ISSUES Fall 2012

Page 1

fall 2012

ISSUES is a collaborative, multidisciplinary publication that explores social issues in St. Louis through the lens of architecture and urban design. This publication seeks to introduce social issues - and their existing and potential solutions - to students of Washington University and members of the St. Louis community. ISSUES serves as a diverse platform for the discussion of pressing social problems; it intends to inspire change in under-served communities in St. Louis and elsewhere.

DUFKLWHFWXUH FDQ SOD\ D VLJQLĂ€FDQW SDUW LQ GHWHUPLQLQJ KRZ SHRSOH if architecture is going to inspire SDUWLFLSDWH LQ WKH RQJRLQJ UHVWUXFWXULQJ RI HFRQRPLF DQG FXOWXUDO community, or stimulate the status quo SUDFWLFHV E\ DFWLQJ DV D FDWDO\VW IRU QHZ H[SHULHQFHV DQG SHUFHSWLRQV in making responsible environmental DQQD NOLQJPDQQ and social structural changes now and ,QFUHDVLQJO\ $PHULFDQ FLWL]HQV DUH HQFRXUDJHG WR Ă€QG WKHLU UHOD[DWLRQ HQWHUWDLQPHQW FRPSDQLRQVKLS HYHQ in the future, it will take what i call the safety, almost entirely within the privacy of homes that have become more a retreat from society than a ‘subversive leadership’ of academicians connection to it. - Ray Oldenburg and practitioners to remind the student HQHUJ\ FDQ DQG VKRXOG QRW EH VWRSSHG E\ DQ\ DFDGHPLF RU OHJDO SODQQLQJ SURFHVV of architecture that theory and practice HGL UDPD Make no small plans are not only interwoven with one’s culture what concerns me as much as the state of American building is the american state of mind, for they have not the but with the responsibility of shaping the environment, of breaking up social in waich illusion is preferred over reality to the power to stir the soul. complacency, and challenging the power of point where the replica is accepted as genuine and the simulacrum replaces the source. - ada Niccolo Machiavelli the status quo. - samuel mockbee louise huxtable

ZH PXVW ÀJKW WKH RUJDQL]DWLRQ LW LV ZUHWFKHG GLVSLULWLQJ advice to hold before him the dream that ideally there need EH QR FRQà LFW EHWZHHQ KLP DQG VRFLHW\ WKHUH DOZD\V LV WKHUH always must be. ideology cannot wish it away; the peace of PLQG RIIHUHG E\ RUJDQL]DWLRQ UHPDLQV D VXUUHQGHU :LOOLDP Whyte, Jr. UHEXLOG WKH FLW\ OLWWOH E\ OLWWOH URE IDJHUVWURP RXU PRVW EHDXWLIXO EXLOGLQJV PXVW EH LQ RXU SRRUHVW DUHDV VHUJLR IDMDUGR

i loved it. there was something very unique and special about the relationships we had. even though WKHUH ZHUH PDQ\ PDQ\ ÀJKWV WKHUH (was) still something unique. it was like a very huge family. ‌. i had a ball growing up in the projects. just a ball. given the choice between growing up in Ladue and growing up in the projects, i’d pick the projects, hands down. - barbara west, 2005 (on pruitt-igoe)

When we do a project in which the voiceless speak, others who IRUP IUR]H IXQFWLRQ come to witness it can leave with stewart brand the idea that they too can speak, The sketch is a mark that suggests that they too have a voice. the possibility of an idea and an ideal. - samuel mockbee .U]\V]WRI :RGLF]NR

The whole world watches to see whether the demthe chief worth of civilization is that it makes the means of living more DUFKLWHFWXUHÂŤLV QRW RQO\ ocratic ideal in hucomplex; that it calls for great and combined intellectual efforts, instead of EXLOGLQJV EXW DOO WKH ZRUNV man relationships simple, uncoordinated ones, in order that the crowd may be fed and clothed WKDW PDQ PDNHV ZLWK KLV is viable. Can citiand housed and moved from place to place. because more complex and KDQGV LQ WKH FRXUVH RI ]HQV OHDUQ WR VHHN intense intellectual efforts means a fuller and richer life. they mean more KLV GDLO\ RFFXSDWLRQV their own welfare life. life is an end in itself, and the only question as to whether it is worth PDUWLQ KHLGHJJHU and growth not living is whether you have enough of it. - oliver wendell holmes, jr. at the expense of :KLOH WKH JUDIĂ€WL ZDOO KDV KDG LWV SUREOHPV WKHUH KDYH EHHQ YHU\ IHZ If home is a safe spot that offers security and their fellow men, popular activities over the years that haven’t, from Fair Saint Louis to contentment, a place that restores and susthe Strassenfest, and the problems have ranged from crime to public but in concert with urination. In those instances, bright minds came together to deal tains us, where we can be both grounded and with the problems while allowing the events to continue. It seems rooted, then far too many people who seem them? The human WKDW EULJKW PLQGV GLGQ¡W SUHYDLO WKLV WLPH DQG WKH FLW\ FRXOGQ¡W Ă€JXUH to be adequately sheltered are, in a more basic family does not yet RXW D ZD\ WR DOORZ WKH JUDIĂ€WL ZDOO WR FRQWLQXH %XW WKHQ DJDLQ WKDW would have required being bold and taking a risk. It’s not something sense, homeless. know the answer, St. Louis is famous for. - Greg Freeman Tony Hiss but hopes it will be 7KH VWDUU\ H\HG HWKLFV RI SHUIHFWLELOLW\ KDV WR JLYH DIĂ€UPDWLYH ZD\ WR WKH VWHUQHU RQH RI UHVSRQVLELOLW\ +DQV -RQDV YOU DECIDE. Gordon Allpor

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

JOHN WIMMER LIZ KRAMER

THE GREATER UNIVERSITY SERVICE FOUNDATION

JOHN FOUGHTY 7(' %$=,/ ALEXANDER COX DAVID STOKES 67(3+$1,(6 +(5%(56 MARTIN LOCKMAN NIA EDWARDS SUZANNE PUTNAM & STEVEN SCHEINMAN

SLOUP

&2175,%87256

CONTENT

ELAINE STOKES MICHAEL SAVALA HOMELESSNESS

5

REAGAN LAUDER STEPH SILVA

WHAT YOU WON’T GET FROM A VALUE MEAL

7

OLD NORTH

9

/(25$ %$80 NICHOLE MURPHY /,%%< 3(52/'

