Detroit has had a very strong graffiti scene for quite a while. They are attempting to crack down again. This time by targeting small businesses owners by fining them for not covering up tags. A bit ridiculous since the city makes no effort to clean up there own buildings and certainly don't fine themselves. The solution is far worse looking than any graffiti, they've simply started just painting entire walls gray (well, from the street to three or four feet below the roofline) all in some effort to make suburban fucks and useless tourist feel safe in our so called "renaissance" city.
I am personally not a great fan of tagging, when I was younger I appreciated it (and somes certainly do it very well and have great wildstyles or very humorous tags) but I just view it as such an ego trip, the idea of writing your name everywhere, blah it doesn't seem to have much individuality or originalality left in it. I much prefer rough shit, crude jokes and graff that borders on near vandalism. my favorite shit is where they rolled over tags with all different kinds of paint, ends up just being blocks of muted colors, like some trash king version of a barnet newman, I saw if your going to tag don't write a name just take a bucket on paint and throw it at a wall.
Personal favorites of me currently are:
The Dutch graffiti scene of the 70's, especially Dr. Ratt
Graffiti of the 70's from American Cities, including modern day gang graffiti, I could care less what it means. I just like how crude it is.
Peter Ernst Effie from the German Student Movement who would paint surrealistic images around Berlin leaving his business card, when a company wouldn't contact him with money for damages he'd simply send them back a bill for the same amount. Unfortunately English info of him is lacking, he died trying to escape a mental hospital.
Bathroom graffiti everywhere. Though it to is starting to be all stickers and "tags".
