Moving at the Speed of Creativity

Graffiti at Classen SAS

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Classen SAS, the public magnet school my oldest child attends in Oklahoma City, has some new portable classrooms because of the much-needed MAPS improvements getting underway.

New Portables at Classen SAS in Oklahoma City

This morning as I dropped off my son for school, we noticed some new graffiti on the side of the eastern-most portable.

Graffiti on a portable at Classen SAS

I do not know enough to say if this is gang graffiti or not. There has been an increase in gang related violence in Muskogee recently, and gangs remain (from what I’m told and read) very powerful in parts of Oklahoma City. I live in a bubble in many ways in Edmond. Like so many families, we live in the suburbs where we perceive ourselves sheltered from many of the issues and challenges which surround more impoverished communities. This morning is a reminder of voices in our school community that want to find means for expression. I am not sure what they are saying, but I do think it’s a good idea to pay attention.

– Posted using BlogPress from my iPad. Photos taken with an iPhone and uploaded to Flickr via Pixelpipe.

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On this day..

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2 Responses to Graffiti at Classen SAS

  1. Shelly says:
    April 28, 2010 at 1:25 pm

    Looks like they found a means of expression: and you photographed it and shared it throughout the world.

    This just looks like tagging; being from the East Coast, and actually being a huge fan of graffiti, I’m always interested in seeing examples from other places.

    I understand the hassle it can cause folks, and I’m not condoning public vandalism. But I’d use the example of the city of Rome as an example of such a vibrant place where messages are public both at the ‘talking fountains’ and through graffiti. And it’s been like that since ancient times.

    In a way, we as a civilization have tried to ‘move away’ from public declarations of existence like graffiti. We call it vandalism instead. It’s an interesting phenomenon probably having more to do with our ongoing redefinitions of property and space than the desire to communicate.

    – Shelly

  2. Vernon Conaway says:
    April 28, 2010 at 4:04 pm

    Looks like a lack of respect for the community to me and the need for more parental involvement… Many of us move to places like Edmond so that we can escape these types of fools. I see no reason to surround myself with thuggery, which is what this boils down to, in my opinion. And I really don’t want property redefined as something that anyone with a spray paint bottle can deface at will, regardless of the message they are trying to send. I certainly don’t deny that these kids need a better outlet. I have seen some truly beautiful graffiti but this does not qualify.

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