Volume 124 Issue 128
kansan.com
Thursday, April 5, 2012
NEW RANKINGS RELEASED Where the Jayhawks might stand next year PAGE 8
COMMENTARY
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Commissioned street art at the corner of Eighth and Massachusetts streets.
Graffiti originated in urban areas and was associated with hip hop culture, along with Djing and break dancing.
A PAINT-FILLED DISCUSSION The ongoing dialogue between graffiti artists in the Lawrence community
// SARA SNEATH
He shook a black paint spray can as he crossed Mississippi Street, opposite Memorial Stadium. The moon hung in the air like a single illuminated window in an otherwise vacant building. In cursive letters, he painted "love" on the red wooden door of a cement garage.
peared, the curse words and controversial messages stopped, Spencer said. The door was no longer regarded as a bathroom stall-like canvas, but a work of art, worthy of being left alone.
The screen print lasted about two months, Owen said, but "love" remained. Appearing in the backdrop of KU student self-portraits and engagement photos, the graffiti has became an iconic image on campus.
Sammy Owen said he also pasted a screen print, a poster made by passing ink through a mesh screen, of Artemisia Gentileschi on the door that night in 2007. The screen print of Gentileschi, a famous female Italian painter, was adapted from a self-portrait she painted in the 1630s. Together, the spray-painted word and print of Gentileschi — her head tilted, a paint brush in hand — made it appear like the unruly-haired artist was painting "love" on the garage door.
"I never thought either the paste or the word would last longer than a week across from a football stadium, much less become iconic," Owen said.
Deb Spencer, the owner of the garage, said the wooden door was a target for hate-filled messages long before the word "love" appeared. She constantly painted over graffiti, eventually deciding to paint the white door a deep red to deter further vandalism. When the word "love" ap-
"I'm glad that it stopped the vandala-
ism," she said. "I'm glad that it is there."
At the corner of Eighth and Massachusetts streets, on a rust-colored panel next to a Commerce Bank ATM, a pink and blue painted bird twists its head downward to its thin yellow legs. Simon Bates, the owner of Esquina, said he commissioned local high school students to paint the bird as well as the bathrooms inside of his restaurant.
While the Lawrence community casted its vote on the love piece, the line between graffiti as a form of street art or vandalism is painted with aerosol. It's thin and drips.
"It's not perfect," he said "But it's better than I thought it would be."
the only graffiti to adorn his building. The back of the restaurant, facing the alley, is a choice site for tagging. Tagging, the most basic form of graffiti, often consists of a single-colored stylized signature.
The artwork Bates commissioned is not
"At first, we contacted a couple of guys that do graffiti, but they were really expensive," Bates said. "The high school kids went at it for free, for fun."
Bates, who had never done graffiti before, wanted to join the fun. He sketched a design in a notebook; something he hadn't done since middle school art class. Using the same bubble letters and bold colors he admired in graffiti he saw on his way to work while living in Chicago, he painted a large mural in the kitchen of his restaurant.
"It's frustrating," he said. "I'm always the one who has to paint over them."
According to Lawrence Police Department Policy 14-1003, "The existence of graffiti upon any structural component of any building, wall, fence, sidewalk, curb or structure or other facility on public or private property with the City of Lawrence, Kansas is declared to be a public nuisance and it shall be the duty of the property owner with property defaced by graffiti to remove, abate, or cover such graffiti."
A tag by "Gusto". Tagging is the most basic form of graffiti.
Robert Neff, the Lawrence police officer who oversees the Graffiti Removal Program, said the property owner would be given two weeks to cover or remove graffiti. If the graffiti was not taken care of in that time, the owner would be given another notification, Neff said. He said there was no legal consequence of failing to remove the graffiti, other than constant reminders to do so by the LPD.
