A few weeks ago I posted an article here about some corporate sponsored spray painting that occurred on the sidewalks of Ocean Beach. It seems as though a company called Nutrisoda (or somebody in their employ) decided that a little guerrilla marketing in OB would be a good way to launch their San Diego marketing blitz. Their cutesy sidewalk slogans angered many small business owners who ended up having to scrub the stuff off their sidewalks.
About the time everybody’d finished with the cleanup, Nutrisoda responded with an email to the OB Mainstreet Association saying that, gosh, they were sorry, and would the fine merchants of OB like a few free cases of their swell product? Needless to say, their offer went over like a lead balloon. And there were lots of comments here at the OB Rag from readers who were also offended.
A few days later, Nutrisoda “street cart” appeared down on Abbott Street. The community’s response was basically to ignore it. The OB Rag went down and took a couple of pictures of the cart, but decided against posting them, figuring that we didn’t need to give them any more publicity. (Now Nutrisoda’s got billboards up around town, no doubt thinking that they’re doing their bit to beautify San Diego…but that’s another story.)
Walking away from the street cart, we noticed another bit of spray painting. This time it wasn’t any corporate campaign. The apartment building at the southwest corner of Abbott & Saratoga had a rather unsavory (racist) slogan spray painted in black on the building’s white paint.
Our stories about that piece of “art” and a few others have provoked an even stronger reader response. Obviously, we’ve touched a nerve here.
Some readers have urged the community to look beyond the simple acts of tagging that occur to see the artistic significance and beauty of some street artists. The Culture Shock San Diego dance company recently produced a show called Graffiti Life at the Lyceum Theater in Horton Plaza that did an excellent job of exploring this topic, according to reviewers.
Spray graffitti along Sunset Cliffs. photo by Dave Gilbert.
The prevailing sentiment in the Ocean Beach business community, however, is that tagging is vandalism, pure and simple. Some feel threatened by the taggers, saying that the additional costs that businesses are facing by having to undo all the “art” could drive them out of business.
There seems to be consensus about only one thing when it comes to tagging in Ocean Beach: that there has been a lot more of it recently.
The authorities in San Diego have fought the good fight over the years. It’s illegal for persons under 18 to purchase spray paint. About 60 people are arrested each month by San Diego’s finest for offenses relating to tagging.
SDPD Officer Bryan Hewitt and his partner scour the western region of the City, collecting photographs and keeping tabs on known offenders. They also handle gang-related activity, since in most neighborhoods tagging is connected to gangs. That’s not true in OB, according to Hewitt. There are groups of taggers that have given themselves names, like the Santa Cruz Killers and the OB Crowns, but their activities are pretty much related to “art”. In other communities tagging is a means for gangs to mark their turf. OB’s taggers are all about quantity. It’s been reported that they regularly engage in competitions to see who can leave the most “tags” in one evening.
Denny Knox over at the OBMA says that incidents related to tagging are now averaging over 50 a day. It’s not limited to spray painting: marking pens are used to tag signs and posts, windows are scratched up using etching rocks, and occasionally acid-based sprays are used on store windows. According to Knox, a typical plate glass display window costs $1200-$1400 to be replaced. The employees at OB Hardware say they’ve had to repaint their building three times in the last month.
One OB Rag commenter, responding to an earlier post on this subject, suggested that the recent upsurge in tagging is connected to the opening the “Vishions Smoke Store” at 5038 Newport Avenue. We visited this store recently and, sure enough, they have all kinds of markers, inks and spray paints on display, amidst a vast selection of smoking accessories. The store clerk told us that he was under strict orders not to sell markers and paint cans to anybody who mentioned having plans to use these materials for tagging. When asked why a smoke shop would be stocking paints, etc, he told us that they stocked those items so skateboarders could decorate their boards.
Up the street at OB Surf & Skate they have a dazzling selection of skateboards and accessories-just about anything a skateboarder could want is in stock. And if you’d like to learn how, they’ll even arrange for private lessons. They’ve been in business for a long time, and take great pride in their products. But there are no paints in stock. Asked about this, a store employee told us that there was no demand for such items.
