LAB tags?

Does anyone have any insight into the LAB tags that have popped up everywhere along Franklin? I poked around the web and couldn't find anything specifically relating the tag to an NYC gang or artist, but they could just be local.

Why are you interested in Graffiti? It's disgusting and serves no purpose other than to mark ones territory like an animal pissing in the jungle.

I want to know who's marking their territory. It could be some kids, it could be a serious gang, it could be a graffiti artist (though I doubt it with these tags), but I'm curious. If these tags are indicative of new or increased gang activity, that would be of interest, no?

I highly doubt it's the work of a "serious" gang, the best thing to do is encourage property owners to paint over it, or if they can't do it themeslves they can have it painted for free by going onto the Community assistance website at NYC.GOV.

I think its just some kid tagging.

@ KWAC - I think graffiti is kind of beautiful. To me it adds another interesting layer to the city. If the city can force me to look at their disgusting billboards all day why can't these kids advertise their name?

Most likely--she or he is freaking prolific, though.

Also, here's the link KWAC was talking about if you want to get graffiti removed:
http://home2.nyc.gov/html/cau/html/qol/anti_graffiti.shtml

Hatemail wrote:
@ KWAC - I think graffiti is kind of beautiful. To me it adds another interesting layer to the city. If the city can force me to look at their disgusting billboards all day why can't these kids advertise their name?

What on earth do the city's billboards (not sure which ones you're referring to) have to do with it? Why is it hard to understand why people would have a problem with tags on private property?

i get it. i mean, yes, i agree that painting on someone else's property=bad, but i also sometimes find graffiti beautiful and often certainly no more annoying to look at than the countless commercial messages thrust at me on the subway, in subway stations, on roads, out the windows of metro north trains, etc.

I don't find it annoying either, but I do see a big difference between graffiti and tags. I understand defending graffiti as art. Tags are a "look at me world" contest requiring no creativity.

i basically agree.

One thing I don't get, however, is the argument that "if only there were opportunities for kids to do art elsewhere, there wouldn't be as much graffiti", when sidewalk chalk, pencils, pens, paper, etc. can be purchased/stolen easier than spray paint.

Maybe the argument needs refining, something along the lines of "if there were opportunities for kids to make huge pieces of art and display them prominently in their neighborhoods, there wouldn't be as much graffiti." I worked at an art center where the kids (10-16, most of them, some older) created a massive mural on the side of a local supermarket, and later in the summer did an unrelated project where they made 2'x3' posters, laminated them, and hung them out in prominent and acquiescent neighborhood places (stoops, playgrounds, fences along gardens, etc). I have no specific numbers for you, but I didn't see a single piece (either the murals or the posters) defaced, and there was very little new graffiti in the area that summer.

For the record, I don't think the LAB tags are beautiful, I think they're obnoxious. I just wanted to know if anyone had heard/read anything that connected them to a person/gang/tag crew/whatever.

in the last neighborhood i lived in (in chicago), there was a very long (like a block) smooth concrete bench in the park that was constantly tagged. someone had the idea of having a yearly bench painting festival for the neighborhood. for a nominal fee (like $20, free for kids), you got a 5-6 foot section of bench that was yours to paint during that weekend. there was a theme and a contest, but lots of people did not follow the theme, and that was allowed, too.

in the 4 years i lived there, i never saw any tags on the bench, i imagine because it so clearly was already claimed by the neighborhood. plus, it was an awesome weekend -- everybody out, working together, having a good time and meeting each other.

That's really cool.

street art makes life tolerable

OnEasternParkway wrote: [quote=Hatemail]
@ KWAC - I think graffiti is kind of beautiful. To me it adds another interesting layer to the city. If the city can force me to look at their disgusting billboards all day why can't these kids advertise their name?

What on earth do the city's billboards (not sure which ones you're referring to) have to do with it? Why is it hard to understand why people would have a problem with tags on private property?

Like this:



I can't even look out the fucking window!

The majority of New Yorkers pretty much hate graffiti. Sure they like pretty street art and maybe some murals, but when it comes to tags or throw ups and especially scratchitti, it drives them mad. But apparently it's not just the scribble on the windows that bothers straphangers, it's any kind of obstruction which might explain the recent controversy surrounding the MTA's decision to place full window ads on the outside of subway cars. It's a move they claim wasn't motivated by money, but to reduced the despised artform. Sure! So basically, the MTA is arguing for one form of visual pollution over the other.