Graffiti: some call it vandalism and some call it art. I call it both. The more I see of it, the more it pulls me in. It makes me take a harder look at life and brings up questions. I like that.
Graffiti Alley in Ann Arbor, located off of East Liberty Street next to The Michigan Theater, wasn’t always laden with colorful graffiti and tags. It wasn’t always this way.
In 1999, Katherine Tombeau Cost painted a mural in this same alley. It took her 5 months to complete “Infinite Possibilities.”
Those possibilities came to an end in July of 2008 when the mural was white washed over by vandals. However, the brick walls became a new canvas that would grow organically as each new artist would leave their mark.
Now, I don’t condone the vandals that white washed the mural. And I don’t, in general, condone graffiti artists that tag on private property. It needs to be in the right place.
But, you know what? I really like what Graffiti Alley has become. I like that it keeps evolving; that every time you visit something is bound to have changed.
I find Graffiti Alley interesting because there is so much of it in such a small area; it’s like a tunnel of tags that envelop you and life is happening inside of it. On my last visit, there was a band doing a photo shoot and a dancer entertaining the passerby’s in the alley.
I love the urban art in the Dequindre Cut for different reasons; it seems to belong there and each piece is a separate work. It reminds you that amongst the greenway you are still in Detroit.
And I have to say, the artistry of the graffiti in the Dequindre Cut is so much better than in Graffiti Alley.
If you don’t think graffiti can ever be thought provoking take a look at Banksy. He’s known worldwide now and has been a household name in the UK for ages.
The following two pictures are the work of Banksy.
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Banksy is known for his stencil graffiti and his works are social commentary. They are also are worth a lot of money.
I don’t know much about graffiti or street art, but I know what I like. And I like it if it’s in the right place. I like it if it makes me think or changes my mood.
Next time you’re in Ann Arbor take a walk through Graffiti Alley and let me know what you think.
Also, check out the Banksy movie, “Exit Through The Gift Shop.” It’s billed as “the world’s first street art disaster movie” and opens at the Main Art Theatre in Royal Oak on Friday, May 7, 2010.