Graffiti in West Virginia

Not dead yet

2010-12-23T21:15:00.004-05:00

Whoa sorry, my bad blog readers. My academic, social, love, family life all went a little haywire for a bit there but about a year latter I return to talk about the place I love and all of the paint, stickers, wheatpaste, and whatever else poster all over it. I have a mess of mail and a large slush pile of photos to post. That said back to updating.

Great little editorial out of The Herald Dispatch about a "victory for the community"

"Two graffiti vandals, who were charged in April with defacing a traffic control box in downtown Huntington, will begin their punishment Monday, spending 30 days in jail under a work-release agreement that allows them to maintain their employment. That will be followed by five months probation, during which they must complete 100 hours of graffiti removal."

You got caught breaking the law so you pay the price. The problem here is both a legal, business, artist issue. Not everyone putting art up is Picasso or Banksy but graffiti is part of the narrative of a place. Admittedly this is not the narrative the lawmakers and business owners wish to tell. The artists only have control over where they put their art and subject matter, they lack control over the ability to produce art. The drive to create is inborn and can not be stopped. In the case of these two gentlemen the place was an electric box. Not a store window, nor a street sign, but a traffic control box. The City of Huntington owns the traffic control box and the artists are citizens of the city and I argue have as much claim to the ownership of the exterior of the box as the city. Designate public space for art and the graffiti will self-regulate in the unoffensive, thought provoking, harmless spaces. Cooperation not conviction is the key step in solving the problem.

k

A bubbling crude.

2009-11-30T15:54:00.003-05:00

Sorry there were no updates last week. I was stuffing my face.

"WR WC"
this could be IMP but you could also interpret this as three people standing together. Not the cleanest execution but a provoking collection of lines.

SMOKE. This face was across from SMOKE and it leads me to believe that "SMOKE" is not a tag but an expression of the artist at the time of conception and the artist's opinion on the benefits of smoking.

Tagging the bulletin board is pretty ballsy.
I first thought this said dose but there is an extra o making is doose which is perplexing. The arrows really help us dumbass on the street find your tag.

Keith Albee controversy

2009-11-19T17:03:00.006-05:00

This is the tag that is causing all of the controversy.
Photo provided by the Herald Dispatch.

To summarize someone tagged the front of the historic Keith Albee theater. The only way to get on the roof is from another roof. They have gone far enough to offer a $1000 for information on the "artist". I think the whole thing is asinine. Props to drop beats for pulling off this insane stunt. I agree with thinklogically's comment on the herald dispatch. Probably the only comment that didn't call for blood.

The artist need an outlet and want for their work to be seen. Now, how many galleries are there in the city and is the city attempting to do anything to discourage the placement of "art work" on private property? The city of Huntington has miles of mostly unpainted flood wall. Designate some of it as a public art forum. There is also a giant unpainted wall directly across from the court house that was slated to have a piece of art on it until it got scrapped around the same time that we got our new mayor. Designating either of these location as public art forums would cost the city little to nothing and lower the chances of destruction of private property. You could also divert police officers to activities that actually make Huntington a safer place.

bring the hammer down.

Now this is satire at its best! For those who don't know Jammie Oliver has taken over Huntington's public image. So this cry for help is particularly amusing.
look at me Im Andy Warhol!

This is always a good spot for Zombie tags.

A bit of gossip.

2009-11-16T00:18:00.005-05:00

I was walking down an ally taking photos of some nice graffiti (not this post maybe the next.) and this gentleman came up to me and asked what I was doing. I told him I was taking photos of graffiti. He said "I walk down this ally all the time and I see graffiti, you know who I would like to meet?"
"Who?"
"Zombi, that guy is everywhere but you I heard he got busted by the cops and he started tagging payback everywhere."

Found this on a pipe.

same pipe.

Someone ran through here and put up leaves on the bulletin board at Marshall's campus. We know its fall you don't have to make fliers for it.

what is this blue mark?

Z
Zane. shouldn't of used cheap pen like that. Won't stay for very long.

maybe I am

2009-11-12T01:23:00.005-05:00

Saw this on the mailbox near Marshall's campus. This mailbox is a tiny gallery.
The German translates to "My world has changed"
A quick tag on the side of a power box. 304

This one is a little dark but you can see ANKY at his best.

some big letters from the train tracks
This is a clever sticker. "Panda's are cute but will they kill you?"
maybe.

