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.

Lasting Impression

Lasting Impression, originally uploaded by susanvg.

It's always fun to come across the unexpected. This mural is quite new. I checked out Google streetview and there was graffiti on this wall. Funny how a physicist has become an icon - his image recognizable by many people. Today it is the popular culture icons who are recognized by most people. Who are the people you would like to see remembered from today? How can we raise the profile of the thinkers so that they reach the radar of today's youth?