We're all philosophers in the same way we're all artists. Some of us take it quite seriously and do it well. For the rest of us, it's just something to do between sips of beer. -Wraine
Two 17-year-olds were arrested on felony charges Monday in an alleged spray-paint vandalism spree in Bethany and Woodbridge, and police are investigating a separate new rash of graffiti.
The teens turned themselves in at State Police Troop I barracks in Bethany on warrants charging them with first-degree criminal mischief.
The pair allegedly spray painted about 35 road signs, a bridge, a stone wall and a horse trailer, among other things, in Bethany and Woodbridge over two days in late August, police said. State police estimated the damage at $10,000.
While state police in Bethany are pleased their months-long investigation netted two arrests, it appears the Amity area may have at least two new groups of graffiti vandals with which to contend: A crosstown rivalry has been playing out through competing graffiti that police believe is done by two groups of teens that likely attend the same high school.
The rivalry was first seen the night before Halloween, commonly known as "mischief night", when police found the words "B-Town" spray painted in black all over Woodbridge and Orange. The vandals hit Amity Regional High School in Woodbridge, the town halls in Woodbridge and Orange and the Woodbridge Police Department.
Over the weekend, the words "O-Town" and (expletive) "B-Town" were spray painted on a garage at Amity Junior High School and Turkey Hill Elementary School, and the High Plains Community Center, all in Orange, said Orange Assistant Police Chief Ed Koether. The same words also were spray painted on a home and business in Bethany, said Resident Trooper David Merriam.
Koether said this is the first time he has seen a crosstown spray painting rivalry, and he is growing increasingly frustrated with the vandalism. "They all probably go to the same school," he said. "I’m not sure why it’s happening." Kids from Bethany, Orange and Woodbridge attend Amity Regional High School in Woodbridge.
"Police are investigating and take vandalism very (seriously)," Koether said. "It is an inconvenience to the town and its residents, and it is a crime. This activity detracts from the tri-town area and police, and if you have any information, you should notify your local department."
If the graffiti causes more than $1,500 in damage, it can be classified as a felony punishable by more than a year in prison.
State police in Bethany and Orange police are continuing to investigate and have said they have suspects.
Police believe "O-Town" refers to Orange and "B-Town" appears to be Bethany, and that teens from Bethany and Orange, respectively, are responsible for writing "B-Town" and "B-Town Brawlers" on municipal buildings on mischief night and the latest, "O-Town." Police do not think the vandalism is gang-related.
"I wouldn’t call them a gang," said Merriam. "It’s just a group of kids spray painting — it’s not gang related."
Suburbs of Dallas aren't that bad, Dallas itself has more vandalism than the cool artsy graffiti.
Vancouver, however, has awesome Graffiti. I used to go on bike rides all over downtown, and it never ceased to amaze me how many gorgeous, unsanctioned (as well as sanctioned) wall-murals there were. They don't just spray things with initials there - I bet there's a huge tagging movement going on there. Even the back alleys you normally wouldn't want to ride your bike down, I did, and ended up finding some beautiful 'installments'. I might have to dig through my pics and post 'em.
To elaborate on the difference between graffiti as art, and graffiti as vandalism, I'll have to take a walking tour of my area and take some photos. Some of these kids are truly talented. Other ones just can't pass up writing something on a clean white surface with a Sharpie (a big thank you to the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser!!)
Most humorous tag I've seen is under the NJ Turnpike Extension bridge near 14B, where the Hudon Bergen Light Rail runs under it. There's a large blue and yellow initial on each of the 3 supporting pillars, but what's humorous is the artist's apology for the quality of his work, written below the letters on pillars 1 and 2: "No Lights" & "Cheap Paint". I just about bust a gut when I saw that one.
A tag on the underside of another area overpass gave my EQ cleric her name - Peridot Rose.
To elaborate on the difference between graffiti as art, and graffiti as vandalism, I'll have to take a walking tour of my area and take some photos. Some of these kids are truly talented. Other ones just can't pass up writing something on a clean white surface with a Sharpie (a big thank you to the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser!!)
