Fresno Famous

I think Tommy is on to something

I recall being of an age where my 'art,' was crucial, and expressing it all over the place was a major part of my forming, (I later went on to art school as a figure painter.)

-what helped?
I had teachers and a family who were very supportive of my creative side, and who provided me with the opportunities to explore the need to create in a manner that was (not) bridled and censored.

-These folks, (who were actually quite bohemian,) were also clear that they did not feel that breaking the law was 'art.'
They understood self-discipline and order to the point that they knew that there had to be a following of basic rules --and that in so doing, the avenues to create stayed open, others saw the work as respectable, and there was a healthy respect cultivated all the way around.

-Was some of the work controversial? Yeah.
But there was not this '...gee is it art?,' aspect to it all.

(Locally,) I think there has been a bit of a glorification of graffitti as being some sort of rebel artwork that is positive and somehow raising a conciousness to a less constricted, greener, and more 'free,' world.
(I recall stuff getting spraypainted up about riding bicycles too.)

I also recall a local 'artists social conciousness' newspaper running quite the article about Graffitti, treating it as a type of respectable art, essential communication, (blah-blah), and some sort of 'voices need to be heard,' kind of thing,
(which was really cute,
---but as Tommy pointed out, there's a difference between doing something on one's own property and in a way that is respectful of others,
---and doing things in a manner that damages others property and is an unfair and degrading tresspass on somebody elses life (simply because somebody has a 'need to say something.')

Personally?

I think all the discourse and pontifications back and forth on '..gee, I dunno is it art or is it not,' is a deliberate tabling of the issue by folks who don't want responsibility,
have never gotten over being told what to do and what not to do,
and still think being a rebel without a clue is some sort of aquarian freedom and right, -who just refuse to grow up.

--Will there be a defence for some graffitti?
Sure.
But I don't consider commissioned or permitted work on the sides of buildings (also known as 'murals,') to be graffitti,(they're murals, and they are there with authorization of the property owner, no crime is being committed, and nobody is 'forcing,' anything on anyone.
-and anyone with an ounce of common sense understands that.

The stuff that I find not acceptable, illegal, and not worth defending are those acts which are clearly vandalism, and painted on somebody elses property uninvited.
I find them using 'Tibet,' 'Andre the Giant,' 'bicycles,' 'the war,' (pick a cause, any cause,)
to be little more than the using a legitimate cause or stance to dress up their ignorance and immaturity,
which then trashes the cause

-and reduces the 'artist,' to be little more than a male feral cat, who cannot get next to a vertical surface and leave it without 'expressing,' themselves, trashing up the place, and giving 'expression,' a bad name.

It's a shame more adults cannot recognize the lack of guidance and opportunity to help shape creative urges in the young anymore, and choose to stay stoned on endless stalling of disclipline, dressed up in philosophy.

I'm grateful to the mentors I've had who helped me to see otherwise, coming up, have no doubt that they'd be welcomed again by the young (who really crave attention, guidance, and nurture,)
-but also realize that they (my mentors,) would be badgered to near insanity and stifled to silence NOT by the young,
--but those now my age (adults who should know better,) who have never made it out of adolescence,
despite two to three decades having swirled by.

Just go to the City of

Just go to the City of Fresno Graffiti reporting website and report it ASAP. You'd be surprised how much difference one set of eyes can make in cleaning up a neighborhood.

And to the spineless masses who tolerate graffiti as "simply art," let's briefly stop and think about the issue. I'll grant you that a case can be made that graffiti is "art." After all, a crucifix placed in a mason jar of human urine was held to be "art." Even so, that does not give the little Picassos the right to paint on other peoples' property.

Moreover, you can't deny that graffiti lowers property values and drives away businesses. Thus, left unchecked, graffiti will destroy a neighborhood. The little Picassos also don't have the right to express their "art" at the expense of entire neighborhoods.