Just enough space at the bottom.

2009-11-09T00:05:00.007-05:00

False is a Charleston tagger. This was taken downtown.

Here is a little one on the edge of a newspaper box. Look at the parallel sides on with his letter sizes.
some random stickers with those pleasant borders on a window.

The full text reads: "If trees could scream - would we still cut them down? unless they were screaming all the time and for no apparent reason. In which case we would kill the whinny trees"

If this is true, where is the advertisement?
"It's a goddamn beret." Kind of looks like a pancake to me.

Here is one of those eggs I was talking about! Someone has since tagged over it. What a shame.

Here is a better shot of this sticker and the gun sticker on the bottom that I posted last time.

A crazy bird thing on the curb.

right next to this. I don't know what on Earth it says but I like the arrow at the bottom.

Kanawha County

2009-11-05T01:12:00.002-05:00

False! Accusation? Joe Wilson? Alas he is not our senator. If Byrd had a tag he would stencil a bird at hunch height.
Live every week like its shark week,

being who you are is its own punishment.

fractals. black and white maddness.

okay so this one was a bit weird to take but there is a gun on the one space. <-

Stickers in the golden city

2009-11-02T00:35:00.002-05:00

Here was this door in charleston with a bunch fo stickers and a few quick tags on the top left. The robot thing was a god idea.

Elegant and simple. I wonder if they had to jump to get the back of this sign. I like how they did the back of the sign which doesn't make the message on the sign secondary.

Way up high but hard to take a photo of. Direct mail. They get mad when you take them from the post office and never mail anything but there is nothing they can do.

I don't know if it is a rat or a frog but I like it.

Owls. Who doesn't love a good owl? Good and unexpected use of color.

from the mountainhomes

2009-10-29T17:26:00.004-04:00

here is some graffiti from Morgantown. Who ever is one top should be more mindful of drips. Presto!

oh lordy.

its kind of primal. MPD?

Someone doesn't like the police.

A little non specific but damn that's gonna piss some people off.

I am not even sure if this is graffiti but when you live on a hill...
oh its a chalk thing! funny.

een watch.

2009-10-26T02:53:00.002-04:00

some fast and dirty stencils. the face came through though.

just went down this residential street.
zombie couldn't help tagging the bank.

by the tracks.

2009-10-22T00:52:00.003-04:00

Tape. what kind of tape? scotch tape? duck tape? masking tape? alright that jokes old. Very nice tag. A little drip on the "T" but clean.

A little closer we can see some Syker above.

Imagine the human hand moving to do this. Slow it down frame by frame.

A bit faded but this is only evidence of a tenacious color choice.
"Im going to tag... both boxes!"

Urban expression

2009-10-19T00:54:00.003-04:00

I couldn't get to this one in time but all of the big stuff on mailboxes recently has me thinking its some theme. Or just a really good flat place with a consistent surface for paste. The metal mailboxes expand and contract with the temperature and can wiggle pieces loose if you do something this big.

This thing is creepy but in a good place.

Frontal female nudity in three priority mail stickers.

Dent just wants us to know that he can do traditional graffiti as well as these large predrawn pieces.
bang bang bang.

Hawks Nest Carvings

2009-10-15T02:03:00.008-04:00

I Went to Hawks Nest State Park and went to one of the lookouts and there were some old carvings. This was the only paint there. Made things classy. You might have to click to get a better look at some of these.

pardon my foot. It reads: A. D. Hamilton. PITTS PA

C. E. Shehan
Some fish x and another fish
Have R. Hill
(it must of taken forever to carve something to last that long exposed to the elements.

J.M.Conner
Eliot Dill
V.W.

C.E.M.
CHKnight.

a door is a work of art

2009-10-12T01:31:00.004-04:00

shouldn't of left that fence there.

When they say the writing on the wall they mean the restroom.

some crazy sticker things.

this is the whole door. It layers so naturally. May they never paint this thing over.(A little hard to do with the stickers)

Appeal to novelty

2009-10-08T00:11:00.003-04:00

someone does not have joy joy joy. Wet blanket.

sure looks like huntington to me.

all for one and one for all.

IME? or four people standing together.

room for five more on the garage.