Over at The Black, where they’ve been catering to OBceans needs for over four decades, with many smoking accessories, among other things, they have no paint or markers in stock, either.
If you venture out into the internet looking for tagging supplies, you’ll quickly run into PureG. Based here in San Diego, they seem (trying, anyhow) to be the Amazon of the taggers’ supplies world. They have a broad selection of pens, paints and accessories, and you can quickly learn about what brands taggers favor. Amazingly, enough those brands just happen to be the ones stocked at the Vishions Smoke Shop. Vishions is part of a small chain, with eight stores scattered across southern California and Arizona.
The issues with tagging aren’t going to be solved by closing down or boycotting one small retail store. Declaring “war” on taggers isn’t going to do much, either. (Look how successful the “war” on drugs has been.) But there does seem to be a need here for some serious soul searching in the community. Run the small businesses out of town and deface our beaches and cliffs, and the result could be Big Box retailers and gated communities. Lose the artistic aspect of OB and it will have no soul.
We’d love to hear your ideas on this subject, especially if you happen to be a tagger. The dialogue can be started here. Commenting on the OB Rag is safe (we’re not gonna share your info!) and simple. Are you listening?
{ 40 comments… read them below or add one }
Isn’t there a $500 reward for catching a tagger? With that kind of money, I’ll be keeping my eyes wide open and would hope someone tries to beat me to the $$.
They also tagged some residences on Niagara and the north-facing wall in the pier parking lot.
While cleaning up a tag on or near a Newport business isn’t gong to put anybody out of business it’s an irritation, distraction and an affront to our neighborhood in that it offends our sense of community. When I see a trashcan lid or a newspaper vending box that has been tagged it offends my pride in my neighborhood because that spot now becomes territory of the tagger and takes it away from everyone else. There is nothing artistic about it. Spray painting has become an art form that is gaining respect and, if there is an artist who wants to express him or herself I’ll bet there are merchants and residents who would be agreeable to offering wall space to a bonnafide artist. (See the wall in the alley behind 4857 Newport). Ocean Beach is open to art. As a merchant and member of the community I am angered by anyone who claims a piece of our neighborhood as their own. As for Vishions smoke shop located at 5038 Newport (phone number 223-5008) they are selling tagging supplies for the obvious purpose of supplying taggers with tools. Vishions is a parasite that shows no respect or care for the neighborhood that provides their income. It is obvious that their only concern is profit. They are contributing, endorsing and encouraging the visual blight that detracts and offends the beauty of this proud community and they don’t care.
tell us how you really feel, gary….
I’m on a roll & I’m not done….I doubt if tagging can be eliminated completely because there will always be some pathetic booger-farmer who is so insecure and desperate for recognition that he or she has to resort to feeble displays of self aggrandizement. The only way I can think of to blunt their scat is to paint over it as soon as it shows up. I wonder what part of their body they would cut off it they got caught tagging in Saudi Arabia?
Doug,
Thanks for covering this all important issue. No one should have the right to deface another person’s property. These taggers are oblivious to the costs especially when windows are etched. Plus, it is really disappointing to arrive in the morning and find tags on every conceivable poll and sign along the street. Ocean Beach has been relatively graffiti free until a few years ago. Now is is just overwhelming. Does anyone have a good idea how we can combat graffiti in Ocean Beach? Thanks
I say we all show up at Vishions tonight at midnight and spray their storefront. (sorry Denny)
Well…OBceans love a party! I would be interested in helping organize an OB Graffiti paint-out-party (okay, lame name). It could be similar to the paddle for clean water, or other such local events. Surfrider Foundation are experts at beach clean-ups. Well, what about community clean-ups? Perhaps we can borrow some of the methods they use for organizing beach clean-ups…bring a small can of neutral colored paint and get a free beer at the end of the morning (jon- always thinking about beer). I know paint costs quite a bit more than a beer, but I’m sure we could find out where to get cheap partially used cans or donations. I think if the taggers see a concerted effort by the community at large to put a stop to vandalism, they will move on. The longer their tags stay up there, the more incentive there is to keep doing it.
That’s my idea, but I would like to hear more suggestions…
” Declaring “war” on taggers isn’t going to do much, either. (Look how successful the “war” on drugs has been.)”
