Monday, February 10, 2014

Tag, you're it

Ashecasm

Back in Chicago, whenever I saw graffiti, it made me angry. Usually because the tagging was based on a gang turf war, which you tend to think about when walking the dogs at midnight.

It was like graffiti magically showed up overnight on something that had just been freshly painted.

Or something brand new.

In Chicago, tagging is like 
a dog marking territory
though I give this a 6 for its clean, simple style

Here in Asheville, the graffiti tends to be more light-hearted.

"Smoking cures ham," for example.

Simple. Clean. True.

Potosi, Wisconsin likes to have some fun too. You know, calling itself out and such.

Potosi-style

Even better, the British Virgin Islanders really know how to do it right.

Taggers there cut to the chase.

Tortola, BVIs

This isn't a slam against Chicago. It's more of my own personal cultural awakening. To graffiti.

I've always been affected by graffiti. I think we all are.

But I'm going to go out on a limb and say that graffiti - artistic graffiti - may be a dying "cultural artifact," that's needed in some communities as more and more people focus their efforts toward online pursuits.

Maybe we should embrace it to encourage the positive aspects of it.

Clearly, it's time to have a graffiti category on this blog.

In other news
While I was writing this, my wife noticed that Asheville ABC news was interviewing the guy we bought paint from on Saturday.

"I love this little town," she said.

I agree.

And I have the spray paint to prove it...

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