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Secret Wall Tattoos

secretwalltattoos.com — The next time you check in to a hotel room, look behind the mirrors, paintings and headboards because you might just find some art. And if you don't, make some.

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Foenetik 1 year 305 days ago, made popular 1 year 304 days ago

1582 diggs
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mozzer, on 10/12/2007, -4/+55Covert vandalism at its finest!
Now if I could only learn to draw...
- trghpy, on 10/12/2007, -8/+50Just start making lines and call it Modern art.
- Madh2orat, on 10/12/2007, -0/+14Heck, whoever drew that face over the toilet is sure to scare the crap outta anyone who sees it.
  
  (bad pun intended)
- skatejunk, on 10/12/2007, -7/+15I say ditch the paintings that are covering up the real artwork.
- Anpheus, on 10/12/2007, -5/+24Some are photoshopped, it would seem.
  
  How do I know? Compare:
  http://www.secretwalltattoos.com/gallery/pics/LVNV2_2.jpg
  http://www.secretwalltattoos.com/gallery/pics/LVNV2_1.jpg
  Legs stick out from bottom of frame even if you adjust for the slight distortion between the two pictures.
  
  http://www.secretwalltattoos.com/gallery/pics/CHIL4_1.jpg
  http://www.secretwalltattoos.com/gallery/pics/CHIL4_2.jpg
  The eye sticks out from the bottom of the frame.
- hosiah, on 10/12/2007, -15/+2Photoshop sucks hairy nuts. Art existed before Photoshop. As proof I offer prehistoric cave paintings, ancient Greek and Roman ruins, and the entire European Renaissance.
  
  Go back to whacking a picture to look like a four-year-old went at the newspaper with scissors and Elmer's paste. Now, run along...
- darkdaedra, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8Perhaps they weren't photoshopped and instead were painted/drawn only after the first picture had been taken.
  
  Your visual analysis is not sufficient to prove shenanigans.
- wheaty, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I don't think they're photoshopped. On those particular pieces, it looks like the artwork was done on the back of the frame or on some type of back-mount. If that's the case there's probably a way to fold those hanging parts back up behind the picture. The legs in the first example could clearly get folded up.
- macro, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6maybe someones intention to start a wave of vandalism by submitting a fake photoshopped story. kind of a social experiment
Foenetik, on 10/12/2007, -4/+29Yeah I'll definintely be leaving a mark at the next hotel I stay at
- hammydude, on 10/12/2007, -1/+20I especially liked the dead body under the bed, that was pretty creative.
- rhettnyedotorg, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8another little-known fact, these only appear in rooms that reek of marijuana smoke.
hijinks, on 10/12/2007, -1/+66of course its the wall art you can only see with a black light is the art i'm worried about
- billymachine, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Yeah, I always leave a mark on the wall by licking it! Oh... wait...
diafel, on 10/12/2007, -96/+3Yawn, it's yet another article fraudulently dugg to the front page by aaaz, chrisek, webtech, webtickle et al. It's really amazing how prevalent these guys are. Yet their accounts still exist.
- vudicarus, on 10/12/2007, -2/+49yawn. yet another whiny comment by diafel. boohoo.
- Habemus, on 10/12/2007, -20/+4You mean they are all different people?
- Calypsoaf, on 10/12/2007, -2/+29Who really cares how they got here, as long as they are interesting and waste another 5 minutes of my companies precious time? ;)
- jcapogna, on 10/12/2007, -1/+38You know what, I like the article. I dugg it.
- grooviekenn, on 10/12/2007, -1/+18Got to admit I like some of the guerrilla art more than the generic hotel 'art!
- grooviekenn, on 10/12/2007, -2/+14[digg down my previous reply (it was suppose to be it's own separate comment)]
  
  REPLY:
  
  Here's the thing about aaaz. I don't know who he is... I don't really care.
  
  What I do know is that he obviously has a lot of spare time on his hands to be posting soooooooooooooooo many postings to digg. The decent ones actually make the front page. Most of them don't.
  
  This is a GREAT digg if you ask me!
- 4ndr3wk, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2http://digg.com/users/diafel/commented
  
  WTF?? is there anything else say except yawn another gamed story which they most probably arent.
  
  GO AWAY AND STFU!!
yeahbuddy, on 10/12/2007, -2/+13Aren't most paintings in hotels screwed into the wall?

Sounds like quite a chore...
- grooviekenn, on 10/12/2007, -19/+5Can you imagine if Van Gogh or Picasso was quoted saying...
  
  "Sounds like quite a chore...."!?!?!
- yeahbuddy, on 10/12/2007, -5/+23^ Sorry, I don't see the parallel between hotel vandalism and legendary artists?
- grooviekenn, on 10/12/2007, -14/+10^
  1) I don't see anything in your original comment about vandalism... All I saw was it takes too much work to create that art.
  
