The graffiti I chose to analyze for this assignment consists of a group of vulgar, unidentifiable words and symbols sprayed on the back door of a residential building. This graffiti can be found on a building near my home at Bathurst and Finch in North York. This is a building I casually pass by daily on my way to school, work, and errands. As many of my classmates can relate, I was oblivious of the graffiti around my presence even if I pass by them daily as it is not something I seek for on a day-to-day basis. However, for the purpose of this assignment, I delved deeper into the meanings, surroundings, and the possible purpose of this graffiti and came up with a conclusion that reaches far beyond just another vandalism act.
Initially, this specific vandalizing graffiti art piece stood out to me due to the letters that were prominent to my eyes, “666”. This number is notoriously recognized to be the symbol of the devil and worshiping of Satanism. Right below this part of the graffiti is a word that also emphasizes a negative connotation, “Killa”. In addition to these dark symbols, another word that can be easily read is “Bitches”. Other letters in this graffiti work is unclear and hardly seems relevant i.e. “KPS”, “LOO$E”, and other gibberish words. The reason why I chose this graffiti over the other ones that I encountered was due to the uninviting, negative, and dark side of the words written on the door. Not only is this graffiti present in a residential neighbourhood but it is an area where many children walk past by.
Essentially, I believe this piece of vandalism is highly unpleasant, unsafe, and may leave a feeling of violence in the minds of those that happen to see it. Words that encourage profanity such as Bitches would leave a sense of anger, hatred, and violence in any person and this may potentially lead to negative thoughts even after we carry on from seeing the graffiti. Those who are aware of the symbol, 666, would take great offense if you are affiliated with Christianity. Other gibberish words on this door may just seem very dirty, disturbing, and unnecessary to those who have to look at it on their way to work, home, or school.
Furthermore, this specific graffiti may not be racially abusive but it is highly a sexist one. Often times, the word Bitches is linked to a negative calling for the females in our society as seen in many hip-hop music, movies, and other entertainment channels. Although one may never figure out which of these words came first, who vandalizes this door, or what the purpose of this graffiti was, it is evident that this was an act of encouraging hatred, violence, and negativity. It is highly uninviting to those who are new to the community as well as those who have been living in the neighbourhood for some time. It does not have a clear purpose of making this space private or public but it certainly segregates this specific community from those that are well-maintained and handle vandalism more frequently.
Additionally, this neighbourhood is known to be a community filled with new immigrants, ethnics, and minorities. These types of individuals as per the media create more vandalism and tend to be less respectful to the local laws due to their unfamiliarity to the Canadian Laws. This does not justify the illegal act of tagging a residential building door but it is a clear indication that more community involvement is necessary from the municipal government to educate the community on the law. This type of graffiti, emphasizing profanity and worshiping the devil, may make the residents of this building feel highly unsafe and uninvited in their own homes. Some people may live with the fear of the individual(s) that were responsible of this tagging and what they may be capable of doing in regards to furthering their illegal acts.
It may be difficult to pin point who was actually responsible for this vandalism but it is certain that the governing body of this community definitely needs to step up. We cannot control who lives in an area nor can we spy on every individual to stop the illegal acts, but we can certainly put a systematic program where community residents of all ages and backgrounds can learn about the harmfulness of these vandalism acts.
This specific vandalism has not been taken down for several months to my knowledge, and it should be acted upon as soon as possible. Vandalism such as this specific one also separates communities by class and racial backgrounds. Due to the fact that graffiti is so highly affiliated with lower class individuals, criminals, and mischievous teenagers, many would agree that it is not the most welcoming view to consider when looking for new homes, schools to send your kids to, and hang around in.
As mentioned in class by Professor Koopman, there is certainly a need of an outlet for the individuals who are tagging the streets of Toronto as well as who may grow up to do so. Rob Ford has set a great example of this by allowing legal tagging in certain areas of the neighbourhood but perhaps an educational session or embracing the culture of graffiti may be just as efficient. It seems that individuals who are located far away from these legal tagging areas will not travel the distance to create graffiti. To combat this issue, a government-run program where graffiti art is rather embraced and can be completed in a safe, clean environment would be ideal for these tagging enthusiasts.
The perception of this specific graffiti may differ from person to person, but we are all living in one society where the laws are the same for everyone. Hence, this type of act should not be condoned as it promotes negative thoughts and vulgar images in people’s minds even if they are passively walking by the graffiti. The municipal government should place a program and increase their budget spending on clearing up these minority-dominant communities. The lack of care and love for these communities due to the backgrounds of the residents is highly unacceptable as we are all taxpayers and the system should provide back to each and every community in the nation.
i agree with you that the vandalism is very violent and full of hate. it does seem to be degrading and disrespectful to those who live in the building as well as the building itself. although, i am leaning to the assumption that these words and such make this out to be a more of a public action. this is a residential building, making it a private space for many, through this act of vandalism, it is making the space public as many people have ome here and defaced this private property.
I agree that it should be removed as soon as possible since it does not add anything positive to the space. It looks as if the negative words were added after the other graffiti, which shows that the vandalism should be taken down before more negative stuff gets added.
Do you have any thoughts as to why this hasn't been taken down in several months?
To robert95,
I'm glad you think the same way as I do. I agree with you on the fact that these words and vandalism are turning a private residential building into a public space with limited supervision. I hope that these acts would stop!
To keshav32,
Thanks for your comment. To answer your question, my assumption would be that since this area is highly populated with low-med income families, maintenance attention is limited. The property management team are trying to spend as little as possible on maintenance costs which includes removing vandalism, fixing elevators, painting, etc.
Great post! I agree that the contents of the graffiti are quite displeasing and should be removed. However I believe that this vandalism serves a deeper purpose for the society as a whole. The problems of social and economic inequality, and neglect are some factors that contributes to vandalism that openly defies societal norms. I agree that government policies should help the communities to be better informed of essential services and broader the acessibility of the communites into these services.