An introduction to this issue

The issue of Auckland, and its subsequent graffiti culture may not be the most important topic for some locals, but for others, its as relevant as transport, housing, or job satisfaction.

This blog aims to shed light on the very opinionated and controversial topic of Graffiti art and its place (or lack of) here within the streets of Auckland City. But in no way is it going to attempt to answer the age old question, "Who decides what is Art, and what is Vandalism" Because that debate is still continuing behind Council doors to this day.

Artists vs Council

To most people, a colourful mural created by a local would far outweigh the patchy grey paint that soon follows, and is always considered by the authorities as cleaner, safer, and better for the community. But it would seem that this point of view, held by the Auckland Council, is the most important. In a Graffiti vandalism brochure brought out by the council, they state: "Graffiti Vandalism can lower property values, can encourage other types of crime and often makes a community appear unsafe to live in". But never once, does the brochure aim to shead light on what is acceptable graffiti art, and what is vandalism. Bios comments like this should not be included in a brochure summary

It would seem like this city is run by out-of-touch people who don’t actually agree that this is a legitimate artistic genre. An outlet for artists that call our city their own, and should be allowed the opportunity to spread colour and creativity within it. Our crews are considered some of the best in the world, and are still slandered and squashed out by local councils and law enforcement.


TMD Crew based in Auckland, with writers/artists like Askew, Deus, Phat1, Fiasco, Berst, are responsible for many of the walls around town, and have won the world’s most prolific graffiti competition in Germany bi-yearly since its creation in 2006 - something we should be very proud to be home to. 

                

Other cities co-exist with Graffiti and Street Art

You would think it was something we would embrace and celebrate as fellow Aucklanders, but with the Rugby World Cup held last year, it seems like the complete opposite, with major Auckland murals and local graff spots all being painted grey. There are some cities out there in this world thatare forward thinking and would provide a great model for Auckland to look at. Melbourne, Tokyo, Berlin, New York, Sao Paulo, Toronto, Paris are only a few of many cities that co exist with graffiti art, and embrace it in most instances. Even our capital city has a better attitude toward graffiti, with a few designated spots that writers can come to and spread their art.

In Melbourne, Australia ,for instance, 'Art walks' and tours have started in the area, promoting and educating people about the art found on the city streets and in the back alleys of Melbourne, and points out that a lot of the artwork is commissioned by the city council itself. The legitimacy of the ideas behind this article become even more concrete when it reveals that these graffiti tours are run by professional gallery curators. "For Alibrando, good art is good art - regardless of where it is."

The community fights back

Auckland's hard stance has even sparked locals and community groups to start petitions with the aim to shed light on this topic and eventually educate the Auckland Council that there needs to be a place where street art and council priorities can co-exist. One petition in peticular was started after the wall on Poynton Tce, Auckland, was painted grey after 10 years of being an ever changing, Artist controlled, professional Art wall, run by the TMD crew (mentioned earlier) - "As citizens of this city we object completely to the intrusion of Auckland Councils anti-graffiti faction in determining what it is that we want our environment to look like."

And in Conclusion...

So to conclude, it seems after a bit of discussion and a lot of research, that the majority of people, no matter what their background or artistic relationship, really do find art should have a rightful space on our streets. Of coarse, there needs to be at a certain standard maintained and some areas would benefit more then others, but this is an achievable task and will not only save the government hundreds of thousands a year in time, labour and grey paint, but will liven the community and associated social factors as well.

Because one day, my generation with be in the councils, governments, law enforcement, and communities, and hopefully Street Art and Graffiti will have its rightful place on our walls, where it should be!

10 Related Links - both For and Against - including my summaries

ARTWASHERE.co.nz

This post is also from a blogging website, in this case 'Tumblr', and the post itself focuses on the complete removal of one of Auckland's last apparent areas where graffiti was deemed acceptable by artists, and more importantly, the public. The writer definitely takes the side of the artist in this case, and even suggests that people sign their petition to help prevent such areas getting removed in the future. It also is specifically focused on the 'so-called' removal problem in Auckland, so it is a perfect post to help support my argument of the removal of Auckland graffiti.



