Where Graffiti Meets Art / Where Art Meets Graffiti

When it comes to graffiti...sometimes things get blury.

Not all graffiti is pure vandalism...sometimes the people putting up graffiti actually do have a broader and more community-minded intention. And aren't just trying to "get up" at any cost.

This is where "street art" come into the picture, and where the definition of graffiti takes on shades of grey.

Take for instance, the street artist Elmaks.

Elmaks puts up "Swap Boxes" that dot around downtown Ottawa.



The idea behind his Swap Box project is to install art pieces in public spaces. These art peces are intended to add colour and character to the streets of Ottawa, to bring a smile to the faces of passers-by, and encourage citizens and pedestrians to interact with each other and share treasures and gifts.

Also, these Swap Boxes have an added bonus of attempting to engage neighbourhoods and communities in beautifying and caring about their public spaces. In fact, a few residents have taken on putting up their own Swap Boxes to encourage a form of community dialog.

From Elmaks own mouth:

"If I smash the windows of a bus shelter or tag up someone's storefront sign, that's vandalism to me," he said.

I work on boarded-up storefronts, on lamp poles and on construction sites, and my art probably has as much impact as a pasted-up poster. Plus, I'm actually not only visually improving the area but also creating a new way for people to interact with it."

http://www.ottawasun.com/News/OttawaAndRegion/2008/08/16/6468836-sun.html

Reporting Graffiti Online

Another tool available for reporting graffiti is the City of Ottawa's Online Graffiti Reporting Form.

This online reporting form is a great tool for reporting graffiti outside normal business hours...and for providing detailed descriptions and information on Ottawa graffiti.

The form is very easy to use...and even forwards the reference number for the report to the email address that you specify. Also, once you complete the form and submit a report, you can use your browser's Back button to enter additional reports by simply modifying relevant fields in the completed form (instead of having to complete a blank form from scratch).

Property Owners Feel the Pinch

Now that the Graffiti Management Program is in full swing...property owners are starting to receive notification to clean up graffiti on their property.

Here is a recent CBC article on the public outrage that is starting to form over these letters.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2008/07/18/graffit-notices.html?ref=rss

The comment section of this news posting is an interesting read.

Property owners are definitely getting slammed for the damages that vandals and kids are doing.

Typically, the majority of graffiti vandalism is against businesses. This is because there is a loose rule in the graffiti sub-culture that you don't tag homeowners...but instead go for businesses and urban sprawl. Partially because they condone advertising on their properties (which is one excuse for graffiti responses) and partially because businesses typically won't get as angry and reactive as homeowners.

But more aggressive vandals will tag anything. Especially if it is on a highly trafficed street. And sometimes not even.

Interestingly, a lot of the comments from property owners who are upset are along the lines of this one:

"Hunt said it's pointless to repaint his garage because the graffiti will just keep coming back."

Defeatist attitudes like these are precisely what led to the rampant graffiti situation throughout Ottawa.

A property is tagged. The propert owner come to work on Monday and see it for the first time and instead of even attempting to repair the damage they throw their hands up in the air and decide "that's it...I've been graffitied....it's all over, I give up".

Now that they have given up, the next tagger comes along...sees the wall with the first tag on it. Leaves their tag too. And little by little the wall is filled with graffiti.

And who is to blame?

First off the vandals are to blame for tagging private property and causing damage.

Secondly, the property owners are to blame for rolling over and accepting this situation.

If a property owner cares about their property it's their responsibility to keep it maintained. If someone breaks a window....they repair it. If their roof collapses from too much snow...they repair it. If their paint starts to peel and chip...they repair it.

The one thing property owners neglect to realize is that the kids vandalizing their property have to pay money for the paint they use to do so (unless they steal their paint). So it's simple economics that if you are a tagger and you are tagging a wall that gets buffed or repainted promptly...you aren't using your paint effectively. So, after a few attempts to "stay up", a graffiti writer will give up...and move on to more "chill" spots where property owners don't care...and will allow the graffiti to have a "longer run". Also, once a graffiti writer notices that a wall is being cleaned regularily...they'll typically get spooked that someone might be watching the wall at night. Which should be the case once a pattern of vandalism is established.