A very simple and bold thing.

2009-10-05T01:00:00.002-04:00

I entered the middle elevator at Smith Hall on Marshall's campus and I saw this thing scribbled there. I came back and pushed the button a bunch (to the dismay of several faculty members) until I got the middle elevator and took a better photo.
To me it looks like Joseph Stalin holding Oliver Twist. But I could be wrong. A beautiful idea. Wheatpaste actual drawings at the bottom of doors. Unobtrusive and with clear creative merit.
A simple tag. xs instead of dots and a line through the o. Norse God of mischief. I saw another one of these and I thought to myself "this guy has a damn good theme going"

Its a monkey in a dress comforting another monkey. Now assuming these monkeys and Stalin are by the same artist we can ask ourselves if this wheatpaster (or is it tape?) is a Marshall student or if they are associated with other wheatpasters in the area such as Visitor, Dent, or Magog. Speculation is free and sweet.

A big meaty bit of news and something from Monongalia county

2009-10-01T01:05:00.007-04:00

Artist puts his yolk on city.
I've heard about these eggs in Charleston. Someone went as far as to paint bacon with one. Oh-No is painting eggs. Everyone eats eggs... not too big... its brilliant. A good interview with the Artist in this.

The Herald Dispatch has an Editorial about punishing Graffiti offenders which boils down to this.
"In theft cases, that threshold is $1,000, meaning that if the value of the stolen property is $1,000 or more, the offense is a felony with more harsh penalties. It's not clear why the threshold for a felony destruction of property conviction is $2,500, when the loss to the property owner is just as real. That discrepancy should be fixed by lowering the threshold for a felony charge when people deface or destroy property"

They also published eleven photos of graffiti downtown. The 4th and 9th photos are my favorite. They both feature visitor or one of the other wheatpasters. squid, zombie, deadface. also make some appearances.

A lot of this backlash recently is because the influx of people to Huntington in the fall. Two artists were caught in September behind city hall. bad timing? or a heavier police influence?

As promised here is some graffiti. which is from neither Charleston or Huntington but Morgantown.

political. nice.

wvu will die in 2012? vengeful.
I think the star of David gave you away.

asian stencil theme?

oh get over it.

Some things just make sense.

2009-09-28T00:08:00.000-04:00

I can't get enough of stuff on trains. You have no idea where they came from. A canvas on wheels. Anywhere between a coalmine and a powerplant you can find one and that is all the context you get.
Good use of punctuation.
I started to wonder why the graffiti from parking garages are on the higher floors.

A bit illegible but the silver curls contrasted with the red are pretty to look at.

Think about it. The lower floors fill up first. Therefore there are less people on the upper floors to interrupt the graffiti artist in the act.
I am pretty sure if I sit here long enough I can read these.

Stencils! I love stencils. What better way to reproduce a tag in clear manner. Bonus points for making a face. Everyone has a face, easily identifiable.

let them live their lives let them get older

2009-09-24T01:32:00.001-04:00

a couple different ingredients

2009-09-21T02:45:00.002-04:00

50th post

2009-09-16T21:56:00.012-04:00

This is my 50th post.

Scroll down if you don't care and just want to see the graffiti.

I found graffiti that disgusts me and delights me. What started as a fun hobby is still a fun hobby. A place to store these images before they are painted over and torn down. I have been supported by West Virginians who thought the paint and paper on the wall was more than gang markings or the byproduct of the skateboarder culture but a legitimate work of art. I like to think of Graffiti as an edit to the programing of a city or place. It makes the world we live in more personal.

For new readers who don't want to read the backlog but want to see some West Virginia graff.
A slideshow

Thanks to everyone who has sent in photos. Also I would like to thank The Charleston Daily Mail, The Charleston Gazette, and The Harold Dispatch for their work in covering graffiti in West Virginia years before me. Be it Civil War soldiers carving their names in a church or calling out the morons who paint on store windows, our local news is there.
Speaking of
The Harold Dispatch has published an Editorial on their website.
Anti-graffiti push needed in downtown Huntington.

Most importantly I would like to thank the graffiti artists who make this all possible.
And to speak of them here are some good ones

I looked at the other side of the mailbox from my last post and discovered this wheatpaste.It always cracks me up when there is graffiti on the Graffiti bins.

click this one and look at the detail on his chest and the head.
This is just a random mishmosh. By itself bizarre but collected together it becomes something more.

