If you have a small bladder, just like I do, then you’ll understand how annoying (but crucial) it is to take constant trips to the washroom. A few weeks ago, I noticed something in one of the washroom stalls inside McLaughlin College that made my day. Behind the door of the first stall is, as one of the girls had called it, a “Love Board” (Fig 1), which consists of several hand written messages by a group of women. These messages were not foul, offensive or hurtful, but rather empowering, inspirational and positive.

My first encounter with this graffiti was very brief. I did not pay much attention to it because I assumed that it was no different from the random scribbles we see in other public washrooms. As I was getting ready to leave, I caught a glimpse of the graffiti and the message I’d seen immediately brought a smile on my face. A woman had written, “hi beautiful! have a good day” (Fig 1) behind the door of the cubicle I was in. I thought that the message was sweet considering the fact that women don’t often give compliments to one another.  This is the complete opposite of what we’re shown in movies and television shows where the women’s’ washroom is a space that is frequently associated with bullying.

 

Figure 1

On my second encounter with the ‘Love Board’ where I came back to take pictures and a video of the graffiti, I noticed that it was actually a conversation among several women. I’m unsure of how it started, but I strongly believe it’s because of the meaning behind Figure 2. For some, the washroom is not only a space for urination, but also a space for isolation, reflection and privacy. I’m assuming that the girl who had written it wanted to express her feelings privately, and that privacy is available in the confines of the stall. Written with a black Sharpie is, ‘Have the courage to exist – Stay Brave!’ (Fig.2) behind the door of the first stall. It seems as if the girl was going through a really difficult time in her life and others wanted to show their support by responding back.

Figure 2

McAuliffe and Iveson (2011) mentions on page 137 that some graffiti are written in the knowledge that it is ephemeral. The girl was certainly aware that her message could be easily taken down, however, she still chose to leave behind something that is meaningful to her and possibly to others. The authors also argue that how one determines whether a graffiti is public or private “depends on the audience for whom it is written, to whom it accessible, and how these audiences are imagined and experienced” (McAuliffe and Iveson, 135). The women’s’ washroom at McLaughlin College is accessible to the public. Whether you’re a female student at that college, or just simply passing by to get to your next class, the washroom is accessible to you. On the other hand, the graffiti is private because it is located inside the women’s washroom. This means that only females have access to it, and among those females, only those who use that particular stall can get a glimpse of the graffiti. If she had wanted to make her graffiti more public, she wouldn’t have written it in a gender-segregated space such as the public washroom where it is only available for female audiences.

The question of whether or not this graffiti is considered ‘art’ or ‘crime’ is then very hard to determine. As McAuliffe and Iveson (2011) argues, a graffiti can be both. It is a crime because the graffiti is on a private property and is therefore illegal. However, one can also consider it as art because it is a form of self-expression that positively impact the lives of others. Art can be depicted in many ways—through sculptures, paintings, music, film, dance or even just a simple scribble like this one. As seen on Fig 3, one woman felt very happy and empowered to see such positivity being spread on this ‘Love Board’ (Fig.3). Another girl also commented saying how this particular stall makes her smile (Fig.4).

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

I believe that this graffiti should stay because it was not harmful, foul or offensive but rather empowering, positive and inspirational. Her feelings, through her expression of a simple scribble, was able to positively impact the lives of others. Every single message written on the ‘Love Board’ spreads nothing but positivity. It is not often that you hear or see women complimenting and supporting each other due to personal insecurities. Although these messages were not spoken, writing is still a form of verbal communication. These women showed support for one another by communicating with a Sharpie behind the door of a washroom stall.

If, however they decide to take down this graffiti, they should at least provide a space on campus that allow individuals to express themselves freely. In class we discussed ways in which we can limit illegal graffiti in Toronto and the topic of legal tagging came up (Class, October 28). I believe that it would be a good idea if York also legalizes a space that enables artists to express their creativity. I also think that a wall or a bulletin board where everyone (and not just women), can spread positivity and show support for one another would be helpful because words are a lot more powerful than we think.

 

Do you think this graffiti should be taken down?

 

References:

Class Discussion, October 28, 2015

McAuliffe, Cameron, and Kurt Iveson. 2011. “Art and Crime (and Other Things Besides … ): Conceptualising Graffiti in the City: Conceptualising Graffiti in the City.” Geography Compass 5(3): 128–43.