North Oakland appears to be under attack by taggers. Telegraph Avenue, Shattuck Avenue, and Martin Luther King Jr. Way have recently seen a significant spike in graffiti. Graffiti is a way for gang bangers and others to mark their territory--not unlike a dog pissing on a tree. If your property is tagged, please make an effort to remove the graffiti as soon as possible. Graffiti attracts graffiti. If you see graffiti on private or public property please use the links on our blog to report it to the City of Oakland. CEDA can address graffiti on private property as a violation of the City Blight Ordinance and Public Works can remove graffiti from public right of ways, telephone poles, utility cabinets and other street furniture. 
9 comments:
Not all graffiti is gang-related. To frame it as such is to risk pushing subculture elements into the arms of gangs because they have been so deeply marginalized by everyone else.
A discerning eye can tell the difference between tagging that is gang-related (which can lead to turf wars and violence) and tagging that isn't (which is more of a public works issue).
Christopher thanks. We certainly agree with you that not all tagging is gang-related. We only noted that North Oakland is under attack from taggers and that "gang bangers and others" tag to mark their territory. Regardless of the source of tagging and graffiti, we think the vast majority of it contributes to blight and would prefer to see it removed quickly.
The only graffiti "artists" I've seen in action in this (my) neighborhood have been white douchebag hipster trash that show be shipped back to the suburbs ASAP.
It bothers me that you talk about blight in North Oakland and then on the right side of the screen show the pitbull murals that I see when I'm driving up Shattuck towards Berkeley.
They brighten my day every time I see them.
Also, most taggers won't get up on a mural which is already in place (at least for a while). If North Oakland had more murals, that would be one more way of stopping taggers.
The media plays an important role in how the public views graffiti as an art form. Let's not get vandalism confused with graffiti writing... there is a difference!
Dov 16
Can you elaborate on your point of vandalism versus graffiti writing and whether graffiti is an art form or not?
Anonymous
We chose the two pitbulls for our website not because we think they are blight, but because we like the colorful murals and they are symbolic of how we wanted to approach blight.
I like the Pit Bull murals, too. They are "OUR" neighborhood and were obviously approved by the landlord/owner, unlike the graffiti photos in this posting.
This is an AWESOME gallery of local graf art! Loved it, thanks!
I look at graffiti in two ways. One, if punks are writing on walls they don't own without permission, it's vandalism - period. It should be removed immediately and whomever did it held accountable.
Two, there are some hecka talented graffiti artists whose "work" is very impressive. I wish they would channel their creative energies in more positive ways.
I have also noticed the increased quantities of graffiti in my North Oakland neighborhood. I am chalking it up to incredible warm weather and longer hours of night, which is when most of them tend to be active.
Again, I wish these artists could find other outlets for their talent that did not cheapen and marginalize their work.
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