Today I was led to this article on riot-act. And in the comments it led me to this: http://falsiesmob.tumblr.com. And its a endless vortex of tags around this city. As much as I enjoy street art, I just don’t see the point of tagging. It’s just pissing about, staking down territory on lines drawn a map. A competition that normally results in the authorities breaking out heavy sticks and rescinding the polite agreements for everyone else who probably just wants to make art. Imagine the legislative assembly rezoning all of those legal walls. It’s short-sighted, but sound in the eyes of bureaucrats, who will see it as solving a problem and potential brownie points for the next election. Just ask Steve Pratt. But if the tagging continues, there will be no other recourse. And it will be back to a patchwork of mismatched drab shades on brown-on-grey concrete walls for everyone.

Personally, I’d prefer if all of the art was legal, its never always the case. I suppose that’s what stops it from becoming stale. The work has to be hasty, but innovative. It has to be spontaneous, but every movement practised and planned for execution. Most of all, it has to be surprising. The unexpected is unusually welcome. And that is what makes street art great. Tags are not; complete and utter repetitiveness is not art, despite what Warholism might tell you. You can make a run, but to be art you have to call it quits at some point and make something new. So make art, not tags. Paint murals instead of signing your name on everything, because it is art that will get you somewhere.