Life is an endless process of repairs and maintainance. To our property, to our bodies, to our lives, to our relationships, to our possessions. Giving up as soon as we see the first cracks or feel the first pains just isn't an option.

If property owners are upset about being footed the bill for vandalism...it's their obligation to find solutions. Whether that be starting up a neighbourhood watch, sharing information with their community, calling the police each time they are vandalized (which few do), monitoring or surveilling their property, or calling their City Councillor to communicate their anger, frustration, and outrade.

If anything it should have been the obligation of the property owner to find solutions a long time ago...before things go so out of control that the City had to come to their door and scold them (like the Mother they appear to need) and tell them what they already knew they need to do.

In one way graffiti actually plays an important role in our communities. Graffiti is the litmus test that points out delinquent property owners.

It highlights which communities don't care. It highlights which property owners don't care. It points out where the crack dens are, where the rundown properties are, and where the weak links in our communities are.

And if you think there is nothing that can be done to monitor and improve this situation...you lack imagination, creativity, and will.



The following link is to a youtube user who is collecting and posting videos of graffiti writers tagging in Ottawa.

http://youtube.com/user/ottawagraffiti

Note: We are not involved with and do not condone the posting of this video on youtube. Instead we advocate the need for community vigilance and close interaction with the Ottawa Police.

Understanding Graffiti Writers

If you've had personal experience with graffiti...you may be puzzled about what is going on. Why are people doing this? What are they getting out of this? How can they be stopped? What can you do?

These are complex questions. But the start of any learning process is to be able to understand divergent perspectives...in the hope of encouraging dialogue.

So we'd like to present a couple brief promo videos for a recently released documentary on graffiti called Bomb It, that sheds light on the perspective of Graffiti Writers. Please be aware that these videos contain harsh and frank language.

BOMB IT - Trailer One


BOMB IT - Trailer Two


In the spirit of understanding and dialogue, it is always important to be able to appreciate the reality of those that have differing view points, perspectives, and experience. This is essential to entering into a meaningful and informed dialogue so that we can all build and foster community...in its many forms...and to be able to understand that which is foreign and strange, though we may not agree or like it.

HoP Festival - Sunday June 15th, 2008

Over the last few years the local Ottawa hip hop community has been organizing and celebrating its culture with the HoP Festival, which include demonstrations of breakdancing, DJing, MCing, and graffiti.

The HoP Festival is named after the "House of Paint", a legal graffiti wall under the Dunbar Bridge between Brewer Park and the Carleton University Dunbar Bridge (where Bronson Ave crosses the Rideau River) where graffiti writers are allowed and have the time to put up complex pieces. The House of Paint is also the location for the HoP Festival.

This year the HoP Festival will take place on Sunday June 15th, from 1 to 9pm.

1:30-2:00 - Hip Hop History
2:00-2:30 - Bboy Basics
2:30-3:00 - Graf Writing
3:00-3:30 - Rhyme Spitting (Rapping/MCing)
3:30-4:00 - DJ/Mixing Basics Schedule is subject to change

Over 30 local graffiti writers have registered for this event, including:

• Adept


• Alveno


• Anode


• Aspyre


• Barfo


• Cabin


• Cayr


• Cens


• Cer


• Daser


• Dem


• Egor


• Elicsr


• Fone


• Gero


• Globe


• Homesick


• Jerk


• Liza


• Mai


• Media


• Mopes


• Motel


• Nemo


• Net


• Notime


• Peru


• Pes


• Prank


• Sberk


• Sectr


• Sewer


• Size


• Vivid


• Wire


• Worth

Some of the graffiti writers scheduled to participate at the HoP Festival have transitioned from vandalizing property to focusing their creativity and energy into art and legal walls/commissions. Others are still active in the more illegal graffiti culture and regularily deface businesses and private/city property.

If you are interested in learning more about hip hop culture, or the graffiti writers in your neighbourhood, the HoP Festival is a great opportunity for local community members to interact with the graffiti community... and even to talk to graffiti writers that are active in your neighbourhood and for whom you have had to clean up after.

How and Why to Report Graffiti

An important aspect of the new Enhanced Graffiti Management program that the City of Ottawa has rolled out is the by-law enforcement of graffiti removal.