100 X 100

11

FOOD DESERTS

13

&$6(< 0(5%(5 ERICA CANUP SARA WONG

85%$1 $*5,&8/785(

15

GRAFFITI

16

TORI SGARRO CLAIRE HUTTENLOCHER 7(' %$=,/

THE FLOOD WALL

19

ANDREW SCHEINMAN ARIANA MONTANEZ MARGARET FLATLEY 9,5*,1,$ %26:257+ J.D. SCOTT

Without A Home

You’re in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Saint Louis without a roof over your head, sleeping on the few park benches where the sprinklers don’t interrupt your sleep.You take a bus—two dollars from what little you have—to travel over to the west side of town, to Delmar Loop, Clayton, Richmond Heights, where people have money.You stand on the corner, cardboard sign in one hand and cup in the other, standing patiently all day for a few generous people who give you enough money for food and the bus trips so you can repeat that process again. To be certain, not every homeless person goes through this, but it’s a scenario that exists. Passersby refuse to give persons in need money on the spot because they believe that the said person will spend it on drugs, alcohol, or other vices based on society’s assumptions. The person asking for money will be left without the resources he or she will QHHG WR JHW WKURXJK WKH GD\ %RWK SHRSOH PRYH RQ KDYLQJ OHDUQHG nothing from the experience. For those who aren’t homeless, the idea isn’t as distant as it may VHHP 7KH UHDVRQV IRU KRPHOHVVQHVV DUH LQÀQLWH 7KH\ UDQJH IURP the drug abuse and criminal acts—the assumptions that many hold about the homeless--to the more common and inevitable causes of joblessness and tragedies. Though it’s harsh for the people who have available resources to snap judge those who need them, it happens often enough to cause distrust from both sides. So why is homelessness so abundant in our cities and in our ZRUOG WRGD\" 7KH UHDVRQV DUH DV GLYHUVH DV WKH SHRSOH ZKR ÀQG themselves in them, but most of the causes are exacerbated by the built structure of the area. In American cities like Saint Louis especially, different entities—home, work, stores, and food sources—are so distant that each require a car or bus pass to reach. Maintaining a vehicle costs a substantial amount and bus passes cost a lot of money, which could be used for food or rent

instead. And even when one does own an apartment or home, the cost of upkeep is substantial enough to force eviction and foreclosure. The issue of homelessness will take a lot of resources to eliminate, EXW WKHUH DUH FHUWDLQO\ SHRSOH DQG RUJDQL]DWLRQV ZRUNLQJ WR KHOS people out. One of these people is Jay Swoboda, creator and FXUUHQW HGLWRU RI :KDW¡V 8S PDJD]LQH :KDW¡V 8S PDJD]LQH LV D VROXWLRQ GHVLJQHG WR LQ KLV ZRUGV ´JLYH SHRSOH D KDQG XS QRW D KDQG RXW Âľ 7KH YHQGRUV RI WKH PDJD]LQH DOO RI ZKRP DUH KRPHOHVV EX\ WKH PDJD]LQH DW D ORZ IHH DQG WKHQ VHOO LW DW FRPPHUFLDO FHQWHUV DFURVV WKH FLW\ WR PDNH D SURĂ€W 7KH logic is that by giving the vendor a job, not simply a check, the vendor can work his or her way out of an economic downturn and towards a better lifestyle. +DYLQJ UXQ WKH PDJD]LQH IRU RYHU \HDUV -D\ KDV PHW many homeless people and heard their stories. He describes KRPHOHVVQHVV DV WKH LQHYLWDEOH RXWFRPH RI OLIH¡V VLWXDWLRQV ´:H DOO make bad decisions and go through hardships, ours just don’t cost XV RXU KRXVLQJ Âľ $FWLQJ DV D FRXQWHU WR WKH VLWXDWLRQ KLV PDJD]LQH GRHV PRUH WKDQ RIIHU Ă€QDQFLDO EHQHĂ€WV ² LW EXLOGV VHOI HVWHHP The vendors make their own wages and work towards earning WKHLU ZD\ RXW RI D Ă€QDQFLDO VOXP HPSRZHULQJ DQG EHQHĂ€WLQJ WKHP HPRWLRQDOO\ DV ZHOO DV Ă€QDQFLDOO\ 0DQ\ SHRSOH JURXSV DQG RUJDQL]DWLRQV H[LVW WR GLVWULEXWH resources to those who need them and they have been effective at their reach, but homelessness still exists on a huge scale. Society does not help; those who are more fortunate tend to perpetuate the negative stereotypes of homeless people, who deal with many more hardships than society is willing to admit. The gap between the privileged person and the panhandler is only as wide the narrow space that separates the two; it is for this reason that a level of understanding is crucial.

What You Won’t Get From a Value Meal There’s something so utterly romantic about McDonald’s. That feeling of knowing exactly what you crave and getting just that. Maybe it’s the smell of grease that for some reason, no matter where you are, is no more than a couple of miles and a couple of dollars away. The coating of oil from a handful of fries on your Ă€QJHUV WKH ZKLII RI D IUHVK EDWFK RI 0F1XJJHWV WKDW TXLFNO\ Ă€OOV XS \RXU FDU DQG VXUURXQGV \RX LQ SXUH MR\ WKHVH XVHG WR EH parts of the best meal I could imagine. 6LQFH WKH Ă€UVW WLPH , KDG 0F'RQDOG¡V , KDYH VRPHKRZ DOZD\V wanted more. There could really never be enough McNuggets in my life. I constantly begged my mother to drive me to McDonald’s as often as possible. We would typically go once a week, on the way to my art class, and I looked forward to it all week. I would get so excited for the McDonald’s portion of the evening that I would be almost disappointed that I had an art class to go to afterwards; I just wanted to feast all night. It was as if the most thrilling part of eating McDonald’s was the anticipation. My eating experiences at McDonald’s were probably a lot like everyone else’s. We would pull up to the Drive-Thru, order exactly the same thing every time, and begin eating in my PRWKHU¡V 689 OHVV WKDQ Ă€YH PLQXWHV ODWHU :H ZRXOG DOO TXLHWO\ scarf down our meals in less than ten minutes, with hardly a word of conversation breaking the harsh focus on eating. The HQWLUH RUGHDO ZDV RYHU ZLWKLQ Ă€IWHHQ PLQXWHV $QG DV VRRQ as it was over, sometimes even before it was over, it seemed like I couldn’t help but want more. Not because I was hungry, but because McDonald’s promised me something magical. It promised me a mundane regularity, a dependable meal that may not have been so great, but it still always seemed like a great idea. As I grew older and was eventually granted the freedom to drive, , EHJDQ WR JHW 0F'RQDOG¡V PRUH RIWHQ , Ă€QDOO\ JRW WR EUHDN IUHH from my mother’s tyrannical weekly limit, and I could have it as much as I could manage to drive there. To this day, I have no idea how often I would go; all of the experiences I’ve had with McDonalds blend together in an incredibly monotonous set of meals. I went often enough that my friends who worked behind the counter knew exactly what I wanted and usually put down the order before I asked. Sometimes at around one or two in the morning, my friends and I would get some food and sit in the

