Euro vandals in NYC subways

[John in Covina]

Napoleans soldiers used the Sphinx for target practice and blew the nose off with cannons. They also burned hundreds if not thousands of "mummies" for firewood in Egypt. Who knows what else was destroyed or removed back then.

 

[Feraud]

I've seen ancient egytian monuments w/ 19th century names&dated carved into the stone.
I think the movie GALLIPOLI depicted this with some Australian cavalrymen.

Yes, a fine film and they do show some graffiti.
MrBern, your comment reminds me of the graffiti we saw at the Natural History exhibit.

 

[missjo]

Napoleans soldiers used the Sphinx for target practice and blew the nose off with cannons. They also burned hundreds if not thousands of "mummies" for firewood in Egypt. Who knows what else was destroyed or removed back then.

culture is wasted on humankind

 

[Harp]

culture is wasted on humankind

Is it?

Or is it that some do not appreciate culture?
And, is it not true that grafitti emanates from culture (society),
so is therefore intrinsic art?

 

[MrBern]

Napoleans soldiers used the Sphinx for target practice and blew the nose off with cannons. They also burned hundreds if not thousands of "mummies" for firewood in Egypt. Who knows what else was destroyed or removed back then.

thank god they never made it to the subway.

 

[MrBern]

Yes, a fine film and they do show some graffiti.
MrBern, your comment reminds me of the graffiti we saw at the Natural History exhibit.

Yes, the Temple of Denur at the NY Metropolitan Museum of Art.

note the wikipedia entry takes note of the 19th century graffiti

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Dendur

I've also read of grafitti found in Pompei.

 

[MrBern]

Is it?

Or is it that some do not appreciate culture?
And, is it not true that grafitti emanates from culture (society),
so is therefore intrinsic art?

or is it that soldiers will burn & loot whatever they need when they are cold & far from home.

 

[Feraud]

note the wikipedia entry takes note of the 19th century graffiti

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Dendur

I've also read of grafitti found in Pompei.

I guess you are telling me some of these modern scribblings might one day be noteworthy.

 

[Harp]

or is it that soldiers will burn & loot whatever they need when they are cold & far from home.

...or zero their field pieces against the Sphinx?

(temporarily put aside Justinian Law as pertains martial execute)

 

[MrBern]

I guess you are telling me some of these modern scribblings might one day be noteworthy.

especially if the artists have been shot!
The price of art always goes up once the artist is departed.

 

[carebear]

That wasn't just (or mostly) Euro types burning Egyptian mummys, the locals used them to fuel the steamboats on the Nile.

graffiti + time = art

 

[Martini Slayer]

Yes, the Temple of Denur at the NY Metropolitan Museum of Art.

note the wikipedia entry takes note of the 19th century graffiti

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Dendur

I've also read of grafitti found in Pompei.

Really? That's funny... I wonder what politically incorrect fodder they could have written on the walls back then?

"Heed all to Romulous and Rheemus. Repent! The end is NEAR!"

 

[MrBern]

the romans

Hmm, I'm trying to remember. I recall some ancient roman graffitti being about a heartbreak, specifically a blonde. Think I read this in NatlGeographic many moons ago.

In Pompeii, the news lately has been more about the restoration of the brothels & the erotic frescoes.
http://www.cbc.ca/storyview/AOLNC/arts/national/2006/10/27/pompeii-brothel.html

 

[farnham54]

Off their turf is right.

There are plenty of buildings, trains, etc. that they can vandalize in Europe. Next time they come to NYC, Cousin Vinny and Uncle Lou should send them and their terribly immature spraypaint habit off home.

Trouble is, I can't help but think: These guys have talent! The painting is usually well done--why can't they paint canvas like everyone else and NOT wreck other peoples property? There would be a hell of a lot more money in it!

Cheers
Craig

 

[GOK]

Shooting Young People...

....for vandalism? What if it was your son or daughter?

I don't think any of us can say with any absolute certainty, "Oh, my child wouldn't do that" - kids do all kinds of things their parents have no idea about.

As for the cave painting, words fail me. At least the trains can be cleaned, windows replaced etc. Those ancient paintings can never be replaced. How incredibly sad to want to destroy one's own heritage. And how competely selfish.

 

[MrBern]

freudian?

Does anyone recall a few years ago, some jerky american kid was in indonesia,or the phillipines or some such & was caught vandalizing? He was sentenced to a cane-ing.
There was a big uproar, but he took it.

I think its interesting that a gun enthusiast might basically write 'spare the rod, spoil the child' and then skip the notion of a cane to go straight to a gun.
Isnt that interesting?
I suppose its like those who consider homeopathy even tho surgeons like to go straight to the knife.

.

 

[BegintheBeguine]

When I visited Dunbar Cave in Tennessee, the guide pooh-poohed the old graffiti. I realized I agree. It's still graffiti even if it is old, and it was ugly in a beautiful place.

 

[Harp]

Hmm, I'm trying to remember. I recall some ancient roman graffitti being about a heartbreak, specifically a blonde. Think I read this in NatlGeographic many moons ago.

...in humilis amor incidere?

 

[Quelquefois]

As part of the youth (although quite unlike "the youth"), I have to say that I can't stand any type of disrespect to property and people.

I've been in New York all my life and it's only been about 4 years since we've cleaned up the trains and all that. My local train was the grimiest and dirtiest of all, I think it was one of the very last lines to get the silver cars that you see in the image.

It's hard to believe that not so long ago I was still commuting in a red exterior, puke-yellow interior, scratched-up, splattered, dirty 7 train. If someone had done graffiti on those I wouldn't have minded so much because it would have livened the environment.

I'm just really ashamed that people, especially foreigners would do this. It's all about respect.

And, another thing ( I didn't read the article ), I can only imagine the vandal(s) being really smug and just awaiting people's reactions as soon as the train pulled out of the station. Hopefully nobody cared in a very New York fashion.

Whatever. I hope some other vandal gets the responsibility of cleaning up another's work. That'd be a nice punishment. Jerks.

 

[Spitfire]

Visit Copenhagen sometime. Notice the utter lack of graffiti on public transit.

Maybe these folks think NY is a rathole compared to their hometowns (and they have a point). Or maybe they feel repressed back there and think NY is for freedom and anarchy (and they have a point).

Anyway, this NY metro-er wishes they'd take it to Amsterdam, where they'll probably love it. Here, we've got some old issues with this stuff. And in any case, you're off your turf.

When were you in Copenhagen last time, Fletch?
Every other train has some kind of stupid graffiti. Sometimes it covers windows and doors too. Not nice