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Graffiti Artists to Host Public Conference in Logan Square

By Darryl Holliday | September 5, 2014 2:19pm
 The Logan Square graffiti artists will host a "first-ever" discussion on street art as the city cracks down.
Graffiti Conference
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LOGAN SQUARE — One of the city’s oldest graffiti crews will host an open meeting Saturday to educate the public on street art.

According to Logan Square artist Bboy B, the educational presentation at Hairpin Arts Center, 2810 North Milwaukee Ave., will be the first of its kind on September 6 from 5 to 8 p.m.

“It's a chance for the community to come out and talk to us, graffiti writers in person,” he said. “The community can address concerns they have, plus it gives us a chance to educate the public on the importance of this art form that [has been] interwoven with Chicago for over 40 years.”

The public meeting will convene as graffiti removal proceeds at a rapid pace. The Department of Streets and Sanitation boasts of removing more graffiti this year than a year ago — a trend that follows a decline in new reports since the City Council passed a crackdown doubling fines in July, according to the department.

But according to Bboy B, there are serious “misconceptions about urban street art” — an issue he hopes to address Saturday. He defended the many young artists who post typical graffiti tags illegally, but also made a distinction between “street art” from artists who create elaborate works, both legally and illegally.

He recently helped organized the youth-oriented "Battle for the Eagle" street art and break dance competition at the Illinois Centennial Monument in Logan Square proper.

“Graffiti writing has extreme good and extreme bad. But you have to start somewhere and it usually starts by tagging,” he said. “The simple progression is tags, throw ups, pieces [then productions, i.e. permission walls and commercials].” 

Over 30 years of graffiti writing experience will converge at Hairpin for a conference on graffiti art and discussion. The Project Logan exhibit will open with original works of art and rare photographs, as well as never before seen works from the members of Artistic Bombing Crew, according to organizers.

It’s a chance for the community to meet established street artists who rose through the ranks of graffiti in the Logan Square area. Graffiti writing is illegal, organizers say, but it can be a path to legitimate art and produces public neighborhood works of skill and complexity — examples range from tags on buildings to the recent Congress Theater defacing to the city's many dynamic "permission walls" and full scale street art gallery exhibits.

“Just name one large world-class city that doesn't have graffiti as part of the landscape; if you can, then it's not a world-class city,” Bboy B said.

According to Department of Streets and Sanitation figures released Wednesday, the city logged 81,703 graffiti-removal requests through August this year, down from 92,980 over the same time last year. At the same time, city crews have removed 82,858 pieces of graffiti through August this year, closer to the 91,821 removed at this time a year ago.
 

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