Keep an eye out for "art" in the parks

[Trek420]

http://www.reddit.com/r/Yosemite/comments/2jvbst/graffiti_artist_with_no_regard_for_her_actions/

Something to keep an eye out for especially if hiking or biking in our priceless national parks. Shared the Reddit thread as it has contact info for the parks investigator.

http://www.modernhiker.com/2014/10/21/instagram-artist-defaces-national-parks/

[pll]

Sad.

[OakLeaf]

I guess I have mixed feelings about it. What about the petroglyphs that are thousands of years old? What about, even, the carvings from the late 1800s and early 1900s? I get the outrage, I really do. I feel it myself. But I also know that coming across the ancient or even old graffiti is very cool.

[Trek420]

I'm not an expert (but I know of at least one TE'er who is), but that is in violation of NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act). Violating federal acts is a serious thing. And I guess each case of graffiti is a separate charge.

She'll be caught, eventually.

I am not a lawyer either but think there are separate laws that protect antiquities like the petroglyphs. She's going to have quite a different 15 minutes of fame then planned

[rebeccaC]

I love learning about and photographing urban graffiti and street art. For me it’s just a part of my urban visual art experience whether its art provocation, stencil or pasted work, mindless graffiti…etc. etc.

I’ve also seen some chalk work on hard stone in Glacier NP that was both creative and executed very well. That it would disappear in a couple of rains made it even better for me. Some don’t want even that in our National Parks and I’m okay with that. Due process will happen so there may be a price to pay for an artist doing it.

I don’t know anything about Norcket except what’s in the two links. That she used acrylics may mean she didn’t think it through very well or perhaps she just didn’t care. Referring to Banksy seemed a little absurd….but again I don’t know anything about her.

I do like ‘creepytings’ as a tag name though :)



https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5589/14795432344_ded45f4882_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oxqsz7)


https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3916/15394636811_aa9bb1404a_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/psnxbB)


https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5563/15203900705_d50507a9ba_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pavXZ4)


https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3864/14955074628_405bd97d24_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oMwEEh)


https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2949/15287847577_1b6531fe00_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/phWdsV)


https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5582/15142895572_3a2df08901_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/p58ihq)


https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3949/15434634739_0bef537638_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pvUxb4)


https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3923/14954957620_67231a52a3_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oMw4SU)


https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2940/14787502521_267c5d6b41_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/owHPj2)

[Eden]

For me this is just another sad example of the "me" generation…. a 20 something that has no concept of how her actions affect other people. Someone who only ever thinks of things in terms of themselves and what they want with no thought whatsoever to the wider implications. I think it's really quite sad and I'm glad that she's been identified and basically caught. Had it been chalk or something temporary I could see it, but that she was using acrylics and she seemed to be totally aware that she was doing something that would offend others, yet still did it, makes me disgusted and sad more than anything. Selfish little child, me, me, me, me, me me…...

[OakLeaf]

As long as we remember that the term "me generation" was coined 40 years ago to describe people who are now in their 60s. Coined by a man who helped lead a cultural movement that was derided as wastrels by the generation before him. And though we don't know how old the people were when they carved their initials and dates into the sandstone 120 years ago, it's a pretty safe guess that they were young adults or adolescents at the time, too.

[Crankin]

I hate graffiti anywhere. There was so much of it in Portugal, it obscured some really nice sites, both in the city and rural areas.
I know it's considered an art form, but it just seems like litter to me.

[Eden]

OK the current me generation… the one that's been so coddled and told they are wonderful, that everyone is a winner all their lives, that they haven't learned that their personal desires aren't the end all and be all to life. I can call it the "Everyone get's a trophy" generation if you'd like.

And I get equally annoyed at seeing people's initials carved into rocks/structures. I was no less ticked off at the quite large inscription proudly proclaiming that some midwest boy scout troop had stayed in the CCC shelter on the Wonderland trail in 1940 something…..

[Owlie]

OK the current me generation… the one that's been so coddled and told they are wonderful, that everyone is a winner all their lives, that they haven't learned that their personal desires aren't the end all and be all to life. I can call it the "Everyone get's a trophy" generation if you'd like.


