Graffiti Art in Tacoma ? What Do We Know ?

Let's begin here:
Beautiful Angle:

I sent out this:

Hello Art People,

I may be pre-freaking out abit, but, some of you may know I asked for Tacoma folks to come out and paint my walls...and they did ! I had a bonafide artist (as opposed to Folks!) do the upper wall. His name is Tam, and it looks like graffiti but it is not of course. It is Art. My question is: May I count on some support from the community if I get slapped with a citation for "gang graffiti"? Funny thing is ....in our spare time, we paint out real gang graffiti in the block, and we were gonna paint out Tam's work within a few days anyway......since it's not everyone's cuppa Tea...heck it's not even really my cuppa Tea....but I am an Art - Supporter !

Tressie

funkoma vintage

306 E. 26th

Tacoma



I got these:

I think it

should be ok though, since up on 6th Ave. Tower lanes
bowling ally got a real graffiti artist to do a mural
on the side of their building. It is definitely
graffiti styling and it has been there for several
months now, so I am assuming the police can't ticket
legitimate art, or it would be gone by now.
-------------and another ----------------------------------------------
If you commissioned the artwork, then it is not graffiti. I had this discussion with the authorities earlier this year when I spray painted some of my own *** ******** stencils on my garage. They cannot inhibit your freedom of speech or expression. If they did, you could easily take your case to the Civil Liberties Union and/or the media.
It was interesting because graffiti had been on our garage for over a year; it wasn't gang related. We tired of it and decided *** would be a good addition. Shortly after *** went up, we received a graffiti needs to be removed notice. I discussed the complaint with someone in city hall, and, while it was okay to have the *** up, they would appreciate it if we removed the other graffiti, which we did. My conclusion was that someone found *** offensive and reported us because the other graffiti had been up for well over a year. That said, I'm thinking about putting up a big ** symbol on the garage to see if someone reports that.

Anyway, I appreciate people who support graffiti art. There are many talented graffiti artists out there, who have made places more beautiful, interesting, and challenging.


_______________
Well, there is a vast difference between Graffiti and Graffiti Art. One is vandalism and one is art. The one that is art has to be asked for or at least tolerated by the owner of the canvas. If a property owner does not remove the art, then it is art and is protected by the constitution. Also, then, the owner may remove it. There is no law yet on who owns the art once it is created on a wall,for instance. Could an artist bring a suit against an owner and win? Not likely, but maybe. Once art is bought or received as a gift it belongs to the new owner not the creator.

Our little controversy in Tacoma and the Broadway Art Garages is a Perfect Example of the stupidity of Tacoma. (not everyone in Tacoma is stupid, of course)
Did Riley know he didn't have to paint out everything? Maybe he didn't want to bother with it. I do know Riley to be a fine person, and even tho he is as rich as Midas, he is a reasonable person (considering he is a landlord !!)<-- joke.
I don't believe for one Minute that TPD suddenly got all art critic and filed a complaint with the City on a graffiti code violation. But it sure illustrates (get it) what is Wrong with Tacoma.
This town now has no flippin' Clue what is art. No clue about was is an "Urban Experience". The condos and the yuppies want to live in Disneyland and is the City far too willing to recreate Tacoma in the mold of WaltDisney? Well,yes.
I think those of us who think about art (what separates art from craft is the Strong Emotion that art makes you feel) is when the City decided NOT to choose Warhol to put a design on the Tacoma Dome.....and chose those insipid stupid diamond things.

This:

Not This:

So Tacoma if you want art, REAL ART, you are so on your own.
Do not look to the City for anything that is real.
The City of Tacoma and the phony arbiters of art (snicker) HATE YOU .