  2) Who made you the devine judge on what is and isn't art?! The generic hotel posters might look like art to you, but I see more beauty and creativity in the latter.
- tonicboy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3@grooviekenn
  
  What the hell are you talking about dude? The comment (which I agree with) was about the difficulty of painting behind the hotel art, since most hotel art is screwed to the wall to prevent theft. It makes you wonder how much of this is actual hotel guerilla art, as opposed to an elaborate sham to make everyone think there's lots of guerilla art out there.
grooviekenn, on 10/12/2007, -2/+14Got to admit I like some of the guerrilla art more than the generic hotel 'art'!
Safe97, on 10/12/2007, -21/+3dumb, the whole story.
Fracture98, on 10/12/2007, -40/+8Like the hotel pictures it hides behind; vandalism is not, and never will be, art.
- grooviekenn, on 10/12/2007, -4/+17Depends on who your asking...
- Klisk, on 10/12/2007, -8/+17You are not, and never will be, intelligent.
- triforcer, on 10/12/2007, -5/+5@fracture98
  that comment just shows that you know nothing about art.
- lethalpotato, on 10/12/2007, -3/+12this is art. unsolicited, yes, but it is still art.
- blingfinger, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5I guess you've never seen any of Banksy's work. I especially like the work he did on Israel's "Separation Wall."
- Fracture98, on 10/12/2007, -6/+18Mmm. Spoken by people that have never owned anything of value. Tell me where your new car is and I'll scratch some art into the hood. See what you say then.
  
  Damaging other people's property without their permission is vandalism and only vandalism.
- jonshipman, on 10/12/2007, -6/+2it is art AND vandalism. not saying vandalism is a bad thing... as long as you don't sign it ;)
- mediaphile, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5@Fracture98:
  
  sounds like it's a matter of perspective. someone scratches something into my car and it's vandalism. someone scratches something into your car and it's art.
  
  and if we've learned anything over the last few millenia, it's that art is subjective if nothing else.
- triforcer, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1@fracture98
  if the scratches you made on my car were intentional and had meaning in its subject matter, then i would still consider it art. but that doesn't mean i would still let you do that to my car or excuse you from the consequences of those actions. i never ask the hotel managers to excuse those artist of painting on their walls either.
  
  so don't give me this ***** about not understanding the value of other people's property, just because it is vandalism doesn't mean it's not art. not knowing what can be define as art is your own ignorance.
torabora, on 10/12/2007, -1/+15some of this art work is really good!
omgitscolin, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10Coolest thing about it is, it's kind of a "no harm done" way to leave your mark. The only time hotel management would see it is if they were redecorating, in which case they'd most likely repaint/repaper the wall or put up a new painting, so finding something like that is pretty harmless. Very cool!
- eli_lilly, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I think this is just rude. Hotels move stuff around about once a year and it's gonna take more than the quick touch-up painting that most rooms get to remove this vandalism.
Aeiri, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I'd like to see someone draw the seal of protection (or whatever) from Sleepy Hollow under a hotel bed :)
triforcer, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7now i have to remember to bring my art supplies when i go on vocation.
- DubbedOver, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I can't even remember my dress shoes when i travel, now I have to remember something that I haven't used in 8 years.
ImTheDarkcyde, on 10/12/2007, -11/+2slow news day, or are you all just easily amused?
Foxphoto, on 10/12/2007, -7/+1lol @ that server bill
veniv, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4It is interesting for art-lovers. Art is art!
http://www.sleektools.net/sleekview.html
dotpage, on 10/12/2007, -18/+3no digg. pure vandalism.
nm3210, on 10/12/2007, -7/+4odd, but do you suppose many of these people are on drugs while taking on these projects (it's often not a simple task to take down a picture in a hotel)? Granted I will give them the benefit of the doubt so no, but I wonder if there's a connection
- omgitscolin, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7I don't think the thought processes behind this are really consistent with that of someone on drugs. Whoever did this went about it in such a way as to make it unnoticable afterward, which as others have commented no doubt took some amount of effort and great care, not to mention time. They were methodical, careful, precise, and able to sustain some amount of effort and attention for an extended period of time, probably several hours. I'd say that rules out pretty much any drug I've heard of.
  
  Interesting, though, how upon seeing something new, different, and creative, you immediately wondered if the creator was on drugs...
- hosiah, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2To both of you: Some people can indeed be very creative and intelligent while high. Study some art history; you'd be surprised how many of the classic artists indulged. Especially since in their day it was prescribed as a medicine and not used as a tool of politicians to get elected.
  
  By the way, staying inside the area covered by the picture would not be difficult; remove a picture from a wall after it's been there for a while and there'll be a rectangle from sun fading and/or dust.
NoSuchAgency, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I think the last time I checked, hotel paintings were bolted to the wall. This isn't a bad idea but I think I'd prefer it wasn't so much like "drawing on the walls and creating a lot of scrubbing work for some unfortunate housekeeper".
- triforcer, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4or they would just cover it with the painting...
- Habemus, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2>I think the last time I checked, hotel paintings were bolted to the wall.
  
