To remove metaphorical storm clouds that hover above university students, graffiti or vandalism in carrel desks must stay. Reading and looking at what were written or drawn momentarily brings sunshine to my day (Figure 1). Relatable quotes, conversations, pop culture references (i.e. Harry Potter and Game of Thrones) and other drawn figures amuse me before I immerse myself into the cold and dark world that is, “studying”. It’s no coincidence that the word studying is a combination of “students dying”. As humans, we turn to many art forms when trying to relax. Visual arts and poetry are examples of what we do to express how we feel. Therefore, a common byproduct of each process is relaxation. Although it’s not aesthetically pleasing, graffiti artwork and poetry at Steacie Library should stay because what is written on these wooden walls makes me, and a few others I know, smile.

Depending on the student’s needs, study spaces around York University range from “hey stranger, mind if I sit here?” to “please, DO NOT bother me”. Located at Steacie Library, a row of carrel desks graces its presence in its basement. This quiet environment is ideal for students who are in dire need of isolation and concentration (Figure 2, left image). I once feared that no one would be able to hear my screams if I ever became another victim presented in York’s infamous security bulletins. However, my need for productivity took over so I endured that unsettling feeling. As time passed, I grew so accustomed to the space to the point where I felt comfortable even taking a nap. My perception of that basement began to change because I associated being part of York’s in-group with comfort. Since I understood the message from conversations written at the desks, I too felt I was part of it. Other students diverge from that and use momentous references from highly popular movies and television shows. I stumbled across “Always” from Harry Potter and “Valar Morghulis/Dohaeris” from Game of Thrones (Figure 2, right images). These references caught my attention because I am a fan of both. One of the ways Lefebvre described space was that it was representational because it is “directly lived through its associated images and symbols” (1991, p. 291). The associated images, symbols and words on desks therefore represent familiarity, belonging and comfort for me.

In most cases, graffiti is a medium of communication that utilizes fonts unreadable to many people. I believe that the lack of understanding creates a barrier between viewers and the writer. This causes viewers to perceive the area as a private space because it gives a sense of exclusiveness. Carrel desks at Steacie are written, not by professional graffiti artists, but by students. Their writing is consequently readable and not as artistic as what is normally depicted in streets or bridges. Being able to read and understand the message that is conveyed made me consider the space to be more public. Even though high walls separate each student, it’s still public because it was almost like reading a publicized diary entry (Figure 3). Aside from my personal entertainment, graffiti at Steacie should be kept because it creates an outlet for people to deliver messages about how they feel. Spending hours at the library in a sleep-deprived state is a constant struggle many students face. When one is flooded with a tremendous workload, there’s a tendency to fight the urge to take a break. Students who lose the internal battle between productivity and procrastination end up vandalizing desks. Again, artwork of any kind, aesthetically pleasing or not, is relaxing for the creator. Even though some students aren’t as gifted in visual arts as others, I don’t believe in restricting graffiti just to the artistically blessed. Artwork can be found in poetry as well (Figure 4, left image). When McAuliffe and Iveson conceptualized graffiti in the city, they stated that the lack of cohesive voice forced people to use a medium for communication on public spaces of the urban fabric itself (2011, p. 128). If this helps students cope with their hectic university lives, then why should we get rid of it?

Some students simply write just to see a conversation unravel. Reading these conversations entertains me to some extent because I understand the context. Based on the context and not the artwork, I can decipher and conclude that graffiti at Steacie is not gender-specific. Females are more in tune with their emotions and tend to write about how they feel. As seen on the left image of Figure 4, a female student wrote, “I keep my heart in my head and my head in the stars, trying so hard not to run, but you’re stuck in my thoughts”. On the other hand, male students diverge from their feelings and focus on sports and players. Leo Messi in particular is a professional soccer player that was praised by one student and scrutinized by another. The chain grew from that onto vandalized contributions such as, “press X to pass ball (Xbox)” (Figure 4, right image). This gave me the general sense that females would not write that. This interesting conversation pulled a chuckle out of me because for a moment, I imagined a few boys arguing about which player reigns supreme over the other. I understand that it's somewhat unfair to distinctly divide what a male and what a female would expectantly write. However, I agree with Butler’s argument (as noted in Johnston, Lynda, and Longhurst’s article) that gender is “something we ‘do’ and do recurrently” (2010, p. 24). Society has embedded us with highly rigid frameworks of what is expected from each gender. Since I grew up observing distinct recurrent (or repeated) actions from each gender, that influenced me to assume what gender the writer was. Although it’s not intellectually stimulating, it should still be kept due to the simple fact that it’s somewhat funny.

Relations, understanding, a sense of belonging and humour are the reasons why I believe graffiti at Steacie carrel desks should be kept. We need to remember that students, who need a break, are merely diverting their attention from studying. While it is far from aesthetically pleasing in my eyes, it does form mental and emotional connections between students. Even though we’ll never know who wrote it and who replied back, we have a paradoxical weak yet strong connection between each other. As a result, this makes the space more public in what seems to be a very private space. In a chain reaction, if the space is depicted that way, it becomes more welcoming and should therefore be more comfortable to whoever decides to inhabit that spot.

References

Johnston, Lynda, and Longhurst. (2010). The Geography Closest In: the Body. Space, Place and Sex: Geographies of Sexualities. 24. 21 – 40.

Lefebvre H. (1991). The Production of Space. People Place and Space. 291. 289 – 293.

McAuliffe C and Iveson K. (2011). Geography Compass. Art and Crime (and Other things Besides…): Conceptualising Graffiti in the City. 128. 128 – 143.