SDUNLQJ ORW IRU DQ KRXU RU VR MXVW WDONLQJ %XW WKURXJK DOO RI WKLV , FDQQRW VSHFLÀFDOO\ UHPHPEHU DQ\ SDUWLFXODU PHDO RU H[SHULHQFH just a string of blissful moments. In fact, of all of the times I’ve eaten McDonald’s, I can only remember a handful of experiences. McDonald’s was not about eating. It was about the idea of eating. It was about continually feeding into an insatiable want. Actually consuming these meals was not satisfying, and not stimulating. It was just dependable, and somehow still continually desirable. $IWHU P\ ÀUVW \HDU RI FROOHJH , GHFLGHG WR FKDQJH P\ HDWLQJ habits. For a variety of reasons I became a vegetarian and generally ate much healthier, organic, local food, etcetera. Noting more than a year’s worth of understanding the effects that food like McDonald’s has on public health, the environment, animal welfare, large-scale social issues, and so many other problems, I decided it was time for a change. This inconveniently brought up the question of what I would eat when the only thing around or open was fast food. In August, before my sophomore year, I took a weeklong road trip back to school, from New York to St. Louis. Naturally, when on the road, I didn’t have a whole lot of eating options that were vegetarian friendly. And in the early phases of my vegetarianism, I didn’t think ahead to take any food along with me. This meant I was either going to suck it up and eat fast food, starve, or give the random, strange-looking roadside diners a shot. Unlike my many meals at McDonald’s, I remember every one of WKHVH H[SHULHQFHV DOPRVW SHUIHFWO\ 7KH ÀUVW RQH IRU H[DPSOH VHW the course for my taste for local eateries. In the middle of rural Pennsylvania, my friends and I entered a seemingly shady diner at OXQFK KRXU RQO\ WR ÀQG D QXPEHU RI IULHQGO\ LI ZHLUG ROG SHRSOH who happened to be quite talkative. We had an unexpectedly delightful conversation with the waitress, not so young herself. The menu, which of course suited my needs better than any of the food chains, had an unusually wide variety of items, from which one of my friends ordered pancakes. The pancakes arrived, and in very interesting form. My friend noted the texture of his IRRG DV VRUW RI OHDWKHU OLNH ZLWK D GDUN EURZQ JORVV\ ÀQLVK DQG before long we watched him stop to pet his pancakes. Naturally, all of us were laughing so hard we were practically crying. Even

people sitting at the table next to us noticed, and joined in the fun. The meal ensued with memorable conversation, and was a purely hilarious experience. I was never again going to regret changing my dietary choices. My enjoyment therefore lasted far longer than the momentary bliss of a McDonald’s meal. It wasn’t about the quality of the food, and we didn’t know what to expect JRLQJ LQ UDWKHU LW ZDV DERXW UHDOL]LQJ WKDW WKH EHVW PHDOV ZHUH complete experiences, not just quick satiation of desires. From then on, within that trip and throughout the last year and a half, I’ve tried to eat at as many hole-in-the-wall Mexican SODFHV ORFDO SL]]HULDV GLQHUV &KLQHVH IRRG SODFHV DQG RWKHU UDQGRP HDWHULHV DV SRVVLEOH ,¡YH VSHFLĂ€FDOO\ FKRVHQ WKHVH SODFHV on road trips, in my town, and in other cities. My friends would opt for fast food, for chain restaurants, where they knew what kind of meal and what kind of experience they’d get, while I have had some of the best meals of my life. They would anxiously await their meal, eat it without thinking about it, and leave the WDEOH ZLWK OLWWOH UHĂ HFWLRQ +RZHYHU P\ PHDOV ZHUH ORQJHU more continually exciting, probably tastier, and generally great experiences. I’ve since met some of the most interesting waiters and other employees, visited some of the most interesting spaces, and struck up random conversations with other guests. There is a certain sense of community within these places that can’t be matched at a cookie cutter McDonald’s. At a local eatery, you don’t quite know what will happen, even if you’d been there EHIRUH %HFDXVH RI WKH XQLTXH TXDOLWLHV RI VLQJOH ORFDWLRQ HDWHULHV FKDQFH DQG SHUVRQDOLW\ ZHUH ERXQG WR Ă€QG WKHLU ZD\ LQWR \RXU food, which is exactly what food chains are built to prevent. I’ve generally found that the most interesting conversations happen at the most interesting places, and fast food chains are designed to not be. At local eateries, your surroundings inspire you. There is a certain beauty to not knowing what you are going to get, to having your surroundings decide for you. There is something so fantastic about not being anxious about your meal, but letting it happen, and reacting to it. The best experiences and best memories happen at random, and choosing the beautiful uncertainty of a unique eatery always trumps the dependency of McDonald’s or of any chain restaurant for me.

Driving through North St. Louis is a lesson in forgotten urban VSDFH DEDQGRQHG ZDUHKRXVHV HPSW\ ORWV ERDUGHG XS KRXVHV and deteriorating sidewalks stretch for miles on end. With buildings scattered sparsely across vast tracts of land, St. Louis City has nowhere near the resources to address the sprawling disinvestment within its borders. However, a small pocket of North St. Louis has fought back to rebuild community in their area. The intersection of North 14th Street and Saint Louis Avenue serves as a stark contrast to its surroundings. %XLOGLQJV DUH ZHOO NHSW SODQWLQJV DUH WULPPHG WKH VLGHZDONV DUH maintained, and a local artist has painted colorful murals on the street. Through structural and aesthetic investments, Old North 6W /RXLV LV UHGHÀQLQJ LWV LPDJH DQG VWUHQJWKHQLQJ QHLJKERUKRRG connections. 14th Street sits at the heart of Old North and has been the focus of the Crown Square redevelopment project carried out by Old North Saint Louis Restoration Group (ONSL). ONSL EHJDQ LQ DV D QRQ SURÀW QHLJKERUKRRG JURXS WR GHYHORS and protect the area’s community and historic legacy.* Through JUDQWV FROODERUDWLRQ ZLWK RWKHU RUJDQL]DWLRQV DQG PRVW importantly, involvement of local residents, ONSL has established Crown Square as a source of pride for the community that IDFLOLWDWHV FROODERUDWLRQ EHWZHHQ UHVLGHQWV DQG EXVLQHVVHV %\ focusing on a concentrated area, ONSL has chosen to address regional problems of resource accessibility on a neighborhood scale. Through this method, issues that appear impossible on a macro scale become more manageable on a micro scale, especially when solved with grassroots solutions. This effort has made the neighborhood an oasis in the midst of a struggling urban area. In fact, Crown Square has served as an oasis in the most literal sense of the word, as the surrounding North Saint Louis

