Graffiti on our lovely HOP street art (“Love Them, Tell Them”)

I noticed this morning that the ‘Love Them? Tell them’ mural at the corner of Honor Oak Park and Stondon Park Road has been ruined on one side with a large tag. Any ideas who to contact to get it removed and re-done?

(Updated to add a pic)

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FixMyStreet app is great. They normally respond quickly. Hope you get it fixed. Such a shame :frowning:

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That’s really sad. I think we’d need to get in touch with the artist as opposed to the council, as the council probably won’t have the time/expertise to repair the art work.

It was Naomi Edmondson (Survival Techniques) that did this piece

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Thank you both. I’d hate for the council to just paint over it.

Very sad to see this lovely very mural being defaced in such a senseless manner. The fools should read the sentiment behind the mural!

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I can’t say I like this form of graffiti.

But at the same time I can’t ignore that street art was born out of the graffiti movement and the two remain closely related. I guess it informs a debate as to whether street art is meant to be transient or permanent. I lean towards the former as street art is subject to weathering whether it is paint flaked by rain or transfers flaked by wind.

There is also a great tradition of transforming street artwork through interaction with other artists, or even simply the (thoughtful) addition of graffiti and tags. Thewar between Banksy and King Robbo began as an effort to deface each other’s work. But in reality it showed how street art can itself be transformed through guerrilla action and grafitti… and still be art.

Another great example is the Leak Street “gallery” by Waterloo where new street art by a variety of established artists comes and goes.

This aside, I do think simple tagging is the laziest form of street art. And if another artist seeks to transform an existing piece through their own addition, it should seek to transform or augment rather than simply destroy.

In this case, I’d be really interested to here the artists viewpoint on the matter.

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Tagging is pure lame, might as well take a wizz up it!
Not my favourite of pieces locally, but all the same, it deserves respect.

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Just to say I have reported this via FixMyStreet.

I was with a group of primary school children this morning when we spotted this, and they were so upset to see it. I think it means a lot to many people.

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Tagging is crap. There’s no justification for it. No philosophical conundrum here.

“Love Them, Tell Them” was an uplifting, beautifully executed message that appealed to all.

The tag is just mindless vanity crap and deserves our universal condemnation.

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Tagging for tagging’s sake, art for art’s sake. (with apologies to 10cc).

Tagging is one thing but tagging over something as worthy as that sign is just the sign of an immature mind.

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I don’t think we’re in disagreement here.

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That’s twice in a day and it’s still early. :slight_smile:

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This is being discussed over on the SE23 Mums Facebook group too. Someone has a photo of three men tagging the mural. Apparently several people shouted at them from their cars but they just shouted abuse back and kept going. :frowning_face:

Please post those pics here if you can.

@anon5422159 They haven’t shared the photo on Facebook. I’m not sure what posting the pic online would achieve… Probably better if they choose to report it formally.

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Someone here may recognise them, and thus may make it an easier case for the authorities to investigate.

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OK, if they share any pics I’ll let you know and perhaps you can get in touch with them to discuss. The idea of publishing an image like that online makes me feel a little nervous!

I’ve also shared this with the Brockley Street Art team and Naomi Edmondson (the artist) on Twitter. Fingers crossed there’s something positive they can do.

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These are not nice people and publication of people in a public place online is not illegal. Lets not worry about upsetting them, lets find out who they are and show them up for what they are, vandals.

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There is a lively discussion about it on the I love SE4 facebook page. Also is it anything to do with the council? Is it not someones fence?

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@anon94852771 I’ve just been reading the I Love SE4 thread. Interesting discussion - and it definitely relates to the points raised by @starman earlier on here.

The idea of the Brockley Street Art team engaging with local tagging crews so they and the more commercial street artists can co-exist peacefully, allowing space for each other’s work, sounded very positive. Shame they didn’t get any uptake.

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