Artist decries graffiti vandals
Tuesday, January 1, 2008



As a professional artist for the past 38 years, I feel compelled to comment on the culture of graffiti that some call "art."

First of all, no true artist would ever deface another artist's work. The architecture in Charleston is living art created by highly trained and talented architects, iron workers, brick masons, and carpenters who put their integrity, love and pride into their work.

The cowardly vandals who crawl through the night with their spray cans have no idea of the years of study and training required of these real artists to create these majestic structures.

I have lived in this beautiful city all my life, and until recent years, I have never seen such blatant criminal disregard for our public and private properties.

I have heard the argument that some of these graffiti "artists" are talented and that their "art" is the art of the people. My response is that there is a certain degree of talent needed to rob banks, to hack into the Internet and steal identities, and, yes, there is a certain talent required to gain to the trust of children if you are a child molester.

So much for the "talent" of these punks who damage our works of art. Don't call them artists. They are criminals.

I appeal to this young generation that so passionately cares about the future of our planet: How can we clean up the world's environment if we cannot clean up our own neighborhoods?


JOHN CARROL DOYLE