Prehistoric Art Tagged with Graffiti

January 31, 2008
UN vandals spray graffiti on Sahara’s prehistoric art
Dalya Alberge, Arts Correspondent
Spectacular prehistoric depictions of animal and human figures created up to 6,000 years ago on Western Saharan rocks have been vandalised by United Nations peacekeepers, The Times has learnt.
Archaeological sites boasting ancient paintings and engravings of giraffes, buffalo and elephants have been defaced within the past two years by personnel attached to the UN mission, known by its French acronym, Minurso.
Graffiti, some of it more than a metre high and sprayed with paint meant for use for marking routes, now blights the rock art at Lajuad, an isolated site known as Devil Mountain, which is regarded by the local Sahrawi population as a mystical place of great cultural significance.
Many of the UN “graffiti artists” signed and dated their work, revealing their identities and where they are from. Minurso personnel stationed in Western Sahara come from almost 30 countries. They are monitoring a ceasefire between the occupying Moroccan forces and the Polisario Front, which is seeking independence.
One Croatian peacekeeper scrawled “Petar CroArmy” across a rock face. Extensive traces of pigment from rock painting are visible underneath. Another left behind Cyrillic graffiti, and “Evgeny” from Russia scribbled AUI, the code for the Minurso base at Aguanit. “Mahmoud” from Egypt left his mark at Rekeiz Lemgasem, and “Ibrahim” wrote his name and number over a prehistoric painting of a giraffe. “Issa”, a Kenyan major who signed his name and wrote the date, had just completed a UN course, Ethics in Peacekeeping, documents show.
Julian J. Harston, the UN’s representative of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara and head of Minurso, said that he had been shocked by the scale of the vandalism. After visiting two of the sites, including Devil Mountain, this week, he said: “I was appalled. You’d think some of them would know better. These are officers, not squaddies.” The UN would take action against any officers “kind enough to leave their calling card. We will report it to the troop-contributing countries. We can move them.”
The extent of the damage is revealed in a report by Nick Brooks, of the University of East Anglia, and Joaquim Soler, of the University of Gerona, Spain, which was passed to The Times yesterday. It outlines the “severe vandalism”, saying that it “now appears to be an essentially universal practice when Minurso staff visit rock art sites . . . Minurso staff have felt entitled to destroy elements of Western Sahara’s and the Sahrawis’ cultural heritage, despite being aware of UN ethics in peacekeeping, and in breach of legislation enshrined in the 1954 Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.”
It concludes: “Minurso personnel have played a major role in damaging archaeological sites, and such staff are engaged in the systematic defacement of valuable archaeological sites over a large area . . . the recent damage at Lajuad is unprecedented.”
The vandalism will reignite the debate about the conduct of UN peacekeepers after a series of scandals. Last January the UN admitted that more than 200 of its troops had been disciplined for sex offences, including rape and child abuse, in the preceding three years; in May it emerged that Paki-stani peacekeepers had been trading weapons with Congolese militia

Rewards Program Aims to Combat Graffiti

BENSENVILLE: Reward program aims to combat graffiti
Tribune staff report
January 31, 2008

Bensenville officials plan to launch an anti-graffiti reward program to aid in the arrest and conviction of those who destroy or deface public property.The program, reviewed during this week's Village Board meeting, will include up to a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of perpetrators."This is a program that trustees have asked for, and while we don't feel we have rampant vandalism here in Bensenville, any vandalism is too much," said Village Administrator Jim Johnson.
Last week, officials learned the band shell at Redmond Park had been vandalized with spray paint. Johnson said it was the second time the area had been vandalized in six or seven months."We're looking to nip this thing in the bud," Johnson said. "We don't have any line item for the program in the budget, but we're willing to spend as much as it takes. If someone offers us the right information, we'll find the money to pay them."A formal vote to approve the program is expected at the Village Board meeting in February.David Sharos

