Do YOU think graffiti writers should be given prison sentences?

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Do YOU think graffiti writers should be given prison sentences?

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March 27, 2013 at 3:52 pm

#699876
1

season.

@season

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I don’t know how much everyone knows about graffiti on here, but i’d be interested to hear your opinions. If you live in a city or commute on a train you will have seen graffiti at some point in your life..

These days a LOT more graffiti writers are given a lengthy prison sentence (usually 12-24 months) for their “crimes” but is this right?

FREE NOIR ATS- Another London Graffiti Writer Sentenced To 16 Months In Prison « The London Vandal
Oker Jailed – Friends Organise Benefit For Him At Pure Evil Gallery « The London Vandal To name a few.

These “criminals” often hold down functional, working lives sometimes with families to care and provide for yet are sent to prison with REAL criminals who have committed crimes which
completely devastate peoples lives for merely applying a medium to a surface.

I’m friends with a couple of writers ALL of which are perfectly respectable and some VERY talented human beings whom are in complete contrary to the stereotype of a chavvy group
of misfits who thieve and are involved in gang activity (which is the kind of thing the shit the media produce).

I watched an interview with 10Foot (a notorious graff writer from london) who was sentenced to 24 months. He was recently released and spoke about how him and 3 of his friends were sent to jail for
graffiti crimes. One of the 3 ended up hanging himself after he was also sentenced to 24 months for the same crimes..

A spokes person from the BTP previously said “I’d rather see graffiti writers go to jail than the morgue..” which turned out to be a complete contradiction of his philosophy when one of the guys tragically
killed himself.

A punishment is obvious from being involved in illegal activity. But i think any sort of prison sentence for this kind of thing is disgusting, unnecessary and a waste of time, money and resources.
So what do we think.. is it right?
March 27, 2013 at 4:15 pm

#967174
6

General Lighting

@general-lighting

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If its graffiti alone then definitely not. I’ve seen a recurrent claim that a minority of writers commit violent crimes to pay for the cost of the paint (this going back as far as 1987) – maybe its true in a small number of cases but any chavs who do crime and happen to go around tagging as well should be nicked and charged for the real crime (I suspect they are the same ones what destroy other writers work).

Property damage and other non violent crime is best resolved by restorative justice.

Where there has been real damage or disruption then they should be made to work cleaning up graff in inappropriate places, such as offensive and racist stuff, and to volunteer with them old boys who play with full size trains (preserved railways). they always are complaining that they don’t have enough younger people to help out with some of the heavier work and they are getting on, and there’s always things what need painting and cleaning up there…

I don’t even think they should be made to work on the main railway because its private now and that would be undercutting paid workers and in any case I reckon if they genuinely like art they will actually do a good job painting things like all the cast ironwork and bits of old trains and other stuff that can look really good when cleaned up.

Also I think psychologically that will make them less liable to hit transport infrastructure because they will realise what the bits are all for (and why its not a good idea to obscure the identification numbers)
March 27, 2013 at 4:23 pm

#967194
1

Deez

@deez

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To be honest there is a difference between tagging and real graffiti art. I know a really talented graffiti artist who doesn’t do it on private property etc. and is actually really talented and straight edge.

I love graffiti though but that might be cause I grew up with it but some of it is amazing tbf and some them are very skilled.
March 27, 2013 at 4:23 pm

#967191
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@General Lighting 536538 wrote:

If its graffiti alone then definitely not. I’ve seen a recurrent claim that a minority of writers commit violent crimes to pay for the cost of the paint (this going back as far as 1987) – maybe its true in a small number of cases but any chavs who do crime and happen to go around tagging as well should be nicked and charged for the real crime (I suspect they are the same ones what destroy other writers work).

I completely agree. Chavvy pricks who go around being violent to people who also might happen to do a bit of tagging should be banged up for sure and i say the same for any racism or anything inappropriate or offensive

But good people who just do graffiti for a bit of fun or exhilaration should not even be considered for a prison sentence. Eg. one of my mates doesn’t smoke, drink or do any kind of drugs. His only outlet of what he’s feeling is through graffiti yet he knows that one day he’ll be awoken by a BTP officer at some obscene hour to take him away. There must be other ways of punishment..
March 27, 2013 at 4:23 pm

#967192
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@season

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@DeezNuts 536539 wrote:

To be honest there is a difference between tagging and real graffiti art. I know a really talented graffiti artist who doesn’t do it on private property etc. and is actually really talented and straight edge.

I love graffiti though but that might be cause I grew up with it but some of it is amazing tbf and some them are very skilled.

Yep very true. A lot of writers who end up getting banged up usually go legit after they get out because it’s something they just love to do.

