Then I realized how often we use labels and judgements in order to categorize our world. While both sprayings could be classified as graffiti one had a higher ranking in my perspective. Who knows, if the second spray can artist at work thought of the first one as a traitor of the underground movement. Maybe it was all about marking the territory or a totally random act of thoughtlessness and/or disrespect.
But it had me thinking about how much of our life experience is created by our point of view rather than the incident itself. If I had identified myself more with the second spraying, I wouldn't have felt sorry for the beauty of the first being besmirched. I might have even felt a sense of victory over the "conformist" who seemed to have been payed for his work by the authorities. Another proof that it's actually me who creates my experiences rather than the world surrounding me.
I would have thought that the city would have commissioned, or at least sanctioned, the work on the little buildings. That is often the case in the US where a city will allow a variety of paint artists the freedom to express their art form on different, but similar structures all in one area. There are usually competitions for who gets included, etc.
ReplyDeleteSo, I tend to agree that while it is point of view on what is better than another, it still is a shame to see beautiful art covered by a "tag." Could they not have tagged somewhere else, saving the beauty of both?
Oh, I know for sure that the "first artist" had a commission and was even payed for his work. And of course I felt it was a crying shame to see his efforts soiled. But might be only true for my own little world. The knittee once saw a t-shirt with the phrase "Yes, I do live in my own little world, but they all like me here!"
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