Wed Aug 8, 2012
Local News

Vandalize this

For the past few weeks, the biggest graffiti mural in Canadian history has been taking shape on a concrete sound barrier in the west end. Between Joe Shuster Way and the GO train tracks running through Liberty Village, more than 65 artists from Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, Vancouver, and Ottawa are in the process of painting the words “Parkdale,” “West Queen West,” “Liberty Village,” and “Toronto.”

“The Reclamation Project” is a city-endorsed effort to revamp 300 metres of the city’s most vandalized expanses of property. It was launched as a joint project with artists, Metrolinx, and property developer UrbanCorp.

“We tried to create one common theme,” said José Gabriel, who coordinated the project with partner Will Gaydos. “But individually, artists can do whatever they want, as long as it’s not offensive”—i.e., no glorification of guns or violence.

The project isn’t totally controversy-free—some of the artists who were invited to participate declined, due to graffiti-world infighting. (Some artists had beefs with others. Some also felt bad painting over the wall’s existing graffiti.)

But overall, the mural seems to be popular. “It’s rare for a whole city’s artists to come together and work on one project,” said 18-year graffiti veteran Rock—whose contribution depicts a melting cityscape, and with the words “ugly nasty city.”

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CK

I think the art is wonderful and add a great vibe to the up and coming area. I live in the condo on Joe Shuster and looks right into the tracks. Sadly, I can not see the new artwork as I’m on the same side as the wall, but I think they also filled up the north side wall a bit, so it is looking much better now. I think more walls in Toronto should be allowed this type of art work, but only to skilled artists who knows what they are doing.
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2:49 pm on August 17, 2012

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I dont agree

This just lowered the value of homes in that area!!
Very Ugly, Very outdated…
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7:12 am on August 15, 2012

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Are you kidding me?

This lowered values of homes? Outdated? Are you serious?
Some people.. I’m actually stumped by the stupidity of your comment, I don’t know where to begin, do you know how many people will travel just to see this spot? Do you know how many people will have a better day at work if they get to commute through a literal gallery of the city’s very own working artists? These are people putting their necks on the line just for their art which, correct me if I’m wrong, doesn’t actually ‘damage’ anything. Have you ever heard of a building becoming structurally unsound because of graffiti? How many times have you walked down the street and actually had to inconvenience yourself, in any way, because of graffiti?
Please, enlighten me.
I can’t understand how people hate it, even if you don’t like the art at least appreciate the effort. Also, if you can’t read it, don’t just give up and walk away. It takes time to understand the science behind the good stuff.
At the end of the day, it’s free art and it really brightens up the city. I don’t know about you but I’d feel horribly alienated by an unchanging plain grey city, it would have no visual life or culture aside from what, billboards? Ha.
Just leave graffiti be, it will take care of itself, legal or not.
-Poser
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10:53 am on August 15, 2012
Chris Farley

Sorry, but it’s not art. Graffiti is patterns. Actually I’m not surprised that city hall would approve this kind of thing, they’re the type of people who would think its edgy. Like I said it’s had it’s day, which is obvious as it’s the first way to market to teens. That’s who thinks “Graf” is interesting, them and “funky” Aunts. It’s place now belongs on packets for pizza pops and drug awareness campaigns. Actually I’m not surprised that city hall would approve this kind of thing. The most interesting graffiti is found in bathroom stalls.
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2:37 pm on August 15, 2012
Anonymous

I second Poser wholeheartedly.
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2:13 pm on August 17, 2012

Alex

Kinda sad to see such a huge space go to waste. Why pay graffiti artists to just stencil their names on when they are going to do that anyway for free? Couldn’t they have instead asked them to do a picture of something instead of just a word or name? It just seems really odd to me that they would work so hard to put together something this huge, only to paint over exactly what was already there.
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5:14 pm on August 14, 2012

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LAWLZ

“stencil their names”

you, sir, no not of what you speak.
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11:56 pm on August 17, 2012

Chris Farley

Graffiti and street art is so done. It’s 2012 lets just have a clean wall, instead of it looking like some cool “urban” sesame street type shit. Seriously it looks like something you’d see in a kindergarten class.
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11:31 pm on August 13, 2012

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Chris

Wow I hate this. It screams – yay we live in a slum. We don’t live in a slum. We should have some pride as a City.
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4:58 pm on August 13, 2012

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That comment was silly...

