FAKE	URBAN WALLS AND DOORS	DES BANDES DESSINÉES			FAKE

	FAKE	FAKE	FAKE			FAKE

 © Robin van Koert,oktober 2007 

		Brussels - Rue des Sables During a visit to Brussels, in December 2000, I saw the following words on a wall opposite the "Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée", or the comics museum: "la ville est une b[ande] d[essinée] et les murs sont des pages sur lesquels je dessine mes personnages !!!" (the city is a comic book and the walls are the pages on which I draw my characters). I took a picture of the "graffiti" and that started a still growing, collection of "graffiti" and "posters" on urban walls and doors. Back to Negative

			Barcelona - Barri Gòtic During a walk through the medieval part of Barcelona I noticed this "drawing". Does it represent an "angel" or a "winged human being"? The meaning was not entirely clear to me, but I did think that the "graffiti" was an improvement on the blank state of the wall. Back to Negative

			Barcelona - On the way to Parc Güell As the "tag" of this "graffiti" indicates, the cartoon character was painted on to the wall in this year. Once more the meaning and the objective were not clear to me, but the character appears to come straight of a newspaper cartoon. It made an otherwise rather unremarkable wall at the bottom of the stairs to Parc Güell look much livelier. Back to Negative

			Prague - near the "John Lennon Wall" Before the "velvet revolution" of 1989, the "John Lennon Wall" was used for political purposes by the Prague youth. After Lennon's violent death on 8 December 1980, an image of him, accompanied by Beatles lyrics was painted on the wall. The wall remained "a wall of contention" between the authorities and the youth of Prague, but after 1989 has lost much of its meaning and today contains random graffiti and poor drawings. The "floating hat and coat" graffiti can be found within 100 meters of the "John Lennon Wall" and is much more interesting and enigmatic. Back to Negative

			Oxford - Christ Church College In one of the buildings of Christ Church College my eye fell on this carved image of what looks like a Centaur, the mythical creature human and half horse, in a little portico. Would it be a recent expression of "graffiti" or would somebody have carved it in days long gone by? I just happened to spot it, but it is located rather out of the regular view. Back to Negative

		Barcelona - close to "La Sagrada Familia" The walls of Barcelona are full of politically motivated "graffiti", unfortunately mostly in Catalan. The Catalan capital is the centre of Catalunya's drive for autonomy which, to a large extent, is embodied by the local football team "Barça". Loosely and friendly translated the words mean something like "Do it to them before they do it to you". Back to Negative

		Barcelona - Travessara de Dalt A clear expression of a political opinion by means of "graffiti". The word "policials" and the red star on the right end of the picture indicate that it is probably a left-wing political expression aimed at activities by the police, but for a complete translation I lack the knowledge of Catalan. Back to Negative

		Barcelona - close to "La Sagrada Familia" This "graffiti" appealed to me for various reasons: the words, the ambiguous purple symbol (?) and the addition of buildings (bottom left) and demonstrating people (bottom right). As far as I can judge it, the text calls for winning a majority, but a majority of what kind and for what purpose? Back to Negative

		Barcelona - On the way to Parc Güell This political "graffiti" is completely unambiguous. "Tourist you are the Terrorist" is the text and on the right hand side a cartoon of a tourist with a dollar sign above his or her head has been added for further clarification. The stairs lead to Parc Güell and the target audience will certainly see the message, but to what effect? Back to Negative

		Berkeley, California - A mural off Telegraph Avenue This is not so much "graffiti" as a political mural. The use of murals for political expression is very popular in California in the more politically active neighbourhoods and university towns. This mural is dedicated to the People's Park, which used to be a place for political gatherings in Berkeley, California. Back to Negative

		Berkeley, California - A mural off Telegraph Avenue This political mural is located opposite the other mural on Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley, California. The rather desolate looking vacant lot is a fitting location for another politically motivated mural. Back to Negative

		Barcelona - Barri Gòtic On a beautiful old door in the medieval part of Barcelona I saw this result of spray painting. Although the white "blob" (?) may have a certain quality, the rest of the "graffiti" is of a dubious nature. The "tags" do not seem to express a message, but that may only be my personal interpretation. Back to Negative

		London - King Henry's Road, NW3 Close to where I live in North-London colourful personal expressions cover a wall over a length of about 100 meters in the form of "graffiti". Colourful, but without an obviously visible political motivation. Although ... the "tag" indicates that the "piece" was made in 1973. Maybe the "graffiti" had a clear meaning in the context of that year, a meaning which has been lost over the years. Back to Negative

		Los Angeles - East-Hollywood I saw this "piece" on a wall on a small street off Vermont Avenue in the eastern Hollywood area. I liked the colours and the elaborate nature of the drawing, although its meaning was not quite clear to me. I suppose to some people it may appear to be a somewhat lugubrious image, but I think it is a rather tender picture of someone or some being carefully holding and observing an object. Back to Negative

		London - King Henry's Road, NW3 Have a good look at this "graffiti". On the left you will see part of a dish, filled with what looks like a typical English breakfast: a fried egg, a slice of tomato and baked beans. A fork has been also "supplied", while a smiling sun shines over the little setting. Back to Negative

		London - King Henry's Road, NW3 This wall is virtually begging for "graffiti" to be sprayed upon, which was subsequently done in abundance. The wall contains some 20 to 30 "portraits", slightly defaced by randomly applied "tags". Back to Negative

			London - King Henry's Road, NW3 A rather basic rendering of what may have been intended to represent an old-fashioned VW Beetle. However, what is the purpose of the heart on top of the car? An encouragement to love cars or the use of cars or a suggestion that a car is people's best friend? Perhaps it is just a coincidental combination of symbols, applied without a deeper meaning. Back to Negative

			Barcelona - Paseig de Gracia Metal window blinds are popular with "graffiti"-artists and the underlying thought could very well be the threatening look of all those closed blinds on a dark street. To avoid such "abuse" of blinds, many owners of shops and restaurants have commissioned "graffiti"-artists with applying a "piece" on their blinds. The code of honour of the "graffiti-guild" prohibits the spraying of "tags" on "pieces" by others. This "graffiti" depicting a waiter and a tray can bee seen on the blinds of a restaurant in Barcelona. Back to Negative

		San Francisco, off Columbus Ave. Around since the early '50s, this old Beat hangout still attracts an artsy crowd. The two-story space is cozily lit with hanging lamps and decorated with a flea-market jumble of photos paintings and curious objects. On the balcony upstairs, small tables overlook the bustle of Columbus and narrow Jack Kerouac Alley, where the face of the "On the Road" author himself looms up from the muraled wall. Back to Negative

		Seattle - Pike Place Market This unofficial public poster space is located at a distance of about 50 meters from a "marxist" bookshop in the vicinity of the Pike Place Market. A clear example of how individual people and organizations can appropriate public space to advertise their activities and events. Back to Negative

			Paris - Montmartre This informal public poster space was located close to our hotel in Paris. The interesting aspect of the picture is that it shows how the public poster place became available when the cornershop was boarded up after closure. The two scooters had apparently also been there for a while, look at the flat tyres, and had more or less become an inseparable part of the image. Back to Negative