I think most would agree that REVS wasn't really a mural, but it was a well done tag. Although the design lacked conventional artistry, the ingenuity behind it was noteworthy: REVS COST was applied with a particular type of paint which is why it remained so vibrant for so long and, despite a day of removal effort, still left a shadow that'll remain on the building for a while.

The best graf art has gone legit anyway, namely because graf artists who value their work tend to not want it scrubbed off or written off so they obtain the consent of a building or gallery owner beforehand. (i.e. at 5 pointz and in a growing number of gallery spaces in the village and BK)

Lastly, the owner of this property requested the removal of the graffiti, not the City. Regardless of the public's opinion of graf art, if an owner doesn't want it on his/her property, he/she has a right to get rid of it. Period.

Liberalism > Populism.

i heard from good sources that revs is a joke, he used to get beaten up and robbed in the train yard all the time, that was when he was a skinny little white kid. today he is just a skinny little white kid who still cant fight.

and thats not a mural. thats just a roller.

yeah, i'm like what mural?

also, is that second picture what it looks like now? big fucking deal.

If that was a mural the mole on my ass is a rembrandt

At exactly what point does it go from graffiti to art. Do the tags that MS13 put up around my neighborhood count as art? Does the destruction of a fence put up by a property owner count as art? NYC has continuously changed just look at the highline... it was the el at one time, and the hudson river was once completely blocked from view by industry that existed in the area. Things change and some "artist's" work being scrubbed off hardly is a tragedy in the city.

By the way, if anyone actually is interested, heres an interview with REVS:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axH-CfHOzf4

Earsnot is still up.

I guess we need room for another greased up, under weight, underwear ad. Shame.

Staten Island has a Young Republicans Club? Where do I sign up?

While I do respect REVS, this was not one of my favs.

I think part of the reason it was so "legendary" is who did it, how big they did it, where they did it and of course, how long it has stayed up.

But the feeling I get is that people didnt want this buffed, not because it was a good mural but because it would eliminate even more graf from an area growing increasingly more glassy and plastic.

"...it became clear that the graffiti that had long adorned the area wasn't going to be a part of the new luxury landscape."

Says who? All it takes is a couple of kids with some paint, climbing skills, and chutzpah. I'll give it a month.

I find those billboards for Izod, Transformers, Hennessey, which are all lit at night, far more intyrusive and visually chaotic than some graffiti which is reminiscent of what the HIgh Line was. Maybe Friends of the High Line was concerned that tourists might step off the path as they posed in front of REVS COST for snapshots.

No one is forcing anyone to read this article, if you can't fathom why people would ever write their names on a wall illegally... then skip the article and keep reading about Magnolia Bakery's newest cupcake line.

Graffiti/Writing IS an essential piece of New York City History and no one really cares if you have anything to oppose that...

"So you're saying people who don't like ugly vandalism = Republicans. Democrats = party of property destruction?"

If you don't like ugly vandalism you're probably too busy being spoon-fed by the city. Go paint over it, I hope you get your ass beat down by whoever did it.

what exactly does dobkin threatening "it's war" mean? more blog posts about street art?

"what exactly does dobkin threatening "it's war" mean?"

Nothing. It was irrelevant bluster.

Some people just don't know how to appreciate art.

I wouldn't call this a "mural" per say but REVS has pushed the limits of what graffiti is stereotypically known for. While this particular work is rather bland/plain to many, REVS main goal during his active years in the streets was to go against advertisers that were putting in your face messages to the general public. Since then he has gone onto to do welding graffiti pieces and other forms of art. While I'm not one to disregard those against graffiti, REVS in my opinion can be regarded more as an artist above anything.

Wait, so let me get this straight. Rev "countered" ugly, obtrusive promotional messages for advertisers' products by putting up ugly, obtrusive, promotional messages for...himself?

NYC is Graffiti, Graffiti is NYC. COST and REVS are NYC Kings. Gothamist is a website dedicated to all things NYC. So STFU!

What an ugly 'mural'.

Get rid of this garbage.

'Crack is whack' is a mural.

'Graffiti Hall of Fame' (previously Graffiti-opoly) is a mural.

This is crap.