Noticed some rather good grafitti on Church Road, do you agree with artists decorating public walls, tunnels and stations with innovative modern art? Give me your thoughts...

By Reb_BEvans at 00:21 on 18/02/10

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Noticed some rather good grafitti on Church Road, do you agree with artists decorating public walls, tunnels and stations with innovative modern art? Give me your thoughts...

By Reb_BEvans at 00:21 on 18/02/10
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I do provided it isn't on listed or historical property. For example there are some crap 'tags' scrawled over the Sphinx at what used to be The Palace in CP Park - that to me is vandalism, not art. Defacing something historical is kinda lame, but public highways, tunnels or derelict property is all good. It brightens the urbnan grey landscape.
Graffiti with a policital or social message is a great way of capturing the concerns of a generation where they might otherwise not have a farreaching platform.
And then of course, just 'good' graffiti - by this I mean more than just a 'tag' that looks like it's been written by as 12 year old with a broken hand - I see no value in that, it doesn't add anything. And I must admit, Ilove seeing the outside of a Network SouthEast train carriage fully graffed up! :)

By cupcake74 at 16:35 on 19/02/10
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To be honest, I don't think graffiti anywhere is anything to be celebrated, even on highways, tunnels or derelict property. Whilst the "broken window" theory has been somewhat discredited (tinyurl.com/29zpw8), do any of us really want to live in (or next to) areas that are synonomos with urban decay? And yes, I appreciate this comment makes me a grumpy old man.

By Dermot77 at 18:08 on 19/02/10
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cupcake74: I have to agree I was also very upset that someone has defaced the sphinx in Crystal Palace park, it is one of only a few beautiful remains and should be respected. It is vandalism, which requires no artistic skill at all. Tagging over historic monuments, or anyway for that matter is NOT graffiti!

By CP_Babe at 19:05 on 19/02/10
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I think that any 'good' art of any discription should have it's place where it fits in with its environment. if your're a graffer and can do good dubs and designs, then where permitted graff away! For example, the graff that is on church road looks good, not offensive, but quite interesting and quite apt as there a couple of art galleries further along the road. Proper graffers create pieces of art that are visually stunning using places which will not offend. I bet if Banksy graff'd on 'the grumpy old mans' wall and had someone want to buy it for £10,000, he'd like graff then i reckon!..........

By Digital_Soul at 20:14 on 24/02/10
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