Most humorous tag I've seen is under the NJ Turnpike Extension bridge near 14B, where the Hudon Bergen Light Rail runs under it. There's a large blue and yellow initial on each of the 3 supporting pillars, but what's humorous is the artist's apology for the quality of his work, written below the letters on pillars 1 and 2: "No Lights" & "Cheap Paint". I just about bust a gut when I saw that one.
A tag on the underside of another area overpass gave my EQ cleric her name - Peridot Rose.
Haha yeah I've seen that one before (I'm from NY). A lot of writers will add a little note or qualifier to their art after their done. I've seen a few good ones - Ran out of paint. Had to run from Transit cops. Too tiiiiiiiired....(with the paint trailing off at the end).
The ones inside the subway tunnels are really funny. Some of em are in magazines but sometimes if the train gets held up in the middle of a tunnel you get to read some pretty funny ****. Most of the ones in the subways are long though - like 5 or 6 sentences.
***If anyone is interested in graffiti at all (not necessarily doing it, more learning about it and the culture surrounding it) there are a few really good books I could recommend. Although they are probably tough to find if you don't live in the new york city area.
I was pretty surprised when I went to Germany how much graffiti there was. I'd be seeing graffiti long after we left the center of the city and started heading out into rural areas.
chmod said:
I don't want to live in a world where there are no consequences for being stupid. A few thousand years ago these users would have been eaten by lions.
I was pretty surprised when I went to Germany how much graffiti there was. I'd be seeing graffiti long after we left the center of the city and started heading out into rural areas.
A lot of that is the American influence. The graffiti culture invaded Europe 10-15 years after it became prevalent in the US. When it started over there a TON of US artists went over there to paint. Now the graffiti scene in Europe is way bigger than it is in the US. Chances are, a lot of the stuff you saw there was from US writers.
If you're interested in checking out more stuff like zeno posted check out www.graffiti.org --- its THE definitive graffiti site.
Rome is covered in it and I can't stand it. They don't give two thoughts to what they're tagging, regardless of how ancient it might be.
And this is one of the differences between vandalism and graffiti.
A lot of people think that graffiti artists just spray paints everything and anything they can but there are actually a set of unwritten rules. Churches and the like are WAY off limits. Personal homes and personal cars are also off limits. Things like fences are not. Commercial Buildings are not. Commercial Vehicles (the box trucks or Semis) are not off limits. Historical landmarks and the like are also WAY off limits.
Personal anecdote - when I used to do graffiti I would go out bombing (the act of doing graffiti) fairly often. So I was out one night giong all over manhattan (started down by the seaport, made it as far north as harlem, then came back down again) and on my way back home decided to do one more thing. Now I was with my college room mate at the time. He didn't do graffiti but would tag along with me (no pun intended) and watch me and keep a look-out for cops and whatnot. So we were a few blocks from my house when I saw this fresh, gray wall. So I told him I'd do one more and we'd head home. He walked about half a block away and just kind of hung around. We were on a relatively busy street (especially for 3am) so I had my spidey sense up and running. Keep an eye out for police cars, undercover cars, even taxis (bet you didn't know that cops drive around in taxicabs since they realized their unmarked cars are very noticable).
So I would do a little, then stop and wait for cars, then do a little, then stop. So anyways this goes on for about 15 minutes or so and as I'm just finishing up I look up and a Dodge Caravan flies up on me. The door opens and out pops a man in uniform holding an M16 (or an M22 or whatever...Im not a gun person I just know it was a big mutha ****in' machine gun). So needless to say I almost **** myself and start quickly walking away from the area, past my friend who I whisper to head the **** home NOW and head the opposite direction from my apartment.
The caravan is now shadowing me and I kind of give the guy a "whats your problem" look and he gets out and tells me to stand there. To make a longer story shorter, turns out the building I was painting was a building owned by none other than the Federal Reserve Bank. The man with a machine gun - a federal reserve guard. Whoops.
