When You Tag in A Graffiti Hater's 'Hood

A graffiti arist, Oliver Siandre, with the tag "Kiko," was arrested for criminal mischief yesterday, after tagging at least fifty locations in Astoria. And you know who made one of the first calls to the police when "Kiko" started to appear? You got it: City Councilman Peter Vallone. In the Post, Vallone says, "He tagged private homes and the columns at Athens Square Park, apparently because he was trying to impress his girlfriend," who lives in Astoria; his quote in the Daily News is "I want this punk, and I want him bad." Police found spray cans and graffiti books in Siandre's Upper West Side apartment, and Queens District Attorney Richard Brown called Siandre "one of New York City's more notorious graffiti taggers." Really? Gothamist is curious to know who else is on the most wanted list. If anyone has seen the NYPD's notebook of graffiti, let us know. Anyway, this is either a lesson not ot tag in Vallone's neighborhood or it's a clarion call to tag in Vallone's neighborhood, to really mess with him.

The NYPD's anti-graffiti initative. And Gothamist on graffiti in New York City.

This photograph of a graffiti whale is not by Kiko, but Kiko sounded like a whale name; photograph from Bluejake on Streetsy

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on October 6, 2005 8:13 AM

Comments [rss]

saddy1

damn, you guys don't have to pay for graffiti clean up with your tax dollars. just start writing on the walls that you don't want to, and soon you won't. duh!

queens

this comment goes to "alison"..you got too much time on your hands girl!!..if u have no clue of wat your're talking about, dont attempt to put it writing..think before u have another brain fart!!

eep!

alison: "If he is an artist, why doesn't he make a canvas and display his work in a gallery?"

because you and all the OTHER fake sophistos believe art is what you are told to believe is art. brain washed hypocrites is what you are. perhaps you should take a step back and look at your OWN opinion on art. just let me see you (if you even are that cultured) in a gallery of mine OR even a gallery that kiko is going to get soon; laughs i say. i bet you are eatting up the village voice at the moment. i hope you gather around your bible group tonight and gossip about this. sheep.

free your mind!!!!

i say free your mind!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

bob

kiko the best

graffiti runs the streets

eyo wuts up i do graffiti and free kiko free evry tagger dats loked up fuk da law da government the cop fuk evrybody who dont like it crakers dey could all go to hell yall dont do shyt but talk so fuk u vandal squad could suk my dik yall pussy We All Rebel WARevolutionary and fuk da president bush burn to hell stupid rednek btch

ART!

Wassup bro props for showing love for this ART! Graffiti is not a crime!! To all writers, stay up, and NEVER STOP!!!!

mike

graffiti is da best thing to do in life so fuk da law we will menace the society

Miquel

For those lamies who hate...you can't know how seeing a UFO can be a little pick-me-up or let me know I'm headed in the right direction.

Plus it keeps rents down...

In the Midwest, we carve Miquel hearts Alicia 4-Eva into trees...then they die. I prefer spots that can be/need to be painted.

Pamela

wow kiko is jus to good ur tax dollars idc u kno astoria is dull it has no color kiko jus makes it look better i dont know y u ppl r so rude u kno u like his stuff so stop haing unlike those toy taggers u need to stop them..kiko his pieces r crazy every here in astoria ull see his stuff u kno they should worry bout somthin else than graffiti likeosama binladen or somthing..ukno madd people look up to him so i dontknow graffiti will never stop..

kiko rox my sox

Pamela

Kendra

Hey,

Looking to touch base with KIKO - doing a piece on the percieved differences between graffiti and street art- and policy on it, if anyone has any connect please forward my info- calllitastyle@yahoo.com

Peace,

Kendra

nina

i have been going out with kiko for 2 1/2 years...and now he's looking at jail time for his "art work." In my opinion graffiti is cool but for future reference get permission. there are many places that will let you express yourself. Hopefully your girlfriends will not have to go through what im going through right now...

xaostica

Prepare to be Embedded! :P

NEMONE!

keep your head up kiko there so many taggers

in astoria they cant catch us all. graffiti art will live on!o way fuck the police!!!!!!!! o way youll never take me alive coppers.NEMONE!

Anonymous

Hello people of ASStoria , KIKO says he's really sorry for taggin on athens sq. Pillars. I just wanted to tell everyone that night I was really drunk and I didn't know what I was doing. The next day I saw that and I knew I was gonna pay for that.

I really pray that I don't go to jail because I have a good career as a professional jeweler/model maker & I don't want to ruin my life over something like graffiti. Mabye I'll start asking for permission to do murals from now on. Thank you guys for your support

Peace & love ...KIKO©

Anonymous

Hello people of ASStoria , KIKO says he's really sorry for taggin on athens sq. Pillars. I just wanted to tell everyone that night I was really drunk and I didn't know what I was doing. The next day I saw that and I knew I was gonna pay for that.

I really pray that I don't go to jail because I have a good career as a professional jeweler/model maker & I don't want to ruin my life over something like graffiti. Mabye I'll start asking for permission to do murals from now on. Thank you guys for your support

Peace & love ...KIKO©

Logically speaking

Graffiti is a New york city sub-culture. This art form will never die. People like Kiko deserve what they get cause he wrote on personal property that wasn't even tagged. The city should allow the expressways to live in Nyc....Peoplewho don't do it, follow it. Some people come here just to view it.I believe there are other things more important than spending tax dolars on taggers. Helloooooooo...We have sick arabs that want to destroy us.

frank myers

Graffiti will never die because of real graffiti writters like SKI, SERE and all the BS and 357 kings. Anything you can do we can do better.

ART!

Don`t forget SKUF and DG ONE!

CuS

Graffiti has been around forever and it's not leaving. Fuck your taxes, their gettin taken out of you paycheck whether we tag shit up or not. Then again their are boundaries, YOU DON'T TAG PEOPLES HOUSES!!! What kind of shit is that? Come to Seattle and you will see my name everywhere.....