Graffiti and crime / somewhere to park their trolleys (Friday 5 October 2007)

compiled by Emma O'Toole

Graffiti: art and vandalism

Banksy’s graffiti artwork; image held here

In a world where Banksy is getting six-figure sums for his graffiti art, an 18-year-old has recently been sentenced to a year in prison for the same ‘crime’. Although graffiti as an art medium has progressively become more acceptable, the debate on whether graffiti is art or mere vandalism still stands. This month, two Manchester graffiti artists, known as Kerk and Mers, have been sentenced to 12 and 15 months imprisonment, for their art crimes. Between them they caused £13,000 worth of damage.

The extent of their sentence has been met with an obvious reaction of disbelief. Almost 2,000 people have signed an online petition, calling for a reduction of their sentences and various events have been staged to raise awareness about their case. The judge at Manchester crown court gave the sentence in an attempt to use these two men as examples of the evil of vandalism. However, the length of their sentences has meant that their case is being treated as a crime equal to rape or worse than GBH.

In this case Thomas “TJ” Dolan (Krek) and Thomas Whittaker (Mers) are not your usual criminals. Krek has worked with young offenders, while Mers was about to begin an art degree. Both have applied to teach literacy and run art workshops while in prison.

Poster for gig in support of Krek and Mers this Sunday in Manchester; image held here

Contrary to the Krek and Mers case, only in May, Banksy, the infamous graffiti artist who has sprayed many of the walls illegally around Bristol since the late 1990s, gained the award for Arts Greatest Living Briton.

The fact is that graffiti has now become a part of mainstream art and many graffiti artists, like Banksy, are showing their work in galleries, selling their pieces for thousands of dollars, and doing work for clothing and advertising companies. This has helped change peoples perception of graffiti as an artform, maybe even helping to lodge the Krek and Mers case into the public’s consciousness as something worth fighting for.

However, according to some public reaction, there is a difference between ‘art’ graffiti and simple tagging, and it’s most likely that for every artist’s statement there are thousands of illegal scrawls. Making an example of these two Manchester graffiti-ers may prove effective; however, it may also prove to be no deterrent - the names of Krek and Mers will more than likely be seen on every railway bridge around Manchester.

Sources: http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/art/2007/09/spray_artists_in_the_can.html; http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/art/2007/09/what_should_we_do_about_graffiti.html; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banksy

Artists build secret apartment in shopping mall

Providence Mall's secret apartment, image found here

The leader of an artist’s cooperative has recently been sentenced to probation for  building a secret furnished room in a US shopping mall. Michael Townsend and seven other artists built the 750-square-foot apartment in Rhode Island’s Providence Shopping Mall, in 2003, as apart of a project on mall life, and have been living there on and off since.

The artists were able to keep the apartment, a disused room connected to the carpark, hidden from security until now by disguising its outer appearance. Inside on the other hand, the apartment was fully furnished and included a sofa, a coffee table, a breakfast table, lamps, rugs and paintings.

The artists were able to eat, drink, sleep, read, hold meetings, watch tv and play PS2 games in their secret pad. Their only problem was that they lacked running water, and a toilet – instead they used the mall toilets.

Townsend claimed he wanted to “explore the phenomenon of the modern American enclosed mall, its social impications, and his relationship with commerce and the world.” After security at the mall finally caught up with them, Townsend pleaded no contest to a criminal charge of trespassing. And he said his only regret was that he didn’t get to continue.

Sources: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/02/AR2007100200817.html; http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_2538689.html

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