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144 Graffiti Artists Converge On Soon To Be Demolished Building - Very Cool

flickr.com — Nearly 150 graffiti artists have the opportunity to literally cover every surface of a large building with their artwork.

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  • snikt, on 10/11/2007, -4/+89Shame it's being demolished, I would want to keep it around.
    • 8bitflu, on 10/11/2007, -77/+22If they put it on something that wasn't falling apart or illegal it would be kept around. I am all about property rights and these people violate that daily, art or not - respect someones else's property, in this case it's fine, it was invited, but otherwise - people who violate other's property in this way should have their thumbs cut off.
    • Dolomite, on 10/11/2007, -4/+77call them up, i am sure they would love to spray paint all over your house.
    • TheWorm, on 10/11/2007, -20/+124Graffiti is such an underappreciated form of art.
    • ACrazyGerman, on 10/11/2007, -2/+29Well http://www.flickr.com/photos/richlegg/515244642/in/set-72157600269819667/ looked to be some thing totally different as a thumbnail.
    • DJrapture, on 10/11/2007, -3/+22I agree, it really displays true graffiti art. It shows the difference between 'graffiti artists' who live for their art and 'taggers' who merely accomplish petty vandalism. I wish there was more out there to distinguish between the two.
    • rnscwas123, on 10/11/2007, -1/+11Reminds me of this: http://digg.com/offbeat_news/Incredible_Graffiti_Covered_Building_in_NY
    • djvchris, on 10/11/2007, -5/+24@theworm, it probably would be more appreciated if the vast majority of it were not done without proper consent
    • Auto, on 10/11/2007, -9/+13Many graffiti artists have outright amazing skills. I just wish they would choose to put their art onto canvas (create) rather than on buildings (destroy). I own a warehouse complex and it's a real pain to try and remove or cover over spray paint, and it usually takes a good weekend to properly remove the stuff (or hide it well enough... finding the same color of paint is an issue when the buildings are aluminum-sided and 20 years old now).
    • Rooster99, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2@auto
      A possible solution to your problem might be to ask a graffer to actually paint something cool up there. Then the chances are, that it wont get hit vandelized any more.. But this is if you are willing to have it done of course. I used to live with some guys who did it and they would all jump at the chance to legally put something up.
  • hiPpymIck, on 10/11/2007, -22/+6SLC punk! on youtube
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCqhXx0b0HI
    • VaporBro, on 10/26/2007, -13/+5u r teh lame
    • ZBode05, on 10/11/2007, -7/+1that movie is less about graffiti and more about spray paint.
    • CatalystDM, on 10/11/2007, -6/+2good movie, but really has nothing to do with this story other than Salt Lake City.
  • crywolf, on 10/11/2007, -15/+22That is really cool, i agree with snik1, it should be kept up. This is a great example of how graffiti is art. So many people complain on its vandalism, but in reality, it still is art, no matter what way you put it.
    • SwissCamel, on 10/11/2007, -18/+13Point taken, but it's not art unless the owner of the property wanted it there. Still dugg you up though.
    • expliquezvous, on 10/11/2007, -7/+22@swisscamel

      actually, the owner of the property DID want it there. he was the one who organized the whole project after seeing a similar art exhibition in NYC. here's a link to the project's website with more info:
      http://337project.org/

      i went to see this last week, and it was incredible. the pictures only barely do it justice.
    • xxNIRVANAxx, on 10/11/2007, -10/+4god I hate websites where I can't even see the navigation.... Why not put a space between home, artists, news.. etc? Jeez
    • ricree, on 10/11/2007, -1/+29@crywolf

      The problem is, a ton of graffiti is pointless vandalism. I agree that it can at times be extremely impressive artistically, but from my experience these are the exceptions.
    • N080dy, on 10/11/2007, -13/+7@swisscamel

      "...it's not art unless the owner of the property wanted it there..."

