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.

Click here for more

Seven members of the MTA crew were arrested 2 days ago in Los Angeles.  I’ve posted the LA Times article below.   What is interesting is that there is a fair amount of focus on the blight caused by the three story high half mile long piece on the LA “river” and how this was an eyesore for those peering down from their downtown offices (although the angle of this makes me wonder how it bothered them).  However no mention is made of the fact that the LA “river” itself is an ugly blight on the city of Los Angeles.  Not a river but a trickle surrounded by large walls of blank concrete.  The MTA piece is actually quite a feat – and quite a piece of topography – a wonderful mural.   No mention of the potential aesthetics are discussed in this article – only one side mentioning what an eyesore it is.  That sounds like judgement and criticism to me – not journalism (although do we really have objective journalism anymore – did we ever have it).   When much larger urban issues are at stake – and community leaders decry the wasted youth – crime and vandalism.  Shouldn’t we embrace a group of young people takling a large scale artistic project – instead of the myriad of other activities these guys could be up to.    Here is the LA Times article:

L.A.’s largest tag: the giant, half-mile-long “MTA” scrawl that appeared last year along the concrete banks of the Los Angeles River near downtown. Authorities say the Metro Transit Assassins created the city’s largest tag — a three-story-high, half-mile-long scrawl of its moniker along the concrete banks of the Los Angeles River. By Richard Winton January 29, 2009 In the macho, braggart, narcissistic world of Los Angeles tagging, no one can match the Metro Transit Assassins crew. Authorities said the group is responsible for some of the city’s most notorious acts of vandalism, most notably L.A.’s largest tag: the giant, half-mile-long “MTA” scrawl that appeared last year along the concrete banks of the Los Angeles River near downtown. (more…)

While in Iceland for the Reyjavik International Film Festival, Director Jon Reiss and I (Co Producer, Harrison Bohrman) were invited to be part of a city hall panel on graffiti and street art.

Artist Thordis Claessen, author of the Icelandic street art book, ICEPICK, was also there (far left) in addition to government official, Jakob Magnusson (second on the right).

Debates over art, personal expression and free space in Iceland seem to be heating up and it was an amazing event to be a part of.

We’ll make sure to keep you posted on what comes of the panel and the future of graffiti in Iceland.

Thanks to everyone who came out to the event!

•What is uglier? A bomb piece by a graffiti writer or a multi million dollar condo being built in front of your house?

•Billboards or Graffiti?

•What is public space?

•Who is allowed to use it and how?

•Why isn’t there enough color in a public space?

•Is graffiti making a public space better or worse?

•If a public park is being built, should I have the rights to vote on how it should look?

•Is graffiti a voice of opinion or just some “artist” trying to get rich?

•When an anti-graffiti campaign is sponsored by big corporation, is that credible?

•Will there ever be a common ground for the general public and Graffiti writers?

•Now, what are your answers?

Read more here