Tag Archives: vandalism

graffiti

Graffiti Artist

The sounds of young men shouting
In multi-colored throat, crying
‘I am here!, See my voice!’ all mean
Hearts pleading ‘Father, where are you?’

A fatherless generation
Wails in an urban wilderness.
Concrete gives voice
while the hearts camp in the desert.

There is no way home as
The blank stares of tower blocks
Offer no expression.
They give nothing away to young men.

Young men poke them in the eye and make them blink.
The fatherless offer expression of their own
And take what they need
In the absence of a father.

No ears to hear them, arms to hold them?
These broken sons of a nation
Which has them perch on breezeblock
Instead of crawling into Daddy’s lap.

‘What do you know, mate?’ comes the challenge.
‘I understand the pain’ I say,
‘Because I too built my own wall
And then spray-painted it.’

I gave myself orphanhood.
‘Take that or nothing,’ I thought.
Hobson’s Choice was all I saw
As I painted myself into a corner.

But each one can teach one.
Each one can reach one,
After the paint dries,
And we walk free.

At Van

Reconciliation on Wheels

Reconciliation (noun) /ˌrek.ənˌsɪl.iˈeɪ.ʃən/:The process of making two opposite beliefs, ideas or situations agree.

(A three-minute read – part of a year-long series on the Ministry of Reconciliation)

There’s an Art Van in my neighborhood. You know about Art Cars, right? The ‘Cartist’ will modify the vehicle in a unique artistic way. To inform, entertain or for personal expression.

My local art car represents Reconciliation on Wheels. The owner may not have conceived of it that way, but it’s there. Can you see it in the VanRogue rules below?

ArtVan instructions

Taggers may consider themselves free to make art wherever they wish: on private buildings, rights of way, bridge abutments or postal boxes. But they also need to be responsible for defacing property.

ArtVan gives them a safe place to ply their trade and be artists – without being vandals.

Can you dig it? The vehicle is sacrificed as a canvas so other private property can be respected.

Art Van

I can be an artist without being a criminal.

Art Van

Graffiti is seen as a £100 million challenge here in London.

Art Van

So – this is one small step for a van, one giant leap…

Art Van

In the end, artists just want to be loved.

Art Van

Don’t they?

Reconciliation is always present. We just need to look closely.