      Not necessarily. One could argue that the temporary nature of its illegal existence due to the owner not wanting it there is artistic in itself. Art is all about perception. What is art to someone can mean nothing to someone else - Both the way the graffiti gets there and the finished product can both be considered art, whether or not the owner allows it to occur.

      On another note, although I support artistic graffiti (especially the legal kind), I don't at all condone kids "tagging up" buildings or writing obscenities on them. Without some actual purpose behind it...that's just vandalism.
    • resplence, on 10/11/2007, -17/+31The only reason people see graffiti as art is because there's drawings and colours involved. Regardless of the seemingly artistic talent, if it's unrequested or unallowed, it still is an act of vandalism, no matter what way you put it.

      I also see it as a real petty intervention. You feel the exterior of my house is too bleak, so you go and paint over it the way you like; awesome - that is art. How would you like if I went to your place and started redecorating your living room to my own taste? What's the difference? I own the exterior of my house just as much as you own the interior of yours.

      Ok, ok, extreme example. So let's imagine you spray-painted your masterpiece on the facade of your own house. Well, it bores me. I'll paint over it with a soothing baby-blue instead. And put a nice little smile - my signature - on the bottom right corner. Ah! Much better. I would even call it art.

      So, at the very least, these kind of interventions should be reserved to public surfaces, those not owned by anyone in particular, such as highways, bridges, etc. Well, they are not owned by anyone in particular, but they are supported by the collectivity of tax-payers. And I don't want my money being treated like that.

      Also, advocates say it makes the urban landscape more interesting. To me, that's visual pollution. How do you like it when you're walking down the street and there's some parked car playing music you dislike REALLY LOUD. That's how grafitti disturbs me, and I am not alone.

      So, either you graffiti artists get together and move to the United States of Graffiti or something, or stop forcing your art on everyone else.
    • Genesee, on 10/11/2007, -4/+12"Not necessarily. One could argue that the temporary nature of its illegal existence due to the owner not wanting it there is artistic in itself. Art is all about perception."

      right on. my dog just pinched a massive loaf on my neighbor's yard - I thought to myself "fido is satisfied with his creation, but my neighbor isn't going to be happy about that." then your post inspired me to perceive it as a work of art, especially since it's temporary and unwanted. if anything can be art, then fido can be the next michaelangelo.
    • Mike89, on 10/11/2007, -2/+3On a train once (in Melbourne) I actually say graffiti on a station roof that simply said "SPAM". That made me laugh.

      Another time I saw someone had tagged a shed with "TAXPAYERS WORST NITE MARE". Well, it didn't have spaces in it so it took me like 10 seconds to figure out what the tag was trying to say. The best part was, it was in the absolute middle of no where on some barn. There were like 2 people on the train other than me. Taxpayers must be ***** emselves ;)
    • Peabdog, on 10/11/2007, -1/+0So if I spray paint something beautiful, without your consent, on your house (car, computer screen, cat), it's art, and it wouldn't bother you?
  • cryptoki, on 02/01/2008, -13/+5good.. maybe it'll tire em all out.. and they'll stop spraying all the other buildings in town too.
  • hassanchop13, on 10/11/2007, -12/+3The description reminded me of:

    There was a 23% drop in temperature.
    That's almost 25%!
    ... That was one of the most worthless comments I've ever heard.

    from bash
  • jasonmacari, on 10/11/2007, -2/+5I'm sure someone with more artistic talent than me could turn the rubble into quite the exhibit.
  • bulio, on 10/11/2007, -4/+11It looks simply amazing. Much nicer than a plain old gray concrete building does at least.
  • cryptoki, on 02/01/2008, -2/+4just having fun...

