u street graff

Slacking last week on updating DC’s graffiti, so this is a little double post for this week.

So we’ve been kind of thinking about the whole point of documenting graff in DC, as well as a few incidents that’ve sort of occurred in the past week or so. While shooting up on Georgia Ave., this random-ass homeless guy started lecturing us about urban decay, drug connections and gang violence connected to graffiti. Most importantly he asked us why we take pictures of this “garbage?”

This kind of gets us thinking, what’s the point of posting graffiti online? Well, it comes back to several things. First, the history of DC needs to be chronicled, particularly as the way people view graffiti and street art is rapidly changing. In addition, as the meaning of form and words deepen, so do the existing layers of buffed walls and remaining tags that populate certain areas. But in our opinion DC’s lower graff density is more significant because you can spot trends and triangulate areas that correspond to certain things.

So this is what we’re going to do: incorporate more than just media, but also give you a light history of the surrounding areas and our own musings about race, culture, urban planning, gentrification and decay that people often forget about in DC, through the lens of throw ups, tags and pieces in DC. Part illumination, and part publicity for our neighborhood.

Here’s a little preview of Georgia Ave. and U street for this week. As always, check back on Thursdays for a little DC graff exposure, and as always, haters gonna hate. Stay fresh!