Art is Like Letting Down Car Tyres

From the Chichester Council website:

Graffiti is a form of vandalism. The official term used by the police for graffiti or vandalism is criminal damage: Vandalism in the British Crime Survey ranges from arson to graffiti. Cases where there is nuisance only (e.g. letting down car tyres) are not included.

Contrary to popular belief crimes such as criminal damage and graffiti are not victimless (crimes). Damage to buildings and property is both unsightly and costly to remove. If left unchecked it can ultimately affect business and tourism and send visible signals of decay to the local community.

Chichester District Council is working with a private company to remove all graffiti from public areas as quickly as possible. If you are a victim of graffiti or see some in a public place, please contact Graffiti Solutions on 0845 126 5555

The three fine pieces of graffiti in Chichester pictured above are the result of an exhibition organised by Street Art London.  These particular examples of street art grace the walls of Chichester College, there are a dozen other pieces scattered around the City, including everybody's favourites: Stik People.

These trio at Chichester College are by (from the top) French artist Dscreet, a collaboration between Phlegm and RUN and a wonderful piece by The Rolling People. 

Here's a bit more detail of The Rolling People's vandalism.   With a few words from the Chichester Observer comments section.


 Mr Lawson Baker stressed he was not talking about graffiti, which was generally illegal and often featured wording: “Someone ignorant might consider it graffiti, but street art is completely different. It’s the difference between an amateur painter and a great artist.”

It's no surprise that this was shrouded in secrecy for a year; if the locals had known, they would have objected because it would upset them. When someone deliberately posts things on the Internet to upset people, it's called "trolling". Let's face it, Neil Lawson Baker has brought trolling into the real world and into Chichester.
 

 While the merits of street art are controversial even in the most modern cities, he has decided to bring it to somewhere that prides itself on tradition. It's about as appropriate as organising a fox hunt with horses and hounds in Islington.

  His frankly juvenile attempts to portray critics as ignorant with, "Someone ignorant might consider it graffiti" are only matched by the frankly juvenile results on the walls of Chichester. The results may be distinctive but you'll find better art in local A level art students' portfolios.

  He goes on to say, "It's the difference between an amateur painter and a great artist." Considering the results and that at least one of them was drinking beer while spraying a wall, it seems reasonable to ask why he invited the amateurs.

Graffiti Removal in Chichester | Reviews - Yell