Yeah Doug, I was thinking the same thing this A.M. with that whole “War on Everything” business. It seems like that keeps coming from the Right, or at least those who think that they are.
Maybe it’s time to start declaring “Peace” on things, Lord knows we don’t need any more wars.
Perhaps even start with a big “Peace in OB” painting party featuring local talent?
At one of the recent posts about graffiti, I left a long ‘how-to’ and ‘how-not-to’ short list when you’re out there painting over graffiti.
Here it is again:
Let me share some experiences. Back in the 1990s I worked in City Heights for a community non-profit. annagrace was there too. Part of my job was to go out every Saturday with a handful of locals and paint over graffiti – 99% of it seemingly “gang”-related.
Here’s a few of pointers:
– if you paint over a ‘gang’s’ tag, it or some other group will soon come to that spot and tag it again. So, you have to keep up the painting over constantly – giving the strong message that you won’t allow it.
– be careful in how you paint over the graffiti – your “paint-over” may look worse than the original tag. So use gentle colors, earth tones, tans, keep in mind what you are painting on – a wall? rocks, brick, plaster, metal or ? and block out the graffiti in larger blocks, don’t simply follow the line of the original tag.
– you can get paint donated if you go to local businesses. Try the banks first.
– be careful – people have been killed in Southern Calif for this issue;
– Behind a group/ gang’s tagging is an array of socio-economic-ethnic factors, that you have to look at in order to understand gangs, groups and what it all means sociologically. Who,what are gangs? why do they tag? You don’t have to answer these questions before you paint over the graffiti however.
– This is not simply a police issue, just like dealing with gangs is not just a police issue.
OB looks like downtown Beirut! Grafitti and stupid people rule the community.
As for your blog, just a bunch of hot air being blown by a bunch of idiots.
Steve Fifer – ouch! appreciate your tolerance, dude.
Hey, rename your blog: “OB Hot Air – freaks, idiots and stupid people” – at least that would satisfy Steverino fiberhead.
at least steverino doesn’t type in all caps. he should check out “free republic” if he’d like to talk with some likeminded folks.
mr fresh: YOU MEAN LIKE THIS!!! what about those people who type in all lower case ? i just think steverino woke up on the wrong side of bed, and he’s grouchy. he’ll come to his senses some time this century.
bodysurferboobyhead – don’t make fun of peoples names – that’s the lowest form of humor there is.
I actually thought downtown Beirut was looking better these days. What does Steve know that we don’t?
First, leave Vishions alone. Some stores sell booze and cigarettes that KILL people. Paint can be removed.
You fucking hippies make me laugh. Have a midnight vigil, catch some taggers, beat the piss out of them, and leave them for dead after you spray paint them.
You can talk to humans all day, but we are like puppies. All we understand is pain. Be that the pain of discipline (those who do not tag) and the pain of regret (those that were beaten and painted appropriately).
I personally have grown apathetic and cynical about most things in life, but I am all about beating down punks that need beaten down.
After a few paint fueled assaults, the tagger will move on. Cowards dislike resistance and hardship.
Bitter, party of one. Your table’s ready.
unlike puppies, hippies fuck and reproduce. they’re very dangerous.
Unlike Hippies, puppies grow up and then fuck and reproduce. Just playing devils advocate. I’m not a hippie. Or a puppy.
first of all, if we want to have a community much like that of downtown beirut, then we should start physically assaulting people for minimal crimes. That will put us on par with countries that don’t respect human welfare.
Nonetheless, Fifer brought up something important. Countries, cities, and locales where people are going through a tough time tend to take their frustrations out on their surroundings – graffiti is just one form of vandalism that can provide an outlet for tortured souls. A good example I can think of is the Berlin Wall in the 1980’s. In the period leading up to the end of the cold war, the wall became a symbol of oppression and poverty – so people started tagging the hell out of it. Maybe there is something to be said about tagging in San Diego and other big cities affected by the recession.
At this point, its obvious we aren’t going to be able to stop people from tagging up OB. The best option is to provide other outlets so that beautiful places like Sunset Cliffs don’t fall victim to this.