Uh, thanks.

[thekarens]

I love art, even street art and tats, but when I'm out in nature I want to see nature, not graffiti. To me this is very sad.

[shootingstar]

It's not just the defacement. Acrylic paint is a hazardous waste. There are specific steps to take, even in an urban setting, to avoid compromising the natural and human environments. Picture set-up and disposal. Wet paint. Brushes. I wonder how she cleaned them. In the stream, perhaps? Not likely nothing was emitted in that scenario. And if any spray paint was used, propellants are a consideration. I'm sure some paint has ended up in water-runoff and entered the water table. Affecting soil substrate, flora, insects and birds that feed on flora and drink water, etc. etc. So what we have are water quality, soil quality, green house gas emissions. Yes, these are small projects, but these are pristine environments she has entered. Not just sad and not just 'me.' It's damaging. Oh, and a lot of the areas she is in may have significant cultural resources (like religious significance for tribes). It's very common, actually. In one cultural resources class I took that was conducted by tribal archeologists, they pointed out that a religious monument may just be a simple hill, something that looks like nothing to an outsider. Any changes to those areas have to be agreed upon by tribal governments, state historic offices, etc. etc.

That hill face with the obvious strata bothers me the most. It can't really be cleaned without causing damage. And the acrylics will leach over time, eroding the area and adding toxins to the environment on a greater scale.

Thx for this reminder, Murienn.

I actually dislike graffiti in cities and out in the parks, rural area. Sorry. And I do my own art at home, so it's not as if I lack art appreciation. I photograph and my personal blog contains highlights of what I see for planned public outdoor public art, when I bike around.

I give no blog highlights to graffiti "artists". To me, it's defacement of someone else' property ...and even public property that has been paid by taxpayers. We have to spend dollars to clean it off. Worse, planned outdoor public art installations are defaced sometimes.

Some of the "style" for planned art, adopts a graffiti style.. no problems with that if the artists got permission to paint an abandoned house...which actually there was series of homes, slated for demolition. So the whole neighbourhood was turned into a funky public artsy area for a few months.

An artist for any medium, should respect the environment and property where they practice their art..

[Crankin]

This goes on in every generation.
We all suck!

[smilingcat]

Every generation has their share of rotten apples. Leaving a mark any kind in national park stinks. Be it pile of trash, illegal fire pits/camp fire cutting of trees for fire and even graffiti art. I don't care if it was done by Dali, Picasso, Rembrant, Peter Bruelgel or even Van Gogh, painting on landscape is not acceptable.

As for graffiti of petroglyph in Southwest, they are of historical importance to archeology and to anthropologist. They have different implications than the graffiti of today. And to me, it is this difference that is the difference between acceptable and not acceptable. Same goes to ancient Greek graffiti and those in Middle East.

Now that the woman has been identified, she will find it not so fun or "art" anymore. A case I remember was from Newspaper rock in Southern Utah. Idiot carved their name, address and phone number. This was about 40 years ago and the perpetrator ended up paying a fine and clean up cost. Back then he had to cough up tens of thousands of dollars. Newspaper rock now has a chain link fence around the front so you wont be tempted to carve anything into the sandstone. Carvings in newspaper rock I believe comprises of petroglyphs dating to pre-Spaniard days so no horses. Then later petroglyphs have Indians on horses (post Spanish)

I hope she gets to spend years cleaning her stuff off in the 100+ heat, 5% humidity with UV index of 100.

grrrr!!!!

[Eden]

I don't think anyone on TE meant to generalize, though. Just how it is as we get older. I'm generation X. And, apparently, we haven't done a damn thing. And Baby Boomers use far too many resources, straining carrying capacity... ;)

Exactly - there's problems in every generation - it's just that each time we try to solve them we simply seem to make things bad in a whole new way…. and we probably notice the ones younger than us the most. It's not that I think *every* child of the current generation has gotten sucked into believing all the rot that's fed to them about being terrific just for existing, but the ones who have… ugh the feelings of entitlement and the narcissism.