    graffiti art is cool.. if there's real talent involved in it
  • wompninja, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3I went to this. It was probably one of the coolest shows I have ever been to. People were lined up down the block just to get inside and check it out.
  • ApocDozer, on 10/11/2007, -3/+1stay up
  • gafasiesornivek, on 10/11/2007, -8/+1Apple chortles the pole.
  • HanSolo69, on 10/11/2007, -8/+6since when do property rights have anything to do with art? I go to VCU, one of the biggest art schools in the nation, and i'm pretty sure there's no "your art is only art if you obtain the right permits to create said art" class in our course catalog.
    • Xanadude, on 10/11/2007, -3/+7Indeed, it can be both art and vandalism. The two aren't mutually exclusive.

      p.s. Greetings, fellow VCU alumnus.
    • AriaStar, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3If you are doing something to MY property that I don't want, how does it make a difference if you painted something pretty or smashed a window? I had my property how I liked it and you destroyed it. You are free to do with your property as you wish, but do with mine without my consent and you're a vandal. People like you who apparently think you have the right to draw wherever you want are who give all graffiti artists a bad rep.
  • SamQ, on 10/11/2007, -8/+4There's no such thing as "Graffiti Artist".
    • ZPWeeks, on 10/11/2007, -3/+5Art can be intrusive. Art is not self-redeeming, which means that it can be unwanted (i.e. "tagging") and therefore not OK.
      However, I feel sorry for your petty mind if you lack the capacity to perceive and appreciate the depth of what real art can be, even in underappreciated forms (say, graffiti, hip-hop, country music, performance art, and religious writings).
      You're really missing out. Have fun with that.
    • Jagdwulfe, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1@ZP Regardless of if it is true art or tagging the act of spray painting on someone's property without permission is worthy of only the Michael Faye treatment. If we are gonna pretend that spray painting on someone's property is art them maybe I will become an artist that ritually scars the faces of graffiti people with dull razor blades afterall that would be my chosen medium much as my nice white wall the medium of the dirtbags that spraypaint on it.
  • moonlessrat, on 10/11/2007, -3/+3hmm was it just me that was expecting to see loads of cool street style wall murals? looks like alot of alternative artstyles there as well, while levitating boots etc are a cool form of art I certainly wouldnt label it as grafitti. Dont get me wrong, this looks freaky, its just not what I expected from the title.
  • markhimself, on 10/11/2007, -2/+0Same thing was done for Wooster Collective's 11 Spring St project a few months back..
    http://www.woostercollective.com/wooster_on_spring (Start at the bottom and work your way up)
  • nakani, on 10/11/2007, -4/+5I see a lot of dope graff up on public buildings and under bridges by the park, etc. A lot of people think that all of graffiti is tagging, but there's a lot of skilled pieces that get put up. Like end-to-end murals, and ill full car length burners on train cars. I used to hate it when I got stuck at a train crossing until I started to take notice of all the cool art up :)
    • HanSolo69, on 10/11/2007, -7/+2dugg down for use of the word "dope" as an adjective in a non-joking manner.
  • versionke, on 10/11/2007, -3/+3the place is awesome. i was there earlier today and there is some incredible work in that building. my 12-year old son even asked "dad, do you know where i could take some spray painting classes?" pretty inspiring, for all ages.
  • hobophobe, on 10/11/2007, -7/+5Most business owners, establishment types, etc. are anti-graffiti because they care only about one thing. A lesser minority of housewives and old ladies and priests reject graffiti on some kind of vaguely religious grounds. Really it's all about art and a rebellion against the insanely cloistered social environment.

    It's okay for some company to spend thousands of dollars to put a billboard up that says (eg "We need to talk -God") but your average joe doesn't have that kind of bread and the billboard company can easily reject what he wants to say whether it's obscene or just against their bottom line.

    If you walk around the average college or high school campus you generally see at least some unwanted advertisement (especially from military recruitment) but people get uptight about a little graffiti. It doesn't fit together that well except that people seem to have developed a mentality whereby advertising is easy to understand. "They want to sell me X, or sell other people X." Art isn't that linear. It's got subtlety and nuance and vague meaning.

