We are facing a new anti-graffiti by-law in cape town which takes away the house owners rights to give permission for any artworks on their walls besides a house number.

The new, proposed graffiti by-law makes no distinction between vandalism and public art that is done with the permission of the owner of the property.

Click here to sign the petition amending this by-law.

To:  The City of Cape Town

The new, proposed graffiti by-law criminalizes all forms of public art and violates our personal right to freedom of expression on private property. It makes no distinction between vandalism and public art that is done with the permission of the owner of the property.

The by-law will soon be presented for public discussion and these are the two main issues that we feel need to be addressed:

1. The definition of ‘graffiti’ under the by-law is too broad. It classifies ‘graffiti’ as any inscription, word, figure, letter, sign, symbol, sketch, picture or drawing. There should be a clear differentiation between ‘graffiti vandalism’ [e.g. gang tags, scratchings] and public art that is done with permission from the owner [murals, colourful characters and positive, inspiring messages].

2. The by- law removes the legal right of the private property owner to paint anything other than a house number on his/her wall. We strongly believe that the private property owner should maintain the right to determine what to paint on to his/her property without permission from the City.

We, the undersigned, urge the City of Cape Town to amend this by-law to become a more inclusive one and thus limit the damage it can potentially do to the creative growth of our city.

Sincerely,
The Undersigned

According to news reports, transportation authorities in Stockholm will seek restitution from Konstfack—University College of Arts, Crafts, and Design, just south of the city, for vandalism to a subway car that was apparently carried out by a student as part of an art project.

For his graduation thesis last spring, Magnus Gustafsson presented a two-minute film featuring footage of a black-clad figure defacing the interior of a train car with graffiti, a Konstfack spokeswoman, Mabel Selin, told The Chronicle. In the film, “Territorial Pissing,” the offender then smashes a window and jumps onto a platform.

It is estimated he caused $12,000 worth of damage.

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A three-month jail term handed to an 18-year-old woman who wrote graffiti on a Sydney cafe’s wall is “absolutely appropriate”, NSW Premier Nathan Rees says.

Cheyene Back, from Daceyville, faced the Downing Centre Local Court on Monday charged with intentionally or recklessly damaging a brick wall, the property of Hyde Park Cafe, on January 11.

Magistrate Ian McRae jailed her for three months, but another magistrate later granted her unconditional bail pending her appeal, listed for March 4.

Mr Rees said he thought the three-month sentence was right.

“Everywhere I go graffiti is an issue,” he told reporters. “This sends a message that it’s not something that the community regards as a frivolous offence.

“It is something that affects not only the aesthetic but people’s sense of safety.

“They see graffiti around and they think there is other anti-social behaviour going on and I think a three-month jail term is absolutely appropriate.”

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From the Huffington Post:

The image, Fairey has acknowledged, is based on an Associated Press photograph, taken in April 2006 by Mannie Garcia on assignment for the AP at the National Press Club in Washington.

The AP says it owns the copyright, and wants credit and compensation. Fairey disagrees.

“The Associated Press has determined that the photograph used in the poster is an AP photo and that its use required permission,” the AP’s director of media relations, Paul Colford, said in a statement. “AP safeguards its assets and looks at these events on a case-by-case basis. We have reached out to Mr. Fairey’s attorney and are in discussions. We hope for an amicable solution.”

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