The Spencer Street Asylum

Few things are more amusing to me than the comments placed in The Age "your say" section. Sanity and rational thought are the exception, rather than the rule. And today's topic deals with the governments tough new laws against graffiti, banning the sale of spray cans to people under 18 unless they can prove its work related.

Any young people doing crafts or carpentry as a hobby are going to be screwed by these laws. But getting back to the issue of graffiti, it seems plain as day that it is a crime against a person's property.

What do the inmates at The Age have to say about this?

Well, I don't know. Will they also ban the printed, billed, postered, signed, glowing advertising that is presently raping our souls?

• Posted by: James Wall on September 21, 2007 10:42 AM

So now a billboard = rape of your soul ?

How come global corporations are daily allowed to pollute my visual environment?.

What gives them the right to shove ads in my face every single waking moment?

Looks like the money men want to be the ONLY ONES ABLE TO GET ANY MESSAGE ACROSS?

Ban public advertising by corporations first, they have no right to constantly pollute the visual environment.

Leave the Graffiti artists alone but you can have taggers fingers cut off if you like, they are completley devoid of any imagination, sad little people who like to see their little squiggles, Sad.

• Posted by: We Love Ha Ha on September 21, 2007 10:44 AM

You know they need their medication once they started using CAPS LOCK ! This guy is equating the voluntary and consenting placement of advertising on someone's property to the random defacing and vandalism of someone's property. Its those damn global corporations !!

There should be some laws concerning "street art" in the cbd as it is a great asset for our city. I think banning tagging is reasonable as it's just visual pollution, but all graffiti? I think the government (or even the Melbourne city council) should set up some kind of responsible graffiti program.

• Posted by: Ez on September 21, 2007 10:58 AM

Ahh, what would an Age comments section be without calls for more government programs ! I tell you we have a shortage of government programs in Australia.

Meanwhile, it seems every other comment supports graffiti as a form of art, but not tagging or stencilling. Other readers celebrate Melbourne's graffiti as unique , internationally renowned, and even a tourist attraction.

Only one reader had the common sense to dismiss this fallacy:

If Graffiti is an art then why not paint on a piece of canvas, and sell it like other artists.

I'm sure you have a huge following of art followers that would actually pay, instead of upsetting people that don't appreciate your sytle of art.

Be enterprising and take a chance, you may actually become famous!

• Posted by: Kaz on September 21, 2007 11:26 AM