Graffiti I

Graffiti I, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

A walk through a more industrial area of the city turned up some interesting graffiti. I just hope it doesn't get covered with tags.



Maybe the taggers respect graffiti artists - the tag was sprayed on above the artwork.



I guess we have all had one of those days - but today was a good one. A nice walk, time to play music and a movie with a friend.

Another Walk

It's fun to walk in areas of the city where I have not walked before. Even though I have driven through this part of Montreal, it is not the same as viewing on foot. While I am not a huge fan of graffiti, I did like the images here.


We walked into a park with houses facing it on each side. This three story (though more elegant than some) is typical of houses in parts of Montreal. The second and third floor dwellings are reached by an outdoor staircase, which can be treacherous on icy mornings. The wrought iron balconies at the left are more typical than the stone and concrete of the building in the centre.

This neighbourhood is near the Lachine Canal, once an important waterway, through which boats could bypass the Lachine Rapids. Industries sprang up along the canal. Since the advent of the St. Lawrence Seaway, it lost its usefulness. Now a bicycle path runs along it (not open this time of year). The waterway is used by pleasure boats, not working boats. Where once factories stood, now housing is replacing them. This footbridge crosses over the canal.

You can learn more about the history of the canal here.

Metro Art

Metro Art, originally uploaded by susanvg.

When this art work was first created, it stretched the length of the station, unprotected by this reflective glass cover. Then the vandals got to it. The whole thing had to be dismantled, cleaned and then those parts that were salvageable were remounted under glass. The vandals are at it again.
I am all for good graffiti artists who create art in the city, but spray painting tags on someone's property, whether it be a piece of art, a monument, a building or whatever is not creative, is not art and is not cool!

Decay

Decay, originally uploaded by susanvg.

I love street art - murals that cover otherwise blank, concrete walls. However, I don't love what happens to it. This mural is on the side wall of a building that houses a club - a music venue. At the level of pedestrians some of the plaster has pitted and the wall it has been attacked by graffiti. I know I have railed about this before - but I just don't get how it is OK to damage the creation of another person. The artwork adds colour and delight to the city, in this case celebrating the use of the building. Graffiti tags are just self-serving, advertising that the spray painter has passed by. I do make a distinction between tagging and graffiti artists. The latter have created some interesting images (and yes sometimes they are elaborately done tags), but they don't do it on top of someone else's work.

Day 161: Canadiens Fan

Day 161: Canadiens Fan, originally uploaded by susanvg.

I went to a movie this evening in what used to be the Montreal Forum, home of Les Canadiens. The building was gutted and turned into a multiplex movie theatre. A few remnants of the old building were placed in it as a reminder of its former purpose. These seats used to be filled with avid fans, rooting for their team. This sculpture is reminiscent of this.

It saddens me to see the graffiti scribbled on it. There is no respect for the artist nor for the public who enjoy it. I have often seen people having their pictures taken sitting beside the sculpture. Now the face looks garish, the hands out of place. What was once a playful reminder of the past is now a testimony to the needs of the individual to satisfy him/herself without thought to the effect on others.