TXDOLĂ€HV DV D ´IRRG GHVHUW Âľ 7KLV WHUP UHIHUV WR ]RQHV ZKHUH healthy food choices are simply not available. Often, gas stations provide the only source of food in these areas. In response to the desperate need for healthy and affordable food, ONSL began a farmer’s market on 14th Street that operates every 6DWXUGD\ IURP DP WR QRRQ GXULQJ WKH VXPPHU DQG HDUO\ fall months. In addition to providing food accessibility, ONSL’s chief administrator Sean Thomas notes the other strengths of D IDUPHU¡V PDUNHW DV ´DQ RSSRUWXQLW\ WR EXLOG FRPPXQLW\ DQG common ground space regardless of [the community members’] EDFNJURXQGV Âľ %XW 216/ GLG QRW VWRS ZLWK WKH IDUPHU¡V PDUNHW Sean Thomas gives credit to local residents for wanting to create access to local food. With just 59% of residents owning cars, creating a permanent food source within walking distance was critical. In July 2010, the Old North Grocery Co-op opened in a previously abandoned warehouse, with ONSL guiding the property purchase. The vacant building was under threat of being bought by an unknown individual whose intentions for the lot were unknown. Luckily, ONSL ensured the building was purchased by an individual who had the neighborhood’s interests at heart. Now, the Co-op provides local jobs as well as local food and even incorporates a community garden in a nearby lot that produces vegetables to be sold at the farmer’s market. The major community advancements achieved through the Co-op illustrate the power of a single business to make a community vastly more self-sustaining. While the Old North Grocery Co-op is a powerful example of community development in and of itself, it is only one aspect of the changes occurring in Crown Square. ONSL has involved the restoration of 27 formerly vacant buildings on 14th Street and 12 properties on adjacent blocks, which have become the location of several storefronts and 80 mixed-use apartments. 42 of these homes are affordable rentals made possible by low income

income tax credits. The development of Crown Square has experienced varied success so far. According to Sean Thomas, the residential units are hovering close to maximum occupancy, with a mix of local residents and members of the broader Saint Louis community moving in. However, many of the commercial VWRUHIURQWV UHPDLQ YDFDQW 216/ UHFRJQL]HV WKDW WKH ORZ population density of Old North is not enough to sustain GR]HQV RI EXVLQHVVHV LQ VXFK D WLJKW FRQFHQWUDWLRQ DQG WKLV understanding was a factor in the decision to make the buildings on 14th Street mixed-use rather than purely commercial. Even with this adjustment, more businesses are needed to make 14th Street a vibrant commercial center. Crown Candy Kitchen, the historic malt shop, already serves as a draw to the neighborhood, but Sean Thomas expressed ONSL’s desire to attract more high SURÀOH EXVLQHVVHV WR WKH QHLJKERUKRRG 7KLV VWUXJJOH W\SLÀHV WKH FDWFK RI PDQ\ ORZ GHQVLW\ DUHDV PRUH UHVLGHQWV DUH QHHGHG

to support an increase of businesses, but without existing businesses there is little to attract more residents. The heart of the issue that faces neighborhoods like Old North is the vast expanse of property that needs to be addressed. In Saint Louis, the low population density spread over a wide geographical area makes it impossible to address all neighborhoods equally; there are no funds to do so. In this situation, ONSL seems to have approached a large-scale SUREOHP LQ WKH PRVW SUDFWLFDO HIĂ€FLHQW ZD\ SRVVLEOH GHYHORS a node that can connect to other nodes, which will eventually create a spreading web of successful communities. This is not an overnight process, but with the range of issues that address this city, incremental progress is the best possibility for future success.ess this *ONSL.orgcity, incremental progress is the best possibility for

,W VWDUWHG ZLWK DQ HPDLO 7KH %RVWRQ 6RFLHW\ of Architects sends out a newsletter every week with events and announcements in the near future. Sometimes I read them, sometimes I don’t. One week this summer, I read through the DQQRXQFHPHQWV DQG IRXQG WKH IROORZLQJ

“

´ IRU Âľ 6HHNV $UFKLWHFWV DQG 'HVLJQHUV 6XVWDLQDELOLW\ *XLOG ,QWHUQDWLRQDO D 'RUFKHVWHU EDVHG VRFLDO HQWHUSULVH LV ODXQFKLQJ ´ IRU Âľ DQ LQLWLDWLYH WR FRQQHFW DUFKLWHFWV DQG GHVLJQHUV ZLWK 'RUFKHVWHU UHVLGHQWV LQ GHVLJQ EXLOG SURMHFWV WKLV VXPPHU 7KH LQLWLDWLYH ZLOO HQJDJH UHVLGHQWV LQ WKH GHVLJQ DQG PDUNHW WHVWLQJ RI SURMHFWV IRFXVHG RQ FOHDQ HQHUJ\ FRPPXQLW\ EHDXWLĂ€FDWLRQ XUEDQ JDUGHQLQJ DQG IRRG DFFHVV

,W ZDV WRR SHUIHFW ´FOHDQ HQHUJ\ FRPPXQLW\ EHDXWLĂ€FDWLRQ urban gardening and food access.â€? I had learned about these topics during several classes at WashU, but had always been FXULRXV DERXW WKHP LQ WKH %RVWRQ DUHD , FDOOHG WKH ZRPDQ LQ charge of the project to discuss the potential ways in which I FRXOG KHOS %HLQJ D FROOHJH VWXGHQW ZLWKRXW PXFK H[SHULHQFH , was unsure of how she would respond to my offer. That phone call instantly allayed my nervousness. She was eager to accept my help and asked me to meet with her later that week to visit the sites they planned to redesign. As she described it, there was immense opportunity and encouragement from the city to better the communities and areas within Dorchester. Upon arriving in Dorchester, I found shingle-style houses similar to those I had seen in other parts of the city. Even the foreclosed house on the street near one of the community gardens was in relatively good shape. There was also little to no vandalism in and around the areas where we were working. The fences surrounding the vacant lots were intact and there was QR JUDIĂ€WL LQ VLJKW Speaking with Jhana made me re-examine the angle from which I was approaching the problems in Dorchester. While I was in St. Louis, I took a class that focused on crime prevention through design. However, when I mentioned trying to decrease the crime in the area through design, Jhana warned me to be careful of presenting the projects as forms of crime prevention LQ ´GDQJHURXV QHLJKERUKRRGVÂľ EHFDXVH SHRSOH ZRXOG EH offended by having their neighborhoods called dangerous. Instead, the focus was on beautifying the area to create more outdoor activity and community engagement. What crime is present in the area would be decreased by more people RQ WKH VWUHHW %\ HQFRXUDJLQJ WKH XVH RI WKH VWUHHWV DQG community gardens, activeness in the area would increase while simultaneously decreasing crime and increasing the appeal of the area.

