Painting Detroit

**canuck** · February-16-11, 03:09 PM

Yes, well if it makes you feel better, this kind of nonsense happens everywhere else; but of course, the problem in Detroit is the number of abandoned places and the lack of protection. I live two houses away from a high school and the kids break the tempered glass in the bus shelter every couple of weeks. There is a transit co. crew that comes and repairs this mess throughout the year.
Vandalism is vandalism period.

The only graffiti I respect is the mural work on allocated walls and there is a program by the city of Montreal to join up building owners and graffitti artists. I did a mural in 1981 which though faded is still there. I can handle the stuff on freeway ramps but not on public or private buildings without consent. Some of these murals are amazing, and the kids deserve to have access to space if their aim is to contribute something worthwhile. I think there are opportunities in Detroit for young artists who want to do that through similar programs.

**Swimmaven** · February-16-11, 03:11 PM

Same as it ever was . . . I used to root around in abandoned buildings in the the late 70's with my petty criminal friend, Bob Lane. [[ I expect he's gone from this life by now). We would take photos with slr's and have prints made up.

Wish there had been digital camera's back then. I could have taken thousands of pictures.

**Swimmaven** · February-16-11, 03:12 PM

Originally Posted by Swimmaven

Same as it ever was . . . I used to root around in abandoned buildings in the the late 70's with my petty criminal friend, Bob Lane. [[ I expect he's gone from this life by now). We would take photos with slr's and have prints made up.

Wish there had been digital camera's back then. I could have taken thousands of pictures.

. . .10,000 of pictures . . .

**East Detroit** · February-16-11, 04:12 PM

From now on, all tagging of buildings, tossing of tires into fields, and throwing of garbage out car windows will be done in Bingham Farms, instead of Detroit.

**EastsideAl** · February-16-11, 05:07 PM

All jibes aside, I continue to be tired, as I have been for years, of people from outside the city who treat our city as their little lawless playground and act here in ways they wouldn't dare act back where they came from. Particularly when they act as if no one lives here, or as if the people who live here don't count and can be disrespected at will.

**Detroit2MeetU** · February-16-11, 06:35 PM

Originally Posted by East Detroit

From now on, all tagging of buildings, tossing of tires into fields, and throwing of garbage out car windows will be done in Bingham Farms, instead of Detroit.

Nice one Coleman...

"I issue a warning to all those pushers, to all rip-off artists, to all muggers: It’s time to leave Detroit; hitEight Mile Road!"

**EastsideAl** · February-16-11, 05:26 PM

Yes, but it's OUR city. We're the ones who live here, not you. So don't whine if you go around acting like laws end at 8 Mile and end up serving a few nights downtown as our guest in our lovely accommodations.

**softailrider** · February-16-11, 05:57 PM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

Yes, but it's OUR city. We're the ones who live here, not you. So don't whine if you go around acting like laws end at 8 Mile and end up serving a few nights downtown as our guest in our lovely accommodations.

All those assholes standing in the street selling dope and turning neighborhoods into open air drug markets don't seem too comcerned about possible accommodation problems.

**EastsideAl** · February-16-11, 06:04 PM

Nope. And so if you come down here and decide that it would be fun to paint over a whole building that doesn't belong to you or tear down someone else's street on a snowmobile or just plain get drunk and act a destructive or combative fool, then you shouldn't mind a few days hanging out with them either.

**EastsideAl** · February-16-11, 08:53 PM

You still don't get it, do you? Where you may see emptiness and a potential lawless playground, I see home. And it is home to me and over 800,000 other people. Most of us, believe it or not, law abiding citizens, trying to make the best out of living in a terrible economy with limited resources under often difficult conditions. Then along comes that guy from somewhere else who vandalizes the hell out of vacant houses, classrooms, public bridges, etc. that do not belong to him by spraying neon bright paint all over them and calling it "art." Only that's my city, the city that I, my parents, my cousins, all live in that he's spraying paint all over.

Oh and then there's those cool overgrown kids who decided to go out and snowmobile up and down our streets and freeways, and just to show how cool they think their potentially dangerous foolishness was, they put it up on YouTube. So why did these brain surgeons chose our fair city to do this in? Why not do it in Farmington Hills, or Troy, or Livonia? Because chances are they'd all be in jail now, and their nice little toys confiscated, if they did that.

As several people point out above, these are only the latest incidents of outsiders coming here to my city specifically to do "wild and crazy" goofy crap they wouldn't dare do at home. This kind of stuff has gone on for years now, and it is infuriating for those of us who actually live in your "playground."

