If you get your information online, you already know that Jake Dobkin revealed on Gothamist that someone called “The Splasher” is responsible for the destruction of street art in Williamsburg and Soho. For the handful of you, however, that didn’t see the post, he writes, “Over the last few months, someone has been splashing paint over major streetart works all over the city. The ‘Splasher’, as he’s come to be known, has a taste for targeting major pieces by Swoon, Obey, Momo, and others. His trail of paint-dripped terror extends from Williamsburg, to Soho, and back again– and he’s already obliterated dozens of pieces.” As one who appreciates the work of Swoon and other artists, we find this all tremendously depressing. There is more info and many photos in the post as well as an ongoing discussion about the propriety of destroying street art and about street art itself. The street artists known as Flower Face Killah says that the Splasher is a former Columbia student named Zak, which still doesn’t explain the Splasher’s infantile, pseudointellectual psychobabble about “the fetishized action of banality” and “unmediated actualization of desires.”
We could say a lot of things. “Bite me,” comes most readily to mind. But, we won’t say that or utter any of the curses or epithets we yearn to type. Instead, we will ask: With all the things one could splash in Brooklyn and Manhattan, this person has to destroy street art?
Related Posts:
Casualties of the N. 6th Street Graffiti War in Williamsburg
Art: The Excrement of Action, Edited
5 responses so far ↓
1 Anonymous // Jan 24, 2007 at 8:17 am
As usual, you’re hypocritical. Why is drawing on walls considered art but drawing on drawings on walls considered vandalism? If you accept that any alteration of a surface is artistic, than you must accept these splashings as artistic as well. If not, you’re just a knee-jerk anti-establishment hypocrite who arbitrarily opposes whatever those with power do without actually applying rational analysis to their actions. And surely that’s not what you do… right? Uh, right?
2 Bob // Jan 24, 2007 at 11:12 pm
For fuck’s sake, the man’s aesthetic tastes don’t need to be so straight-forward. You can like one piece of art and not another, regardless of genre, medium, intent, or effect.
Personally, I like the splasher. I think he makes most of those works look better.
3 Charlie Dunver // Jan 25, 2007 at 4:33 am
I have mixed thoughts on this one. First, it really just seems like a “Toy” with attitude is on the loose, and, secondly, I have to think of graffiti as being a long “established” art form that is long overdue to get trashed in some form. I am surprised this didn’t happen on a large scale 20 years ago.
Neath
4 ANP // Jan 25, 2007 at 5:38 pm
” you’re just a knee-jerk anti-establishment hypocrite who arbitrarily opposes whatever those with power do without actually applying rational analysis to their actions.”
I have to say, I think anonymous might be on to something…
5 Mr. Your On Fire Mr. // Feb 1, 2007 at 10:45 pm
Cap1