Graffiti Reappear's After Trio Retires

Graffiti reappear after trio retires
By Christine Morente, STAFF WRITER
SHARON (left), her husband, Ray, and friend, Bob, who have asked to not have their full names...
["SHARON (left), her husband, Ray, and friend, Bob, who have asked to not have their full names..."];
DALY CITY — Just as often as their paint-rollers have covered "tags" on a wall — they've been watched.
Yet, Sharon, Ray and Bob did it over the years, despite the risk of being attacked by gang members.
"They are not a calm group," said 74-year-old Sharon, who asked that her and her husband Ray's last name not be published. "When you're done, you hear them whistle from one place to another. The next day the wall is tagged again."
For about 15 years, Ray and Bob had been painting over the graffiti on walls on their own time. Sharon joined the team later.
The trio painted all over the city, one to two days a week, from the Bayshore district to the ocean and from Pacifica to San Francisco. The idea was to temper the amount of gang activity in Daly City.
However, the group retired Dec. 18.
"Carrying 5-gallon cans around and painting, when you're nearing your 80s — that's pretty old to be doing stuff like that," Sharon said. "At that stage of the game, you have to enjoy what life you have left."
Since the three retired, tags are coming back. The areas prone to graffiti are along Mission Street.
"The whole purpose of tagging is to do it where you want it to be more visible," said Daly City police Capt. Mike Edwards. "You can't boast about it if no one can see it."
He said today's graffiti are more about tagging itself than being gang-related. In the past, gangs would stake claim on a territory by spray-painting monikers,

while another crew wouldcome in and x it out, he said.
Years ago the trio would make it a point to paint by Jefferson High School as students passed by.
"It was just to let them know, 'You paint it on, we'll take it off,'" Ray said.
The team was equipped with a city-issued digital camera, orange vests, and a 16-foot pole to remove hard-to-reach tags, the 77-year-old said. Much of the paint would also be donated to the team by the city and businesses.
Bob, who also wanted his last name withheld, said now he feels useless since retirement. Nothing has been done by the city or businesses to clear up the eyesores.
"I'm not going to tell them what to do," the 82-year-old said. "That's up to them."
Meanwhile, Edwards said police will continue their normal patrols, investigate leads they get from graffiti, and interview people who have been arrested for different crimes.
The City Council is expected to discuss how to curb graffiti in the next few weeks, said Joseph Curran, assistant to the city manager.
"(Sharon, Ray and Bob) did a great job," he said. "They did it because they love their community."
Sharon is disappointed that business owners are not removing the spray paint.
"I know I won't shop in a place that is full of graffiti," she said. "I don't care how good a thing they got. But it's a shame. it's not the business's fault they're tagged."
Staff writer Christine Morente covers faith, families and North County. She can be reached at 650-348-4333 or at cmorente@bayareanewsgroup.com.

Graffiti Examined in Brookyn

Graffiti Examined in Brooklyn

By THOMAS J. LUECK
Published: January 27, 2008
Detectives in the police hate crimes unit are investigating the appearance of racist graffiti in two elevators near the chambers of Diana A. Johnson, a Brooklyn Surrogate’s Court judge, the authorities said Saturday.
Judge Johnson, a former State Supreme Court justice, was elected in November as the first black Surrogate’s Court judge in Kings County. Surrogate’s Court hears cases involving the probate of wills, the administration of estates and adoptions.
The police said that members of Judge Johnson’s staff discovered the graffiti on Thursday. No arrests have been made.
Marking property with graffiti is normally a misdemeanor, punishable by a year or less in jail, but is prosecuted as a hate crime with a more severe sentence when racial epithets are used. The authorities said the graffiti at the Surrogate’s Court, 2 Johnson Street, contained pejorative and racially charged language.
Judge Johnson’s election last year came after a hotly contested Democratic primary in which she defeated another black candidate, ShawnDya L. Simpson, a Civil Court judge and a former Brooklyn assistant district attorney. In a heavily Democratic borough, victors in primary races for judgeships are all but certain to win general elections, as Judge Johnson did in November.
But the race provoked tensions, since the Brooklyn Democratic organization and its leader, Assemblyman Vito J. Lopez, endorsed Judge Simpson. Several black leaders, including the Rev. Al Sharpton, backed Judge Johnson, who won the party’s nomination with 60 percent of the vote. Surrogate’s Courts in Brooklyn and other boroughs have long been known as sources of patronage, funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to lawyers who serve as guardians in thousands of estate cases.