    It's a lot like skateboarding. People that want their environment to be open, to be played with. Would you want a little kid that builds a sand castle charged for vandalism? Of course you wouldn't because it'll be gone soon enough. So build a building where you can do that and let the children build their sandcastles. Otherwise expect them to build when and where they feel regardless of being scolded for it.
    • technofiend, on 10/11/2007, -3/+5I'm not a priest or a housewife.

      I find most graffiti boring, derivative and completely uninspired. There are a few true artists out there who work in graffiti.
      And then there's everyone else. People who are just spray painting the side of a building to say "I wuz here, durrrr".
      Boring. Nobody knows you, and nobody gives a flip who you are. All you did was make someplace a little uglier. Thanks.

    • corvairkid, on 10/11/2007, -2/+6Most business owners are anti-graffiti because it makes their building look like a slum. You can whine and cry all you want about it being art but the majority of the public still sees it as being a sign that they're in a bad neighborhood and so they keep moving. If people aren't stopping, they aren't supporting your business. So get rid of and keep the graffiti away and you keep your customers.

      As technofiend pointed out, what exactly is average Joe going to say even if he did have a billboard? Most of what I've seen is "I wuz here, war sucks, I'm great, etc." And guess what? Nobody except for your friends knows the connection between your tagger name and real name anyway. Grow some balls and sign your real name. Reminds me of this comic I saw a number of years ago about this burned out old hippy showing some kids some graffiti on a wall. He says, "See that kick ass paint? I'm the guy who put it there 30 years ago." to which the kids reply, "Who cares?"

      A better analogy would be if the same kid started digging up the lawn of City Hall to build a sod castle. Or maybe cut down a bunch of road signs to build a log cabin. Or dug up some pavement for an asphalt castle. All things can be repaired but why should they have to be when they weren't broken in the first place? Why should I have to rent a pressure washer, repaint a wall, or pay somebody to do these things to fix something I didn't want or ask for? Want to build a sand castle? Go to a park. Want to skate? Get organized and build a skate park. Want to paint? GET ORGANIZED and do an event like this. If you want graffiti to become a recognized art form, then show off your talent in a legal way. Then you can pimp yourself to local businesses and maybe even the city for murals and such.
    • nakani, on 10/11/2007, -2/+2@corvairkid
      A graffiti artist in Rochester New York did a commisioned piece for at-the-time running for mayor Duffy. A lot of graff artists end up doing stuff in galleries, too.
    • AriaStar, on 10/11/2007, -2/+5Look, kiddo, when most people see graffiti, what they see is the act of vandalism, that someone did something to someone else's property without permission. They see disrespect. They see a crime.

      If someone wants to "advertise" his "art," then do it on a board and lean it on a building. Don't deface the property of another.
  • etx313, on 10/11/2007, -4/+1I was just in SLC and really wanted to go see this but it wasn't open any days I was there. :(
  • elementalemcee, on 10/11/2007, -3/+2advertising is graffiti and graffiti is art, every billboard every poster choose your weapon do your part.

  • Krekko, on 10/11/2007, -4/+3This is simply one of the most, amazing, and mind boggling things i have EVER seen. Shows how even one of the most hated art forms can be one of the most beautiful. Much respect to those who did this!
  • TheSubStylee, on 10/11/2007, -2/+3I've always loved graffiti. I used to be part of the culture as well. Truth be told, I do believe it's art regardless of property damage. I also understand why others don't think it's art, and I respect that. But there's a variety of reasons why its done. To quote a book written by Stephen Powers (ESPO)

    "If you've ever walked down the street, seen a name, and wondered what that marking meant, I'll tell you: It means somebody is telling you a story about who they are and what they are prepared to do to make you aware of it. Every time a name is written, a story is told."

