Physical Graffiti
Graffiti has been around for a long time. When archaeologists began excavating the Roman city of Pompeii, they were surprised to find that the walls of the city were covered with graffiti. Messages ranging from the mundane to the explicit had been preserved.
Ancient graffiti in Pompeii
Recently, Mayor Rob Ford began a campaign to remove graffiti from Toronto's streets. In reaction, artists have been protesting by creating anti-Ford graffiti all throughout the city.
Fordzilla and Harper Kong
Alleyways once alive with colour have been sterilized with fresh coats of paint. Even city commissioned murals have been removed. Joel Richardson's Suit Stencil, which was once located on an underpass near Dupont and Lansdowne, was erased by the city because it was "unauthorized, un-commissioned, political and may have [negatively] referred to (Prime Minister) Stephen Harper.”
Whatever side of the fence you site on – pro, anti or undecided – the debate and reaction over Mayor Ford's war is something to be watched as notions of public, private and what constitutes art is challenged.
Related Links
Artist says City erased mural it paid him to paint – Toronto Star
The Rob Ford graffiti conversation continues – BlogTO
Rob Ford's graffiti crackdown doesn't end with Queen West – Torontist
The graffiti Question – ArtSync
Related Library Resources
Banksy. Wall and piece. London : Century, 2006.
Gastman, Roger. The History of American Graffiti. New York : Harper Design. 2010.
Martinez, Hugo. Graffiti NYC. Munich & New York : Prestel, 2006.
McCormick, Carlo. Trespass: a history of un-commissioned urban art. Köln, Taschen. 2010.
Spence, Alex. Tags & pieces : a photo collection of Canadian graffiti art. Toronto : Haspence, 1997.
4 thoughts on “Physical Graffiti”
brilliant post! thank you!
I loved the post. We need every venue possible for people to express themselves in these days of SUN media quitting the Canadian Press Club. Coming into Toronto on the train was a feast of interesting graffiti. The important thing is for graffiti artists to respect the rights and property of others. It’s a tricky balance.
Enjoyed and have negative feelings from Rob Ford.
I’d like to think that public art had a place in a culturally diverse city like Toronto but as we have seen in the news and from this, wonderful post, the opposite has become a reality. I can only hope that public art will find a way to thrive under the Ford Admin.