Posted on 08/27/2009 2:04:56 PM PDT by Daffynition
There's no sign of the word "fiasco" among the gallons of garish paint, though every other conceivable F-Word from the young-adult vocabulary can clearly be seen.
It's too bad. More than any other, the word fiasco sums up the sheer, mind-boggling, Godzilla-scale vomit of graffiti that now covers the concrete walls of Shaw Millennium Park, along with every pole, pipe and surface within reach.
If it was just vandalism, it'd be despicable. But the vandalism at Calgary's skateboard park was all but endorsed by the city, which supplied the paint, but not the supervision.
Over the course of two days, a pack of paint-wielding hooligans attacked the blank canvas that was the spiral Landmark building at Millennium Park, turning it into a masterpiece of mayhem and myopia. What started as art ended up as a hideous eyesore.
If it's a testament to the sheer tenacity of the vandals with the cans of spray paint, it's a monument to the blind stupidity of the grown-ups who left "young urban artists" alone to decorate a public park.
"They destroyed the fricking park -- they graffitied the hell out of it. They tagged the entire fricking park," said Ald. John Mar, barely able to contain his anger and outrage at the mess, and a clean up bill estimated at between $30,000 and $60,000.
At least the Ward 8 alderman kept his cool, and stuck to "fricking" when talking to a family newspaper.
The graffiti artists used a more gutter-level F-word, sometimes on it's own, sometimes attached to pithy phrases like "F*** the Pigs".
In the men's washroom, where spray paint even found its way inside the porcelain urinals, a large F-word denigrating homosexuality can be seen among graffiti that covers walls, doors, ceiling and fixtures.
As well, there are slogans promoting drugs such as crack cocaine, slamming city bylaw officers, and basically saying the kind of thing young adults say, when they're being angry and rebellious.
"I think it's appalling -- but if no one was supervising, what can you expect?" said Judy Ferguson, a grandma with two young kids in tow.
Underneath the tags, scribbles and slogans, there are signs of the artistic endeavour the spray paint mural was meant to be, before stupidity took over.
On Friday, the city put out a press release touting the project as a creative release for graffiti artists: "Young urban artists will have a chance to show off their work to their peers and influence the recreational space they use."
A local urban artist, David Brunning, was hired to give guidance for what was to be a three-month mural project, but the city stepped in and shut it down after two days, when it became apparent things were getting out of hand. Instead of sticking to the designated wall, paint ended up everywhere.
Lee Thompson, a 25-year-old who's been skateboarding at the park for a decade, said the really obscene slogans only came after the city closed the project down, and the young artists weren't allowed to finish their work.
"It did get out of hand, but they should have expected that -- no one was watching or supervising," said Thompson.
He said the artists who were trying to create urban art were angry, so they lashed out in paint.
"The city says it was legalized for three months and then they shut it down after two days, because they don't like what they see? What did they think would happen?"
And that's exactly what Mar is wondering, as he orders a full investigation of the painting project, who ordered it, and who should have been watching, but wasn't.
Yesterday, Mar was fuming as he toured the east downtown park, a handful of police officers in tow, along with officials from the parks and the bylaw departments.
"I'm extremely disappointed in the lack of foresight that allowed this to happen. It's set us back light years, as a municipality combating illegal tagging and graffiti," said Mar, who ordered the clean-up to start last night.
"There was no co-ordination or supervision, and as a result, what you have here is complete mayhem."
They were maybe expecting soviet-style art praising the state as their beloved master?
Is it even possible to deface a skate park?
To quote Joe Biden: Gimme a f**** break!
Here’s spray paint, have fun, and oh by the way, we’ll be inviting your Moms and grandmas in to judge the results!
Shaw Millenium Skatepark - Calgary, Alberta, Canada Even though it is paved, this park is worth mentioning for any rider. Calgary's Millenium Park is the LARGEST OUTDOOR PUBLIC SKATEPARK IN THE WORLD! (currently over 63,000sq ft, soon to be over 90,000 with the addition of a snake course) It is open 24/7, and is free for all users. While primarily for skateboarding, all sports are allowed here. Millenium Park has terrain for the beginner, right up to a giant full-pipe and all kinds of ramps n' rails for the expert rider. This park is a must see!! It was a highlight of the Tony Hawk Gigantic Skatepark Tour as well. Many extreme events are held here, and it is only a matter of time before mountainboarding becomes featured.
How long has it been since these people experienced an ACTUAL fiasco?
...and is still evidently a superannuated adolescent, manages to turn the thing into the city's fault. Hey, if the city hadn't stopped the thing it would have been all primroses and Monets, right, Lee buddy? Sure it would. "Young urban artists." Uh huh.
Time for EXTREME! Polo. Hey, skater boy, you better get out of the way when you are between the ball and a few tons of galloping polo ponies.
Now that’s a piece of art. :-)
Scum begats scum. I expect Mom and Grandma would exlaim; "That **** is *****. What **** kind of **** did that ******* ??? Is he ***** real? That little ******."
You gotta laugh at the idiocy.
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