FBI Asking for Pubic's Help

FBI investigating graffiti on LDS seminary building
By Melinda RogersThe Salt Lake Tribune

Posted: 7:09 PM- The FBI is asking for the public's help in finding suspects who defaced LDS Church property in Salt Lake City. Police say an LDS seminary building at Highland High School, 2221 S. 1700 East, was vandalized with anti-LDS graffiti on Friday night, said Juan Becerra, spokesman for the FBI's Salt Lake City office. Photos released by the FBI today show blue graffiti on an LDS sign at the building with expletives written about Christ and calling the church an "evil empire." Becerra said the incident is considered a hate crime. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Salt Lake City Police Department at 801-799-3000 or the FBI Salt Lake City office at 801-579-1400.

The Graffiti Tagger who Survived

Les KennedyJanuary 23, 2008
THE graffiti tagger who survived being washed down a flooded stormwater drain with two friends who died is one of the largest suppliers of spray paint to street artists and taggers in Sydney.
Michael Gustav Malinowski, 27, the owner of paint supply shop Five Six Seven on King Street, Newtown, was "devastated over the loss of two of his closest friends", who drowned when trapped inside the Lurline Bay outlet during a torrential storm on Sunday, his younger brother Adam said yesterday.
Mr Malinowski is refusing to leave his Pennant Hills home, where he has been convalescing since the tragedy that killed Holly Legge, 21, of St Peters and Dwayne La Rossa, 25, of West Pennant Hills.
Instead, Mr Malinowski, who is known by the graffiti tag "Mik", left it to his younger brother to speak on his behalf as the deaths underground were discussed on graffiti culture websites in Australia and overseas.
One message posted on a Tasmanian website said simply "RIP Flaps and Banish", the tag names used by Ms Legge, who went to St George TAFE, and Mr La Rossa.
Graffiti squad police confirmed yesterday that Mr La Rossa was known to the unit, with past offences ranging from drugs, goods in custody and assault.
As police continue to investigate how the trio came to be trapped five storeys underground and whether criminal charges may arise other than trespass, Adam Malinowski said it was the first time that his brother and two friends had ventured into the drain.
Adam Malinowski, who said he too was close friends with Mr Legge and Mr La Rossa, fought to hold back tears when he said the group were "artists" and not part of the Sydney Cave Clan, a group that explore tunnels.
"I guess my brother is taking it worse out of all my friends," he said.
"He has to deal with the fact he is the only one who survived and his friends perished. He went back and tried to save them, but it was too late.
"The graffiti they were doing [inside the drainage outlet] was true art. It was like a mural.
"It just happened that they chose to do it at the wrong place, wrong time. It just happened in an instant. [Michael said] there was a big sound … like thunder. He's probably thinking why was he the only one to survive."
"He is still traumatised, he is still grieving over the loss of his two friends and has had some counselling. It is the first time that someone close to Michael has died, so he is feeling terrible. You just can't imagine how the families are feeling," Adam Malinowski said.

Sunday's disastrous venture follows encounters with the law by Michael Malinowski that included an unsuccessful attempt by police to close his Newtown paint shop or restrict the types of sprays he could sell.
On April 4, 2006, he was arrested while painting on a wall of the M2 Motorway at Beecroft. He was convicted, fined $400 and ordered to pay $67 court costs.
On December 12, 2006, he was convicted for selling spray paint to a minor, fined $650 and also ordered to pay $67 court costs.
In an interview with The Sun-Herald after his shop opened in 2005, Michael Malinowski said he was determined to educate the area's youth about the do's and don'ts of "street art".
He was responding to concerns that his business would become a one-stop shop for vandals.
But he said: "There will always be a minority who do the wrong thing, who would probably do the wrong thing if the shop was here or not … it's our responsibility to try to educate people to use these products for art and not vandalism."
After his conviction for vandalising the M2 wall he said: "I pleaded guilty because I did the wrong thing. I don't really want to say any more. I'd prefer it if you didn't write anything. This shop is my livelihood."
The Premier, Morris Iemma, said yesterday he saw no need for Sydney Water to remove maps of tunnels and drains from its website despite the tragedy.
Mr Iemma said Sydney Water was working with police in investigations into the incident but said staying out of drains should be a matter of simple common sense.
"Regardless of where you get the information from, whether you access it from the web, whether you get it from the newspaper or whether you just get it by driving around, these are not places for you to be," Mr Iemma said.
"It is in the territory of personal responsibility.
"Whether it's a drain or a train, graffiti can lead to deadly consequences or serious injury. That doesn't underscore the devastation that the families are feeling and my heart goes out to them."

