In the alleyway beside Amoeba Records on Haight Street in San Francisco, are two long walls of graffiti. Every time I walk by, there are different pieces added or altered along the narrow driveway. The residents clearly don’t mind it being there and honestly, if I had a shop, I would let artists bomb the walls as often as they like.
San Francisco is known for it’s many murals—graffiti or otherwise—and it never fails that when visitors are in town and we are touring around the city, this street “gallery” is one of our destinations. We often end up strolling along what would otherwise be a smelly, dirty back-alley with various members of my family. And invariably we take a lot of photos here.
This is one such shot. What strikes me most about this is the juxtaposition of the tags inside the barred window, and the freeform amorphous pieces outside the little window. It is almost as if some hierarchy of artistry has been established and the lesser creators are banished to that one area.
Or maybe it is just that its easier to fit your hand through the bars with a smaller paint pen and not with a full-sized rattlecan… But in my overactive imagination, I much prefer the thought of painters battling it out for dominant placement while younger, lesser writers scuttle aside to let the big boys through.
Nevertheless, if you are in San Francisco and haven’t taken a tour of the murals, it is definitely worth your time.