  Dude, that's some cheap-ass hotels you are staying in! Was your TV remote control also bolted to the bedstand? Did they charge by the hour?
cardinale, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5This is inspired!
SleepJunkie, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I live in a hotel. I could paint the entire room!
- DubbedOver, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Why?
- SleepJunkie, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Was promised a dorm room at school and they filled up. There are about 150-200 students spread between two hotels near school.
- jonshipman, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3ah *****, I wish I had maid service :(
dbuttry, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5What a guy needs to do is register a gmail account and tell others to email to it if they find the secret drawing. That would make it more of a game rather than just leaving your mark and walking away.
SgtBeavis, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6Stuff like this is why I'm addicted to Digg.

Thanks Kevin ;-)
TridenTBoy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Jesus christ this guy travels a lot...
- nakke, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I have an odd feeling it's not one guy who has done everything. :)
  
  The pieces themselves are awesome!
Hurricane, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Funny, every since I was a kid, whenever I have to move, I will go and find a spot just inside a closet or behind a door frame and leave my name and the date I lived there, sometimes I will leave a little phrase or quote.
I also do this at rest areas when travelling.
Never thought to do it at hotels.
docillenstein, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Leaving your mark is not the same as creating art.

Sure, it's cute to 'bomb the system' but, like a million tags on a million newspaper racks, none of these strike me as anything I'd want to see.
- billymachine, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2So you prefer the pastel squigglies, then. That's fine, everyone has different tastes.
buryme, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Seems pretty unlikely that you would actually ever find any of this, unless people started doing this in droves. Please, if anyone finds any of this art, post the details in this comments section. I will come back and check this every day. Every day I tell you! Excuse me now while I get back to my hotel room...I have a lot of "work" to do.
ElGuano, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I must be getting old. I'm more repulsed by the fact that this is blatantly defacing someone's property than anything else. I must admit the same attitude towards skaters insisting on their "right" to grind on people's buildings.
- Foenetik, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Wow ElGuano, that statement does make you sound old. You seem hardened by the system..and life. Were you in the military? Sure it's vandalism...and only a handfull of people will ever see it. Hell, even the maids won't go far enough to unearth these images.. The way I see it is that it's a fairly harmless crime. The owners of these establishments are not losing money because of this. Period. If they were then I would have to look at this in a completely different light. In any case I love real graffiti that replaces barren and mundane landscapes with something beautiful. This might not necessarily be that...but it's a start.
  
  as far as skating on public property goes...that's a whole 'nother ball of wax
signal15, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Always check the last few pages of the bible in your room. Sometimes people "add chapters" to it. Some of them are pretty funny. Those bibles usually have 10-15 blank pages at the end of them. I've stayed in some hotels that have cut out all of the blank pages to prevent people from making of the gospel of Joe Traveler.

I used to take the art off the walls and draw or write on the back of the piece of art, never thought about writing directly on the wall. Some of this art is pretty cool.
kida001, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1It looks like the guy who took those pictures is the one who drew all those. They seem to have the same artisitc style in them...just my opinion.
maddie, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Oh! Yay! I'd seen this a long time ago but lost the site. :)
StanDrumz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Visit MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois... especially the down-campus dorms such as Norris or Blackstock. At MacMurray, this is a grand tradition that started with "The Closet Chronicles", penned by an unidentified poet on the inside of a dorm closet in the mid-1960's. They are fascinating, each entry a unique time capsule snapshot of the author and the era they lived in.

The Chronicles lay undisturbed for over 20 years until rediscovered by accident in 1983. The trick? The closets all have sliding doors. The only way to notice the Closet Chronicles, let alone read them, is to climb into the closet with a flashlight, close the door all the way, and then read the writing on the immovable partition on other half of the closet opening, that is covered whenever the door is slid open.

There is a very interesting and entertaining story surrounding the rediscovery of the Closet Chronicles in '83. Since some of the parties involved know where I live, I shall refrain from divulging any more about that part of the story.

The legend of the Closet Chronicles has grown over the years, and I hear stewardship has passed from generation to generation. I heard through the grapevine that the Chronicles have been amended by a number of subsequent occupants over the decades. Comparing and contrasting the generational changes and similarities makes for enlightening reading.

I hope that today's students have taken good care of the Closet Chronicles. It would be interesting to see them on the 'net someday... as long as the names are changed to protect the guilty, of course. ;-)
- StanDrumz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Oops. For the record, "for over 20 years" should read "for almost 20 years". I can do the math. However, apparently I can't type and watch the World Series at the same time.
aashishsahrawat, on 04/16/2008, -0/+0This is awesome.

http://www.atledo.com/tattoo
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Secret Wall Tattoos

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