I think it would be great if the OB Rag or at least some of us hosted some kind of graffiti art contest or exhibition, right here in OB…. Maybe all these people need is a showcase.
My plea – please stop tagging sunset cliffs and small businesses that cant afford to remove the tags. those cliffs are the last “virgin” undeveloped parts of the southern pacific coast, and tagging it nullifies their significance. the business owners here are having a tough enough time as it is, so having to replace a window is certainly not helping. how would you feel if due to continued vandalism, all the small businesses on Newport had to close, and the whole thing became Disneyland?
In Beirut & Berlin the graffiti was of a political nature brought on by extreme circumstances such as sectarian violence or being under the thumb of an oppressive regime. Here in OB and much of San Diego the graffiti has nothing to do with any kind of message. There is no social or political agenda. From my observation the only agenda is to show off ones ego as in “Look At Me! Recognize Me! I left my mark all over the place! I’m Cool!”. The graffiti around here has nothing to do with a tortured soul except that maybe Mom & Dad were too busy making money to give the kid attention.
Bodysurfer – make fun of my name as much as you would like…end of the day you can’t do real surfing. For Gary Gilmore, eat corn!
You all need to find more productive things to do.
Steve Fifer – we had to edit your comments, deleting references that relate to bodily functions when referring to other commenters. In the future, at least keep it civil or comment elsewhere.
Picking fights on the internet blogs eh? Perhaps it’s YOU that needs something more productive to do sir.
Jon, you are right! I should stop being a poopy head, you schmuck!
What ever happened to freedom of speech, Mr. Editor?? I thought that is what this blog stands for! I will not be censored for I am a mighty American.
I would like to apologize to everyone for ripping on the blog. It is a great service to the community.
By the way, did you all hear about the Wal-Mart coming to OB rumors?
Steve – perhaps you are speaking tongue in cheek. It wasn’t obvious if you are/ were.
Freedom of speech issues are between the citizens and the government. In other words, we have a guarantee – written in the Bill of Rights – that the GOVERNMENT will not infringe on us citizens’ rights to free speech, free press, etc.
This blog is not the government – duh – and therefore, we have a right to edit comments and articles and posts that we publish here. We are trying to provide a forum for the community for civil discourse and discussion. We step in as editors when the discussion becomes nasty and full of name-calling.
theres no wal-mart coming here. thats just inflammatory. can we bring this back to a discussion about what is actually happening around us please.
Graffiti is an art form whether you like it or not. The idiot Trane who can only, and barely at that, spray paint his name (which the OBMA cares nothing about b/c he doesn’t do it on Newport)is no artist. Taggers are taggers and have no artistic ability. Some of what is happening around OB is art. It is as much of an expression as anything else. If OB wants to clean up graffiti what about all the idiots who carve their names into the cliffs themselves? Not only is that vandalism but it is ruining the natural environment. I don’t see the OBMA all upset about that. Let alone all the crap that gets washed into ocean after their sponsored events. We cant’ start telling stores what they can sell and what they can’t — that would be Big Brotherish. I didn’t hear about anyone complaining about the peace sign on the rock that was called art which by law was technically vandalism. In fact — I remember this blog being upset when it was “stolen”. Beware your hypocrisy — it reveals your true self.
Doug – thanks – you added some issues that tend to be overlooked.
Okay, cliff and sandstone carvings are vandalism too; I think people are more upset with the paintings b/c they’re more visible. but good point there. Okay, and Doug brings up the issue then of “crap” from OBMA events being washed out into the sea – that’s my area. Good issue but off point here. But you’re right, dude, maybe we should look into that.
No one has criticized political art here, so your remarks about the OB on Peace Rock don’t quite gell. Why can’t this blog be for the Peace Rock and against non-political junk graffiti that mars our cliffs and be against sand carvings also?
All kinds of stores are limited in what they can sell. Antique stores can’t sell alcohol. Certain markets are prevented from selling certain sized containers of alcohol, tax accountants can’t sell fresh vegetables, doctor offices can’t sell motor oil except to their patients (just kiddin), pharmacies can’t sell gasoline, nobody can sell fireworks, so you see what I mean. Head shops can’t sell certain pipes, blah blah blah.
