To see fuller versions of the photos, click on any image and swipe right or left.
Kelly Jordan, who has lived in Atlanta since 1968, attended Emory University before he and partners revitalized Little Five Points into one of Atlanta's most eclectic retail districts. In recent years,... More by Kelly Jordan
Graffiti suggests that no one is in charge and the spray painter can do anything he wants to this place that he does not own. It implies gang activity. It makes people feel that the areas where they see it are not safe, like a jungle. It’s a kind of theft because those who do it are not the owners of their tableaus. It is not something that you should exalt by publishing it and instead is something that should be painted over as soon as it goes up. Seeing it on the downtown connector gives to everyone who drives through it from all over the country the impression that Atlanta is not properly governed, lawlessness abounds and it is not a safe place.
Thanks for that comment, Zach. I agree. Urban art with murals on public or private property with permission is one thing and good. But those who deface those murals and otherwise mar public and private property with graffiti without permission are not doing anyone a favor. That said, I don’t think that Kelly was intending to exalt graffiti. Hopefully, he was just trying to expose how pervasive it has become with a goal of trying to inspire corrective action.
Hopefully one of this graffiti vandal losers falls off of a bridge and breaks their neck
The key words here seem to be “with permission”. Much, much too often, however, the idea of getting permission to unleash cans and cans of spray paint onto public and private property is not even considered.
All of us have taken notice of such artistic endeavors upon highway bridges, walls, and even upon traffic signs…..not to mention the doors and sides of buildings in various parts of town.
The willful defacing of such areas has been part of society for years and years now. I recently watched a 35 year old video of a train rolling through the countryside. All the rail cars had the various railroad’s names and logos clearly visible on a clean background. I try watching a similar scene today and am hard pressed to spot a railcar that has not been vandalized by trackside “artists”.
Vandalism is vandalism, nothing more.