â€? ´ IRU Âľ

Seeks Architects and Designers

7KH SURMHFW FRQVLVWHG RI Ă€YH LQLWLDO VLWHV WKDW ZRXOG LGHDOO\ DFW as examples for other vacant lots around the city. The mayor DQG FLW\ RIĂ€FLDOV ZHUH SDUWLFXODUO\ LQWHUHVWHG LQ WKH VXFFHVV RI WKLV SURMHFW JLYHQ LWV SRWHQWLDO IRU UHSOLFDWLRQ 7KH Ă€YH ORWV WR EH developed into places of community activity were located near WZR PDMRU FRPPHUFLDO VWUHHWV LQ 'RUFKHVWHU 7KH Ă€UVW %OXH +LOO Avenue, is a corridor that stretches through several parts of the city, running from Roxbury to Mattapan. The main goal for the ORWV DORQJ %OXH +LOO $YHQXH ZDV WR FUHDWH PRUH DFWLYLW\ particularly at night. There were more stray animals, raccoons, etc. around the area, so residents did not want community gardens that would increase the desirability of this area for animals. The other major issue was drugs and prostitution in the area. With an increase in evening activity, these illegal activities should decrease. %RZGRLQ *HQHYD KDV D FRPPXQLW\ FR RS IDUPHU¡V PDUNHW 7KH idea was that community members could get involved growing fresh fruits and vegetables in the community gardens. These fruits and vegetables would then be sold at the neighborhood farmer’s market to make healthy foods easily accessible, while funding the gardens.

While it is still early for construction to be occurring on the sites, the Sustainability Guild has begun several pop-up activities WR EULQJ FRPPXQLW\ PHPEHUV WRJHWKHU ´)UHVK )ULGD\VÂľ LV D ZHHNO\ HYHQW FRPELQLQJ OLYH PXVLF DQG IUHVK food. Fruits and vegetables from the Coleman St. garden provides weekly fresh, affordable, and healthy meals. Support from the city has been visible through Mayor Tom Menino’s attendance at one week’s Fresh Friday. ´$ 3OD\ZD\ RQ &ROHPDQ 6W Âľ WRRN RYHU &ROHPDQ 6WUHHW RQH Saturday with the goal of bringing together families with sameage children that attend different schools. The city shut down the one-way street so that children and families could participate in hula hooping, badminton, salsa dancing, live music, and other activities. More information on activity by the Sustainability Guild can be found at sustainabilityguild.wordpress.com or on their facebook page, Sustainability Guild International.

Food Deserts Restricted access to fresh and nutritious food KDV EHFRPH D VLJQLÀFDQW SUREOHP LQ WKH 6W /RXLV UHJLRQ creating isolated neighborhoods called food deserts. These UHJLRQV DUH PDLQWDLQHG E\ LQHIÀFLHQW SXEOLF WUDQVSRUWDWLRQ VLJQLÀFDQW FXOWXUDO GLIIHUHQFHV DQG VWDUN ÀQDQFLDO disparities. 2Q WKH PHWUR IRU WKH ÀUVW WLPH DV D IUHVKPDQ I sat across from a woman carrying two bulging plastic grocery bags. Each of her two young sons was carrying another bag. They sat side by side, using only 2 seats. The mother was nodding off against the window. Without a car, it is certainly a challenge to live in St. Louis. Over the past few decades, St. Louis has experienced a growing dependency on cars. This has led to urban VSUDZO WKH WHQGHQF\ IRU SHRSOH WR PRYH DZD\ IURP cities into suburbs. The mass construction of several interstates crossing the city and county has added to this SKHQRPHQRQ 0LGGOH FODVV UHVLGHQWV KDYH à HG WKH FLW\ OHDYLQJ ORZ LQFRPH DQG VHQLRU FLWL]HQV ZLWKRXW SK\VLFDO RU ÀQDQFLDO DFFHVV WR IUHVK IRRG 3RYHUW\ DQG HFRQRPLF instability develop in these neighborhoods, and many families rely on fast food restaurants and other cheap alternatives for daily nutrition. While the government has struggled to purge cities of food deserts through legislation, few steps have been taken to provide healthier food options and adequate public transportation in the affected regions. The Soulard Marketplace is an excellent example of a neighborhood providing healthy options for its residents. Walking into this 200 year old market, I was

reminded of the excitement that fresh food brings to a community. The stands were bursting with ripe fruits and colorful vegetables that would not put too much of a dent in my college budget. These warehouses are a haven of fresh food at decent prices, but they are isolated because the market is not accessible from adjacent neighborhoods by a sidewalk. Additionally, the metro does not stop at or QHDU 6RXODUG %HFDXVH RI WKLV WKH PDUNHW GRHV QRW DWWUDFW many low income families, even though the produce is fresh and priced well. LaSalle Park, located just south of downtown St. Louis, is a neighborhood considered by the USDA to be a food desert. From this region, the closest sources of fresh food are not easily accessible by foot or public transportation. Save a Lot is a half an hour walk, and Aldi LV D IRUW\ ÀYH PLQXWH ZDON RU EXVHV 6FKQXFNV LV DQ KRXU walk or 2 busses, and Shop n Save is an hour and a half ZDON RU D WZHQW\ ÀYH PLQXWH EXV ULGH *URZLQJ IDPLOLHV PXVW ZHLJK WKH EHQHÀWV RI nutritious food with its expenses and inaccessibility. They PXVW HLWKHU ÀQG FKLOGFDUH RU WDNH WKHLU FKLOGUHQ ZLWK WKHP on long trips to the store. It’s not hard to see why so many families choose closer fast food restaurants. It is also critical to understand the cultural LQà XHQFH RI JURZLQJ XS ZLWK XQKHDOWK\ HDWLQJ KDELWV 7KH disturbing question is that even if food trucks were to deliver fresh food into poor urban communities, would its inhabitants even embrace it? The answer is most likely not. The truth is that the younger generation growing up in food deserts has no interest in fresh produce, and does

not know how to prepare and cook fresh food. Great efforts have been made to rejuvenate urban communities through urban gardening. Gateway *UHHQLQJ LV D KLJKO\ VXFFHVVIXO QRQ SURĂ€W RUJDQL]DWLRQ that believes in the power of fresh food to strengthen communities that have been left in the wake of economic downturn and urban sprawl. It works with the community to initiate urban gardens that produce fresh fruits and vegetables that bring people together and keep them KHDOWK\ 7KLV RUJDQL]DWLRQ DOVR ZRUNV ZLWK VFKRROV WR WHDFK

children about healthy foods, how to prepare food, and how to grow fresh food through gardening. The %XUQLQJ .XPTXDW ZKLFK LV DIĂ€OLDWHG ZLWK *DWHZD\ Greening, is a sustainable student-run urban garden here at Washington University. A portion of the produce from the garden is sold in low income neighborhoods that do not have access to fresh food. Urban gardens serve to educate the public about the importance of nutrition, as well as to give certain areas access to fresh food.

