot. Generations of graffiti artists have since taken their turn filling in the puzzle pieces with images of love and peace and whatever else was in their heads. Negative and hateful puzzle pieces are usually filled in quickly by other graffiti artists to keep the police from removing the whole thing.
Beetles…
Hmm, hanging by my feet you say? I’m assuming its to turn my frown upside down. Well, that and to straighten out my back.
Actually, I’m feeling perfectly happy right now, my back is fine and the last panel in today’s comic exudes lots of sheer joy. No more gripes.
Any Oscar predictions? I didn’t see many movies this past year so I’m pretty clueless about the nominees.
Arospace… (‘ello!)… THAT IS COOL! Interaction and positive painter-ness. LOVE that idea! Where from comes you? … and is this photo documented?
Of course, you’ve heard that one of Banksy’s murals was “lifted” and put up for auction… until the negative publicity caused the auction house to reconsider and cancel said activity. (I love me some Banksy).
Beetles… inversion you say? …must look into that.
stick… for some reason, I have the Partridge Family song in my head right now… “C’mon, Get Happy.”
… commando muralizing…. makes me think of Arnold Shwartza with a paint brush. No matter…. art is a productive and unifying activity for the most part. I remember the mural tile guy story. Shame. I understand the private property thing… I do. But areas that people have given up on… ghettos, industrial wastelands of concrete ugliness is just begging for artists to re-invent. If it warn’t for the artists, many upscale, trendy, and overpriced neighborhoods wouldn’t exist.
You see artists find the cheap low-rent areas and move in, because the can afford it. They do their artsy magic with the area (murals, paint, design, etc.) This makes the area cool, chic and desirable. The rents go up, the artists can’t afford to live there anymore, and they move on to some other blighted low-rent area… and the process repeats. Artists are like the scrubby bubbles.
Ha. I like the image of traveling gypsy scrubby bubbles, although some artists I’ve known have tended towards untidy disorganized cluttering.