Over the last 3 years graffiti has been slowly accumulating on properties as tags and response tags have been stacking up. Some property owners have chosen to be diligent about removing graffiti from their properties promptly…while others have chosen to ignore it and let graffiti remain on their properties (in some cases for years). And year by year this slow accumulation of graffiti on properties that have not been maintained has allowed graffiti in Ottawa to reach a tipping point.

This, in conjunction with aggressive “bombers” who have been heavily tagging highly visible street-facing locations, has created a “bubble bursting” effect. Graffiti that once had been invisibly to everyone has abruptly come into the consciousness of many, as if almost having sprung up everywhere overnight.

By allowing graffiti to slowly accumulate to a critical mass point graffiti writers have run out of innocuous places to place graffiti and the hype and visibility of graffiti has increased and increased to the point that aggressive bombing now seems acceptable and common.

In order to bring graffiti back under control in Ottawa it is essential for concerned citizen to report graffiti to the City of Ottawa.

So How Do You Do That?

First step is to go out and identify what properties are graffitied and how. To do so, take down the street address of the property, and the location of graffiti on the property. Also take note of the type of graffiti (e.g., small tags, large tags, throws, pieces). And as you are checking out the property, take the time to look a little deeper. Is their graffiti on rooftop surfaces? Is there a back alley to the property? Try to take account of the full complexity of graffiti on the property so that you can pass this detailed information on to City By-Law officers and reduce the need for follow-up reports on the same property.

Next you’ll need to submit your graffiti report by calling the City of Ottawa’s Contact Centre at 311.

Once you’ve reached a 311 agent, identify that you are calling to make a graffiti report and that you will want to take the reference number of the report.

As the agent opens up the report they’ll ask you for the following information.

- Your name
- Your phone number

Note: This information will not be disclosed or provided to anyone. It is contact information that is required for each report in case the City of Ottawa needs to collect additional information on the graffiti you are reporting.

- What type of property the graffiti is it on (City property or Private property).
- Is the graffiti just vandalism, or hateful/racists/sexist?
- The street address of the property
- The location and type of graffiti on the property (i.e., location on the building, description of the graffiti).

In order to follow-up on the status of your graffiti report make sure to ask for the Reference Number for each report that you submit. If you are making multiple reports (for instance, of a few properties along a street), make sure to make individual reports for each property and take the Reference Number for each. If an agent is gathering multiple addresses into a single report, ask them to create individual reports for each address (the City actually requires that by-law reports be for a single property, so if the Call Centre agent is collecting multiple addresses in one report they are doing so mistakenly and will have to break them out into individual reports anyways).

And that’s it.

What Happens Next?

The City will send out a By-Law Enforcement agent to inspect the property based on your report…and if there is graffiti on the property a warning will be provided to the property owner. If the property owner chooses not to remove the graffiti, after a reasonable timeframe the City will send out a contracted graffiti removal agent to clean the property, and will charge the costs of removal to the property by adding it to the property tax of the building.

So if after a month you notice that the property you made a report on hasn’t improved at all, you can call back into the City Call Centre at 311 and using the Reference Number (or your name and address) ask for a status on the graffiti report you made.

Is This Really Necessary? It Sounds a Bit Mean Spirited!

Unfortunately taking control of the graffiti situation in Ottawa is necessary. Through apathy graffiti has flourished and proliferated throughout Ottawa. Property owners have turned a blind eye to graffiti on their properties…and chosen to ignore it; by doing so graffiti has been allowed to spread to adjacent properties and throughout whole neighbourhoods.

The only way to wake property owners from their slumber and to get them involved is to force them to take accountability for the graffiti on their property….and the cost of its removal. In doing so property owners will become fed up and angry, and will find ways to secure their properties (e.g., by limiting access to rooftops, by being vigilant of their property, by taking a more proactive role in patrolling their neighbourhoods and communities to make graffiti writers unwelcome)

Untold Victim: The Destruction of Art

Unfortunately graffiti isn’t always just vandalism. Some graffiti writers and street artists are incredible creative and skilled. They add colour and beauty to what can often be a drab and sterile cityscape. But due to the wanton vandalism of a handful of attention-seeking delinquents and copy cats, graffiti has been tainted in Ottawa. And vandalism has made it hard to see the art that peppers our city from the noise. Where once secluded “chill” spots were allowed to exist and add creative colour to our city…now untalented “bombers” have invaded those spots and spoiled these quiet oases for everyone. And sadly, street artists and creative graffiti writers will pay the price for the attention-seeking bomber that have stomped their chill spots. And most sadly of all, in the process many historical works of graffiti art and street art will end up buffed in the process.

