There is always two sides to every story…

Yeah, ok the police are worried that the idea of  a graffiti competition

could potentially spark an outbreak of unnecessary vandalism and that the competition

winners may consider using their prize paint for illegal graffiti ? Unlikely as who ever will be good

enough to win such a prize will most likely be highly professional and I can only imagine will continue

using the prize paint in only the most professional manner.

Yet obviously the related authorities have become so nervous by this competition that they

have decided to make an issue of it on the channel 10 news. The reality is that what the authorities

perceive as “mindless vandalism” is going to continue whether Ironlaks competition goes ahead or not?

Largely due to the well known fact that our government does absolutely nothing to help minimise

the impact of unwanted graffiti through turning their backs on the art form all together…

How many kids through to adults paint graffiti here in Australia alone??  Has anyone thought

about this?  There must be thousands… Graffiti, Aerosol art, Vandalism, Street Art – whatever the title.

What is it really? Its a culture and more so.. A culture about art.  And what our ignorant Government

should be doing is embracing it the same way many South American and European countries have to

to this very day by taking the positives from within the movement and creating  street art festivals,

permanent murals and legal zones that eventually generates tourism as people like to be cultured.

It all adds to the intimacy of a city or town by giving it a personality.

This could be done by organising in each council precinct its own legal space for artists to paint

on, much the same as skate parks. Also workshops where kids are taught properly by professionals how

to use related tools of the trade and how put them to proper creative use. Or how to seek out their own

legal space whether it be in the public or gallery.

I have talked at countless council town meetings over the years regarding this topic and at the end of

the session everyone cheers and agrees yet still nothing is ever done.

These are small steps our government could take to help curb the momentum of unwanted graffiti

on our streets. No its not going to solve their problem, and it never will as the tagging  is also

a large part of movement. BUT these simple ideas would have a far more significant impact then

sweeping the topic back under the mat as they do time and time again.

At the end of the day > Ironlaks idea to hold such a large scale graffiti event is nothing more then a

celebration of the art form itself. And a big chance for the hundreds or thousands of patrons of the

art to push themselves and come up with the most amazing graffiti works they can do at that point

in time. That’s NOT promoting illegal graffiti… It is simply embracing the talent and asking for the

very best of what we do to be put out their for not only ourselves but the wider community to enjoy

and admire.

Ironlak are taking the initiative by asking for the very best from us…

Something the Government should have thought about doing along time ago.

- Sirum One  30-6-2010