Is it Big Brother to limit Peoples Food to only organic vegetables? So if a community wants to limit sales of items that are damaging the community – heh? Don’t give me the ‘but stores sell booze and tobacco which kill people’ argument.
NMDoug wrote: “Let alone all the crap that gets washed into the ocean after their sponsored events” Slow down there NM Doug. Before you go and accuse the OBMA of this kind of wrong doing you must check the facts. After each of the sponsored events such as the weekly farmers market and the annual Street fair (coming up in two weeks) a crew cleans the street but, not before setting up barricades (sandbags) around the storm drains and vacuums to reclaim the run off. Nothing goes into the drains. There is a crew that collects trash during and after each event and what ever can be recycled is recycled. I suggest you NOT take my word on this. I suggest you hang around after any OBMA sponsored event and see for yourself what goes into keeping the business district clean.
Interesting take calling the Peace Rock “vandalism”. When it 1st went missing I remember being pretty bummed that it could disappear like that, and I among others suspected foul play (no pun intended) because I then talked to someone who pointed out that it was in the birds that lived on that rock’s way, and they’d be a lot happier with it gone.
In my opinion it looked a lot better than the graffiti that graces our coastline or the cliff carvings that are slowly eating away at one of our last natural resources, but the Peace sign was still unnatural on that rock, no matter how much I and others appreciated the sentiment.
I would LOVE to help with a neighborhood clean-up, if you can make it happen. My little area of Normal Heights is suffering the same sort of predicament. I think it’s less gang-related and more bored a-hole teenager, but it is just ugly.
I think having a forum like an graffiti art contest is a great idea, but like Doug said “Taggers are taggers and have no artistic ability”. The taggers will probably just tag over any real attempt at graffiti art.
I found this link on eHow
http://www.ehow.com/how_2032217_stop-people-graffiti.html
But if you read the comments, the kids aren’t all that receptive :P
There IS a department through the City of San Diego for this (unless it’s been eliminated in the latest tax cuts)
http://www.sandiego.gov/graffiti/index.shtml
Perhaps they’d be a good department to contact if you DO want to have a community paint-out.
peace out!
erin
Vishions sells art supplies to artists, not taggers ! HOME DEPOT sells spray paint for half the price of Vishions.
Go to Vishions and ask for paint to tag and you will be asked to leave. (kicked out)
If bodysurferbob had balls he would show up during business hours and tag Vishions not at midnight, and we will see how long you last.
Joe – why hold me to a ballsy standard that even the taggers are not held to: namely doing their tagging “during business hours”?
most taggers steal the paint they use. they are not artists. as for you bodysurferbob you sound like a tagger dont lower your self to there standards. personally I dont support taggers either but, I am an artist.
Joe – how about helping us figure out what to do here? You say Vishions sells only to artists (would a tagger admit it even to a shop clerk? I think not) and that HomeDepot does the same thing – even more cheaply. Good point. But what to do, dude?
Okay, this has been a heckuva interesting ride the last week or so and handful of articles – and very timely too, as I’ve been making similar observations of late. It seems like there’s a lively debate on where political and art-inspired graffiti fits into the general urban landscape. Some ineresting points have been made on both the ‘graffiti is an art form,’ and ‘all tagging is tasteless vandalism,’ sides of the coin. Every time I try to plan out a coherent response it seems like I hit refresh and someone’s posted a new angle to think about, which is why until now I’ve stayed silent on something I’ve got a lot to say about. But I think we all agree at this point that the crap on the cliffs captured on some of the other posts related to the subject qualifies neither as an art form nor coherent counterculture statement. At this juncture I see three divergent potential courses of action:
1. Keep bitching about it amongst ourselves. This is the easiest and most obvious thing to do, and as I’ve said the ongoing dialogue continues to bring new and worthy viewpoints to light. But ultimately we’ve got to come to grips with the fact that the warm fuzzy feeling we all get is just the heat of soiling our pants when confronted with the need for real action.
