Friday, January 11, 2008

Ditmas Grafitti War

Every day, or at least every day that I have taken my younger kids to school or gone downtown to my office, I pass a building near the corner of Cortelyou Road and East 17th Street that seems to reflect the pains to which people will go to dialogue without actually talking to each other.

At first, the building had a friendly environmental type painting, the kind of thing that a building owner will commission kids or neighborhood artists to paint. Then something happened to it because someone painted over that "Don't Let Me Catch You Fucking Up This Wall" or something to that effect. Then that was mysteriously painted over. Then it was replaced by what seemed a cry of frustration - "Human Beings don't want other human being to be happy"..but whether that was by the building owner or the artist, I don't know. Then that was whitewashed over.

Next, a free-for-all seems to have ensued -- "DAMN!" WORLD WE LIVE IN!" RACIAL" "WORD IS BORN", drawings of figures, in a wide array of colors with a scattering of "LAME" LAME" LAME" painted overall, like a flock of pigeons that wait until what seem like two inches before you approach before flying away.

I looked forward to passing it out of curiosity as to what I would see next, like checking your email or links. Anyway, since I am usually passing by this display in the early morning, I haven't had a chance to stop by the building to try to quiz the owner on what exactly is going on. That is, who started what and who did what to whom. But maybe, like a lot of things in life, a little positive mystery is a good thing. I am sure the owner of the building would in fact exact a price should he catch someone in the act.

But it is very interesting to see that not only the Blogosphere is a first amendment free-for-all, and that even Flatbush real estate can serve as a palett and a place to post.

--Brooklyn Beat

1 comment:

  1. I live right across the street from this wall, and have watched with delight its progress over the last several months. It seems that most of the "artwork" is done by an employee of the laundromat at that corner (perhaps he's an owner or related to the owners of the laundromat?).

    This guy also likes to play very loud music from his car, at all hours of the night and early morning, even when he's nowhere nearby. Maybe he sees himself as the neighborhood DJ? Whatever the case may be, I once asked him nicely to turn it down (at the time we had a young baby whose sleep was being interrupted by the music), and he launched into a tirade, asking me how long I've lived in the neighborhood. Since that incident, I've called 311 to complain about the music on a number of occasions, and I've seen the police come out to talk to him, but it doesn't seem to deter him.

    My favorite graffiti he ever did was when he wrote, "East 17th Street 4 Ever!" Yeah!

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