Idiot Blames Graffiti on Fullerton Arts Scene
A recent article on Fullerton graffiti by professional reporters Adam Townsend and Jessica Terrell of the Orange County Register, Junior Grade, sets all sorts of standards for general slackery; yet the worst part of it was taking some lame-brain LA County Deputy Sheriff as an authority – on anything.
The Deputy Sheriff, Mike Thibodeaux, knows all about graffiti from his day job in LA. And at night he comes home to Orange County, and to Townsend and Terrell, seemingly, that makes him an authority on graffiti in Fullerton. Here’s the egregious Deputy Thibodeaux worrying out loud about the fate of Fullerton, and his analysis of the situation:
He said that he worries Fullerton may become a mecca for graffiti artists. He cited the youth culture around Cal State Fullerton, the proliferation of tattoo shops to which graffiti artists often gravitate as a career move and the thriving legitimate arts scene in the town.
Mecca. Well, you can’t have a Mecca without a jihad.
And of course the idiotic statement goes unchallenged by our intrepid reporters by at least asking for a single shred of evidence tying graffiti to “youth culture” at CSUF, tattoo parlors, or even legitimate artists.
Say, what is “youth culture,” anyway?
More on the graffiti story to follow.
I saw that, too. Typical anti-intellectualism.
And you’re right about the article. One confused and/or contradictory statement after another with the “reporters” just providing a scrivener service.
Okay, the Downtown Art Walk is an embarrassment. But blaming it for graffiti? That’s hilarious.
What exactly is embarrassing about the Downtown Fullerton Art Walk? I co-own Hibbleton Gallerty and we were voted Best Art Galley in Orange County in 2009 by OC Weekly.
I respect the Weekly gang for political opinion, not for aesthetic appreciation.
There’s one good gallery in DTF – The Village Art Center. The last time I went to Graves Gallery he was selling awful acrylic painting of ducks.
Then there’s a crowd promoting the usual post-apocalyptic, Tim Burton inspired garbage. Oh so avant-garde! The graffiti dudes are better artists!
Sorry, Jesse, no sale.
Are you suggesting that the planter full of fake dog poop on Wilshire is not good art?
Performance art! Bravo!
“There’s one good gallery in DTF – The Village Art Center.”
Sorry Art, but while Village Art Center may be a good framer most of their art could easily be found at the Buena Park Mall. Hibbleton is a little lightweight, but at least they aren’t recycling old styles until they’re completely washed out like VAC.
No argument with you on Graves. A few things are OK, but they don’t seem to have the ability to filter out the amateur stuff.
Want a better Art Walk? Make better art.
I’ve got to disagree with you there. Some of the stuff at VAC is pretty impressive (I think). Buena Park Mall? Now that’s cold!
Hibbleton just has that same creepy junk you find all over the place especially as the crowd gets younger and seemingly more ignorant. Go to the Santora basement and revel in it. Hell the Grand Central just goes batty for it, especially if there’s a Latino theme. And God-awful assemblages (shudder) that only get more attention the more disembodied doll heads a re in it. Supposed to be deep and thought provoking.
I agree with you about making better art. But it’s a lot easier said than done. Which is creating a Walk and hoping for the best is, well, let’s just say, indulging in long odds.
Still selling T-shirts, Jesse?
I’ll take a good t-shirt over a bad painting any time.
True. At least you can wear the T shirt.
Well, whadysay, Rain?
Tattoo = graffiti?
The deputy sheriff managed to tie two completely unrelated things together: tattoo shops and graffiti by the train tracks. Next time see if you can lump in terrorists and bottle service too. The Axis of Evil!
OK, the Fullerton arts scene causes graffiti. What can we blame for causing the arts scene?
I’d rather we have the “arts scene” than a mini gangland as DTF was a decade ago.
But I digress…..
lol
Joe is right. DTF hasn’t changed. It just depends what time you go there.
What is missing from the story is the fact that the L.A. County Sheriff’s Office conducted an investigation of a tagging crew of which at least one member lives in Fullerton. LASO then prepared all of the warrants and investigatory documents and then turned them over to FPD Detective McDonald. McDonald said thanks but no thanks; we’re too busy investigating real crimes to chase after petty vandals.
And so the Fullerton Code Compliance Officer is quite happy to write the PROPERTY OWNER a citation for not cleaning up the mess. And NO ONE goes after the taggers. Fullerton seems to be the only place where the crime victim is penalized for damages caused by a criminal.
Even Admin had a run-in with a tagger. I wonder if he ever collected the reward check…
This over-the-top macho bullshit of being “too busy chasing real criminals” is a leftover from the Chief McKinley days.
In my not-so-humble opinion, Fullerton PD might want to take a play out of the LASO playbook on graffiti.
Well we know they were to busy to investigate the Roland Chi Sign Theft Ring Case even though we supplied them with all the evidence.
Admin, I think we need an update on that.