… A slum? Really? Something tells me you know nothing of “slum” living. Something about a $100,000 mural and an area surrounded by expensive condos screams the complete opposite to me.

P.S. This isn’t the 1960s, no one says “slum” any more.
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12:14 am on August 18, 2012

f12

Well said Cruz.

And while I love what’s going on down there, part of me hears what Clay is saying. With a wall that big, our writing community had a big opportunity to do something more conceptual, which is obviously easy to type and quite difficult to execute. But it woulda been nice to see something like Mad C’s 700m wall:

http://www.molotow.com/magazine/700wall/

And as for UNO. Yeah, that was a clustercuss, but it did bring some heavy hitters to the city under one concept.
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12:53 pm on August 11, 2012

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Average Joe

In Reply to Clay,

The Uno art show at the Brick Works was a JOKE… it was the most unorganized TACO stand I have ever seen… Keeping people waiting outside for hours just to have them go in and find out they cannot purchase tickets and the tickets that were could not be used as they were sold out… NO Food, NO drinks and a SMALL ass art show…. It was NOT something I would consider an example of a well put together art event…

Well I agree most of your points here, my only question to you now is, Why did you not take this project on? If you think they are ways it could have been better planned why not contact the organizers and give input…

It is far too easy to critic, when you yourself have not bothered to help or show an interest in something until it is already under way and you can look from a far (and based on a picture no dobut) What wasn’t down right as oppose to looking at all the right and hard work….

2 years these guys have been at this … Dedication through and through if you ask me!
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4:55 pm on August 10, 2012

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Clay Rochemont

re: points – Im glad you can agree, and hopefully moving forward with doing walls such as this in our city, this discussion helps set a larger bar, which is the intention. This is the first I’ve heard of this project, and I piped up immediately. If the organizers want my help in the future, im here.

re: uno – We can talk logistics whenever you like. it sounds like you were one in line outside, and I apologize. we doubled capacity unexpectedly and had major logistics issues. The next will be different, and I hope you experience it. If you were inside with the 2000 others enjoying great art and (hopefully) food, then you were a part of what I read about and experienced. Bringing up uno, was simply to verify that im no “toy” judging graffiti from home, UNO is an easy target, but im proud of it and our city.
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5:29 pm on August 10, 2012

Linds

I am sad to see the gorg artwork graffiti on the wall between Dundas West and Keele stations on the Bloor line being painted over. That shit was tight.
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9:30 am on August 10, 2012

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Doo Doo

It’s getting redone! It will be tight shit again!
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12:00 pm on August 10, 2012

Clay Rochemont

In all honesty, and based on this image, its not looking too much different than before. Whats going to set it apart from the every day illegal graffiti we see, other than the fact that there is just more of it cluttered on “one wall”? Whats lacking in the majority of worldwide graffiti is proper planning and its what sets “graffiti” apart from professional quality murals, installations, and even painted advertisements.

What I’d like to see on that wall, is one huge curated statement.
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3:50 pm on August 9, 2012

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lootem

then get off your ass and organize something yourself. The young guys making this happen are working with billion dollar companies.. while you just have your opinion on a forum. EVERYONE who doesn’t understand the art of graffiti always ALWAYSSSS has a biased opinion. we call you toys
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7:48 pm on August 9, 2012
Clay Rochemont

Organize something like this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi4xbFuWqUI or like this? http://vimeo.com/23869838

Weighing in on an article professionally is healthy for the community, especially when you’re trying to bring a proactive and positive note to help evolve an art form you so dearly love and respect.

http://www.hxfour.com – no need to hide behind memes and avatars.
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9:27 am on August 10, 2012
NinjaGraffiti

If they took the same approach as UNO everyone would be painting one curated statement about how awesome condo life is…? Is that better? And would the whole wall be visible for only one day?

