Meanwhile, On the North Side of the Island...

Taipei's graffiti artists try to say it with paint

The Taipei Times had this story, pg 2, in their Sunday edition. There's mention of the graffiti park in Xinmending, and of a teacher who is working with artists thinking that "but graffiti artists that have been properly guided can be allowed to express themselves." A graffiti buxiban?

More importantly, there was this little nugget:

On Wednesday, the Taipei City Government's Bureau of Environmental Protection announced that in an effort to clean up the city, graffiti artists will now face fines of between NT$1,200 (US$37.50) to NT$6,000.

To collect, the city has set up a 24-hour "environmental protection hotline" to report illegal activity with a cash carrot for snitches. As much as I want it to, the article does not say that the pro-environment folks in the Taipei goverment are particulary concerned about litter, or unsightly real estate advertisements that are crudely affixed to light posts around the city, ads which leave spent adhesives up and down poles so that the visual unpleasantness can carry on.

Unless "Article 27 of the Waste Disposal Act (廢棄物清理法), which prohibits the polluting of the ground, pools of water, drainage gutters, walls, beams or pillars, utility poles, trees, roadways, bridges and other structures" can be interpreted to include the fliers, handouts, and call-girl phone numbers that paper my scooter if it's parked outside for too long.

It's a shame the phone number wasn't given. I'd like to report some litterbugs.

As far as I know, Taichung writers are safe from arrest. I could be wrong. Maybe I'll go ask the cops.

Fresh Paint

Before the rain on Monday, I drove around downtown and found this wall across from a KTV near the park. The representative of the KTV who saw me shooting arrived as I was changing lenses to express his displeasure at my taking pictures of a wall in an empty parking lot. I think he had privacy issues. I asked him if it would be ok to come back later when there were lots of cars in the parking lot. We seemed to be having communication problems. I think he was saying "Don't take pictures here," but the "Give me a good reason why" was lost on him.

Brent Nadin on "Taiwan Fun"

Thanks INDIAC:

Late last night/early this morning on "Taiwan Fun" (Ch. 21,
http://www.travelandliving.com.tw/funtaiwan/index.shtml ), they talked
about graffiti and interviewed Brent Nadin -- the guy who does the
stencil graffiti of Boris Karloff(Zoiks!), Jimi Hendrix, etc. -- and a
Taiwanese guy who was somehow associated with him and/or the graffiti
artists that did the stuff in the Hua-mei St. canal and other places. I
got a little confused during parts of the show.

If you missed it, you're still in luck. It looks like it'll be
rebroadcast July 2 (Sunday) at 6 PM:
http://www.travelandliving.com.tw/funtaiwan/episodes/5/index.shtml

Here's the schedule for 7/2:
http://www.travelandliving.com.tw/_listings/index.shtml?schedule_date=20060702&channel_code=TATA&language_code=CCH&target_page=/_listings/index.shtml

Hua Mei St, June 1st

I've seen a lot of new art around town that I've been meaning to go back and collect for postage. These are from the canal. Looks like there are a few new artists working in TC now, which is good, cause it looks like they've got skills.

A little something new

Digital Scanner Brush

The folks at MIT have come up with a tool that resembles one of those old shaving brushes which can scan colors & motion to be reproduced on a large computer screen. Check out this Quicktime video. Could be the next big thing in next big things.

NYC Graffiti Law

“Graffiti is on the rise. It's becoming glorified again. We don't have the police we used to and those we have are concentrating on terrorism,” he said.

Yeah, so the folks up there are banning the sale of spray paint and thick markers to people under the age of 21.

As for Taichung, you can have my spray paint when you pry it from my cold, dead hand. That is, if I painted, which I don't. When paint is outlawed only outlaws will have paint.

When I was in high school, I grew a beard and bought beer and booze every weekend for my friends. I predict a trend towards more facial hair in NYC.