George,

Graffiti is often viewed as a symbol of urban decay. A symbol of violence, gangs, ghettoes, slums. To speak generally, graffiti typically symbolizes poverty to most people. Graffiti definitely has a negative connatation in our society. [Rob] Schilling's comments reinforce society's view in general that the best way to deal with graffiti is to get rid of it.

What is the problem with graffiti? Why do we hate it so much? Why is it considered "a blight on our community?" Certainly other public art forms don't garner as much negative publicity: free speech chalkboards for example. Let's take the negative connatations graffiti has one at a time:

-it defaces buildings. So? What about the mammoth corporate ads in large cities across America which blight our urban landscapes with sex,drugs and violence? What's the difference? Graffiti is art. Ads are propaganda. Unlike ads, graffiti has nothing to sell. It's pure self expression.

-its filled with negative themes like drugs, sex and violence. Let's face it drugs, sex and violence are a part of life whether we like it or not. Life is dirty. Graffiti can be a way of expressing those truths of life. And isn't that what art is about? Reflecting life, self-expression.

If drugs and violence are a part of your life, what's wrong with expressing that? And if you don't like it, change it, go paint your own mural next to it, or DO something about the violence or "urban decay" you see in the graffiti.

If you don't like graffiti don't just destroy it. Question WHY it's there. Don't just react by destroying. Create another alternative. If you believe graffiti is a "blight on our community" ask where it came from and get to the root of the issue. (The Norcross building is very close to Garrett Square prison-public housing complex.)

Imagine if we were to go beyond dissing graffiti as "urban decay" and started imagining graffiti as art. Unlike our mainstream views of art (I'm talking about the kind which hangs nice and pretty on art gallery walls with handsome borders) graffiti is elusive. It appears in the most unusual places - walls on unused buildings, walls of used buildings, subways, trains, coal towers. It's guerilla art.

And like all art should, it promotes discussion and controversy. Some hate it, some love it. And everyone is entitled to their opinion. But graffiti SHOULD be there to talk about. It should NOT be erased like at Norcross, one day there, the next gone. OR, maybe it should. Maybe that's the nature of the art form - constantly changing, growing, appearing + disapearing.

Whatever its form I encourage all to take the issue of graffiti more seriously and give it some deeper thought than "urban decay."

Alex Davis (electronic mail, April 9, 2002)