More on Drowned Graffiti Taggers

Iemma warns against 'deadly' graffiti stunts


Two graffiti artists died and one survived after they were swept one kilometre down a Sydney stormwater drain. (ABC TV)
Video: Drain survivor was heavily drunk (ABC News)
Map: Maroubra 2035
Related Story: Drain survivor 'was completely drunk'
Related Story: Deadly drain may be closed off
New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma has urged graffiti artists to be responsible for their own safety, after two were swept one kilometre to their deaths in a Sydney stormwater drain on Sunday.
Two men and a 21-year-old woman were spray-painting in the drain at Maroubra on Sunday evening, when a storm hit the area.
The drain filled with water and the trio was swept a kilometre to Lurline Bay.
The woman and one of the men, aged 25, drowned but a 27-year-old man had a lucky escape when he squeezed through a gap in the drain's grate and was washed out to the middle of the bay.
A 17-year-old boy and his father spotted the man waving his arms in the water from their home and rescued him on their surfboards.
The teenager, Luke Simmons, yesterday said the survivor was "completely drunk". Police said the man could face charges.
Lifeguards risked their lives to retrieve the dead bodies from the drain.
Teenagers have been rescued from the stormwater drain before. It is a well-known spot for bodyboarding, or "sewersliding".
The State Government is under pressure to close all access points to stormwater drains after the accident.
Mr Iemma says Sydney Water is working with police on the issue of public access but it is a matter of common sense.
"Graffitiing can lead to deadly consequences - serious injury or it could be death. It could be hanging out of a train trying to spray-paint a train," he said.
"We work very hard to get the message across. That doesn't underscore the devastation that the families are feeling, and my heart goes out to them."
Groups, such as the Cave Clan, organise expeditions of underground tunnels and stormwater drains, but Mr Iemma has rejected a suggestion that maps of tunnels and drains published by Sydney Water should not be public.
"Regardless of where you get the information from, whether you access to it from the web or whether you get it from the newspaper or wherever, they're not places for you to be in," he said.

Two Graffiti Artists Drowned

Sydney - Two Australian graffiti artists drowned when a flash storm swept them along a drain they had been spray painting in Sydney before trapping them at its barred ocean outlet, police said.A third graffiti artist, who remained conscious during the ordeal, managed to squeeze himself through the bars and into the ocean where he was rescued by surfers on Sunday."It's believed three people, two men and one woman, were allegedly spray painting the walls of a stormwater drain at Maroubra (Beach), when it started to rain," police said in a statement on Monday."As a result of the storm, the drain is believed to have filled with water, trapping the two men and a woman inside, before they were washed further down the drain toward Lurline Bay about 1km away," said police.

One man and a woman drowned. The other man, who survived, waved for help until local surfers arrived.

Satan Graffiti Tagged on Church

By TERRI SAUNDERS, SUN MEDIA





A few minutes of brazen behaviour over the weekend may end up costing a city church hundreds of dollars.
When parishioners arrived at St. George's Catholic Church on Picadilly Ave. for morning services yesterday, they were met by a decidedly un-Christian greeting.
"Someone had spray painted some things on the steps and on the front of the church," said Rev. Leonard St. John.
"They had painted the word, 'Satan' and there were some drawings of some upside down crosses."
'SILLY'

St. John said the graffiti was sprayed on with blue paint, and covered the wide steps which lead to the front entrance of the sanctuary as well as portions of the front facade and near one side entrance.
As he was speaking to the assembled congregation, he told them what he thought of the whole situation.
"I said I thought it was more silly than anything else," said St. John.
"But I know it's not pleasant for people to see and some members of the congregation were annoyed."
EXPENSIVE JOB
St. John said police are investigating, and he was told by at least one parishioner a group of young people were seen overnight Saturday in the vicinity of the church.
"I'm not sure what will happen from here," said St. John. "Although I do know it has to be cleaned off and I believe that will be an expensive job."
Eliminating graffiti from buildings in the city has become a big issue for city council in recent years.
Last spring city officials estimated $600,000 a year is spent cleaning up graffiti on municipal property

