Graffiti - a sign of the times?

[Chiengmaijoe]

Has anyone else noticed the sudden surge in graffiti in downtown Chieng Mai? Some of it could be classed as street art, I suppose, but most phone booths, and electric boxes and posts around town are now covered in it. Late night a few weeks ago I saw a farang spraying graffiti along Thapae rd, and a few weeks prior to that another farang was spraying graffiti on a post on the moat. I thought that was odd. Whether they were tourists or expats I don't know, but why would farangs be spraying their names around town? I Might have scrawled the odd "Kilroy was here" sign on a wall when I was 10 years old or so, but these guys looked like they were mid-twenties or older.

[Chiengmaijoe]

By the way I'm not suggesting this is a farang thing, because obviously most of it is done by Thais but I thought it was odd seeing farangs spraying graffiti in a foreign city.

[justben]

Kevvz on oliday.

Soon to be bar owners all over Thailand or pubs in Hackney named something like The Paper Bag & Mutton Shag. The result is the same. The former become TV members due to lack of customers and the latter become TV members to find out how to do what the former are already doing in Thailand.

Edited June 27, 2013 by justben

[DaamNaam]

The times they are a changin...

[MESmith]

Fresh paint on tired, moldy concrete might be a welcome change

[dave2]

re

I thought it was odd seeing farangs spraying graffiti in a foreign city.

i thought that when seeing two painting some new ones so i went to get some pics and i asked them where they were from

WA was her answer and the blank look on my face obviously said where the #### is WA ?

she said western australia mate havnt you been there and i said no

i told them the cat with a skull in its mouth a few yards away had been painted yesterday and he said yes

i and a thai man painted that yesterday morning

i asked them about painting in full view of everyone in broad daylight and wernt they worried about getting caught by the police doing it in thailand and they said

nahhh mate we do it ###### anywhere !

dave2

ps .. the girl painted the one with the toadstool in it ... the man the poas and the cat you know

[elektrified]

When I was in Prague there was a 20ish American kid who was spraying graffiti all over the city. He was caught one night by the police defacing a 800 year old building. He was jailed, taken to court and fined the equivalent of 30,000 Euros restitution. He was also flagged at Immigration if he tried to fly in or out without paying the fine. Thought he was clever taking a bus out one night to Germany but one of the rare times the Czech police boarded the bus and checked passports, he was nabbed and spent the next 2 weeks in a Czech prison until his Mother wired the money.

I doubt the Thai police would be bothered too much here unless of course these graffiti artists were to deface a famous temple or something.

I actually think some graffiti is pretty cool like the stuff that has been at the back of KSK parking lot for many years now.

[bobl]

Housos becomes reality tv...

[CMKiwi]

I think some of it looks ok, however unless the 'taggers' have the owners or local councils permission they should not be doing this. I appreciate art in a lot of different forms but random graffiti or tagging as its called back in NZ, leads onto an increase in crime. Gangs start tagging their turf and if a rival gang albeit an individual person sprays over their tag.... a fight will be in the wind.

I have seen it big time in the Philippines, its not a good sight and in my opinion degrades what is an otherwise good place. As the saying goes.... Idle hands

These farang graffiti artists will be the biggest cry babies when they get caught, just wait and see. Naturally it wont be their fault, never is

[Ulysses G.]

The guard at Daret's House said that it is mostly Westerners doing this - he has stopped a few. He likes farangs, so I don't think that he is lying.

[kiske]

I think some of it looks ok, however unless the 'taggers' have the owners or local councils permission they should not be doing this. I appreciate art in a lot of different forms but random graffiti or tagging as its called back in NZ, leads onto an increase in crime. Gangs start tagging their turf and if a rival gang albeit an individual person sprays over their tag.... a fight will be in the wind.

I have seen it big time in the Philippines, its not a good sight and in my opinion degrades what is an otherwise good place. As the saying goes.... Idle hands

These farang graffiti artists will be the biggest cry babies when they get caught, just wait and see. Naturally it wont be their fault, never is

Territorial gang markings are entirely different to writers tagging.

One stems from criminal gangs instilling intimidation, the other stems from the creative elements of hip hop.

To answer the question of 'why are those foreigners writing in a foreign city?' - it's because writing is not necessarily an art form, but more of a means to fame, writers write their name in as many places as possible to acquire fame within the writing community and sometimes outside of.

