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Art vs Transit

Art vs Transit“, so nennt Martha Cooper ihre Fotoreihe zu dieser Veranstaltung. Nach dem Video nun weitere umfassende Dokumente der Diskussionsrunde aus Powerhouse Arena in New York vom letzten Donnerstag. Auf Brooklynneagle.com finden sich Auszüge mit Statements und O-Tönen der Teilnehmer Cope2, Ket, Streetart Künstler Ellis G., Joseph Rivera (Autor des Buches “Vandal Squad” und ExCop der Vandal Squad New York), einem weiteren Police Officer namens Steven Mona und Vandal Squad Veteran Ken Chiulli. Sicherlich der aufschlussreichste Part zu Inhalten aus der Diskussion. Mehr Fotos gibt es auf Gothamist.com und im Cope2 Blog auf 12OZ

Abschliessend kann das Ganze wohl als inhaltlicher Flop bezeichnet werden. Das Ziel, nämlich das Vandal Squad Buch zu promoten ist wohl gelungen. Bezeichnend für schwache Argumente: diese Konversation zwischen Ket und Police Officer Steven Mona zu der Frage “is is art?” (weiter nach den Jump)

Eventually, the discussion rolled around to the inevitable question: is graffiti art, and if so, should an art be prosecuted?

“There’s nobody here who’s going to admit that at least 95 percent of the graffiti on those trains is not in the least bit art … it’s absolute garbage,” said Chiuli.

Bunk, said the taggers. Plus, they said, graffiti is good business.

“The word that keeps being used is damaged,” said Ket. “Nothing is being damaged. It’s legal jargon. When you paint a subway train, it’s not being damaged … it’s a legal thing to put people in jail, to give cops a job, to give the cleaners a job.”

Hearing this, Mona couldn’t contain himself.

“You know,” he said, squirming in his seat, “the thing that frustrates me the most about this is the thought that it’s OK to change someone’s property without their permission. That you’ve decided that my house would look better with the name “Ket” on the side of it.”

Ket then remarked that the ex-lieutenant’s house was probably pink, inducing a round of laughter from the audience.

“No, my house is not pink,” Mona said smiling and shaking his head. “But you know what the beauty of this whole thing is? We live in a country where we can agree to disagree.”