Graffiti, as a concept, is about as old as the dust in the Santa Maria River bed. Well, maybe not that old, but it’s been around for a long time.
The ancient Romans carved graffiti—including Latin curses, political caricatures, and the like—on walls and monuments. And they’re not the only ones. Everyone from the mighty Vikings to Lord George Byron, the beloved English poet, has left a physical, declarative mark on the hallowed and historic halls of society.
Now, a group of local teenagers is asking for a chance to paint the town red—sort of. All they really want is a wall to call their own.
Earlier this year, 17-year-old Josh Combs started the Santa Maria Legal Graffiti Wall Project. The community group is working toward establishing a space where street artists can create art legally.
“Graffiti has always been illegal,” said Combs, a senior at Pioneer Valley High School. “It’s always been vandalism, and that’s all people see it as.”
Combs is frustrated by the negative attitudes and messages associated with graffiti, because, to him, it’s art.
“A lot of people think [graffiti] is mindless,” he said. “A lot of people don’t realize all the work we put into it.”
Combs said that his motivation to paint stems from his need to create something original and unique, rather than destroy or maim something that doesn’t belong to him.
“It’s not like I want to go off and vandalize someone’s home or paint on someone else’s wall,” he said. “I just want to [paint].”
In an effort to quench his creative thirst, Combs sent letters to the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department and the Santa Maria City Council asking them to consider creating a legal graffiti wall.
“There are many misconceptions concerning street art and artists, and I wish to break them. When most think of graffiti, they think of vandalism, drugs, and gangs,” Combs writes in his letter. “To me, graffiti is freedom. I start with a blank wall and an idea in my head. Then, I take a spray can and spill out my passion with exploding color and vibrancy that catches the eye.”
However, Combs’ message has yet to fully catch on with the city.
When asked whether or not he would consider approving a legal graffiti wall in Santa Maria, Mayor Larry Lavagnino said it would depend on the location of the wall and the wording of the proposal.
Also, he said that justifying the creation of such a wall could prove difficult because “society has been trying to get rid of graffiti for 2,000 years.”
Ron Rodriguez, recreation services manager for the city, said that the Recreation and Parks Department is currently investigating the pros and cons of making a legal graffiti wall or art space.
“We see the artwork as something completely different [than graffiti],” Rodriguez said. “Usually, graffiti is just someone staking territory.”
However, Rodriguez also said that creating a legal graffiti wall doesn’t always get the results city officials want.
“Some cities have tried [graffiti] programs and end up saying, ‘Don’t even try it, because all it does is expand the problem,’” he said.
In order to cut down on the possibility of creating a bigger problem, Combs—along with a couple of friends and a fellow artist who goes only by the tag name “Kerse805”—
has proposed using the riverbed walls under the Santa Maria River Bridge as their canvas.
The group has even assured the Santa Maria Police Department that if anything gets painted outside of the legalized area, they would clean it up.
Still, Rodriguez said that the bridge location only complicates matters further.
“The city doesn’t own the riverbed, and access in the riverbed is restricted,” he said. “There’s a lot of work that still needs to be done on this project.”
Until then, Combs and his friends are busy researching their cause and finding other resources. So far, the group has met with employees at the Abel Maldonado Youth Center about starting more art classes. Another idea is just to nail together some plyboards.
“We’d paint them white and let them be the canvas until we can find something more permanent,” Combs said.
“For me, it’s not really about the art being [noticed],” he concluded. “It’s more about doing it.”
INFOBOX: The writing on the Web
For more information about the Santa Maria Legal Graffiti Wall Project, visit groups.myspace.com/smlegalwall.
Contact Staff Writer Amy Asman at aasman@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Sep 4-11, 2008.