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Street Art Splashings Provoke Debate

Jacob Dobkin

Published Jan 24, 2007

Modified Mar 7, 2008

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Jacob Dobkin

Published Jan 24, 2007

Modified Mar 7, 2008

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There's been a lot of talk on the Splasher overnight. One of the best comments comes from Visual Resistance, one of the hardcore experts of the NYC streetart scene:

So here goes.

I'm fuckin pissed about the recent destruction of some one of a kind art. I dont care to discuss the nature of pasting or painting on someone else's property, at the moment. I do want to address the nature of someone's supposed politics in the actions seen above. There is a person or group of people that seem to think that they are the vanguard of some imaginary "movement" that is critiquing street art. Their tactics are to destroy what they find as the commodification of graffiti. Well my friend you are now just part of the fad, one that has been slowly passing. Then you broke a bottle and wanted to gain some attention of your own. Now you are submitting work to the banality that you exclaim to be rampant in street art. It is now time for you to go off and die in some dark corner of a bookstore, next to copies of subway art and the art of getting over. The trite you explain as "manifesto" is utter bullshit. and I will say for this fundamental reason.

The image that you destroyed above is of a woman that is involved in a TRUE struggle for autonomy and liberation from Capital. This portrait made of a woman who lives in Oaxaca is being used to raise consciousness about the uprising and movement of the APPO, (Popular Assembly for the People of Oaxaca). Some prints of this were recently returned to the women in their villages, and pasted up (I dare you to travel there and splash paint on them) The point is that you as a viewer reduce the image to be something to consumed and not something of beauty or of something to learn from. YOU decontextualize them and make them into nothing. Just like your actions have become. I look forward to the further attention your actions will recieve from the history makers at the NY Times this sunday, it will be YOU, and your actions that will be turned into just another movement. And consumed you are, one dollar an issue,read online for free or at a coffee shop.

You piss me off, you insult true revolutionaries working for self-determination that suffer real consequences. And you do it all within the safety of your home, in front of the computer, or at night on the street with a bucket of oops paint.

I find no integrity in your actions.

This is the last time I waste breath reacting to your senseless acts, because you just upped the ante.

-k

The post also includes a few more links on the Splasher's activities:

The Village Voice on the Splasher
Pix of the Splasher over Os Gemeos and Swoon
More Flickr Discussion

Also, some people have suggested that the Splasher is using a "super-soaker" spray gun or something similar, because many of the paint splatters are very high on the wall, as in the Obey-shot below (that's about 13' off the ground.)

Splatter-experts are analyzing the pictures now-- we should have some results later today.

Update: we consulted one of the most authoritative graffiti experts on the scene, and he says the Splasher isn't using a supersoaker:

gothamist: do you think this is from a supersoaker?

graf expert: nope.

gothamist: so what's it with? just a cup of paint?

graf expert: probably- a super soaker would hit the wall with more force. there would be splatter around the top/sides of each hit, not just running down from where the paint hit. that definately looks like thrown paint.

gothamist: but it's too much paint to fit in a cup. what are you thinking? like a bucket?

graf expert: i think someone is scooping it out of a bucket with a smaller thing to hold it with and throwing it.

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Visual Resistance

Jacob Dobkin

Jake Dobkin co-founded Gothamist with Jen Chung. In 2019, Jake released Ask a Native New Yorker, a book based on his Gothamist advice column.

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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