    Graffiti writers don't care where they're making their mark, their making it. Thats more than most of the average people in this world can actually say. So what, you work in an office building, 9 to 5, day in, day out. Do you think anyones going to remember you when you die? I don't think so, you didn't leave a mark anywhere, you were just an employee of a corporation. It's more complex than just that though, it isn't teenage angst/***** society stuff. It's cool if you don't have that same mentality, but just try to put yourself in a graffiti writer's shoes. They don't ***** ***** up just to ***** it up. They do it for all sorts of different reasons. Different people go about dealing with things differently, some people write poetry, some people go jogging, some people write graffiti. I simply respect them for doing what they do despite the heat of it all. Doesn't make it right, but it sure goes past the mis-conceptions many people have about them.
  • wisie, on 10/11/2007, -2/+2That building looks awesome now.

    For anyone who hasn't seen it, I would recomend you watch style wars which is a documentary from the 80's I believe, which explores graffiti in NY.

    http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5065949310221269915
  • Darksaber11, on 10/11/2007, -2/+2Werd. I wish I had some talent with this artform.
    • nakani, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1I realized something about the "taggers". A lot of people get pissed off when they see ***** tags, and that's understandable. But I know some writers who used to suck ass and do ***** tags, but now they do sweet 5+ color pieces. I think that graffiti in a lot of ways is like the internet. You see a LOT of garbage out there, but there's also some gold to be found. And a lot of the people who are posting gold to the internet at some point had ***** websites and made crappy immature posts and uploaded crappy content to their websites.

      I saw a sweet piece on a bridge a while back. It went end-to-end on the wall, but only the right half was covered with art. The left half was completely gray. Above, it said "before, after". At that point I realized the dramatic difference between the gray bridge columns, and the ones covered in graffiti...

      It's interesting though because there definitely is validity to the signal/noise argument. There is a lot of noise out there, and nobody likes a lot S/N. However I think that if society were to engourage people artistically and local municipalities had a low barrier of entry for people to paint on public areas it would increase the S/N ratio. Just imagine how awesome it would be if instead of walking through a park and seeing ***** tags all over there were beautiful murals that talented writers were given permission to put up.
  • UtahApocalyse, on 10/11/2007, -2/+6Thanx digg, I dident know abnout this and its only 2 miles away. Im off to enjoy the last hour of it.
  • disposablepal, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1this is easily one of the coolest things i've ever seen i only wish i could see it in person. I wish stuff like this was done more often, legally or illegally.
  • Isgall, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3I hate it when people think that Graffiti is just gang tagging, ignorance is so sad.
  • JohnnyRad, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5i'd rather see street art than advertisements...billboards and seizure inducing signage are the real visual pollution
  • shelz, on 10/11/2007, -1/+0Maybe if it *WERE& In NYC it *WOULD* be kept around. It's in Utah people... No way are they keeping it around. (I'm allowed to say this, I was born there.)
  • sublime, on 10/11/2007, -2/+1Just found out about this 12:30 am the day after. Too bad it didnt get front page a day earlier . Would have loved to go.
  • rujnf, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2I actually went to this cause I live in the area. And trust me the pictures do not and can not come close to how spectacular it really is! and its not just graffiti artists its all kinds
  • MrSunshine, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3I hate it when people call this art. Being an artist means wearing a turtle neck, coking and selling your idea (which you assigned to craftsmen to do the actual work for cheap) for millions to a museum or art collector.

    I consider Graffiti to be illustration.
  • nistaani, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2My flatmate is filming this for the Culture Show on the BBC. Should be on in a few weeks. It is an ace piece of art.
  • vinchu, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1How can the picture be so bad ans so closeup ?
  • funkytommyman, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Bad graffiti is the worst part. If you're gonna vandalize, at least do it properly.
  • iamdexter, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I hate it when people call this art. Being an artist means wearing a turtle neck, coking and selling your idea (which you assigned to craftsmen to do the actual work for cheap) for millions to a museum or art collector.
    Can't agree more.

    http://www.adidas-shoes.org
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