Vista Wants Graffiti GONE along Rail Tracks

Vista wants graffiti gone along rail tracks
By: CRAIG TENBROECK and PAUL SISSON - Staff WritersCity working on cleanup plan before Sprinter starts service
VISTA -- It's an unsavory welcome mat at the city's doorstep.For hundreds of yards along the Sprinter corridor in west Vista, taggers have left multicolored stains on buildings, retaining walls, drainage channels and aging wood fences.
Most of the markings are in areas that have been hidden from public view. Now, with Sprinter trains nearly ready to shuttle thousands of people through the city every day, Vista officials say they are preparing to do some rapid cleanup.
"It's important for everybody in North County to show their best face when the Sprinter starts running," said Councilman Bob Campbell, Vista's representative to the North County Transit District board, in a telephone interview Friday.Earlier in the day, a dozen city employees and public arts commissioners climbed aboard a Sprinter car for a 90-minute roll through Vista's backyard. Their goal was to spot graffiti trouble spots, snap pictures and formulate a plan to clean it up."I'm so depressed," said Teri Sowell, who chairs the city volunteer arts commission, as the train whizzed by a graffiti-coated wall. "It just feels so daunting."Spray paint markings can be seen throughout the 22-mile rail corridor, but the stretch through Vista has been called the worst. There are long walls and private fences that line the railroad right of way through the city, providing an ample canvas.Assistant City Manager Patrick Johnson said that Vista is trying to get permission from the transit district to access the railroad right of way so that public works employees can paint over the offending marks before Sprinter passenger service begins.In the long term, he said, the public agencies will have to come up with a cooperative plan to keep the corridor free of the scrawls."Graffiti is just an ongoing challenge," said Chuck Crist, Vista's public works supervisor. "One of the biggest deterrents is making sure it's removed as soon as possible."Sprinter trains have been making practice runs for months, and transit district officials say they could begin passenger service by Jan 27.On Friday, sheriff's Sgt. Scott Black, supervisor of the gang-suppression team in Vista, was among those who surveyed graffiti from the window of the train. Most of the scrawls appeared to be run-of-the mill tagging, he said, not gang graffiti.Tom Kelleher, spokesman for the North County Transit District, said Friday that he was not aware of any plan for graffiti removal along the Sprinter corridor.He said the rail line was still under the control of West Coast Rail Constructors, which is putting the final touches on the massive project.Cities along the Sprinter line began expressing their dismay at the graffiti popping up on new concrete structures more than one year ago.Most cities along the line have graffiti-removal hotlines and employ crews who strive to erase the marks within 24 hours, but their efforts have been thwarted near the tracks because it's restricted private property that requires the presence of a specially trained rail safety worker.Kelleher said the district has no specific plan for graffiti removal at this time."We've been trying to build a railroad," Kelleher said.Campbell said he was optimistic the work would get done."It'll get cleaned up," Campbell said. "Count on it."Contact staff writer Craig TenBroeck at (760) 901-4062 or ctenbroeck@nctimes.com.

It's Time to Stem Graffiti's Growth

It's time to stem graffiti's growth
Jan. 19, 2008 12:00 AM
I travel from the East Valley to the West Valley weekly, and I am noticing more graffiti. I ask everyone to act to clean up this Valley home of ours.For city facilities, utility equipment and transportation right of way, I request that this newspaper begin weekly printing of contact numbers for those entities. If possible, please include billboard media contact numbers, too. I would further ask for a news article elevating awareness. Please include helpful details, such as fencing and canals along freeways are ADOT, etc.I challenge you, my fellow citizen, to then contact and report. Commercial shopping areas may be more difficult, and the solution may require more work. One grocer manager I have spoken to regularly refers the issue to an indifferent landlord. I will next be contacting the grocer's main office for removal of offensive language from their parking lot.
Los Angeles police are investigating spray-painted swastikas and anti-Semitic graffiti in an upscale San Fernando Valley neighborhood.
Residents discovered the vandalism early Thursday morning, which included the words “Burn Jews” painted in front of four homes along a two-mile stretch of walls in the suburban communities of Encino and Tarzana.
Police are treating the incidents as possible hate crimes.
“I’m frightened,” Judy Silver, a neighbor whose home was not affected, told reporters. “I don’t know if it’s a sign of the times or if it’s just kids, because we’re surrounded by two schools.”
Amanda Susskind, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, said her office had received a large volume of calls by outraged citizens.
ADL associate director Matthew Friedman said, “A hate crime like this targets not just those who live in the home, it targets the entire community.”