I just fucking love all kinds of graffiti. I love a messy tag on a shop window but i love stunning, colourful pieces too
March 27, 2013 at 4:42 pm

#967175
6

General Lighting

@general-lighting

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@DeezNuts 536539 wrote:

To be honest there is a difference between tagging and real graffiti art. I know a really talented graffiti artist who doesn’t do it on private property etc. and is actually really talented and straight edge.

I love graffiti though but that might be cause I grew up with it but some of it is amazing tbf and some them are very skilled.

yep I’ve seen some very good pieces around both SE England and the East over the years. I can also fully understand why folk do it as not everyone has parents who can afford to put them through art college etc, same as why folk do pirate radio stations or illegal raves.

there is always that element of social conflict even when stuff gets tolerated as others think “the criminal has been rewarded” so even when stuff like community arts projects are allowed as soon as people think their “council tax is going towards this” they vote against the politicians what introduced it.. though that seems to be more a English/UK disease, in other European nations everyone seems to sit round a table and come to a genuine consensus solution.
March 27, 2013 at 4:47 pm

#967187
1

Chrispydelic

@chrispydelic

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No, they should be given a shot at the Turner prize. If anyone should be jailed its that c##t Tracey Emin!
March 27, 2013 at 4:59 pm

#967176
6

General Lighting

@general-lighting

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@Chrispydelic 536545 wrote:

No, they should be given a shot at the Turner prize. If anyone should be jailed its that c##t Tracey Emin!

thats another thing what pisses me off, the fucking double standards in the arts world.

Even with Banksy I bet if he wasn’t white and middle class with rich parents who have influential friends he’d be in prison with the rest of the graf artists…
March 27, 2013 at 5:44 pm

#967206
1

sinner69

@sinner69

Member
A short answer from me; NO. They should get paid with real money. There are so many damn ugly surfaces in a modern city so they should get a state paid job to make our lives a bit more nice.
March 27, 2013 at 5:47 pm

#967193
1

season.

@season

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@!sinner69! 536554 wrote:

A short answer from me; NO. They should get paid with real money. There are so many damn ugly surfaces in a modern city so they should get a state paid job to make our lives a bit more nice.

^ THIS.
March 27, 2013 at 5:54 pm

#967177
6

General Lighting

@general-lighting

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@!sinner69! 536554 wrote:

A short answer from me; NO. They should get paid with real money. There are so many damn ugly surfaces in a modern city so they should get a state paid job to make our lives a bit more nice.

In Holland either TenneT (electric company) or the gemeenschap (council) pay artists to put designs on the transformatorhuisjes (big concrete or metal box which transforms 11 000 or 33 000 volts to 400/230 volts we use in our buildings.

These things are an important part of the electricity supply network and everywhere has them in the world but they don’t normally look very pretty.

Flickr: The Transformatorhuisjes Pool
March 27, 2013 at 6:18 pm

#967183
1

cheeseweasel

@cheeseweasel

Participant
They’ve been doing this in Bristol for the past couple of years. The council actually paid for some of the best graffiti artists in the world to completely redecorate Nelson Street in the city centre (previously a dark, characterless street full of ugly 1960s concrete office blocks), and then threw a huge street party with live music, soundsystems, food, booze etc, where anyone could come down and admire the new paintings.

Bristol council is well-known for having a very tolerant attitude towards graffiti though, earlier today I walked past a couple of guys painting on a busy main road at about 5pm and Stokes Croft has so much graff you don’t even notice how dilapidated most of the buildings are.
March 27, 2013 at 6:25 pm

#967185
1

know_hope

@know_hope

Member
if any artist wants to graff up my house im all for it… it can be like ‘pimp my ride’ … graff up me ‘ouse
March 27, 2013 at 6:45 pm

#967178
6

General Lighting

@general-lighting

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@cheeseweasel 536564 wrote:

Bristol council is well-known for having a very tolerant attitude towards graffiti though, earlier today I walked past a couple of guys painting on a busy main road at about 5pm and Stokes Croft has so much graff you don’t even notice how dilapidated most of the buildings are.

Thats starting to happen in Ipswich to some extent though there is friction between the “tolerated” and “underground” artists. There is a piece in ICR studios some lads who knew the Breakizm crew did…

Even incorporates the logo though one of the lads missed off the “r” (I think he was a bit sheepish about that). though I expect that could be salvaged by using a clear background and then redoing the website. in any case I don’t understand why folk in our town want to listen to the station online and cane their data tarrif when if your phone doesn’t have a band II FM radio you can get a portable one from the cheap shops or even a decent pocket sized one for less than the cost of mobile top ups, and not risk interrupting the tunes when you want to send a text or make a call..
March 27, 2013 at 9:40 pm

#967172
[deleted]

@[deleted]

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depends how much the damage costs, what and how they are damaging etc
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