Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Corner View: Out the Car Window

My husband is so good about indulging my hobbies and odd requests. Like last night, when I asked him to drive me, as slowly as traffic would allow, down 34th Street, so I could take a movie of the graffiti covered wall. He not only did that, but took us out for pizza afterwards.


This is what Wikimapia has to say about the wall:

"The "34th Street Wall" is a 1,120-foot-long slab of concrete formed in 1979, which forms the western border of the University of Florida's golf course along SW 34th Street and SW 2nd Avenue in Gainesville, Florida. The wall was put into place when SW 34th Street was widened, to provide a smoother roadbed and to prevent erosion of the hill onto the road.

It is the only place in Gainesville where public graffiti is permitted; at least, The Alachua County Sheriff's Office and the Gainesville Police Department reported they have not charged anyone with "criminal mischief" for painting on the wall. Graffiti is not a big problem in town, but some people consider it an eyesore, some people say it's part of the town's character.

Artwork ranges from basic "buckets and brushes" to professional sprayers/taggers; sometimes it can be artistic, other times downright crude and profane. Typically, the nicer the work is to the community, the longer it stays in place. Memorials, celebrations, congratulations, and other statements which are made here in paint on concrete. The paint averages about three-quarters of an inch thick from the concrete surface.

The most iconic part of the wall is a tribute to the five victims of the 1990 Gainesville murders: A simple black panel with the names of the victims painted in red and white. Occasionally, if the nearby panels or if an ignorant painter covers it up, within a day or so, the "memorial" is restored to its former glory and simplicity."

Wikipedia adds:

"The wall itself is most notable for being covered with layers of graffiti up to an inch thick in some areas. Messages painted on the wall have included marriage proposals, birthday wishes, graduation announcements, celebration of athletic victories, public awareness, promotion, and tributes. Musician and Gainesville native Tom Petty once noted that among the first things he saw when returning to Gainesville for a concert was a welcome message painted on the wall. Although most of the graffiti on the wall is done by students at the university and members of the community, there is occasionally "tagging" and professional graffiti."




The host for Corner View is Jane of Spain Daily. She always has beautiful photos of her corner of the world. Then continue your tour of the world with the other blogs listed on her sidebar.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

what a nice outlet for graffiti artists! PS I was a Tom Petty fan in my youth!

Bonnie said...

what an amazing wall ! i love it !! and i did not know about wikimapia ! love it too !!!

Jeannette said...

Your hubby is the best (well, after mine). ;)
What a great Corner View to have a little movie! And I learned about the wall and Wikimapia.
The boy next door has to to see this....he loves graffity. Thanks
♥ Jeannette

Liz said...

oh that wall is amazing, such a great idea to video it!

Unknown said...

pretty cool to have an allowable place for graffiti .... it probably helps keep other things from being tagged

Cate said...

i see a canvas for...GRAFFITI, one of my favorite art forms. love. it.

jane said...

that was so cool! again! besos!

Tammy said...

I love graffiti, and it made my day to see you have a place near you for artists to do their work. There is an oooooooold and ruined and abandoned building off the interstate on the way to Salt Lake that is always covered with graffiti. I love driving past it when we head down that way and seeing the new graffiti on it.

;) said...

OOOhhh ! It's a great idea ! Thanks for this colorful ride !

likeschocolate said...

Next to the Berlin Wall that is one of the longest pieces of grafetti wall i have ever seen.

Lisa said...

What a great cornerview post and what a cool wall! Love how the victim's names always remain there.

lisa

Joyce said...

I like graffiti art. very nice. xoxo

Sophie said...

That wall is amazing and the video is a great idea!

Palmer and Co said...

How awesome! I think every city should adopt this idea! Brilliant!

Jodi said...

That is just so ridiculously long. IT's so cool. I think it's part of the town's character. Thanks for showing the video. Very creative.

Crafty Crow