Graffiti is not meant to last. Sprayed and painted outdoors, it inevitably succumbs to the patient and constant action by the natural elements and/or to the abrupt and unanticipated deeds of other people. Under the sun and rain, the colorful images eventually fade away. A grumpy building owner may wash a mural out; a fellow artist may contribute with some additional elements; someone may plaster an advertisement. As such, graffiti is an ephemeral art. And I find this fascinating. I look at these beautiful art works and think of the process the artist might have gone through and the resources they required. Yet, there is no guarantee that the final product will be there intact, as originally conceived, the next day. It must give an incredible feeling of freedom not to be bothered by seeing your own work disappearing, evolving or being transformed by the action of others. I do not think I could be that detached…
In my photographing of graffiti art, I have revisited certain locations on several occasions and observed the disappearance and/or the evolution of some of the murals. Nothing was more painful than the complete demise of Five Pointz. I felt privileged to have seen it in all its striking colors. But Five Pointz was a radical development. Elsewhere, the trends are more subtle…sometimes.
I think it is comforting to see familiar murals; it feels almost as if I am revisiting an old friend. Some have remained intact; some have changed a bit, but their main character has endured. Others were replaced: at times by different artists, other times, by the same artist. I think there is a guy in Bushwick who has a captive spot. Every time I go there, there is a different mural by the same artist.
This brings me to the mural of the monk. I have been following the monk since my first visit to Bushwick in March 2015. When I go there, I always pay him a short visit. But I am afraid he is not going to last much longer. His beautiful face has been slowly being covered by tags and other stuff. Last time I saw him, he was gauged…
Ephemeral…but for ever imprinted in my memory.
