Thursday, June 15, 2006

Melbourne Graffiti - Restraining Vandals

Herald Sun criticises the City of Melbourne's policy of encouragement

The City of Melbourne again has come under fire for its extra-ordinary Arts Grant Policy of supporting Melbourne's Graffiti vandals. The City of Melbourne can not get it right as its 4 Million Dollar Arts budget to spent on the wrong side of the tracks. (Was this the same committee tied up in controversy over the appointment of Deputy Lord Mayor's Gary Singer's de facto partner?) its one thing to place political messages on a building sites hoardings but another to wilfully damage property by painting unwelcoming and unauthorised graffiti on private buildings and public property. The City of Melbourne continues to be touch with community expectations and social values. If they seriously believe in their arts programme expenditure then lets paint the LM and Deputy Lord Mayors Car with graffiti and see how they like it.

Just vandals

UNLIKE Melbourne City Council which plans to spend ratepayers' money "mentoring" graffiti vandals, police in Melbourne's south east are unequivocal.

They are treating them as criminals -- which is what they are.

Investigators from Moorabbin police regional response unit have arrested four members of a gang alleged to have caused more than $100,000 damage.

Sen-Sgt Vic Kostiuk introduced a welcome reality when he told the Herald Sun: "There's no thought behind it. It's just mindless vandalism".

And so it is.

1 comment:

BILL GATES said...

While the laws are real, they do little to quell the ambitions of artists fueled by political agendas, artistic aspiration and a joyous sense of competition. This is a new breed of vandal, individuals who intravenously attack authority not by destroying, but by creating. Sixten, a Swedish Stencil artist says:

“When you can no longer accept what’s going on around you, you either work to make it better or destroy it completely. With art you can do both.”

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