One night last spring, Ivan was on the roof of Foxtrot, 823 Massachusetts St., tagging with friends when they were caught by the LPD. Ivan, who did not want his last name disclosed, said there was no escape. He pressed his body
The same cannot be said for graffiti artists who are caught.
against a wall on the roof, as instructed, and waited to be handcuffed. It's been about 11 months since and Ivan has yet to complete his mandated community service hours.
Neff, the Lawrence police officer, said if a property owner found a piece of unauthorized graffiti on his or her property and liked it, there was nothing to stop him or her from keeping it.
Ivan tagged for three months before he was caught. Part of the enjoyment he received from tagging was the thrill, he said, scaling city structures and breaking into abandoned buildings. But, he also found a sense of community. He met people of all ages and backgrounds who wanted to share in the dialogue. The community, like the art itself, was an evolving body. It continuously changed because of artists getting caught, moving away or losing interest, he said. In their place, new artists arrived, wanting to try their hand at graffiti.
"That's OK by the law, I suppose, if it's really pretty," Neff said.
Owen, the graffiti artist who painted "love," said he felt bombarded with billboard advertisements, store markers and street signs. These messages are generated by outsiders and leave little room for a two-way conversation, he said.
"Street art has the ability to reclaim some of that dialogue." Owen said.
My life story watching a ball game.
I applaud the majority of Kansas fans who handled the loss Monday night gracefully. Losing in the National Championship game hurts, but Kansas fans took the loss in stride and turned a negative into a positive by showing united school pride.
Other aspects of life exist beyond sports. Sports are just games and sheer entertainment. Sports can be a way of life, but not the way of life. Your life, which consists of family, relationships, finances, sustenance and career aspirations, is more important than whether or not your team wins a ball game.
The Kentucky basketball players and coaches deserve the NCAA National Championship, but the Kentucky basketball fans don't deserve it, even though it's only a pittance of bad apples that ruined a good tree. Their classless acts during Final Four weekend in Lexington, Ky., are an embarrassment to sports and society.
- Edited by Jeff Karr
from practice because of a physical week that they had endured. The players will be in full pads for the rest of the spring, except for the April 13 practice. Instead of full pads, players will wear only helmets and shoulder pads.
For the season's third practice, the lajahaws worked inside of Memorial Stadium. The move from the practice field was because the team hosted recruits on campus for "Junior Day." The Saturday practice marked the first time the team practiced in full pads this spring and under coach Charlie Weis.
PLAYERS PRACTICE INSIDE MEMORIAL STADIUM
COACH WEIS RETURNS
FROM NEW ORLEANS
Weis returned from New Orleans Tuesday. After Monday's practice, he flew down to support the men's basketball team in the National Championship game.
lation of team rules. He was a first team all-district, all-area and all-city selection his senior year of high school. Green redshirted last season.
DEFENSE WILL PLAY
A BASE 4-3
At his press conference last week, Weis announced the defense listed in the initial depth chart was a 4-3 base defense. He said this does not mean they will always play with four down linemen and three linebackers, but that they will also show some different formations. Most of the time, though, the personnel on the field will translate into the 4-3.
MAURA SWITCHES POSITIONS
FOUR PLAYERS LIMITED IN THE SPRING
Sophomore Brian Maura is the only player to switch from one side of the ball to the other now that Weis and his staff have moved him from receiver to safety this spring. Maura played in four
Sophomore running back Brandon Bourbon, junior defensive tackles John Williams and Kevin Young and Maura will be limited during this spring practice season. Weis said at last week's press conference that none of the players are out for the spring, but will be limited in the contact drills.
Edited by Christine Curtin
conference, Weis said he was informed that the case would be presented before the caseworker left his office last Thursday. The Jayhawks should have the result soon. If McCay's waiver request is granted, he will be allowed to play immediately. If he isn't, he will have to sit one year before being able to play for the Jayhawks.
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN FILE PHOTO-
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Running back James Sims swiftly moves to avoid getting tackled. Coach Weis has been changing things up during spring practices this semester.
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