A treat.

2009-09-14T00:27:00.003-04:00

A big treat today across from Marshall's campus. I think this is the largest worm I have personally seen. Clean execution.
This tag has been running around a lot recently. I like the gun eye aspect.

Here are some along a garage in blue.
A stencil sticker, and squid on a newspaper box.

up the down stairs

2009-09-10T00:51:00.001-04:00

Happy Labor Day

2009-09-07T01:01:00.001-04:00

Things from a parking building

2009-09-03T00:07:00.002-04:00

the michelan man gets payback

2009-08-31T03:14:00.001-04:00

I look up and I see this

2009-08-27T02:29:00.003-04:00

look up.

can you hear me now?

2009-08-24T00:17:00.004-04:00

I saw a broken phone booth so I walked over and got some context.

it reads:
Where are you now whore?

"fighting 4 peace is like fucking 4 virginity"

hagler made me do it

2009-08-20T14:10:00.004-04:00

If walls could talk I am not sure if this is what they would say

2009-08-17T11:18:00.002-04:00

Charlestondays

2009-08-14T10:39:00.004-04:00

I wish I got here before the rip. OhNo does consistently good work. But I think the fried egg is a nice response.

and I just love this thing here. Good work comes out of Charleston.
Paebak has been getting around. I have reports of him throwing stuff up as far away as Louisville. Curious indeed.

Don't dream it be it

2009-08-10T01:33:00.004-04:00

pak choi

2009-08-06T01:26:00.001-04:00

Freshness

2009-08-03T11:37:00.005-04:00

The entries for the next few weeks are going to be fresh graffiti . Enjoy
I am not to sure how fresh it is but I have been meaning to snap a shot of this mail box.
closer shot.
I think the red is nice on this wall.
The whole power box is covered in"WORK BUY DIE" I pity the AEP guy who has to preform maintenance on that box.

just cause I can.

truncation

2009-07-30T00:07:00.005-04:00

I love how graffiti adds to the personality of a space. As natural as the vines.
NYE

Isn't this guy from Morgantown? hmm.

just a spot of graff on the door but I thought the whole scene was nice. click it for a better look at the graffiti.

Guilt by associaton

2009-07-27T03:03:00.002-04:00

There has been a lot of work done this summer and catching new pieces has been rewarding. Photos of recent stuff soon to come.

I like the proximity of the two.comun
This last one really caught my eye.

I have an Idea

2009-07-22T13:19:00.005-04:00

Suggestions sought for floodwall art
A local committee soon will be calling on artists for suggestions, designs and renderings for concrete art panels that will line the floodwall in downtown Huntington.

The Floodwall Art Oversight Committee, organized by the Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce's Young Professionals Committee, plans to publish a request for proposals by the end of the month

The committee is considering two themes for the floodwall panels -- a historic timeline of Huntington and the significance of the Ohio River and railroad -- but are open to more themes and different designs

The panels would be located near the main entrance of Harris Riverfront Park, facing downtown Huntington.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to make downtown look better but the cheapest option is to make the wall public. Open season on the floodwalls. At least then we can get some color. And a train? Trains already pass along the floodwalls. Do not be discouraged from submitting ideas, it is not exactly your $20,000 either.

pressure wash

2009-07-19T23:38:00.006-04:00

I am officially out of photo's until I borrow someones camera or readers send them in. I want to use this as an opportunity to thank everyone who has contributed to this project. If we can not stand together we will be pressure washed down and forgotten.

This must be from city council elections. Did you know if they lose and don't pick up every sign they distributed they are can be charged with littering or vandalizing property. Perks of winning I guess.

this was in the Charleston Town Center Mall parkinglot

I meant to take a photo of this wheat pasted yearbook section but I
closer shot. Who is this?

Found this on a door at the top of a scary staircase.
Thanks for reading

Joe

2009-07-16T02:02:00.003-04:00

these bubble letters look just out of bazooka joe. Except not at all. Very clean work though.

solid.

size does matter.
this is a photo of a drain pipe that encouraged moss growth. I thought it was neat and took a photo. Yeargh!
well why not?

oh yes

2009-07-13T02:24:00.004-04:00

graffiti on graffiti

The message is clear

2009-07-09T00:58:00.005-04:00

behind door number one

closer

gotta have that green.

what does that creepy saw puppet say near the begining of that horrible film

2009-07-06T02:28:00.005-04:00

I added a scorecard to make it easier for me not to repost. What do you think? Even the newspapers can play.

twins!