Thanks Leo and Fresno Guest

Thanks for the props. It will help on those days when I don't feel like riding around looking for tagging when I could be sleeping or doing something else more fun. I do see a difference in the neighborhood from when I started over a year ago. My alley never gets tagged anymore. Walls that were regularly hit are not. It seems like more it is curbs and sidewalks which I cannot clean but the graffiti team can.

Could

put them on the payroll to tag directions for getting around town.....like where parking is for instance....that's transit oriented...

just kidding of course...

props to Andy, much respect dude.

Diablo

Maybe If

Maybe if Teens were able to navigate the city better with transit they would eventually find something more interesting to do then scribble their name on a garbage can?
My neighborhood is a walkable one which is great for getting around but also easy for taggers to do the same. Oh, well, it makes it easier to clean up after them as well.

daing

Another post...
oops an inadvertent slip, what does this have to do with transit? Somehow graffiti must relate to the need for transit. Maybe it calls for a government study on the social rational of damages from car culture paints and mild teenaged crimes due to the absence of a driver's license.

face paint

Andy, they just went to a different schools and got used to the bigger pencils, now they use paint cans. I'd bet whoever marked Tibet wouldn't be able to locate it on a map.

Thank you for the info. And

Thank you for the info. And thanks for doing what you do! It all helps.

Just Stay Up On Top Of the Tagging

The quicker it is removed the better as you wont get the follow up by other taggers who add to the "artwork" as in the chimney case you stated. I roam the neighborhood by car or bike five times a week writing down addresses of where the tagging took place and then get it entered into the graffiti team's website as soon as I can in order to get it removed quicker. I will erase the smaller tags ( stop signs, light poles etc ) myself with solution the city provides for free ( rather the taxpayers do).
If you have the tagging done to your property you can file a police report as the police department is now being more aggressive in prosecuting tagging then they used.
http://www.fresno.gov/Government/DepartmentDirectory/Police/Neighborhood...

I have also noticed a

I have also noticed a significant increase in graffiti in my neighborhood. While I agree that some graffiti art can be beautiful displays of talent, the graffiti I see in my neighborhood is far from that type. Unfortunately every morning when I get up there's new "artwork", followed up by the Graffiti Team soon after. And so it goes and goes. Recently though, it seems in an effort to keep their messages from being painted over, they have now started painting on my neighbor's brick chimney. Only 5 days since the first tag, it has now been tagged 3 additional times, making the chimney a complete mess. The house is a well kept home and it is a shame that others cannot respect that. The garage door on the neighboring home was painted on as well and the fences, that usually get most of the attention, have been all but left alone. I fear they are now going to stay with this trend and it will only be a matter of time before it spreads throughout the neighborhood. We try very hard to make this area a better place and it's infuriating that others come along in the middle of the night and mess it up, claiming territories as their own. As soon as they start paying my mortgage and property taxes, we can talk about who owns what. Is there anything at all that can be done?

I Spend Quite a Bit

I spend quite a bit of time entering addresses in at the City of Fresno's graffiti site. They usually can take care of the graffiti within 24 hours which is great. I have noticed an up tick in graffiti with the change to daylight savings and also stormy weather. Last night there was a lot of wind , and , this morning I noticed quite a bit of graffiti was tagged around the neighborhood. I figure the taggers know not many people would be out in that weather or could hear them over the noise of the wind.
http://www.fresno.gov/Government/DepartmentDirectory/Police/Neighborhood...

I like Tibet but I don't

I like Tibet but I don't like to gamble.
Lately when I've called the Graffiti Hotline at 621-8247 the nice person answering the phone has taken my info and later that same afternoon they came out and painted right over it lickity split.

It's a shame.

I have noticed an increase in graffiti in my neighborhood. I am wondering if the warmer weather has brought out the vandals.
It's to bad that the vandals can't find a proper place to display their work. Some of the graffiti can be beautiful artwork. It's just to bad they don't use a canvas instead of our fences,garages,and buildings.
I wonder how much money graffiti costs us as taxpayers.