By: Paul Gemignani
So the other day I went for a typical morning skate session at the local skate park in town, and while I was there I noticed that there where fresh new paint marks around the skate park and in the bowls. After a bit of thought, It occurred to me that they were covering up old graffiti marks that used to adorn the pool walls.
What once was colorful works of art and a form of expression was now a pale gray, lifeless and boring. This concerns me. If not just from a skate boarders stand point but also from an artists standpoint. Graffiti and skateboarding I consider very similar, in that they are both forms of expression and ways for people to circumvent the conventional, but seeing this mainstream influence on two things I enjoy really bummed me out.
I know most people associate graffiti with gangs or whatever, but it started as a raw form of creating something new, just like skateboarding. And now, people are trying to delegate and control two things that should not become mainstream or bled dry.
I personally think, the town should embrace the graffiti and encourage creative, colorful works of art instead of repress it and maybe inspire some people. This might give the skatepark a much more personal feel, rather than just a place to skate.
Check out this article if your interested in this topic more.
County Accepts Graffiti