Maybe you should go take a look at the wall before you dismiss 1000ft, 2 story wall and 65 artist work as lacking… Way to support.
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2:11 pm on August 10, 2012
Clay Rochemont

NinjaGraffiti – I apologize if I come across ungrateful for such a large project to come into Toronto, and Im in support of all the artists painting this mural and painting in our city, Im just expressing a specific quality of artwork that can take an initiative such as this to the next level for yourselves, for our city & country. Also, youre right, I should take a walk over there, I was basing it off the photo, which im sure you’ll agree looks very similar to what was previously painted, aside from the scale of some pieces. I knew a ton of the artists previously on that wall, including the international visitors.

Here’s what im trying to get across:

Look at the following for instance, as examples of a huge curated statement:

http://cdn.jazjaz.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Aryz.jpg

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2012/6/28/1340891876258/Shepard-Fairey-mural-at-t-010.jpg

http://cdn.urbanartcore.eu/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Pixelpancho-Mural-Russia.jpg

http://cdn04.dayviews.com/bloglovin/78689dc5f8a6943e4a883844d97dc27bd8725ccd/d/aHR0cCUzQSUyRiUyRmZhcm04LnN0YXRpY2ZsaWNrci5jb20lMkY3MDg0JTJGNzEzMzU5OTc1N19kOWNjMTgxMTMzLmpwZw==

http://braxler.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/INSA-LA-birdman-street-art.jpg

http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/17j6tf11hxio3jpg/original.jpg

Proper planning and research would bring a much more stunning appearance to such a large canvas, and instead of having 65 small cluttered concepts, bring 3-5 large ones and put them into play. Something you can see and make out from google earth, a plane or helicopter, the street, something easy to digest, and spark thought wether positive or negative. Anything other than just a big name, or a character amongst 64 others that will look like a blur when speeding past on a train. Get it?

Again, Im not willing to hide behind names and make judgemental statements about anything I dont know about. Im here because I love graffiti, art, & this city & im just ready for this artform to evolve and catch up with the greats painting currently, arent you?

THAT’S why I do art events, and thats whats in my head when I conceptualize anything for Toronto. How do we make this better than anyone else, and especially better than anything ever done in the city/country prior?

We can talk logistics all day about why Uno was 1 day only, and how long we really think the graffiti on that wall will last before its vandalized or burned over, just send me an email, I’ll be in my awesome condo. (This is way too long)
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3:26 pm on August 10, 2012
pat

Beyond the fact that we should all have the ability to remain independent of the good opinion of other people. Here’s one more for yah.

Let’s face it, what’s graffiti but diversity and Freedom of expression? And perhaps many other things… The writers going at it aren’t necessarily trying to make something pretty to hang in a gallery. Although I do agree that some of the best murals in the city revolve around artists who collaborate and execute professionally. It becomes difficult to organize 65 writers of top caliber and have each and everyone one jump through the corporate hoops that the GOTRAIN put up.

Also, graffiti isn’t about pretentious curated statements. It is what it is, and doesn’t need to be fluffed up to increase market value.
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11:15 pm on August 10, 2012
Angel Carrillo "CRUZ1"

Hey Clay Rochemont,

I hear what you are saying about quality vs. clutter, but this project is not complete? Take away X & Y samples that you seen on the net or in person, what this project brought to Toronto is a diverse unification of graffiti artists who are giving back for this new concrete jungle we live in.

Each of these artist are specialized to represent in their own style, graffiti is all about self representation of the word style. We dedicated energy, money, health and time into an art form that is mainly focused on typography, color theory, dimensionality, life drawing, illustration, animation. I am even secure to say we tapped into performance art when we paint, educational seminars, graphics; we have recorded videos of local Toronto graff artist at work or in academic documentaries, influenced to fashion, and even blended into other art forms like tattooing or body painting. What other style of professional artists have gone this far, and also how many professional artists in TORONTO have given back to the city for free? A “toy” is usually meant for anyone who cannot see outside the “toy box mentality”. It’s ok not to see the big picture, this is how our views are different, and you are thinking graffiti 1980 vs. now.