It started with the NYC writers trying to go 'all city' by having their name on display all over the city and not just in the location they lived. Same thing, but on a global scale.

Take Banksy, or Miss Van etc. they are often reported putting up all over the world.

Not that I'm condoning it, I'm all for peices being put up all over the place as they generally look awesome, but tags tend to look less so.

However, there is a reason it's done, and it's not just a random act of graffiti - it has purpose to the individuals and the large community associated with it.

And it's deffinitly not gang related, not even in the slightest.

[BlackArtemis]

I love the work at Kad Suan Kaew, but random tagging is lame.

Sad to say I know some of the farang doing the random tagging, and they know better. Hope they would be caught, but let's be honest, they won't be.

[VocalNeal]

she said western australia mate havnt you been there

Is that like Essex? Innit!

[kalbo123]

Graffiti? Is so 1990!

[MESmith]

They'll be skate boarding next

[Mousehound]

Tagging is not art! It is a scourge. Graffiti can be a really clever form of art but it is not the same as tagging. One is about a push for power and the other is a desire to create something of consequence. If a westerner was just tagging and I could catch themI I would think spraying their hair would be appropriate. The b*****s tag up and down our street regularly.

[Chiengmaijoe]

This is what I'm talking about. All on Thapae rd.

[elektrified]

This is what I'm talking about. All on Thapae rd.

That's just plain trash. No art whatsoever. How sad. Hope whoever is doing it will be leaving soon.

[Ricardo]

The artwork on the walls, at the back of the Central-KSK parking-building, is simply excellent !

Street-art in an appropriate place should be encouraged !

But random-scribbles, making our town look 3rd-world, should not. The asses should receive an appropriate award !

[watcharacters]

This is what I'm talking about. All on Thapae rd.

.

That's not very inviting or creative. As one poster said it's essential to have the permission of the property owner prior to "defacing" the property of others.

It was a long time ago but there may have even been some in the small planet earth population who didn't appreciate the drawings of their fellow cavemen.

I wonder how many TV members have actually witnessed a graffiti artist while he is doing his tagging or art?

[theblether]

Me.......this is the area where I live.....

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A2KJkCDcUs5Rm3QAN0iLuLkF?p=merchant+city+street+art+glasgow&ei=utf-8&fr=sfp-img&fr2=&y=Search

There's a zone within it which has been owned by a company called Selfridge's for years, waiting to be developed. There's massive continuous boarded walls up along that area and the local council invited professional street artists to come in and create a collage of images. I watched them doing parts of it and it was a wonder to behold. It enhanced that area.

Re Chiang Mai, the phone box outside the Blue Mango looks atrocious due to graffiti, I was talking to the owner of BM the other day and suggested he painted it, or at least decorated it in some way. It looks horrendous.

What mentality drives people to deface cities that they are visiting? It's moronic.

[Ulysses G.]

What mentality drives people to deface cities that they are visiting? It's moronic.

Edited June 29, 2013 by Ulysses G.

[Mousehound]

This is what I'm talking about. All on Thapae rd.

.

That's not very inviting or creative. As one poster said it's essential to have the permission of the property owner prior to "defacing" the property of others.

It was a long time ago but there may have even been some in the small planet earth population who didn't appreciate the drawings of their fellow cavemen.

images.jpeg

I wonder how many TV members have actually witnessed a graffiti artist while he is doing his tagging or art?

I say again tagging is NOT art. Graffiti or "street" art can be outstanding. And yes, I am an artist.

[cmsally]

Took a walk today around Tapae area and noticed a lot of graffiti that I'm sure hasn't been there that long. Had noticed some before but when you look there really is a lot. If this is the tourists/expats they should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves.

Numerous poles and posts, at least 2 slide down metal doors, 1 side wall of electrical store, 2 newly painted walls of private houses + side walk in door of 1 temple.

That was just a 10 min walk to the market for Christ's sake.

