motivated by a smile

NSW government and the organisation keep australia beautiful NSW have stepped up their anti-graffiti operations of late. not only was there a unified inaugural graffiti day of action [don't the photos make you feel good?] held in may 2010 where one thousand avid residents banded together with religious fervour to clean up operations in identified key areas. education programmes are also being run to enlighten the masses on the potential hazards criminalized street art presents... like thinking. 


which got me to thinking --> wouldn't it be fun to run a counter event?


we already know about the other anti-stuff of fanatic house-value obsessed puritans which was announced by the state premier at the end of 2009: increased money directed into graffiti removal, the instant fines for carrying a spray can, markers or etching implements, on-the-spot fines for retailers, doubled penalties of up to 12 months imprisonment [check out the tagger musk case], the list goes on. one wonders if their zealotry would hypocritically swing if banksy paid a visit?


now there are two recently released reports, products of research conducted by the department of justice and the attorney general. one of these is "the motivations and modus operandi of persons who do graffiti". the sample group was fifty two graffiti kids busted between 2008 - 2009. any marketeer/statistician would cough at this unrepresentative sample. but anyway this is their summary of the four main motivators in order of frequency of the kids who got caught:


1. pursuit of fame or recognition
2. adrenaline rush
3. artistic expression
4. intentional malicious damage


all i know is when i saw this guy i photographed above outside the local mangy mechanics, i smiled. that's the power of art. filed under motivation 3. 


i went home & pulled out my stencils... and turned off youtube.