Can graffiti be something special like in South America, Europe, or Asia? – Sure, why not? At this point Toronto is not ready to accept big murals with graffiti artists working alongside other traditional muralists, and corporations will always pay chump change for quality work. In the end all we have is each other, a community, and a family of local rebellious artists who express themselves with a spray can. We can go back and forth all day long; in the end whether we paint under a bridge, train, back alleys, galleries or events….we never stop painting. That is graffiti, dedication to the art till our last breath.

CRUZ1 GFC
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11:22 am on August 11, 2012
NinjaGraffiti

So basically what your saying is..

You’ve planned art shows that had some big issues and live in a nice condo.

A condo + art shows (other people work) + tacos = a sense of artistic superiority.

Shepary Fairey, Aryz and Espo are dope, but Toronto writers are all wack and need to be more awesome like Shepary Fairey. They all need to “catch up” to international standards.

Which of the examples did you paint or help plan?
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12:22 pm on August 11, 2012
NinjaGraffiti

If you feel that Toronto should be raising the bar, then maybe you should get out of your condo and start lifting. Organize something that will last longer than a day.
I dare you.

Until then I’d suggest you carefully curate your comments as to not offend people who spent days days working in the hot sun trying to make Toronto a more vibrant place to live.
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12:37 pm on August 11, 2012

ChrisToronto

Another great new graffiti work worth mentioning is the Dan Lanois studio revamp at Howard Park and Dundas West. Art isn’t always “pretty.” http://www.livewithculture.ca/art/a-landmark-blooms-on-howard-park/
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2:36 pm on August 9, 2012

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fiddz

Very good – but just once, i’d love to see graffiti artists venture outside of squeezing their name into the mix – just once! You don’t see more traditional artists re-imaging their name over and over and over… roots aside, time to drop the ego driven “get it up” attitude and create some mural/visual works we can all appreciate.
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10:39 pm on August 8, 2012

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anonymous internet comment

some of that exists, the rest of it isn’t for you anyway. the art is in the letters itself, the manipulation of them with extensions and connections through an artist’s individual style. anyone who appreciates letter form gets it, the opinions of the rest are, quite frankly, irrelevant.
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11:14 pm on August 8, 2012
bob

you also don’t see traditional artists doing massive mural projects that incorporate 60+ artists on Canadas largest Production wall
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7:52 am on August 9, 2012
anonymous internet comment 2

it’s funny that people constantly talk about how graffiti artists should start changing their preferred style of art to “include the public” and fit in to this idea of what “the public” thinks is appropriate or accessible art work, but no one ever says that a musician should change the genre of music they play to suit what the general public wants to hear. granted there is some choice in whether or not you choose to listen to one type of music or one musician over another and graffiti art is inherently “public”, but are you going to start criticising street musicians and buskers because what they’re playing isn’t the kind of music you like? doubtful. the point remains that graffiti artists (and artists in general) are doing what they love, and no one has the right to demand that they change that. if you don’t like it, don’t look/listen. plain and simple.
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1:06 pm on August 9, 2012
poopchute

do people constantly talk about how graffiti artists should change their style to include the public?

no, they don’t.

they whine and complain a lot, but i’ve never heard much in the way of critiquing, or helpful hints to the artist.
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1:50 pm on August 9, 2012
fiddz

My point revolves more around the fact that the majority of graf artists merely re-invent how they design their aliases.

Legitimacy for the art-form will come when the artists begin to exercise thought beyond promoting themselves – Call me a traditionalist, but I value art most when it promotes ideas and new ways of looking at things.

For the record – I am a graf/mural artist, and a graphic designer with a decade of experience and interest in typography. I guess I have merely matured past my days of endless/fruitless tagging.
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5:19 pm on August 12, 2012

Montreal Dan@FB

sweet – love this stuff ! am definitely sharing this story
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6:54 pm on August 8, 2012

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Sarah

Awesome! I’m going to check this out after work!
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2:20 pm on August 8, 2012

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Scarborough Dave

Love it!
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2:17 pm on August 8, 2012

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