Maybe it's also the accessibility of it all too…. this is the first generation who could do something like the systematic defacement of national parks and then nearly iinstananeously proudly proclaim it to the world via a medium that millions of people can easily see…

[rebeccaC]

Muirenn….there are waterbased, non toxic and no voc acrylic paints/markers used for graffiti. From the photos that looks like what Nocket used. Removal can be the problem Nocket should have had in mind...among other things

I think my generation (Y, millennium whatever) saw artistic graffiti/street art overcome the gang graffiti that freaked out older people. It was also fused with the hip-hop music of my generation. For me it was/is just about knowing and interacting with the neighborhoods where the art form lives on.

[shootingstar]

I don't see that way rebeccaC, because the graffiti art that I've seen looks permanently damaging..meaning it doesn't wash off just like that in the rain. Calling in paid staff, is very expensive to remove the stuff: they have other work...for a rapidly growing city like ours....there are other areas in need of beautification from ground level up because of decades of surbaban sprawl. I will be honest, I work for a municipality and we go to great lengths to figure out ways to protect outdoor mural public art from being graffitied.

Some great cycling-inspired outdoor public art carefully planned and painted by volunteer community groups in Vancouver have been subjected to graffiti. I don't appreciate it as an art lover. The artists who were commissioned by the city spent hrs. designing and preparing the wall surfaces, plus painting.

On a section of this outdoor mural art by a popular bike-ped path in Calgary, see the fine details of mapping? It's gone now. Because someone graffitied over it. So the city had to scrub it off and the details are gone.
17434

http://cyclewriteblog.wordpress.com/2013/07/21/post-flood-contemplation-art-and-memory-along-the-bow-river-calgary/ The piece is actually part of a bicycle theme. Coincidentally this morning, I was cycling by the art in the same area and marvelled that it had not been grafffitied much yet. Probably because there are some planted bushes..plus I believe the police do drive by this area several times a day.

We need to put ourselves in the shoes of the real visual artists who have been approved/commissioned to have their work for free viewing by public outdoors. Ask yourself, would you want a graffiti artist spray painting all over your work?

My attitude is not generational...it is simply about how we value public property that's open and free for viewing.

[rebeccaC]

I guess I see water based hybrid acrylic paints and markers made from plant oils and resins, plant dyes and natural binders with no ammonia or formaldehyde as pretty good alternatives to the list of heavy metals and other toxic ingredients in the acrylic, varnish and oil based paints your Columbia article listed as hazardous waste....which they are. For a young cousin's art projects I've bought very earth friendly paint products at art supply stores....the same child safe markers that it looks like Nocket used.

[salsabike]

Most water based acrylic paints still have a polymer emulsion base, which is plastic. Those of us who use them are forever worrying about the best and least harmful way to dispose of leftover paint. They leave a footprint in the natural environment that is not benign. There ARE other earth-friendly paints with a corn starch base. But I would guess that is not what Nocket used since she did not say that. And I would argue that urban graffiti art--which I love and value--is different than contaminating protected national parks and wild ecosystems.

[rebeccaC]

We have an extremely effective Toxic Enforcement Act in my state. A paint/marker with any EPA hazardous waste or health danger ingredient needs to have a warning label and those ingredients need to be listed on the products Material Data Safety Sheet. That includes the EPA’s RCRA 8 list of elements that are in pigments and where the most toxicity can be if indeed the water based acrylic has them. That actually was done in large part for paint/marker use in education environments.

In one photo it looks like Nocket is using a Liquitex marker which has a number of them with no listed hazardous wastes or RCRA 8 elements and have CL and AP seals verifying accurate toxicological evaluation and accurate labeling.

In Washington state only oil based paints are considered hazardous waste for disposal purposes. They suggest you let water based paint, acrylic, latex etc. dry out and dispose it as a solid waste into your regular trash. Oregon’s great product stewardship program accepts any water based or oil based paint into it’s statewide facilities for recycling/disposal.

How about I say (like protection during sex) safer not safe…..:)......and geezzz i'm not an advocate for graffiti in national parks.

