Sally Blue’s Slow Graffiti

Over on the Wooster Collective’s site, Marc has published a letter from an artist that has spent several months developing her art on the walls of a construction site. Her words give some insight into the motivations behind the best street artists and acts as a counter to the ‘vandalism’ aspect of the debate against it. Sally writes:

“Hello. I heard the show on WNYC. I am glad to hear of your collective. I share much of what you talked about. I have been working on a street art since july of 08. It was sheltered by some trees and cars so that I never got caught. Once the police stopped and yelled “Stop drawing on the wall” I kept a look out and would hide. I am using acrylic ink and a small brush. A friend called it ‘slow graffiti’ A few months ago someone called the police and 2 squad cars and a black sedan came!! They gave me a warning, said if I was caught again they would arrest me. I didn’t know that graffiti is a felony. so I stopped working on it.

Later I called the owner of the construction sight and he finally agreed to give me a letter of permission. It is near my studio, I can see it from my window. It is a wall surrounding a construction sight that is not being constructed. On Bergen between 4th and 3rd Ave. on the corner of Third Ave. in Brooklyn. I started it because they painted the wall blue, and it was a huge expanse and was calling to me. I have a lot of work finished and instead of waiting for someone to allow me to show my work I could take the initiative and show it myself. It is also in a place where lots of people who might never go to a gallery would see it. It is a funny area because it borders park slope and Boerum and the housing project. There is a half way house on Bergen. I love working on it outside, I believe I am adding to the neighborhood, it makes me part of the neighborhood, and people are always stopping to talk to me. I have had many interesting and appreciative comments. I have met a lot of people, it is different from the experience of working alone. Art gives back to people, it feeds the soul,in that way I feel I add to the neighborhood. I know that it wont last but I like the fact that it is about the experience of making it, the conversations I have had, and that all is fleeting any way.”

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