There is no graff in this last one. I just wanted to share it.

Charleston is a good place to live.

2009-07-02T10:10:00.007-04:00

Charleston is a fertile place if you know where to look

this is what I would call attention to detail.

Another of Slither's creatures. Saw some of his professional work in a gallery the other day. I liked it. Recreating the environment and the atmosphere of graffiti is no easy task.

I like the two tones and the illusion of being one line.

If my vision does not betray me I would say this is on the side of a csx train. CSX doesn't paint over nearly as often because of the recession but when they do they use a solid black which is perfect for this color combo. On top of that bonus your art is hustled from one side of the state to the other.

In return: T-rex

2009-06-29T11:18:00.005-04:00

My camera broke a while back and I have been relying on old photos and submissions from readers for the past few posts. Thanks for sending in what you are sending in but more is always better. Just snap a photo of some graff on your way to work with your cell phone or link this page to someone you know who collects West Virginian graff In return here is a T-rex

Standing in Standing Water

2009-06-25T15:21:00.004-04:00

I really like the stencil at the end. You should too.

pigs

2009-06-22T01:28:00.001-04:00

ge game

2009-06-17T23:59:00.004-04:00

oh it is good to be back. Here are some recent ones in Charleston

I am a sucker for turtles. So even and clean.

those vines grow fast. Some very solid graff.

ge game.

Traded to elves

2009-06-08T01:05:00.005-04:00

Hey everyone I won't be posting Thursday or Monday because I will be at Bonnaroo. Some of the Hyamp.
It is loud. I love it.

gasmasks and bodyparts. of course!

These characters are wonderful.

what is with the fascination with wings?

under an intense equatorial sun

2009-06-04T02:33:00.002-04:00

I couldn't get a photo from the other side of the fence.

Now this is something interesting

2009-06-01T12:20:00.005-04:00

As beautiful as the chance encounter of a heart and a pair of batwings on the back of the DMV

I like the quote with the face. TVs for eyes or eyes on tvs and then a cry for a better world.
"We will have TV cameras installed (ALONG I-64) that are in full operation in the fall,"

This is one of my favortie faces.

more batwings. cutter than a basket of kittens. The worn out parts make it look like a canvas almost.

Stickers!

2009-05-28T00:59:00.006-04:00

40 new surveillance cameras in Huntington

keep your eyes open.

if this critter looks familiar I recommend looking here

This sticker tells a story about two cats and a poop. A true master at captivating the imagination. I wonder how it ended.

I wish it was that cold now.

I get knocked down but I get up again.

2009-05-25T16:22:00.008-04:00

Speaking of liars sorry for missing the last two times. So here are some more from 2006.
Another of those Katamari things

what is this a stencil of?

dont do over me on the left.

this dates zombi

up in the sky!

From beyond the veil of time

2009-05-17T12:13:00.007-04:00

All of this has presumably been painted over.

"He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man"
originally said by Samuel Johnson quotes (English Poet, Critic and Writer. 1709-1784 but was used more recently in the Avenged Sevenfold song Bat Country.

same street
A very eclectic door mural.

Don't miss the stencil to the left.

doors and up

2009-05-14T00:06:00.005-04:00

stop and look for Aorta in this one. Good control.

Dooth could be a lazy meth toof? or a meth toof changing his image?

ciro like to tag high places.

On the Walls of a small church

2009-05-11T12:27:00.006-04:00

Words of Civil War soldiers found on walls of small church
In November 2008, Klusmeyer hired workers to clean the inside of the church, which had not been used for several years. As the workers began removing layers of paint, they were stunned by what they found and called the bishop to say, "I've discovered something you need to see."
Morgan's Chapel provided housing for both Confederate and Union soldiers at various times during the Civil War. Among the notations is one dated as early as March 5, 1862.

There is a photo of one of the pieces in the article. I want to know if anyone out there has been to this place and if they can provide me photos. Graffiti is nothing new. The longer it stays up the more likely they will try and preserve it.