[CMNightRider]

re

I thought it was odd seeing farangs spraying graffiti in a foreign city.

i thought that when seeing two painting some new ones so i went to get some pics and i asked them where they were from

WA was her answer and the blank look on my face obviously said where the #### is WA ?

she said western australia mate havnt you been there and i said no

i told them the cat with a skull in its mouth a few yards away had been painted yesterday and he said yes

i and a thai man painted that yesterday morning

i asked them about painting in full view of everyone in broad daylight and wernt they worried about getting caught by the police doing it in thailand and they said

nahhh mate we do it ###### anywhere !

dave2

ps .. the girl painted the one with the toadstool in it ... the man the poas and the cat you know

In the photos of the graffiti you will see the letter 13. Generally the letter 13 depicts the 13th letter of the alphabet "M" which may be used for Marijuana or Methamphetamine, or 13 Symbolizes Mexican Street gangs showing allegiance to Southern California; Sureño 13, Sur 13. In this instance it probably represents the street artists IQ, lol.

Edited June 29, 2013 by CMNightRider

[CMKiwi]

Took a walk today around Tapae area and noticed a lot of graffiti that I'm sure hasn't been there that long. Had noticed some before but when you look there really is a lot. If this is the tourists/expats they should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves.

Numerous poles and posts, at least 2 slide down metal doors, 1 side wall of electrical store, 2 newly painted walls of private houses + side walk in door of 1 temple.

That was just a 10 min walk to the market for Christ's sake.

Yep some people need a good slap around their ears

[WaldoPepper]

Some of the better CM street art:

[hellodolly]

I think some of it looks ok, however unless the 'taggers' have the owners or local councils permission they should not be doing this. I appreciate art in a lot of different forms but random graffiti or tagging as its called back in NZ, leads onto an increase in crime. Gangs start tagging their turf and if a rival gang albeit an individual person sprays over their tag.... a fight will be in the wind.

I have seen it big time in the Philippines, its not a good sight and in my opinion degrades what is an otherwise good place. As the saying goes.... Idle hands

These farang graffiti artists will be the biggest cry babies when they get caught, just wait and see. Naturally it wont be their fault, never is

Territorial gang markings are entirely different to writers tagging.

One stems from criminal gangs instilling intimidation, the other stems from the creative elements of hip hop.

To answer the question of 'why are those foreigners writing in a foreign city?' - it's because writing is not necessarily an art form, but more of a means to fame, writers write their name in as many places as possible to acquire fame within the writing community and sometimes outside of.

It started with the NYC writers trying to go 'all city' by having their name on display all over the city and not just in the location they lived. Same thing, but on a global scale.

Take Banksy, or Miss Van etc. they are often reported putting up all over the world.

Not that I'm condoning it, I'm all for peices being put up all over the place as they generally look awesome, but tags tend to look less so.

However, there is a reason it's done, and it's not just a random act of graffiti - it has purpose to the individuals and the large community associated with it.

And it's deffinitly not gang related, not even in the slightest.

I know of several towns back home that had hired people to come in and paint various scenes on some of the buildings in the city. Of course with the owners permission.

I my self like them but when they start putting foul language in them I don't like that part. I think a lot of that is done by some one after the original.

[Beetlejuice]

re

I thought it was odd seeing farangs spraying graffiti in a foreign city.

i thought that when seeing two painting some new ones so i went to get some pics and i asked them where they were from

WA was her answer and the blank look on my face obviously said where the #### is WA ?

she said western australia mate havnt you been there and i said no

i told them the cat with a skull in its mouth a few yards away had been painted yesterday and he said yes

i and a thai man painted that yesterday morning

i asked them about painting in full view of everyone in broad daylight and wernt they worried about getting caught by the police doing it in thailand and they said

nahhh mate we do it ###### anywhere !

dave2

ps .. the girl painted the one with the toadstool in it ... the man the poas and the cat you know

BTW dave2, that photo you snapped of me last week, please don`t publish it, she wasn`t my wife.

Going back many years, I have noticed that all the graffiti I have seen in Chiang Mai, has always been in English.

Hope this type of vandalism doesn`t become popular here, it`s really not welcome or wanted.

[CMKiwi]

WaldoPepper,

some of that street art you attached is quite good....some just scribble. When you have areas set aside for his type of art, it can be quite good to look at. However random and unauthorised spray can 'attacks' degrade an area. I most certainly would be very pissed off if my property was attacked in this way. As has been stated previously, these artists/taggers should have respect for others property.

I would have no hesitation ringing the tourist police should I see any foreigner or local spraying around CM. I doubt it will change anything but as the saying goes "The worst crime is doing nothing about it". And I dont follow the crowd that says there are more important things to worry about, alot of the big stuff starts from not jumping on the 'small' stuff.

Dont get me wrong, as I have already said I do like street art.... if its done properly.