Perhaps i'm just less upset about it as some who have posted in this thread, especially with the generational blame.....you can't begin to compare this to the selfish destruction laid upon the planet over the past 60 years by my previous generations

[salsabike]

One of my favorite street art sites: http://www.streetartutopia.com/

[rebeccaC]

nice site i bookmarked it....thanks

a couple of my favorites....for a global view (http://globalstreetart.com/mrdheo)

the street spot (http://thestreetspot.com) has some interesting posts and great list of links

and 50mm (http://www.50mmlosangeles.com) for my local inspiration

[Jolt]

What was she thinking? It takes some very poor judgment to graffiti in national parks to begin with, let alone post the evidence online! I hope she is made to clean it up...while it may be "art", it is certainly not in the appropriate place. Who wants to see that kind of thing in what is supposed to be a natural environment? I would even be irritated if I saw something like the chalk work somebody upthread described in Glacier NP...I know it is temporary but it spoils the wilderness atmosphere IMHO. It would be a different story in a city park.

[smilingcat]

leaving a mark in the wilderness is just not acceptable. No matter what is said or how its done. IT IS SIMPLY VERY WRONG!

Just because someone call it an art doesn't make it so.


Who wants to see that kind of thing in what is supposed to be a natural environment? I would even be irritated if I saw something like the chalk work somebody upthread described in Glacier NP...I know it is temporary but it spoils the wilderness atmosphere IMHO.

+1 for jolt.

[Helene2013]

If you want to do graffitis, why don't you do it on your own walls at home? Not that I don't like it, but not everywhere, and at any cost. Even if it is art, it can be seen as "pollution". True some are beautifully done.

Montreal spent 3.5M$ to clean up graffitis last year. It is illegal to do any but still and fines are hefty if caught but people still do it.

Montréal has decided to invest in the creation of artistic murals, in collaboration with several different partners. 73 murals have been created since 2007 by Montréal artists, under the initiative of the Propreté (cleanliness) division, the service in charge of beautifying the city. Most have been in collaboration with the organization Mu.

[rebeccaC]

Montréal has decided to invest in the creation of artistic murals, in collaboration with several different partners. 73 murals have been created since 2007 by Montréal artists, under the initiative of the Propreté (cleanliness) division, the service in charge of beautifying the city. Most have been in collaboration with the organization Mu.

Helene Fleuty who did some of the remarkable trompe-l'oeil murals in Quebec did some for MU in Montreal. The Fresque des Quebecois and Petit-Champlain murals in Vieux-Quebec are two of my all time favorites.

[salsabike]

I love artistic murals that are created with public and government support. There are also countries where extraordinary pieces of street art serve as vehicles for public protest and political speech where these things cannot otherwise occur without enormous risk---conditions that most of us have never had to contend with. Egypt in recent years and Brazil just before the World Cup are two places that come to mind, although there are many more. I won't post the images here but if you google those country names and "graffiti", you will see hugely compelling, beautiful, painful commentary on how people are living.

When I think of those things in contrast to the self-indulgent acts of Casey Nocket, it makes me more than a little sick.

[maillotpois]

Please!!! For anyone as appalled by this vandalism as I am - consider signing my friend's petition to the White House for the stiffest penalties available to this person: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/press-charges-casey-nocket-finesmax-community-servicejail-timeetc-httpgooglhy4yqj-defacing-np-nm/1y8xJBGm

[Trek420]

I keep wondering who took the pictures. She wasn’t traveling alone. Doesn’t look like it anyway.

Hmmmm. Good point. They don't have that selfie look. While infuriated by this act whether for the bad art, the damage to our precious outdoors or both I hope we let due process take it's course. Put away that pitch fork. I mainly brought this up for the debate on the issue and as always here, it's an interesting one.

[PamNY]

Looks like NPS has officially named Casey Nocket as a suspect.

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Feds-name-N-Y-woman-as-national-parks-painter-5856747.php

I don't know how reliable this source is, but the author claims to have spoken with Nocket's family, and has some interesting comments from an NPS spokesperson.

http://trailmob.com/lifestyle/articles/wow-nps-spokeswoman-remarks-on-national-park-service-vandalism-investigatio

[salsabike]

And one more article about just how hard it is to remove Nocket's paint: http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/Painted-faces-at-parks-need-painstaking-removal-5861494.php

[Jolt]

I'd like to see her be required to clean it up...with a toothbrush!