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This must be what happens when the Euro is strong and the U.S. dollar is weak. It turns out that 70% of elaborate subway car graffiti is created by Europeans. The Daily News puts this on the cover, noting that many taggers from "from Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway to spray-paint their murals and elaborate tags - called "pieces" - on trains, fully aware that the Transit Authority will scrub them clean within hours." Why? So they can photograph their work to give them some NYC street cred back home! The Daily News has a great quote from Lady Pink, who says that New York taggers aren't interested in tagging trains: "Painting to take a photograph, for us who live here, is kind of the wussy way out. The point is to have it run [on the tracks and be seen]."
Many subway cars require at least 8 hours of cleaning after being tagged. Noted graffiti-hater City Councilman Peter Vallone says, "New York City is not a Disneyland for vacationing Euro-vandals." No, it shouldn't be, but that's an interesting idea. We're sure that if the MTA opened up a train yard where people could tag broken, out-of-service trains to their hearts' delight, the MTA could make a pretty penny from charging admission.
Photograph of a tagged 5 train by Joe Holmes; Joe found out from Matt Webert, "A friend of mine who's a graffiti expert passed along this info: In case you didn't know that was a VIM(OA) car. The Vandals In Motion and Monsters Of Art crews are brother/sister crews from the Copenhagen, Sweden, Holland area and I guess one of them was visiting NYC on vacation."
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Arguably, New York is already a Disneyland for assholes who plow through neighborhoods and mutate them into their own view of how things should be, and then abandon the neighborhoods after a couple years as they head for their final suburban homes.
By comparison, graffiti can be painted over, at least.
Yeah, Vallone is right. Manhattan is a Disneyland for millionaires and Home Depot.
when I saw this on the news this morning, I was pretty sure this would be a Jake Dobkin post.
I think the graffiti is great and def. makes my commute more interesting. : )
Can't wait to see 11 Spring Street.
while i love graffiti murals and street art, and think this one looks awesome, i am glad that the subway is largely graffiti free in 2006.
however, freight trains are another story. those things are like moving museums.
Why don't we send the Eurotrashers back with a real nice souvenir? Broken fingers. Then, they'll have all of their prejudices conformed as they cry out "Guantanamo, Guantanamo!"
My friend had a great idea: Commission graffiti artists to paint up the entire NYC fleet in a tasetful way. Why the heck not? It would make some money for the MTA, be an artistic bonus for the city, and make us even more "special" in the eyes of tourists. As my friend says, it would certainly beat those cows on the street...
Graffiti artists should be scarlet lettered with a big G on their foreheads. And sterilized.
"Graffiti artists should be scarlet lettered with a big G on their foreheads. And sterilized."
people said that about jazz, too.
I support death penalty for vandals. I confirm this story.
Best Regards,
Jamil Hussein, source of 611 fake AP news reports from Iraq
Why is the graffitti by europeans so much nicer-looking than the stuff by americans?
If this crap passes as art I can't wait to see what people think of my next performance art piece. Titled 1 into 2 where I kick as many unsuspecting European tourists in the balls as I can in one day.
If this crap passes as art I can't wait to see what people think of my next performance art piece.
Titled 1 into 2 where I kick as many unsuspecting European tourists in the balls as I can in one day.
It would help if Gothamist and other sites didn't give these paint monkeys more publicity by showing photos of their work. I can just imagine it, "Hey, my tag's on Gothamist! I'm da man!"
Turnabout is fair play, I say. Any graffiti "artist" caught in the act should be held down and spray-painted all over -- clothes, head, hair, eyes, ears, mouth, nostrils.
this is OLD news guys...
It's not even good. It looks like theme-park graf, sort of like "NewYorkLand" graf.
One more reason to be rude to tourists.
I guess this person wouldn't mind if I spray painted my name into the side of his mom's house?
OLD NEWS... NOW MATTER HOW MANY OF YOU ANTI GRAFFITI ASSHOLES TRY TO STOP IT, IT WONT HAPPEN, TRAINS WILL BE PAINTED, YOUR HOUSE WILL GET PAINTED!
otomboy, so you're saying that you live on the subway? That's the only reason I can think of you going after his house.
"NYCEXPOSED" You are a pussy ! Not that you don't know this, But those Subway cars cost the city about [1.3] million a car ! Thats more then you'll make in a lifetime pussy ! Grow-up and get a job, This whole taggin on trains is old and stupid ! I kid got the shit beat out of him around my way last week for doing this to this guys house . The guy caught him on the act and hailed off and literally beat him till he shitted his pants ! That shit was funny as hell, Because finally someone got caught for doing something like this and got that ass whupped ! You might be next !
*Tags allowed
NY needs more paint on the trains... It's good for the heart!
"Bring it you pussyass crackas! ha ha"
- Joust KGB, Out To Bomb Video
OOOOO 1.3 million a car? Thats good, this city sucks dick, its good they have to pay for something here and there.
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