Durban Hatching plan to deal with Graffiti

By Heinz de BoerDurban's top municipal events team is hatching plans to deal with graffiti amid warnings of an explosion of spray paint-related crimes.City manager Dr Michael Sutcliffe on Wednesday had harsh words for parents who shelter children known to be defacing the city, saying there was not one graffiti vandal who was "not known by someone". His comments come after another warning from Durban graffiti expert Gary Roper, who said "taggers" were going to increasingly brazen lengths to deface public property.
'I am seeing fresh tags on a daily basis'Council electricity boxes, Telkom infrastructure and Metro rail coaches are the preferred targets of the taggers."A 'cru' (or tagging crew) will tag and claim a wall, road sign, school, shopping centres and, lately, vehicles, to call it theirs. "That's until another cru claims it by exerting more elaborate and colourful scribbles. If these tags are not removed straight away, it is deemed as a free for all in the graffiti world," he said.Roper now believes the city's 2010 ambitions could be tarnished by taggers determined to find acclaim within the graffiti community. The more brazen and dangerous the tagging or mural, the bigger kudos the artist scores from fellow taggers."I am seeing fresh tags on a daily basis. Durban has no idea of the magnitude of graffiti vandalism we have on our hands," Roper said. "I have visited many train stations and have found ticket booths are so badly covered in spray paint that you have to talk to the person through the gap in the glass, as you cannot see the ticket seller."But Sutcliffe has defended Durban, saying it sported less graffiti than many European cities, including Rome."Graffiti is one of the issues that were raised at an events committee, and there are a few things we are working on to address it. "We need to take pride in our city and graffiti is awful, but parents need to take charge of their children. If they have 20 canisters in their cupboards, their parents know what's going on," Sutcliffe said.Residents who would like to join an anti-graffiti campaign can visit www.graffiticlear-2010.co.za
This article was originally published on page 5 of Daily News on January 17, 2008

Please cover These Walls with Graffiti

Please cover these walls with graffiti

By -- Lea.Lion @latimes.com
THE elite graffiti crew Angels Will Rise has made a name for itself byspray-painting full-color, wall-sized murals -- of both the illegal and commissioned variety -- around L.A. over the last 20 years. But when 11 of its members met up in a mid-city warehouse in November, it was not to plan their next bombing mission, but to create murals bound for gallery walls. The resulting pieces are part of "Will Rise," which opens at Robert Berman Gallery on Saturday and pays homage to the aesthetic that brought fame to this subgroup of the merchandising collective Seventh Letter Crew. Namely, its West Coast-flavored "wild style" script.
"Basically, the exhibit consists of 70 panels that fit together in a modular installation to mock up what an outdoor mural would look like," says show curator Brett Aronson. "A lot of gallery shows take the aesthetic of graffiti and try to put it on a canvas, but that disrupts what graffiti is by taking it off the wall. Obviously, the gallery is not a concrete outdoor wall, but the concept was to try to represent that." For the show, each artist created a mural on six 4-by-4-foot panels. Their pieces will be displayed from floor to ceiling on three walls to create the effect of "a subway tunnel covered in graffiti," says gallery owner Robert Berman.During a recent visit, the tunnel wasn't yet installed, but a mural by Marquis Lewis, known in the graffiti world as Retna, adorned one wall. The work depicts what Lewis refers to as a "family crest" in copper-toned brushwork. On an adjacent wall, a mural by Saber, known for creating the world's largest graffiti piece in the L.A. River channel, features swirling letters in shades of silver, purple and white. On a far wall, a mural by Revok, who is widely considered to be the godfather of modern-day graffiti, combines fanciful script with a tech-inspired font to spell out his name."I came from the school of thought that graffiti was supposed to be on the street; it wasn't supposed to be in a gallery," says Lewis. "But the gallery setting allows graffiti artists to explore avenues they normally wouldn't because they are rushed or they fear getting arrested." Of course, it helps that after years of outlaw status, graffiti artists are getting respect in the gallery world. "People are starting to look at this as the new tough art, the same way that in New York in the '60s they were looking at Pop Art," Berman says. "The world is their canvas."
'WILL RISE' WHERE: Robert Berman Gallery, 2525 Michigan Ave., D5, Santa MonicaWHEN: opens 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday; ends Feb. 12PRICE: FreeINFO: (310) 315-1937, robertbermangallery.com

