Grey Lady Gets Down With the Splasher
Following the false alarm on Tuesday, comes a story in the New York Times on the Splasher, who has been covering street art with paint to protest its commodification, to the horror and even delight of many. With each hit, the Splasher has posted manifestos explaining his work, which is fortunate, because we’d have even less of a chance of understanding his purpose without them. They also establish the contradiction between his expressed views and his actual actions. What better way to attack artists for creating fetishized commodities than with weapons of the same ilk?
Although it may be too soon, we see no indication that his paradoxical manifesto is resonating. As awareness, alone, does not compel action, the Splasher should reconsider his game or just quit while he’s still ahead. Bringing people up, to help understand and adapt new ideas, is often more effective than putting down or punishing them, which mostly creates resistance. At this point, it appears the Splasher is only out for personal fame and not the actual advancement of street art.
It’s also important to remember that street art and graffiti gets covered and destroyed all the time, whether by other writers over beef, or by buffers for money. This doesn’t make the Splasher’s work any less obnoxious, but it questions why he doesn’t get a job with the buff squad. After all, cleaning up graffiti and street art creates fewer commodities, comes with a nifty uniform, and overtime pay.
Photo by Nicole Bengiveno/The New York Times.
YOU FAGGOT ASS STREET ARTISTS SHOULD TAKE THIS AS A WARNING..
WERE TIRED OF YOU PEASANTS DRAWING YOUR STUPID LITTLE BIRDS,WASHING MACHINES,FLOWERS,BUNNIES,STICKFIGURES & WHATEVER ELSE YOU DEEM CUTE…
WERE TIRED OF YOUR ARTFULLY HIP GRADE SCHOOL HANDWRITING..
WERE TIRED OF YOU ACTUALLY THINKING YOU BELONG UP ON WALLS WE OWN. (WHEN I SAY WE YOU KNOW WHO THE FUCK IM TALKIN ABOUT)
YOU LUCKY SOME KID SIMPLY IS OUT THERE SPLASHIN ON YOUR “ART” AND SOME KID FROM THE GUTTER AINT SPLITTIN YOUR FUCKIN FACES OPEN!!!!!!
BECAUSE THATS WHATS NEXT.
YOU DONT WANT GRAFFITI WRITERS TO TAKE THIS MATTER INTO THEIR HANDS…………………………………………………….. CUZ WE BEEN WAITING FOR SHIT TO BOIL OVER FOR A WHILE.
BEEF: ITS WHATS FOR DINNER.
By WEST COAST CHRONIC SMOKE on March 2nd, 2007 at 12:13 pmThe Splasher is creating new canvasses as far I’m concerned. C’mon, this form of art is as ephemeral as it gets. Wind and rain will do the same thing. Massive respect for the Splasher.
“Although it may be too soon, we see no indication that his paradoxical manifesto is resonating.” HUH? I’d say it’s resonating pretty damn loudly.
Bring back Will.
By Bucky Turco on March 2nd, 2007 at 1:39 pmOh, don’t worry. Will is still here. By that last quote, I meant the Splasher probably isn’t resonating enough to make street artists act differently.
A big part of the appeal of graffiti and street art to is that it’s so ephemeral. If not for the manifesto, it’s likely I would also categorize this with the damage done by beef, the buff, time and weather.
By Will on March 2nd, 2007 at 2:02 pmLISTEN TO WEST COAST CHRONIC SMOKE FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY WHEATPASTERS, STREET ARTIST ETC….
Most of the graff writers I know are so watching for one of you to execute one of your “well thought out” masterpieces over their shit..
SO THEY CAN DOUGH YOU UP, MAKE YOU CRY TO MOMMY!!!
By RYRY on March 2nd, 2007 at 5:23 pmThis is pissing the shit outta me. Westcoast chronic smoke stop being a hater, art is art, and some of the shit street artists come up with is a lot nicer to look at then someones tag. If you want your city with splatters of paint all over the damn place instead of good looking drawings then your an absolute idiot. stop hating and lets come together to stop this stupid fucker for destroying our city’s culture anymore.
By sneakerfiend on March 2nd, 2007 at 7:02 pm“our city’s culture” ???
I gotta just point out that as far as I can tell gentrification and new street art have come hand in hand. When this city was gully you might get noticed on the street, and then some Henry Chalfant-type could talk you into selling some canvasses, mayde do an interview for NPR.
Now, it’s the opposite: you get your fine arts degree from SSD, move to Bushwick, and as you begin to talk to dealers you make sure to learn how to stencil and wheatpaste to make sure it happens for you. Fast forward ten years; now you got a nice crib on the Upper East Side, some West African baby sitter for your 2.5 seeds and as you sit back sipping some red from Napa you think to yourself all that you and your friends did for “our city’s culture.”
By the dirt squirrel on March 4th, 2007 at 11:00 pmWeatpasting is just another form of getting up, I guess. Me personally, if I’m not thirty feet in the air hanging from an overpass with a can of flat black in my hands I’m not getting up. The splasher is doing his/her thing. I mean, cats have been “splashing” work for decades. This isn’t anything new.
As a side note: Seeing mad rich suburban cats get hip to the graff world through websites instead of actually pounding the pavement and having an ear to the action is rather depressing. Nice site, b…but the sad thing is that your linked by horrible “streetwear sites” instead of getting the word of mouth out there.
By means on March 5th, 2007 at 7:50 pmGet the fuck outta my face with the threats. You’re probably some stupid ass whiteboy who thinks he’s hard sitting in his parents house making yourself feel tough. That goes for chronic smoke and ryry. You both sound like bitches. I’ll put my art wherever the fuck I want just like I have been for years.
I pray for the day when you tough graffiti artists decide to “dough” me up. I’ll stab you in the fuckin throat. Realize when you start handing out warnings that not all of us are trust fund fags. Some of us just don’t give a fuck. BITCH!
By death on March 9th, 2007 at 6:34 am