Map from http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-desert-locator.aspx

Soulard Neighborhood

6RXODUG )DUPHU¡V 0DUNHW LV D ZHOO WUDIĂ€FNHG GHVWLQDWLRQ ZLWKLQ 6W /RXLV +RZHYHU WKH VXUURXQGLQJ QHLJKERUKRRG LV RIWHQ RYHUORRNHG despite being an equally worthy spot to explore. As an historically preserved district, all buildings in the Soulard Neighborhood are UHJXODWHG E\ VWUXFWXUDO DQG GHFRUDWLYH FRGHV %XLOGLQJ KHLJKWV PDWHULDOV VHWEDFNV IURP WKH VWUHHW DQG VLJQDJH DOO IDOO XQGHU WKH FRGHV¡ jurisdiction, keeping the aesthetics of the nieghborhood within the style of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Still, a few structures VOLS WKURXJK WKH FUDFNV KRXVHV OLNH WKH RQH RQ WKH WRS ULJKW DQG WKH RFFDVLRQDO YDFDQW ORW VWLOO RFFXS\ WKH QLHJKERUKRRG <HW RYHUDOO WKH collective investment in Soulard is far higher than most St. Louis nieghborhoods. Due to the shared sense of purpose and desire to uphold the neighborhood’s historic roots, Soulard residents have succeeded in creating a vibrant community.

Urban Agriculture As the movement towards more responsible ecological practices KDV WDNHQ KROG WHUPV OLNH RUJDQLF ´JUHHQ Âľ DQG ´VXVWDLQDEOHÂľ have become vanity labels that drive prices upward and create D VSHFLDOL]HG PDUNHW IRU PRUH DIĂ XHQW FRQVXPHUV 7KXV LW KDV EHFRPH LQFUHDVLQJO\ GLIĂ€FXOW IRU ORZHU LQFRPH LQGLYLGXDOV WR SDUWLFLSDWH LQ RU EHQHĂ€W IURP HQYLURQPHQWDOO\ FRQVFLRXV HIIRUWV Most shocking to consider is the availability of healthy or organic IRRG WR PDUJLQDOL]HG FLWL]HQV :KLOH QRW VWULFWO\ DQ HFR IULHQGO\ LVVXH WKH ODFN RI QXWULWLRXV IRRG LV GHĂ€QLWHO\ D UHVXOW RI LQFUHDVLQJ prices that make fresh produce unaffordable. These areas of limited availability and low nutritional food quality are known as ´IRRG GHVHUWV Âľ ,QVWHDG RI KHDOWK\ RSWLRQV ´IRRG GHVHUWVÂľ RIWHQ feature an abundance of fast food restaurants and convenience stores. An increasing concern over health problems related to WKH $PHULFDQ GLHW LV Ă XVKLQJ RXW DUHDV WKDW OLPLW WKH FKRLFHV RI consumers and attempting to introduce more options. A wellFRQVLGHUHG VROXWLRQ WR WKH SUREOHP RI ´IRRG GHVHUWVÂľ LV WKH introduction of urban agriculture. Urban agriculture consists of all efforts to produce food in an urban context. This can be done through community, rooftop, balcony, and backyard gardening. Urban agriculture has become a particular area of interest in major cities, like New York, where many new structures include access to gardening surfaces. This VRUW RI LQVWLWXWLRQDOL]HG FKDQJHV GR QRW GLUHFWO\ DIIHFW LQGLYLGXDOV who live in poverty stricken areas of cities. The new structures erected are pretty exclusively for the upper echelon of society ² WKH VDPH IRONV ZKR FDQ DIIRUG WR EX\ RUJDQLF QRW IRU LWV nutritional value, but for the social distinction. Despite this inequity, small grassroots projects that aim to bring more affordable healthy food options to poorer residents have started to pushback against the status quo. One such group, New Roots Urban Farm, supports the North City’s St. Louis Place neighborhood. Founded in 2004, this farm donates fresh produce to local shelters and sells food cheaply to local residents, and also runs North City Farmers Market. They EHOLHYH ´WKDW LQ RUGHU WR FUHDWH D PRUH HFRORJLFDOO\ VRXQG lifestyle we must create radical systems that actively oppose the dominant capitalist model of exploitation and oppression.â€?* Similarly, community gardens in various locations around the city have focused on providing fresh produce to the areas they serve. These gardens also work to incorporate members of the FRPPXQLW\ LQ D FROODERUDWLYH HIIRUW WR UHGHĂ€QH WKH IRRG V\VWHP WKDW OLPLWV IRRG HTXDOLW\ 7KHLU HIIRUWV ZRUN WR HOLPLQDWH ´IRRG desertsâ€? and make sure that all city residents have access to affordable as well as healthy food. KWWS QHZURRWVXUEDQIDUP FRP DERXW

*UDIĂ€WL +LVWRULFDOO\ JUDIĂ€WL FRPHV ZLWK QRWLRQV RI WKH GHUHOLFW DQG a way of projecting anger through vandalism. We see a spray SDLQWHG ZDOO DQG DXWRPDWLFDOO\ LQVWLQFWLYH DSSUHKHQVLRQV Ă RRG RXU EUDLQV LV WKLV SODFH GDQJHURXV" 6KRXOG , EH DIUDLG" -HDQQD %U\HU D ZULWHU IRU 1%& QHZV FRPPHQWHG ´7KH PHUH SUHVHQFH RI JUDIĂ€WL GRXEOHV WKH QXPEHU RI SHRSOH OLWWHULQJ DQG VWHDOLQJ LQ D QHLJKERUKRRG Âľ +HUH %U\HU HTXDWHV JUDIĂ€WL ZLWK YDQGDOLVP trespassing and painting a wall that belongs to someone else. 3HRSOH FRPSODLQ WKDW JUDIĂ€WL LV DIĂ€OLDWHG ZLWK JDQJV DQG FULPH and that it disrespects the community. +RZHYHU JUDIĂ€WL FDQ EH D WUXH DUW IRUP GHSLFWLQJ SRZHUIXO messages. Its history stretches back to the earliest art forms of cave paintings and the Roman catacombs. Just as art historians use the wall paintings from antiquity to learn about ancient FXOWXUHV ZH FDQ ORRN WR FRQWHPSRUDU\ JUDIĂ€WL WR VHH WKH LVVXHV of our culture; it’s a raw yet powerful form of activism. 7KH GLIIHUHQFH EHWZHHQ WKH DUW RI JUDIĂ€WL DQG PHUH YDQGDOLVP OLHV LQ WKH VKDUHG SXEOLF VSDFH RQWR ZKLFK JUDIĂ€WL LV SDLQWHG 7KH )ORRG :DOO LQ 6W /RXLV EHVW SRUWUD\V WKLV GLVWLQFWLRQ %HFDXVH the wall is a communal space, artists from the area take their work very seriously. Instead of profane words or images, the wall contains powerful depictions of faces, statements, and scenes. Several artists have made successful careers out of these ´EHDXWLIXO VWUHHW FULPHV Âľ 7KH DQRQ\PRXV JUDIĂ€WL DUWLVW %DQNV\ IRU H[DPSOH KDV VXFK D XQLTXH VW\OH WKDW SDVVHUV E\ FDQ UHFRJQL]H KLV DUW DURXQG /RQGRQ ,Q %DQNV\ VHFUHWO\ VHW XS DQ H[KLELWLRQ LQ WKH %ULVWRO 0XVHXP GLVSOD\LQJ KLV RZQ LURQLF YLHZ about traditional art. At the Flood Wall, a local artist under the SVHXGRQ\P ´(\H] Âľ SDLQWHG D W\SLFDO 0LVVRXUL IDUPHU VFHQH RQWR the wall, with his mark of an eye on the bail of hay. The artist was GRLQJ ZRUN IRU WKH DQQXDO ´3DLQW /RXLV Âľ D FRPPXQDO HIIRUW WR repaint the wall in which artists from all over the country join together. All along the wall we see evidence of artists using the wall as a way to anonymously portray their views of the world. Some images take the shape of caricatures, whereas others predict what the world will look like in 4015. No matter their content, these works come together to illuminate the drab, abandoned St. Louis riverfront in an artistic and thoughtful way. ,Q WKDW VHQVH JUDIĂ€WL KROGV WKH DELOLW\ WR LOOXPLQDWH D FLW\ DQG JLYH LW SHUVRQDOLW\ $V DQ DUW IRUP JUDIĂ€WL FDQ EH WKH PRVW UDZ and powerful representation of an artist’s thoughts; it reminds us that cities don’t just contain buildings, but also people with their RZQ LGHDV DUJXPHQWV DQG YLHZV +RZHYHU JUDIĂ€WL WXUQV IURP DUW into crime when people use it for vandalism. That is why shared SURMHFWV OLNH WKH )ORRG :DOO DUH VXFFHVVIXO WKH\ DOORZ IRU RSHQ forms of expression without the worry of invaded property.