Man Unhappy With Graffiti

HE PROBLEM: Scott Grant first noticed graffiti on the AT&T building across from his home on Dec. 9.
Grant waited patiently, figuring a company the size of AT&T wouldn't want a 5-foot-by-8-foot splotch of graffiti defacing the front of its building on Arizona Street at Howard Avenue in San Diego's North Park neighborhood.

THE SITE: Arizona Street and Howard Avenue in North Park. “You don't just let your building be defaced like that,” he said.
After Christmas, Grant said, he contacted AT&T and was passed from one person to the next, never finding anyone to help. Subsequently, someone painted over the black letters with purple letters.
After New Year's Day, he contacted the city's graffiti hotline and the office of Councilwoman Toni Atkins, who represents North Park, again figuring the graffiti would be quickly covered over. About a week after he complained to the city, Grant contacted Just Fix It.
STATUS: Just Fix It contacted Norma Medina with Neighborhood Code Compliance and Councilwoman Atkins' office. The city was moving on Grant's request, although not as quickly as he had hoped. The city issued a citation against AT&T late last week and gave the company 10 days to remove the graffiti. The mess was painted over during the weekend.
Medina said AT&T, unfortunately, is not as responsive as other companies about removing graffiti from its properties. Courtney Bylund, a spokeswoman for AT&T, said the company tries to take care of graffiti in a timely fashion and was puzzled by the delay.
WHO'S RESPONSIBLE: Norma Medina, who can be contacted at (619) 235-5837 or To report graffiti in San Diego, call (619) 525-8522 or go to sandiego.gov/graffiti STILL WAITING: It's been nearly seven months since the city of San Diego promised to install two electronic signs that flash the speed of passing cars on Leland Street in Loma Portal. So far the signs – intended to slow traffic – have not been installed.
Senior Traffic Engineer Julio Fuentes yesterday said the signs should be in place by mid-February.
WHO'S RESPONSIBLE: Julio Fuentes, who can be reached at (619) 533-3092
NEED A PROBLEM SOLVED: Is there a problem that government hasn't taken care of despite your complaints? Whether it's a missing bus bench or an unkempt park anywhere in San Diego County, Just Fix It might be able to help.
Complaint forms are at justfixit.uniontrib.com, or call (800) 820-8714 to describe your problem.

Enforcement Officers Looking for Information

South Wales Police and Vale of Glamorgan Council Enforcement Officers are appealing for information about vandals who scrawled graffiti across the wall of a Barry business during the Christmas period.Police in Barry and Vale Enforcement Officers are asking the public to help them track down the offenders who daubed their tags "Fish" and "4 Life" on a property on Ty Newydd Hill, Barry.Miles Punter, the Vale’s Head of Visible Services, said: "Graffiti offenders are often easy to identify by their tag, as they use their name or nickname. A database of known tags now exists in the Vale and is proving to be a real help in deterring and catching prolific offenders".PC Dick Collins, Vale of Glamorgan Crime Prevention Officer, said: “Graffiti is criminal damage. It can affect people’s quality of life, increases fear of crime in some areas and reduces pride in a community. It also costs the local authority a great deal of money a year to clean up – money which could be better spent on other valuable services.”Denny White, Senior Enforcement Officer, said: "People regard incidents of graffiti as a trigger of fear within a community, which is why the Vale of Glamorgan Community Safety Partnership works relentlessly to tackle the problem. The offending tags will be removed by a team from the Youth Offending Service, but we would appreciate help in bringing the offenders to book."Anyone with information is urged to call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. All information will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Mexicans watch graffiti works painted on the perimeter wall of the Azteca stadium in Mexico City, Mexico, Jan. 15, 2008. A graffiti contest with the aim of ending vandalistic graffiti in the surroundings of the stadium was held in Mexico City recently. The best 300 designs received got the chance to be done on the walls of the stadium. (Xinhua Photo)

