Street Art that Enhances the Environment
#1. Skate Board Park near the National Theatre
This piece of street art struck me as particularly appealing and beautiful considering that it was the only "painting-like" piece of street art in the skate board park. A lot of the graffiti in the park has been graffiti-ed on and so there are many walls within the park that have layer upon layer of graffiti with no apparent rhyme or reason. This piece of street work has not been graffiti-ed over and I think that it's because people realize that it's a great piece that enhances the skate board park a great deal. It's image is a heartwarming and sentimental one. It's a piece of street art that speaks of freedom and liberation, a different world underwater. That is exactly what these skateboarders seek when they stand on their skateboards and use a foot to propel them faster and faster and eventually, in the air. They are seeking a sense of freedom and liberation just as well. This piece of street art is by no means vandalism. It has meaning and it is appreciated by those in the environment.
#2. Portobello Road Market
I think that these pieces of street art enhance the Portobello Road Market because it adds character to the neighborhood and the market itself. The market is a long street full of shops offering the most random wares and I would bet that every single person who enters Portobello Road Market leaves with something they hadn't anticipated purchasing. That's the magic of Portobello Road Market: you never know what you will find! I have been to Portobello Road twice before and I had not noticed any graffiti or street art. However, with the intent to spot graffiti, I was able to find these pieces and I have to say that I was pretty pleased with them. They're not random tags with just a name. They're actual stencils or paper-mache like street art pieces. They aren't gaudy and they don't detract from the appeal of Portobello Road. They hide like special little shops that you stumble into accidentally and find something of interest in.
Street Art that Diminishes the Environment
#1: Embankment Bridge
(trash container)
I have to say that the defacement of the Embankment Bridge is graffiti that diminishes the environment. It seems random and pointless. This is what I would call vandalism. There's no purpose to this graffiti because there's no greater purpose beyond marking a territory with a spray can. There's no real beauty in putting stickers all over the wall and spraying random things. This graffiti makes the bridge and its surrounding area look ghetto, in my opinion.
#2: Garage in Portobello Road Market
Feel free to discuss your opinions of vandalism, notions of beauty, historical significance, etc.
I looked at this and I not only did not think it was not beautiful but also that it was straight out an act of vandalism! I can't imagine that the owner of this garage sprayed this graffiti him/her-self. It seems to have been graffiti-ed multiple times. Also, I can't even make out anything that has been written which just makes the graffiti seem even more like vandalism and less like street art. Once again, this is completely lacking purpose. I want to ask these individuals who graffiti-ed this wall "What point are you trying to make? What was your intent behind spray painting this garage wall? Because you know, it's a garage. It's not like a lot of people will see it."
Unless of course, it was an act of revenge against the garage owner!
Anyway, I digress. This is graffiti that I would not hesitate at washing off.
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