                


Corban Estates Art Centre

This is Corban Estates Art Centre's official website, which is in blog format. I would have assumed that due to the fact that this is a more professional business, and more concentated on fine art, that they may have taken a less supportive stance on the Auckland graffiti issue. But to my surprise, the article talks about working with Auckland graffiti crew 'TMD' to help liven an area that they personally had gifted to the graffiti art form. It provides picture and video of the artwork and the process, and does a good job to put a positve spin on the fact that graffiti can be a positive, colourful addition to any area. They even go as far as calling it "high end artwork". This suggests that the article itself is not directed to other graffiti artists, but a wider, probably more professional audience. All to support the same cause that i am trying to highlight by choosing this topic.

Melbourne: Art brings city to life

 This online article is from the New Zealand Herald's website, and is the only link of all 10 that isn't written about Auckland specifically. But the subject of the article is almost exactly about what I'm trying to raise awareness about on the topic of graffiti, and its deserved place in the urban environment. Found in the travel section of the website, it focuses on Melbourne, Australia, and the fact that graffiti, in all of its forms, has more of a positive connotation over there. So much so, that 'Art walks' and tours have started in the area, promoting and educating people about the art found on the city streets and in the back alleys of Melbourne, and points out that a lot of the artwork is commissioned by the city council itself. The legitimacy of the ideas behind this article become even more concrete when it reveals that these graffiti tours are run by professional gallery curators. "For Alibrando, good art is good art - regardless of where it is."

blog.askew1.com

This is the personal blog site of one of Auckland most prestigious graffiti artists 'Askew' and the blog itself is about the unjustified removal of, what might be regarded as, Auckland's most well known painted wall. Located just off Poynten Tce. This graffiti removal in early 2011 caused a huge uproar among local Auckland artists and creatives alike, and was the first real graffiti removal incident that started massive council and media debate on the topic. Askew has written this article from the artists point of view, but is very analytical and looks at the issue from both sides, accumulating lots of research and raising some very reasonable questions about the Auckland Council's bios stance of art done with aerosols and the mis-communication between Council and Law Enforcement. Askew's research points out contradictions and highlights the councils misguided views on what 'they' consider to be art, without getting blinded by his personal connection with the artwork and the wall itself. He displays common-sense in the face of council bios.

Graffiti Vandalism Brochure - Auckland City Council

This is a PDF of a Graffiti Vandalism brochure brought out by the Auckland Council and is available on the Auckland Council webiste. This brochure is unfortunately filled with opinion and not much fact. There is no mention on the difference between Graffiti Art, and pure vandalism which is very important when trying to inform the community on this issue. The fact that this brochure is from such a reputable source, means that a lot of community members will be influenced by this brochure, thinking it is factual and relevant. But personally speaking from the artists point of view, the information is clearly 1-sided. "Graffiti vandalism can lower property values, can encourage other types of crime and often makes a community appear unsafe to live in." Bios comments like this should not be included in a brochure summary, and anyone with a little common sense will realise that this brochure is almost a form of propogangda against ligitimate artists that happen to use spraycans to create their art pieces. Yes, spraycans can be used as a form of vandalism, but it should be obvious what is art, and what is not.

They even contradict themselves with the front page photo used - A girl pictured with her hand up, covering, what actually will be a large scale, colourful piece of 'name-based' art. That is not vandalism. Vandalism is unrecognisable scribbles done late at night by someone with less then best intentions on personal property, or on a business's roller doors, and there are many examples of that they could have used, but instead, they chose something more asthetically pleasing, so to make for a better cover photo for this Brochure.


http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/culture/5253818/Graffiti-artist-gets-help-from-the-cops


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10739544


http://artwashereak.tumblr.com/post/7997587496/source-cracked-ink-crew-more-debate-about


http://www.thebigidea.co.nz/connect/events/2011/oct/93247-graffiato-street-art-festival-in-taupo


http://cutcollective.tumblr.com/post/7281061958/no-more-grey-walls-petition-for-download

References - APA style

ARTWASHERE. (2012, February 29). If you are and Auckland central local [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://artwashereak.tumblr.com/post/18538490120/if-you-are-an-auckland-central-local-or-artist-of

Project Space. (2010, September 22). SubUrban Development [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://ceacprojectspace.blogspot.co.nz/search/label/Graffiti%20Wall

Rhodes, S. (2011, July 11). Melbourne: Art brings city streets to life. Retrieved from http://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/news/article.cfm?c_id=7&objectid=10737763

Askew1. (2011, June 28). How it used to look [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://askewone.tumblr.com/post/6997500414/sisterdarling-why-is-a-replacement-being-sought

Auckland Council. (2012). Graffiti Vandalism. Retrieved from http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/licencesregulations/GraffitiManagement/Documents/graffitivandalismbrochure.pdf