Comments on: Tenacious Taggers Take Terrible Tumble

By: Richard Haden

Richard Haden — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:34:59 +0000

I think Tom underestimates the power this article has in illustrating how certain daily quotidian occurrences, that seem innocuously comical, actually reflect an excepted passiveness in many of it’s citizens, especially, when it reveals how we react to authority (authority of the State, cultural authority, social authority and so on).

I remember when I first moved to New York, back in the early 80′s, there was an artist / clubber named Michael Stewart who was murdered by New York transit police. A young black American with a Broad Tip Marker, writing on Sub Way adds lost his life by the brutality and negligence of NYPD graffiti critics–The not so finest NYPD uniformed code of Justice. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Stewart_(graffiti_writer)

So, when I hear that police are involved in the arts–other than as protectors. I get a wee bit pissed and squeamish.

I am glad Tom posted this article. For it shows that the Miami Police need to take a course or two in cultural studies and tolerance training.

Thanks for tolerating my obsessive rants regarding this important issue.

By: tommy pace

tommy pace — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 03:14:29 +0000

i like richard haden.

By: Richard Haden

Richard Haden — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 02:02:20 +0000

There is a comical coincidence: Police shoot unarmed mannequin at locust projects; police arrest armed artist with pallet in hand. (the Graffiti artist’s pallet, being various cans and colors of spray paint–not unlike a painter’s pallet who works from various hues of oil or acrylic) I think the police are getting too much attention.

I guess the artist or tenants at the above mentioned building were not aware that they as tenants had the right to tell the police to leave the Graffiti artist be. Since the artist / tenant are in authority as caretakers of the property, they must have the ultimate authority who comes and goes from the normal passageways or roof top. Sorry if I offended any one. But hearing that any one went to a Miami jail over expressing them selves on an empty parapet is very disturbing to me.

Opening a can of worms as this article did for me, gets ideas flowing, especially one of my favorites: Personal / private property issues, or as the “Situationist” would phrase it, “Psycho-geographical,” wondering (in relation to the graffiti artist appropriating / exploring / exploiting different routes via roof top splendor)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychogeography

By: Richard Haden

Richard Haden — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 21:44:49 +0000

It’s sad when artist can not communicate between themselves. As the event so clearly illustrates…that: there were artist who stood by why others were arrested. That is really sad and disgusting–that there appears to be a divisive stance–on one side their are those who lack Balls and on the other there are those with cans of spray paint who in stealth show that they do. I don’t know about the rest of you but I’d feel really embarrassed to stand by and let Uniformed authority sort out and judge who’s who. Who ever witnessed the escape of the Taggers should have given refuge or alibi to the Spray Painting perpetrators. Then each group could have sorted out there differences privately.

That event illustrates a sad moment in the history of Miami’s developing Art scene. I hope that, at least, any charges are dropped.

By: swampthing

swampthing — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 07:21:15 +0000

3 cheers for lurky, now you’re posting on the fly. next best thing to the smoking pistol. is that a google-earth of the bordello bodega? where have all the coconut palms gone?