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Graffiti artists

© Peter W. Marks

Graffiti artists

Uploaded: October 05, 2008

Description

The famous Graffiti Wall, a Mississippi flood barrier at St Louis, where it is legal to paint graffiti on one day each year. The wall is nearly two miles long and there are hundreds of superb examples of this art-form. These two young people were happy to discuss their work with my wife who is a professional artist and art teacher. I Photoshoped this image using a "lomo" technique to give it a gritty feeling in keeping with wall art.


Exif: F Number: 11, Exposure Bias Value: 0.00, ExposureTime: 1/400 seconds, Flash: did not fire, compulsory flash mode, ISO: 200, FocalLength: 155.00 mm, Model: Canon EOS 20D

Comments

Peter W. Marks October 05, 2008

I would really appreciate your thoughts on this image.
Pete #1011086

October 05, 2008

Peter, I like this image, how often do you "catch" graffiti "artists" If not too vulgar, It would have been neat to see some of the graffiti. Your gallery has some great images. Where were most of them taken? #6557632

Peter W. Marks October 06, 2008

Hi Jen. Thank you for responding, I greatly appreciate it.
My wife is a professional artist and art teacher and yesterday after taking a river cruise on the Missippi at St Louis (we live just across the river in Illinois)she wanted to revisit the "Graffiti Wall" which is the flood prevention wall just south of the famous St Louis Arch. The wall is about 2 miles long and around 15ft high and once a year (I think Labor Day) it is legal to paint graffiti on it. Much of the work there is truly art and is signed and dated 2000 and of course later dated work. We stopped to watch the two young people working on updating an earlier faded image and they were happy for us to photograph them. Should you want to see more of the work just google "Graffiti Wall St. Louis" and there are dozens of sites. Some of the graffitti has been spoiled by morons "tagging" over the art work. Tagging is the stuff you see that are gang-related symbols. Their's is a different philosophy, they just want to leave their "signature" whereas the grafitti is a work of art no matter how good or bad it is. I was pleasantly surprised to see that there was only few examples of obscenities.
To answer your question re my gallery; most of the place images are of Cornwall, the county in England where I was born and raised. We vacation there every year and you will see that boats and harbours fill me with nostalgia for life before I emigrated to Illinois, 15 years ago.
Thank you so much for visiting my gallery.
Pete
#6560198

October 06, 2008

Hi Peter, I checked out the images of the wall. What a neat concept. That would never fly here in IN. After looking closer at the lomo technique, I really like it. Any tips on using it? Jen #6562659

Peter W. Marks October 07, 2008


Good morning Jen. I found this photoshop action in the website below

http://www.emanueleferonato.com/downloads/triquilomo.zip

As you can see it is a zip file that needs unzipping but just follow the screen instructions. and open the file named "triquilomo." You will then need to load this into your actions palette on PS. It is then ready to use. Just open an image and click on the "lomo" action.
I have no idea how comfortable you are with PS and whether or not the above makes any sense. If not just email me and I will try to make it clearer, step by step.
Pete #6564642

Terri L. Scribner October 29, 2008

I love this image!! Great lomo action, too.. #6677583

Peter W. Marks October 29, 2008

Good morning Terri. Thank you very much.
Being an ex-pat Brit I regularly read the online version of a local Cornish newpaper covering the area where I had been born and raised. A couple of weeks back I read a piece about a wall that had been built in the town of Wadebridge, specifically for folk to use for graffiti. Just before the official opening of the wall an allegedly disgruntled resident had painted "I paid my taxes + all I got was this lousy wall". This was so funny - a graffiti aagainst a graffiti wall! Either supreme irony or a wonderful sense of humor. The story was picked up here on a local St Louis TV channel. A good laugh, just what we need in these troubled times.

Regards, Pete #6678043

Chris N. Sweet February 17, 2009

Nice capture and nice edit job. Some of the graffiti you see is just amazing, dont you think? You wouldnt want it on the side of your house but you have to appreciate it for what it is. It is a real talent to be able to produce the things they do with a spray can!
Nice capture. #7174332

Peter W. Marks February 17, 2009

Thanks Chris. I have lived here for sixteen years and am only twenty miles from St Louis but had no idea that this wall existed previously. The graffiti is on the landward side of the flood-wall facing an abandoned rail yard which is not fenced off in any way so one is free to just wander along the tracks and see all the creative work.
Pete #7175347

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