The Devereux Graffiti Wall: Art Work or Vandalism?

Let me speak on behalf of many of the artists whom need an outlet from the classroom and the 8.5x11's. Venice beach used to have a very large graf area, they demo'ed the entire area except about 30 feet. So what did these talented graf writers do? they went back to the streets and surrounding areas.
The isla vista wall is the outlet for the graf community to exercise their talent.

Take this away and we will flood the surrounding areas.

-Punching Gandhi.

Hey 4degreefool , you want an outlet ? So do I . Invest everything you have in a piece of property , fix it up real nice , spend all your money fixing it up just how you like it . I'll be by to " exercise my talent " and see how you like it .

What's more of a blight: A bunch of paint on a wall, or a broken down shell of a house sitting on a beach?

Geeber,
You invested everything you had on the Devereaux Beach Shack? I'm sorry my dear friend, but that is somewhat of a poor investment in my mind. Not to mention all the work and time you spent restoring it is quite honestly unnoticeable. Maybe next time you are going to make a big investment you should talk to some one who knows a thing or two about investing money. Oh I know! You should speak with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac! or better yet any member of our government, because they sure know whats best for MY money!

Hey Geeber, you sounds a little bit jealous if you ask me.
Sad that you just ride the wave of life instead of having the Individuality of being the wave.
But thats just speculation.
What leads you speculate that there has been Money invested into the Building at the beach?
I agree that it would blow to have your investments ruined...
But this place has been neglected for decades.
You are definitely commenting on the wrong article.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK...
Find a new topic to pollute with your idle chatter.

I have been enjoying the every changing community graffiti art on the "old jail house" at Devereux for the last eight years. I think it is a wonderful example of community art. However, I am saddened when I see vandalism on public or private property. Graffiti can be public community art or vandalism. I think the graffiti at Devereux is community art. The Library at UCSB has a wonderful collection of photos taken there over the years hanging on the walls. It is a wonderful photo study of what happens at the "old jail house" over time. The vitality of the art varies over time.

Here is a shot from January 2009

http://homepage.mac.com/cjbowdish/DevJan...
/pictures/picture-5.jpg

and a series of shots from Feb 2008

http://homepage.mac.com/cjbowdish/DevFeb...

I think many people enjoy looking at the evolving public canvas.

Jailhouse has been my favorite surf spot since I moved to I.V. in 1987 & continues to be my favorite to this day.
I've come upon the scene when an "artist" was doing his thing (I use "his" because it's majorily males doing it).
They usually get all antsy & defensive, but I just walk up, check out the work, smile, say "cool" & go about getting in the water to catch some ankle slappers.
I really have no problem w/ the Jailhouse "art" because it really doesn't go farther than that.
The guys that really irk me are these wannabe little G13 thugs tagging stuff around town.
I caught 1 of these idiots "applying his art" to my fence in my backyard once. Can't say what I did for online etiquette reasons, but let's just say that he hasn't been back for a re-installation of his art.
UCSB used to have a "freedom wall" on campus by the UCen, but I guess that went by the wayside, I could be wrong though :) henry

geeber,

Your position that I should buy a piece of property and spray paint on it myself is fallacious considering the person writing the article is advocating for a law that where I would be fined for allowing my own graffitti on my own property to remain.

If the graffiti looks lame or is in an innappropriate place, it should be removed. I have no problem with citizens volunteering their time to do this, or creating an organiztion in IV that helps people remove graffiti. However, to force property owners to remove graffiti that could perhaps be enjoyed by the community, as occasionally it can be, and imposing a fine I think goes against the grain of the community that is Isla Vista.

Will the people on the corner of Trigo and Embarcadero Del Norte (I think?) with the sign that says "ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE" (or something like that?) be fined??

To Shaw ( oops , I mean you know ) and others who seem to approve of 4 degrees' threat to " flood the area " , perhaps you would like to post addresses of properties you deem proper for an artists touch . I kind of like the artwork @ the jailhouse but not so much the " flood " of graffitti on every wall downtown , including my neighbors' garage door that he spent the weekend trying to repaint .

If the property ain't yours, don't paint it--it doesn't matter how "abandoned" it appears to be. SOMEBODY owns it.