London graffiti wall Sells For 208,000 pounds on Ebay

London graffiti wall sells for 208,000 pounds on eBay
2 hours ago
LONDON (AFP) — A wall painted on by mysterious British graffiti artist Banksy painted sold for 208,100 pounds (275,750 euros, 407,000 dollars) on Monday, according to the results of an eBay auction.
The painting depicts a classical-looking artist in mostly-grey garb putting the finishing touches on a red large painting of the real artist's name.
It appeared in September on the wall outside a production company's office in Portobello Road, famous for its antiques and curios in Notting Hill, west London.
The sale on the Internet auction site attracted 69 bids, and the buyer now faces the additional charge of moving the work of art and replacing the wall.
A representative for Banksy confirmed the authenticity of the painting, and added that the artist would not issue any comment on its sale.
Banksy, originally from Bristol, western England, has attracted a global following with his graffiti paintings on the walls of London buildings, and his work has been bought by actress Angelina Jolie and singer Christina Aguilera

Police to Crack Down on Spray Paint Sales

Taggers' newest graffiti spree; police to crack down spray paint sales
Posted:

Jan 14, 2008 05:16 PM CST
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Taggers' newest graffiti spree; police to crack down on spray paint sales
Lawton_Over the weekend, taggers were at it again. They were busy marking up buildings in the 1000 through 1400 blocks of "A" Avenue in downtown Lawton. Not only were storefronts covered in graffiti, but nearly all sides of the buildings as well. Four blocks of graffiti - and no one saw a thing.
According to property owners, the damage could cost thousands of dollars to repair. The most surprising graffiti was on the front of the United Way building. Taggers marked the building right out in the open, under a light. They weren't the only ones hit, though. Goodyear, Lawton Floor Covering, and the back of the old Midtown Square Shopping Center all have some new paint on their walls.
Director of the Lawton/Fort Sill United Way, Eileen Jensen, says they were shocked to see the graffiti. "You know, I can't help but be disappointed," she says. "This is a community building, you know. You all bought it with money that was given to United Way to help make this building happen." She tried to clean it up, but says it's going to take a lot of work - and a lot of money that could have helped needy families in the area.
"We're going to waste some money, covering this up," says Jensen. It will cost them about $500 to repair the damage. The property owners have filed police reports, and the gang task force is determining if it's the handiwork of local gangs.
Jensen says it's a shame to see this happening in Lawton. "I can't help but be really upset because when we see these kinds of things, and we're seeing it repeatedly across the community, that there's parents out there whose children had to be here, in the middle of the night, so those parents didn't know where there children were," she says.
Police will keep a photographic record of all the graffiti, so when the tagger is caught, everything will be documented and on record so charges can be filed. Police also remind you there is a city ordinance prohibiting sales of raw material - such as spray paint - that can be used to create graffiti to minors, and they plan to crack down on those who do.
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Gang Graffiti in Omaha Nebraska

OMAHA, Neb. -- A rash of gang graffiti in south Omaha has business owners crying for help, saying it is the worst they've ever seen.
Even the city said on Friday that the graffiti problem is more than its crews can handle.
"It's getting ridiculous down here," said Tony Wilson, the owner of Nebraska Tire and Auto.
Wilson's business is covered with gang graffiti -- again. He said he's fed up.
"The graffiti that you see here has been here two to three weeks -- it's taken two to three weeks, 10 to 15 phone calls to the mayor's hot line to get the graffiti taken care of," Wilson said.
Wilson said that once the graffiti starts, rival gangs come along to cover up the last post.
"If it doesn't get off immediately, then it just snowballs," Wilson said.
"You just get mad," said Targy Auto Parts owner Steve Targy. "My grandpa started this place in 1935. We're just try to make a living. We don't have time for all this."
Targy said it is more than just an eyesore; it's driving customers away.
One south Omaha business even captured graffiti vandals in the act and turned the tape over to police.
The graffiti continues and frustration mounts as calls to the mayor's hot line go unanswered.
"It might get worse before it gets better, but something has to be done down here," Wilson said.
Mayor Mike Fahey's Chief of Staff Paul Landow said the cold weather has prevented city crews from cleaning up graffiti. He said there is now a backlog of 325 businesses.
Once temperatures remain above 35 degrees for at least a week, Landow said, crews will be back out to get all the businesses cleaned up within a few weeks.