Rebuffed

20/04/12

I recently organized for a tagged alleyway to be painted legally by myself and about a dozen other street artists. On painting day, an older guy came up and gave me a good anti-graf tirade. Two weeks later the artworks opposite his house were buffed out with black paint.

Original wall:

 

Painting day (all these artworks would be erased within 14 days).

The murals are all legal. Faces are blocked as a courtesy.

(Artwork incomplete)

 

Two weeks later (section buffed):

 

I cut some stencils and started to narrate the history of the wall, on the wall. Two nights later 4 stenciled figures appeared.

 

Those got buffed.

 

But later that night they came back with friends (another buffer and painter, 6 total).

 

That got buffed again.

 

But 8 stencils came back (+1 buffer, +1 painter).

 

Buffed again.

 

Then 10.

 

Buffed again.

This time it got buffed with a cream paint as well as grey. I guess it was to help discourage future stencils. Didn’t work. 12.

Last one (wall was full).

 

The original murals were all legal but it’s naive to think that legal status has anything to do with street art’s standing in the eyes of the people who would stifle it. It’s a culture clash.