These "artists" should go buy their own canvasses, whether true canvas, a 4x8 sheet of drywall or plywood, or a section of wooden fencing from HD, and leave other people's property alone. Also, I double-quote the word "artists", because I believe that anyone who wants to be *respected* as such, should also respect the rights of others to either their own stuff, or the right of the public to not see unauthorized marking (and it doesn't matter, whether it actually looks good or now--subjective as that is).

Outright "taggers" should get held down and drawn on with Sharpie markers, or the old El Diablo permanent markers--let the punishment fit the crime. Chain-gangs of jjuveniles for graffiti cleanup wouldn't be a bad idea either.

I'm not religious in the classical sense, but spiritual: I believe that in the greater order of things we are incredibly small and insignificant and the universe is incredibly large and that when we die we become something much bigger, a part of the earth and the universe, from a "point" of energy to an infinite spread... religious and spiritual enough for me. And, so, the Earth is my church, I try to respect it and leave it the way I found it. I don't trash it, I pick up trash and recycle, I want it to get cleaner and better and more beautiful. And where I often find myself in this large church is Devereaux Point. If you've seen it at sunset after surfing juicy waves all day, you'd agree, it's a little piece of heaven. So, please, respect my church and allow me to not have to look at your art when I'm there, contemplating how small I am. Maybe turn around and look at where you're spray painting, it's simply inappropriate.

Just for balance on the art subject, my opinion is that your psycho-babble-brain-hanging-limp-between-your-ears "art" is nothing if not ugly and distracting. Take your ghetto art back to the ghetto. I abhor many aspects of this "art", not the least of which the university has some pictures of this building in their library - so what, it too is bad art, it wasn't good when it was first released (kind of like everything they play on KTYD). And furthermore, its illegal, I have a cell phone, and if I see you tagging there I'll call the foot patrol.

The jailhouse on the beach should be removed. It affects litoral drift along the beach, causes beach erosion from direct reflection off the structure, is an eyesore. The dead trees (adorned with "art") should also be removed. I'm also confused, how is it that this building is owned by anybody, this is within the high-tide zone.

Eqqus posteriori:"Outright "taggers" should get held down and drawn on with Sharpie markers, or the old El Diablo permanent markers"
The taggers I caught in my yard got the Tippmann paint marker, google it & you'll see what it is, that's why they ain't been back.
Surfdude:"Take your ghetto art back to the ghetto"
Brother, I hear you. But when you have a population that even though they come from pasty-white suburban 6 digit income households, the allure of the "ghetto life" they've never been privy to seems to be what they aim to achieve.
Funny thing is I come from the ghetto & don't want to go back :) henry

How about putting up a trash can or something? If you are all worried about the trash being there why not provide the people who paint and drink there with a way to dispose of their trash? And don't tell me that would just encourage it more because, uh, it's already happening. I have painted The Jail House numerous times and I have even been arrested there while painting. To answer your question "surfdude" it is owned by the university... the same University that has pictures of the art framed on the walls near the entrance of its library.

How does a broken down building on the beach look any better than a series of walls colorfully painted with the unique expressions of the local artists. Sorry to break it to you, but not all graffiti artists are from the "ghetto" nor do they portray a "ghetto" lifestyle. Take away a harmless outlet like the jail house and watch it further spread to private property. However, embrace it and help regulate it and you can help curtail the problems caused by vandals.

Graffiti vandalism is a criminal act. Criminals, by definition, will break the law. How about compromising and embracing this urban art with more legal walls and places to throw away your garbage than complaining about an ugly building.

Graffiti art is the ONLY art ever created and sustained by the youth... and much like everything else there are always going to be a couple within a group who decided to ruin it for everyone else. Not every "tagger" wants to write on your fence. Sometimes it would be nice to go chill and relax at the beach and express myself on a wall.

@hank, I have an ancient PMI Annihalator, and an equally old (Nelson-based) Bushmaster, two Bud Orr Autocockers, and a pre-auto Sniper. I know about Tippman Pneumatic markers. :)

@bugmenot:

". . .it's refreshing to see a place that these artists can express themselves without having to write on _your_ fence, for instance. . . ."

Again, an "artist" should understand RESPECT. If they can't be bothered to respect a wall that isn't their own, then they can't be respected as artists. Also, again, they should buy their own canvasses to mark up if they want. And, if you enjoy the painting so much, why not purchase some property and invite painters to "express" themselves?