The Wicked Worm Beast.
tagged for a year?
those trains keep a rolling.

Gnar20

2009-05-07T04:13:00.003-04:00

.So Gnar Face does faces/
The Sloth and Ciro strike. Some legible and difficult to tag palces.

DOP->

2009-05-04T14:19:00.002-04:00

A little lazy today so I am going to post some photos from around town and call it a day.

These are some early minos, he has gotten a lot better.

Clean Sweep

2009-04-30T14:56:00.006-04:00

The City of Huntington is continuing its Clean Sweep this week and much of what I have photographed will never be seen outside this blog again if they have not been painted over already. They want to make it an annual event. I blame the assholes who tag over a legitimate mural with a penis. I praise the artists who go to the secret forums along the levee. There they have the privacy and space to put up some excellent pieces.

Chum is one of my all time favorite artists around here. Quite tasteful and evenly spaced. You can tell he took his time with these.

Its so good I almost suspect a stencil.

trains trains trains

2009-04-27T12:49:00.004-04:00

Some decent art came down the line the other day. I like the imported tags.

heh heh heh Generail Twitty. get it? rail. its a railroad car.
sorry I love puns

Slam!

2009-04-23T15:18:00.005-04:00

A non colored version of fawk with an interesting example of a reverse graffiti mushroom behind the K

There is boya again getting somewhere beyond concept of reach.

flamingoking

2009-04-20T04:43:00.003-04:00

A burnt out building makes for an interesting choice or target

closer
quantity
Quality and perserverance
flamingoking!

Some things off the what pile

2009-04-16T12:33:00.008-04:00

I had to fiddle with the contrast on this one to make the man easier to see.

Stickers are an east way to create a design and get it up quickly and discreetly. This one was hanging out in a stairwell This one in an ally downtown

Im not sure what this last one is but I am posting it anyways,

Some doors

2009-04-13T14:36:00.003-04:00

My critics say I am giving attention to those who's actions are only to cry for attention.
I say screw it, I like it and if putting these tags online gets more put up more power to them.

Some clouds, a Squid and Nietzsche

2009-04-09T14:36:00.007-04:00

Look out that house is right next to you!
This is a truly exquisite Squid just off of fourth ave. Not one for shoddy work the Squid.

You can not tell in the photo but this is about one door off the ground. I am not sure what the cloud looking thing is but I do like them.
And you thought I wouldn't give you the full quote. Too good not to quote.

FAWK Doors

2009-04-06T13:22:00.005-04:00

I really really like this piece.
1. Obscenities are often a reason for graffiti to be painted over, choosing a variation of one makes for a tasteful piece.
2. Adding colors emblematic of the Irish flag tells us either the artist has Irish ancestry or wants to say fawk Ireland.
3. The little face in his A separates this piece from your standard bubble text and makes it stand out.

Like I wouldn't show you the rest of the stuff next to it
The back doors of many buildings make for a homogeneous surface to paint.
This is one of those cases where layers by different artists make a truly exceptional door.

Under a bridge

2009-04-02T14:48:00.007-04:00

When someone puts something up under a bridge you are granted the privacy to take your time and produce a more cohesive piece. Here are some good ones under the bridge to the shadow Bob Evans.

The style on this last one is just amazing. And the best thing about art under a bridge is that it won't be painted over for ages without water damage!

A piece slowly assembled in a stairwell at smith hall.Ciro likes to put his tag is places that others can not get to. I secretly think he has a ladder or Spider-man like climbing abilities because no one can put something that good up that high up.

Methtoof and some walls

2009-03-30T12:39:00.013-04:00

Meth toof is easily recognized and was taken as so depraved to be aired during the tv ads of Wolfe for Sheriff to illustrate the problem of graffiti in Huntington. When I saw him on the side of a mailbox on my tv set I thought "wow, someone was recognized. Sheriff played right into MethToofs hands. "

Despite his hard imagery he is still quite apt with the spray can.

a better look at that wall.

Some interesting little spots
Minos is pretty active. Very clean, a solid style

a bit off the top to start with

2009-03-26T01:37:00.011-04:00

Can't go wrong with a face.

A good Boya! I took last year.

A healthy amount of paint comes down the train tracks.