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Boston graffiti debate revived after artist arrest

After popular street artist Shepard Fairey was arrested Feb. 7 by Boston Police, the battle over whether graffiti is a form of expression or of property damage has been brought to the forefront of Boston news.

A local graffiti artist and graphic designer, who asked to be referred to as Chuck D., said he understood why Fairey and other artists are drawn to committing a felony that can result in up to a $1,500 fine.

‘It’s half art, half rebellion,’ Chuck, who wished to remain anonymous due to the illegal nature of tagging, said. ‘The point behind graffiti is to do what you’re not supposed to do.’

Fairey, the artist responsible for the Barack Obama ‘Hope’ posters, was arrested while on his way to a party at the Institute of Contemporary Art to celebrate his exhibition ‘Shepard Fairey: Supply & Demand,’ which officially opened Feb. 6.

Fairey was charged with property damage for two graffiti images, one around the Boston University Bridge area and one at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Newbury Street, the Daily Free Press reported Feb. 9.

Graffiti is a way for people without money to have their thoughts and opinions communicated, Chuck said.

‘It costs a lot of money to be heard,’ he said. ‘McDonald’s can afford it, but your regular dude can’t afford it.’

Artists should stick to expressing themselves on canvas and not others’ private property, Anne Swanson, co-chairwoman of Graffiti NABBers, a committee that works with the police and district attorney’s office in cases involving graffiti as a part of the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay, said in an email.

‘Can you imagine how annoying it would be to wake up in the morning and discover that some idiot has splattered spray paint all over your home in the dead of night?’ Swanson said.

Swanson said some of the members of the NABBers have degrees in studio art and appreciate what graffiti artists like Fairey produce.

‘We have no objection to seeing his work in a museum,’ Swanson said. ‘We do object to having him plaster hundreds of posters and stickers all over the city to promote himself.’

Some local business owners said certain types of graffiti bring something unique to the neighborhood.

The International Bicycle Center in Allston recently allowed Fairey to paint on one of their building’s walls, store manager Erich Leas said.

‘They asked nicely, and it added some character to a building lacking aesthetic charm,’ he said.

Stingray Body Art owner Scott Matalon said only some graffiti should be considered art. Fairey tagged the side of Stingray, Matalon said.

‘There is definitely an art form that is graffiti,’ he said. ‘We certainly have sympathy for artists, but scrawling your name on our building is not art.’

Chuck said he thinks the line between vandalism and art is very thin.

‘It’s kind of a gray area,’ he said. ‘Just going up to someone’s property, that can be offensive. But if it’s insightful and it has meaning behind it, then I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. It’s only going to be there for a short amount of time. It’s not forever.’

Leas said what Fairey does is different from the typical gang tagging that people usually associate with graffiti. Boston residents have difficulty seeing the difference between the two, he said.

‘Boston, for a city that claims to be forward facing, is very socially conservative,’ he said.

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