Hi Michael! I was pointed your way because of a similar writing vibe, and I’m so glad I found your work. Loved this essay.
I really relate to your ambivalence about graffiti. I love it on the walls of an art museum, but not so much on the streets of Philadelphia, where I live. I even commissioned my daughter to paint a graffiti-inspired piece for my home.
On the street, there are moments I appreciate the truth-to-power element and the raw emotion, but as you said, it’s not always pretty. Where the line lives between art and crime? I have no idea either.
So glad you wrote about this, and I enjoyed every photo, not too many for me!
Or be required to clean it off, if possible. I have to believe that if you tend a tree, you don't want to mark it up, but maybe that's me being idealistic
How lovely to wake up and see you’ve written about the place I lived in for over a year in Athens 🥺 How I love Exarcheia! ❤️
I lived there in 2013–2014, while studying at Kapodistrian Law University. I remember the clashes between the police and demonstrators, the tear gas they sent into the streets, and how I had to block the gaps in my doors and windows with wet rags to keep the spicy smell out 😅 Oh, to be 19 and an Erasmus student in Greece...! 😂
I’ve loved street art ever since I lived there... and now I understand that art doesn’t have to be pretty! If you ever pass by Rio (I lived there for five years), I recommend Nina’s Street Art Tour. Part of her tour includes visiting a gigantic wall covered in (what looks like) graffiti, and she teaches you how to recognize art from the silly squiggly tags.
Really interesting story and backstory here!! And I also prefer street ART to tagging.
Your post made me think:
When I first moved to Oslo many years ago (living in the suburbs), one of the first things I noticed was how much tagging there was. Tagging, to me, is even worse than graffiti because there’s nothing artistic about it and there’s no message at all. It’s just ugly scrawl. I dislike it to this day, especially when it gratuitously ruins someone’s property.
Saying that, I must admit that, as a form of protest starting back in probably 2017, I’ve designed and printed different stickers that denounce (in various ways and sometimes with colorful language) trump (or his administration) as well as, more recently, Putin and Elon Musk. I think my first version was an “IMpeach Trump” sticker. I put them up around Oslo (one time on top of a random Trump 2020 sticker!) as well as in many other European cities on my travels.
My rule is to only put stickers on public property where there are already other stickers.
My hope has been that maybe some traveling American would see one and maybe it would urge them to vote or protest or…I dunno. Anyhoo, I guess I can relate to those who use graffiti as a method of protest.
Yeah, tagging seems utterly pointless and contributes nothing. Love your stickers, though, especially the way you are doing them. And I think it's great you are doing something to fight back!
Super insightful on the origins of graffiti in/around Athens. There is so much more graffiti in EU than US or MX. Do you think graffiti in general began in Greece? Or . . . ?
I feel exactly the way you do about both graffiti and street art, and felt my opinions get muddled, in a good way, as I read your thoughtful piece. Very much agree that we need more thinking about the world in the world, starting with me. Thanks Michael.
Thanks for reading, Matt. And, yeah, it was very confusing when I lived there and felt my opinion shifting. Who knew travel could broaden our perspectives! LOL.
Such great reflections, Michael. I love how you always include the local perspectives and stay open to allow your opinions to shift. (And such wonderful photos again!)
Hi Michael! I was pointed your way because of a similar writing vibe, and I’m so glad I found your work. Loved this essay.
I really relate to your ambivalence about graffiti. I love it on the walls of an art museum, but not so much on the streets of Philadelphia, where I live. I even commissioned my daughter to paint a graffiti-inspired piece for my home.
On the street, there are moments I appreciate the truth-to-power element and the raw emotion, but as you said, it’s not always pretty. Where the line lives between art and crime? I have no idea either.
So glad you wrote about this, and I enjoyed every photo, not too many for me!
Thanks so much, Linda!
I love your thoughtful exploration of this topic and place. Great pics as always.
🥰🥰🥰
Sometimes colorful graffiti actually makes crumbling buildings and infrastructure prettier.
But there's a growing trend I've seen of people tagging trees, boulders, and other natural objects in parks, and I hate hate hate this.
I saw a tiny bit of that happening to natural objects and it made me furious. People should be locked up for that.
Or be required to clean it off, if possible. I have to believe that if you tend a tree, you don't want to mark it up, but maybe that's me being idealistic
How lovely to wake up and see you’ve written about the place I lived in for over a year in Athens 🥺 How I love Exarcheia! ❤️
I lived there in 2013–2014, while studying at Kapodistrian Law University. I remember the clashes between the police and demonstrators, the tear gas they sent into the streets, and how I had to block the gaps in my doors and windows with wet rags to keep the spicy smell out 😅 Oh, to be 19 and an Erasmus student in Greece...! 😂
I’ve loved street art ever since I lived there... and now I understand that art doesn’t have to be pretty! If you ever pass by Rio (I lived there for five years), I recommend Nina’s Street Art Tour. Part of her tour includes visiting a gigantic wall covered in (what looks like) graffiti, and she teaches you how to recognize art from the silly squiggly tags.
Thanks, Milo! Will do!
Really interesting story and backstory here!! And I also prefer street ART to tagging.
Your post made me think:
When I first moved to Oslo many years ago (living in the suburbs), one of the first things I noticed was how much tagging there was. Tagging, to me, is even worse than graffiti because there’s nothing artistic about it and there’s no message at all. It’s just ugly scrawl. I dislike it to this day, especially when it gratuitously ruins someone’s property.
Saying that, I must admit that, as a form of protest starting back in probably 2017, I’ve designed and printed different stickers that denounce (in various ways and sometimes with colorful language) trump (or his administration) as well as, more recently, Putin and Elon Musk. I think my first version was an “IMpeach Trump” sticker. I put them up around Oslo (one time on top of a random Trump 2020 sticker!) as well as in many other European cities on my travels.
My rule is to only put stickers on public property where there are already other stickers.
My hope has been that maybe some traveling American would see one and maybe it would urge them to vote or protest or…I dunno. Anyhoo, I guess I can relate to those who use graffiti as a method of protest.
Yeah, tagging seems utterly pointless and contributes nothing. Love your stickers, though, especially the way you are doing them. And I think it's great you are doing something to fight back!
Super insightful on the origins of graffiti in/around Athens. There is so much more graffiti in EU than US or MX. Do you think graffiti in general began in Greece? Or . . . ?
Some quick research says, that yeah, it probably did begin in Greece, though it really took off in Rome! Also, thanks!
I feel exactly the way you do about both graffiti and street art, and felt my opinions get muddled, in a good way, as I read your thoughtful piece. Very much agree that we need more thinking about the world in the world, starting with me. Thanks Michael.
Thanks for reading, Matt. And, yeah, it was very confusing when I lived there and felt my opinion shifting. Who knew travel could broaden our perspectives! LOL.
Very interesting. Thanks, Michael.
Such great reflections, Michael. I love how you always include the local perspectives and stay open to allow your opinions to shift. (And such wonderful photos again!)