IURP KWWS ZZZ PVQEF PVQ FRP LG QV KHDOWK EHKDYLRU W JUDIĂ€WL WULJJHUV FULPH OLWWHULQJ VWXG\ VKRZV 8,6K% 'G;

“

In 1997, Saint Louis dropped 50 grand from the city’s budget to recruit more than 200 of the nation’s most talented JUDIÀWL ZULWHUV 7KH HYHQW ZDV called PAINT LOUIS.

”

They were sent south of the arch grounds, down a gravel road. To their right were city blocks of boarded-up warehouses, and to their left, a 15-foot tall concrete wall, retaining them from the Mississippi. When they reached Chouteau Avenue, they stepped out of their cars and were handed rollers and cans of spray paint. They were pointed to that raw concrete wall and were told to have at it. And for three days, these guys just let it rip.

The Flood Wall

7KLV ZDV WKH Ă€UVW RI Ă€YH FRQVHFXWLYH FLW\ VDQFWLRQHG JUDIĂ€WL IHVWV LQ 6DLQW /RXLV DW WKH Ă RRG ZDOO 7KH\ GXEEHG WKH HYHQW ´3DLQW /RXLV Âľ DQG FODLPHG LW ZDV DQ DWWHPSW WR FUHDWH D WRXULVW DWWUDFWLRQ WR EHDXWLI\ WKH FLW\ $W WKH HQG RI WKH Ă€UVW \HDU PRUH WKDQ WZR PLOHV RI WKH Ă RRG ZDOO KDG EHHQ FRDWHG LQ SDLQW 3DLQW /RXLV JRW ELJJHU DQG ELJJHU HYHU\ \HDU DPRQJ JUDIĂ€WL ZULWHUV across the U.S., and in 2001, the fervor of the event was at its highest. Artists came from all over, especially from places like 0LQQHDSROLV 0LOZDXNHH / $ DQG %URRNO\Q ZKHUH OD\HUV DQG OD\HUV RI JUDIĂ€WL EODQNHWV WKH EXLOGLQJV RI WKHVH FLWLHV 6R ZKHQ arriving to Saint Louis, their mouths must have watered over the FLW\¡V FOHDQ IDFDGHV %HIRUH WKH HYHQW WKH 3DLQW /RXLV RUJDQL]HUV clearly explained that the only sanctioned canvas here was the Ă RRG ZDOO DQG WKDW WKH FLW\ DW ODUJH ZDV RII OLPLWV $IWHU 3DLQW /RXLV RI ¡ WKHVH ZULWHUV KDG SDLQWHG DQG WDJJHG D VLJQLĂ€FDQW number of illegal walls across the city. After ’01, the city stopped giving out permits for Paint Louis, and the event died. )ROORZLQJ WKRVH Ă€YH \HDUV DQG Ă€YH OD\HUV RI EULOOLDQW DUWZRUN WKH Ă RRG ZDOO ZDV VORZO\ VZDWKHG LQ FUXGH LPDJHV RI GLFNV QDNHG JLUOV DQG PHVVDJHV OLNH ´<RXU 0RP Âľ DQG ´7UDF\ 0DWW HYU Âľ 7KH ORFDO JUDIĂ€WL ZULWHUV ZKR KDG ZLWQHVVHG WKH YDQGDOLVP DQG had watched their own work taint, kept trying to get permits to paint the wall, but the city kept saying no. However, this year, 2012, the city had a change of heart and Paint Louis was revived. From October 5th through the 7th, a quieter Paint Louis took place on just about 50 feet of the wall South of Chouteau Avenue. Only about 15 artists were present, working on ten or VR SLHFHV EXW LQ MXQFWXUH WR WKH XQUHĂ€QHG YDQGDOLVP VXUURXQGLQJ them, they knew they were making a colossal change. We went down to the wall on the second day of the event. The writers were still sketching out their work and concealing the last layer of vandalism with long paint rollers. Underground rap and electronic dubstep like Pretty Lights bumped from a white truck with doors wide open. A couple writers were painting and seemed so absorbed in their work that they hardly turned their head when we arrived. Some guys were standing around ZLWK KDQGV LQ WKH SRFNHWV RI WKHLU ]LS XS KRRGLHV :H ZDONHG