2. Bitch about it to the cops/city council/someone else. I don’t much care for this course of action either, and I’d like to suggest that some of this increase in vandalism is due to the recently-passed beach alcohol ban, please hear me out on this tangent for a minute…
With booze banned along the infamous “the Wall,” and on the shores around the pier, have the ne’er do-wells simply stopped drinking? Disappeared? Nay, friends – most have relocated their haunts about a quarter mile south along the cliffs, where the pork rarely roams and where they’re now, free from supervision, welcome to relieve themselves in public (the public bathroom is now too far away), litter even more than before (no trash cans nearby = an excuse for some to drop crap wherever it’s convenient), partake in a lot more than just swigging forties (that acidic, slightly sweet, decidedly non-herbal smell coming from their pipes is tweek), and tag up anything that doesn’t move. I came to town about a year before the beach ban took effect, left for a while, and came back a few months before voters made it permanent. As walking the cliffs used to be my preferred walking route from my old apartment on Abbott to a friend’s that I spent a lot of time with off Coronado, and as I spend a lot of time down there with my stepdaughter now living off Coronado, I’ve seen the deterioration of the situation of the area, and it seems to somewhat coincide with the ban’s enactment.
So why don’t I think more policing is the answer? First off, I believe in the freedom of people to pretty much do whatever as long as they’re not harming others, and police presence always tends to limit freedom. I have a right to swing my fists around, but that right ends at the tip of your nose, so to speak. Maybe I flaunt the ban by pouring a little something extra in my water bottle that accompanies me to a day at the Santa Cruz cove with my family, maybe I like to stop off for a toke on the way to or from the Newport bars, maybe I’ve been entertained by the various drum circles, fire dancers, or other weirdos that take up temporary residence along the cliffs but who would probably catch more than a sidewise glance from Johnny Law. Which leaves one obvious solution…
3. Get out and do something. I’m totally down to join in with anyone willing to put together some kind of paint-out party along the seawall on the cliffs, whether or not mimosas or herbal supplements are involved (I’d prefer both).
I wonder if we’d need some kind of city permit to do it, as I’d hate to end up cuffed and kissing the sidewalk for trying to do a good deed – has anyone looked into this? I put in both phone and internet inquiries to the city ) about two weeks ago and haven’t heard anything back.
A couple ideas – one, could we get some local merchant to provide some signage to post on the walls describing the detrimental effect of carving in the sandstone? I doubt this would deter many of the swastika carvers, but maybe at least a handful of the ‘Billy Bob loves Darlene’ types might be dissuaded from busting out a chisel. Second, and this one has been suggested, what would it take to get some actual graffiti artists out to put together some kind of mural along the seawall once it was cleaned up? I’m in agreement with those that have said we really don’t need any kind of paint out there as Mother Nature has provided us with the most artistic landscape any of us could imagine already, but it seems one of the only things taggers respect is better tagging, so hopefully some kind of art would be less susecptible to getting f’d up than a new blank canvas.
Those that have suggested a course of action – please, share it with everyone here a few weeks in advance. I know I’m not the only bandwagon-jumper willing to get involved!
PSD – youre right on. I started doing a little research recently about getting some kind of graffiti showcase event here in OB…thats my kind of thing, and Im interested in seeing how it would effect this mess, so I’m going to see how we can make it work. As soon as I get more info togehterI will publicize that.
As for a paint out, paint over kind of thing…frank gormlie discussed in a previous post about his work doing something similar in City Heights. It is time consuming and not rewarding until the tagging actually stops – but if people are dedicated, it will make a difference. PSD is correct though – somebody needs to take the reigns, otherwise it will just become a continuous bitchfest. Some people are interested but don’t have the time to navigate organizing such a thing….maybe those who have the time to do something – and bitch about it – can help get the party started. Then the people who don’t have the time to organize, but will inevitably join the crusade, will jump on board. On the comments section of “the ugly side of OB” there is someone called nomorelittering, nomoretagging who wants to do something. I asked them for contact information on that post. Hopefully that will grow and people will join the cause, and come up with a positive action to combat this.
That is grassroots organizing at its most basic. We don’t need the police involved in this, especially in OB. We have the right community and the right kinds of people. unfortunately, the shit isnt going to go away on its own….so come on people, lets rise to the challenge!