'Tagging' in JTNP

[phydeux]

Haven't been posting much since I haven't been able to go hiking, but this story was mentioned this morning on NPR and I thought it might interest those here who frequent JTNP. Its about a French 'graffitti artist who was tagging in the park. There are sub-links back to the original story, too:

http://www.modernhiker.com/2015/03/10/m ... ern-hiker/

Sorry if this has been posted before.

[Hikin_Jim]

Yeah, that Mr. Andre is a real dirtbag, and I mean that in the worst way. I'd appreciate it if he could keep his sorry a$$ in France and keep his tagging out of US national parks. There is no excuse for it.

HJ

[arocknoid]

Andre is a talentless narcissist lacking the social responsibility which he pretends to champion.

How about this classic morsel of doublespeak:
"On another user’s Instagram account, Mr. Andre claimed that the larger rock formation image was not done in Joshua Tree. He also said it was “much appreciated here over sea” and that “(his) graffitis are all about love and have the greatest respect for nature.”

Many of us watched with great interest as this developed, and found some satisfaction with the legal consequences to which he was subjected. *some.*
"The Swedish-Portuguese street artist Andre Saraiva, known professionally as "Mr. Andre," has paid a fine to the U.S. District Court for vandalizing a boulder in Joshua Tree National Park. On February 27th, 2015, park officials were notified by members of the public that Saraiva had posted Instagram photos of his work on one and possibly a second rock formation thought to be in the park. After investigation, only one location proved to be within park borders. He was subsequently fined an undisclosed amount which was paid on April 1st after he had returned to his home in France. Saraiva was cooperative with park rangers."

http://www.kcet.org/living/travel/socal ... -park.html

A fitting penalty date for this fool, n'cest pas? Let's hope the fine was beaucoup buckses.

[phydeux]

Here's one more. Not only JTNP, but a whole bunch of other western parks were defaced with her graffitti:

http://www.modernhiker.com/2014/10/21/i ... nal-parks/

[Hikin_Jim]

“(his) graffitis are all about love and have the greatest respect for nature.”

[Slaps forehead.] Un freaking believable. They should hot brand him with the US NPS logo on his right butt cheek. "It's not graffiti; it's art".

HJ

[scotts]

[Slaps forehead.] Un freaking believable. They should hot brand him with the US NPS logo on his right butt cheek. "It's not graffiti; it's art".

HJ

That's a little extreme HJ.

What's outrageous is that locals are facing criminal prosecution for acts of vandalism, at Barker Dam and elsewhere, while the jet-setting "street" artist gets off with a fine.

No doubt Mr. Andre will step forward with theories of art and nature, a cohort of hipster-doofus "street" instagram cognoscenti in tow, in loving solidarity with his fellow artists...

...

<crickets>

[zippetydude]

How he considered that "art" is beyond me. Take a look at the picture and I think you'll agree. Still, I wonder if he cleaned it up on his own, before anyone else said anything...that would make a difference to me.

For example, they hold the Ridgecrest Ultramarathon way out in the desert each December. They put clothespins with that pink marking tape on desert scrub brush every few hundred feet for the entire 31 miles to keep the runners on the right track. The next morning they drive the entire route and take every last one of them down. To me, that's not a problem. They put it up for a single day, then take it back down leaving no trace.

Now paint is a different story in my book, but if Mr. Andre did actually clean it entirely off in a timely manner and did so on his own, then I would have thought that a warning or a small fine was appropriate. If he only cleaned it up a few days later because he realized he had been found out, then I think a substantial fine was very much deserved. On a different scale, I think a huge penalty should apply to the repeat offender Casey Nocket who put her horrid paintings all over the place and left them there intact, with no intention of returning to remove them. That's out and out vandalism. She should receive both a large fine and be required to serve a significant number of hours of community service removing graffiti from places that have been marred by people like her. As with the case of Mr. Andre, I am at a loss in trying to understand how she actually thought what she was doing was okay. Neither of these two offenders seems to have had a malicious intent, but to be so clueless is rather difficult to comprehend.

z

[scotts]

The pictures seem to show the rock Mr. Andre tagged being one of the barrier rocks at a car turnaround. He could have done it without leaving his car. It could have been spontaneous, thoughtless, or just plain stupid.

I don't think taggers/artists in general are acting out of malice. I think it's more about self-affirmation and exuberance. When I see some graffiti art in some manmade settings I say, right on. It can really speak both as art and as speech. In the wrong place, when it's vandalism/defacement, it makes me cringe. I get irate when people vandalize public facilities, like bathrooms, schools, landscapes which are there for everyone.

When it's nature, to me questions of 'art' vs. vandalism are meaningless. When it's Joshua Tree, you can't really improve on it. Intent or even genius aside, It's all defacement. A simple rock, *any rock* in nature, is better than that rock marred by spraypaint. I don't care if you are Mr. Andre, jet-setting, instagram hero Street Artist -- you make my heart shrink. Mr. Andre should apologize and renounce his bad example.

Of course the real threats to nature and to public spaces come from the insane political greedhead/looter sphere.

[Pitownpi]

it's spreading everywhere along with the new generation of folks who think it's art....
well if graffiti is lucrative.....it's considered viable,
unfortunately probably about 4-6 billion people disagree and we don't want to see it...
my new neighbor has decided to invite his 30,000 instagram followers onto his property to do what they please in the name of art!


...and among other unsuitable atrocities...resulting in my lack of sleep & bliss
the furries have arrived to display themselves on the hills in the morning, noon, and midnight
completely oblivious... scaring off the critters I've enjoyed for over 14 years~!


big grants are available to aid in the desecration!

time to move