Now, like most people, I'd like to see the drug dealers, b&e men, felonious assaulters, etc. thrown in jail. But I'd also like to see these other "just having fun" jerk-offs thrown right in there with them. All of them treat my home like trash and disrespect and diminish the quality of life of myself, my family, and my neighbors. It's just too bad that that would take diverting our precious and deeply understaffed law enforcement to police the actions of over-entitled and under-matured middle class overgrown children who should know better.

**Downtown Lady** · February-16-11, 06:30 PM

Hey EastsideAl, did you check out the Painting Detroit thread? You'll love this guy's "art" project. And by love it, I mean you'll hate it. Slapping some paint on property that doesn't belong to him and calling it art.

DetroitPole · February-16-11, 09:44 PM

What sticks with me most is when I saw a Lions tailgater savagely beat a homeless man for bothering him...
Rest assured DPD was not happy with him when they showed up, and I'm sure they saw to that he got what was coming to him...

The bright spot is that it is a double-edged sword and these risk-takers operate in an environment where their punishment can be meted out to them quite arbitrarily...street justice is unforgiving.

Detroit: where you'll get what you deserve.

**WPitonya** · February-16-11, 11:55 AM

The ultimate irony would be if you were arrested or got a ticket for trespassing and you had cleaning supplies and brooms with you.

I seriously might do this or arrange for an artist to do this!

I am DEFINITELY opposed to defacing property that is not yours, such as throwing paint all over it and calling it "art."

**lizaanne** · February-16-11, 12:24 PM

John - you are a very selfish, childish, and woefully immature person.

You don't own it. You don't have a right to vandalize it. And I don't care what you call it - it's still vandalism.

This is the entitlement mentality that has brought Detroit to where it is. Time to stop.

Go away John, the city doesn't need anymore ruin porn.

**Swimmaven** · February-16-11, 03:07 PM

I like the photos of the painting environments you did. The colors are perfect with the rusted "canvas."

When I took the train out of D.C. in 2009, I realized why some people do graffiti art. it's too cover up ugly places.

**johnkuhnphoto** · February-17-11, 02:48 AM

Originally Posted by Swimmaven

I like the photos of the painting environments you did. The colors are perfect with the rusted "canvas."

When I took the train out of D.C. in 2009, I realized why some people do graffiti art. it's too cover up ugly places.

exactly what im saying

**Det_ard** · February-16-11, 03:07 PM

The buzz about Detroit being wide open for artist-types is attracting way too many simplistic, self-important and unreflective goofballs who think their idea of calling attention to abandoned Detroit buildings is 1) unique-as-a-snowflake, 2) helpful and 3) "art".

With each new "installation" I find myself liking 1990's Detroit more and artists less.

**East Detroit** · February-16-11, 04:37 PM

If CCS implicitly approves of this type of activity, they deserve a little less respect and maybe a visit from the cops to their event.

Wasn't it also a CCS project a few years ago where they were painting on parking meters, etc... some kind of fish or something stupid like that?

**johnkuhnphoto** · February-17-11, 02:55 AM

Originally Posted by East Detroit

If CCS implicitly approves of this type of activity, they deserve a little less respect and maybe a visit from the cops to their event.

Wasn't it also a CCS project a few years ago where they were painting on parking meters, etc... some kind of fish or something stupid like that?

no idea on the parking meters...

**jjw** · February-16-11, 04:51 PM

It's a lot easier to throw some paint on a wall and snap a pic than painting a mural--true urban artists. That stuff looks like shit. It's been done better with time.

**mpow** · February-16-11, 05:55 PM

plus the work really screams cliche. I really prefer the less self-conscious and rich graffiti in the city. sorry.

**johnkuhnphoto** · February-17-11, 02:56 AM

Originally Posted by mpow

plus the work really screams cliche. I really prefer the less self-conscious and rich graffiti in the city. sorry.

cliche. hows that?

**Detroit2MeetU** · February-16-11, 06:51 PM

Tyree Guyton called and wants his idea back.

It's just not original, it's cliche, and doesn't exhibit any talent. Do what you got to do, but I don't think the MET will be calling any time soon.

**hamtown mike** · February-16-11, 07:39 PM

Hey yessers,

Tell me if this is way off for this site or not. An acquaintance in the media has an interest in exploring this story.

Would developing this give the story/"artist" undue exposure? The last thing I want to do is to give this thing any positive exposure-hence my declining to appear on camera.

Would anyone be interested in sharing your opinion to this reporter?

**johnkuhnphoto** · February-17-11, 02:59 AM

Originally Posted by hamtown mike

Hey yessers,

Tell me if this is way off for this site or not. An acquaintance in the media has an interest in exploring this story.

Would developing this give the story/"artist" undue exposure? The last thing I want to do is to give this thing any positive exposure-hence my declining to appear on camera.

Would anyone be interested in sharing your opinion to this reporter?

actually i am already talking to the detroit news and the detroit freep