up and introduced ourselves. They shook our hands and smiled, but stood with their backs to the wall, territorial to the sketches EHKLQG WKHP 7KH\ VDLG WKH\ ZHUH ´ZDLWLQ¡ RQ VRPH VKLW Âľ /DWHU ZH OHDUQHG WKDW ´VKLWÂľ FDPH LQ WKH EDFN RI DQRWKHU WUXFN LQ WKH form of spray paint cans in milk crates. Nothing seemed really urgent, yet everyone was engrossed in the work. One guy, about 20 feet down the wall to the left has taped up massive stencils to the wall. Everyone else painting that day was free-handing their work, except him. He introduced himself to us DV ´(\H] Âľ $QG (\H] WXUQHG RXW WR EH SUHWW\ WDONDWLYH :H IRXQG out he’s a full time artist, with a studio on Cherokee Street. When we asked him about what he was doing, he said some restaurant commissioned him to do this piece on one of their walls. He pointed to the stencils that were taped up behind him. ´, GRQ¡W XVXDOO\ GR ODQGVFDSHV EXW WKLV JX\ ZDV OLNH Âś&DQ \RX do a Missouri farm landscape? With hay bails and eyes really WULSSHG RXW"¡ $QG , ZDV OLNH Âś<HDK ¡¾ 6R (\H] EURXJKW WKHVH VDPH stencils down to Paint Louis to give them another ride. When we asked him about his design process, he said the prep time IRU WKH VWHQFLOV ZDV KRXUV DQG KH VHHPHG SUHWW\ FRQĂ€GHQW in that number, 80, like he’s got it down to a science. He said KH VNHWFKHV RXW WKH GHVLJQ Ă€UVW DQG WKHQ FXWV WKH VWHQFLOV +H told us this particular stencil was cut with a router, but then FDUHIXOO\ IROORZHG WKDW VWDWHPHQW ZLWK ´<RX NQRZ HDFK PDWHULDO should be different though.â€? He pointed to his car, a funky little VHGDQ WULSSHG RXW ZLWK DQ H\H SDWWHUQ SDLQWHG LQ UHG ´/LNH P\ car’s stencil was magnetic, so it sticks.â€? We thought that seemed pretty clever. And then we asked him, why stencils? No other ZULWHUV DW WKH ZDOO KDG DQ\WKLQJ OLNH WKHP +LV UHVSRQVH ´, ZRUN in stencils, I do some free-hand stuff, but over the years stencils have become my thing.â€? 6WHQFLOV DUHQ¡W (\H] RQO\ WKLQJ $V KLV QDPH PLJKW VXJJHVW KLV WDJ LV DQ H\H (YHU\ JUDIĂ€WL ZULWHU KDV D WDJ LW¡V OLNH WKHLU signature, it’s what they sign their work with, or just paint on a building to claim that they’ve been there. And after we learned this, we started noticing eyes everywhere on the wall, and we remembered other places we’ve seen them before, too. And then

ZH UHDOL]HG WKLV JX\ VWDQGLQJ LQ IURQW RI XV KDV SDLQWHG DOO RYHU Saint Louis. So then a question inevitably came to our minds. ´6R GR \RX JHW SHUPLWV IRU HYHU\WKLQJ \RX GR"Âľ +H VWDUHG DW XV VWUDQJHO\ ´6RPH JX\ RYHU WKHUH VDLG \RX DOO JRW SHUPLWV IURP WKH city for this.â€? He still stared. ´, GLGQ¡W NQRZ WKDW <RX GRQ¡W QHHG D SHUPLW , PHDQ IRU HYHQWV like this, yeah they give them out, but, honestly, if you guys want to come own here and paint seriously, like if a cop comes up, don’t run, and just be like, ‘What? We can’t paint here? Really? We can’t paint here?’â€? He gestured behind him to at least twenty layers of paint on the wall. (\H] PDGH LW SUHWW\ FOHDU WKDW KH VDZ WKH OHJDOLW\ RU LOOHJDOLW\ RI JUDIĂ€WL LUUHOHYDQW 6LQFH WKH ¡V JUDIĂ€WL ZULWHUV KDYH EHHQ running from the police in a chase that doesn’t seem to be HQGLQJ DQ\ WLPH VRRQ /HJLVODWLRQ FRQVLGHUV JUDIĂ€WL D YLRODWLRQ

of personal property rights, whether or not the property is in XVH RU QRW RU RZQHG SULYDWHO\ RU E\ WKH JRYHUQPHQW %XW WKLV doesn’t stop writers from spraying walls because they feel that their work isn’t corrupting our nation, but enriching it. They see their work as art, poetry, or a social statement crucial to our VRFLHW\ WKDW RXU FRXQWU\¡V Ă€UVW DPHQGPHQW HQWLWOHV WKHP WR %XW these two sides begin to entangle and contradict themselves HYHQ IXUWKHU 7KH JRYHUQPHQW KDV VWDUWHG VDQFWLRQLQJ JUDIĂ€WL RQ FHUWDLQ VWUXFWXUHV DW FHUWDLQ WLPHV OLNH DW WKH Ă RRG ZDOO %XW DQ\ artist spraying after hours on even the same structure would be VXVFHSWLEOH WR DUUHVW 7KLV FDQ PDNH JUDIĂ€WL ODZV DQG UHJXODWLRQV seem a little two-faced. 6R DIWHU (\H] PRUH RU OHVV LQYLWHG XV WR WKLV JDPH RI FDW DQG mouse with the police, we asked him how he would feel if we ZHUH WR SDLQW RYHU KLV RZQ ZRUN DW WKH Ă RRG ZDOO

´, PHDQ LI VRPHRQH SXWV VRPHWKLQJ EHWWHU RQ WKLV WKDQ , GLG I’m totally cool with it. If somebody puts ‘I love Josh’ over some piece that I spent three weekends on, I’m gonna be pissed.â€? And apparently, that happens all the time. It seemed incredible that such an established artist was encouraging amateurs to join him in this form of art, very well knowing that his own work could EH VDFULĂ€FHG IRU LW %XW WKDW¡V ZKDW VHHPHG WR EH GLIIHUHQW DERXW WKH DUW RI JUDIĂ€WL ,W¡V WUDQVLHQW DQG GHVWUR\DEOH E\ QDWXUH ,W¡V QRWKLQJ OLNH Ă€QH DUW DUW E\ 0RQHW DQG 3LFDVVR WKDW ZLOO IRUHYHU exist sheltered in the hands of curators who will always be there to protect them from evil light exposures, high temperatures and KXPLGLW\ *UDIĂ€WL ZLOO DOZD\V EH VXEMHFW WR GDPDJH ,W FRXOG EH

covered up and forgotten almost instantly. The art is vulnerable. %XW DW WKH VDPH WLPH WKDW¡V ZKDW PDNHV WKLV Ă€HOG VR H[FHSWLRQDO It’s not stagnated like other art. It’s not stuck in a time capsule JODVV EORFN RQ D SRGLXP *UDIĂ€WL DUW LVQ¡W UHDOO\ DERXW WKH creation itself, but more of the act of creation. It seems to be DERXW VRFLDO VWDWHPHQWV ZKHWKHU WKDW¡V WKH VSHFLĂ€F VWDWHPHQWV by the art itself or the statement of the act as a whole, a community of people constantly in a cat and mouse chase from WKH IX]] ,W¡V D IRUHYHU WUDQVIRUPLQJ H[SUHVVLRQ $QG WKDW¡V ZKDW makes the statement of the layers and layers of paint on the Ă RRG ZDOO LQ 6DLQW /RXLV VR PXOWLGLPHQVLRQDO DQG LQFUHGLEO\ powerful.

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.