So some advice to the Ottawa graffiti crowd (both legit and illegit), police your own community before you end up having your community policed by someone else.

Graffiti Removal Kits

As part of the Enhanced Graffiti Management Program the City of Ottawa is currently providing Graffiti Removal Kits to citizens interested in removing graffiti from public property. These kits are only good for non-porous flat surfaces (glass, metal, non-porous plastics).


The kit is a plastic container containing 30 graffiti wipes, vinyl gloves, and City of Ottawa instructions.

Kits can be acquired by contacting and picking them up from Paul McCann (613-580-2424 ext. 13363), the Co-ordinator of the Community Pride Program.

So now you have a kit. What do you do next?

First off read the instructions...and read the label. The graffiti wipes are coated with very strong chemical and solvents, so be informed so you can be careful.


Next, find location to remove graffiti from. As these graffiti removal kits are provided free of charge from the City they are intended for City of Ottawa property and street furniture (street signs, newspaper boxes, taffic switching boxes, bus shelters, telephone booths, mail boxes, mail drop boxes, telephone switching boxes). The City does not recommend or advice you to clean Hydro boxes as they may poentially pose an electical shock danger.


If you are paying attention at home...this is a Hydro box. We advise that you don't clean this type of street furniture. We weren't paying close attention and cleaning this one.

Next you'll need your tool.

• Graffiti wipes
• Razor scrapper
• Face mask
• Vinyl gloves

First off, use the razor scrapper to remove any stickers.


Once your cleaned your surface of stickers...it's time to put on your protective gloves and mask.


Next, start with a clean graffiti wipe and start wiping away at that graffiti.


Depending on the type of ink or paint used...some marks will come off immediately. Other may need to soak a bit in the wipe solvent. And others still will need some serious elbow grease.


And some will just not want to completely come off.

The wipes pick up paint and ink fast. But there may be a lot more ink and paint on the surface than you think, so you'll likely need a few wipes to cover a heavily graffitied surface. Also, as you work away your gloves are not going to hold up very well.

So replace your gloves whenever they wear out.



For stubborn tags, like solid paint markers (which leave a thick residue), we suggest that you use a razor scrapper to remove as much excess paint/ink as possible...and then go over the surface with a graffiti wipe. You'll be surprised how much time this will save you and how effective it will be.

So what's the verdict?

Well for simple tags...very good. You can remove all traces of graffiti



But for more complex graffiti and graffiti that has had a long time to set...you may not be able to erase all traces of graffiti...but just make a really big dent.

BEFORE




AFTER

How Graffiti is Made

Graffiti writers put up graffiti using a variety of methods, including the following.

• Markers
• Spray Paint
• Stickers
• Scratching (or Scratchiti)

Markers

Markers can be ink-based or paint-based; and paint-based marker can also be liquid paint or solid paint (which leave a thicker residue and are effective on rough surfaces).

Markers are used to leave quick tags.

Solid paint markers can be used on both flat and rough surfaces. Liquid ink and paint markers are typically used on flat surfaces. Liquid markers can be felt-tipped or mop-tipped. A felt-tipped marker is like a typical Sharpie or Pilot...but of a larger format. Mop-tipped markers have a sponge tip or “mop” (like on a shoe polish bottle or bingo daubber) and can come in squeezable containers to create stylized drips. Markers can be regular art supplies or specialized graffiti-specific markers (which are sold by custom graffiti suppliers [e.g., Molotow, Krink, Junobo, On the Run] or custom fashioned by graffiti writers from shoe polish bottles/bingo daubers and ink/paint). To make graffiti-specific marks more destructive and indelible the ink and paint used in them is typically supplemented with brake fluid to leave permanent stains on surfaces.

Spray Paint

Spray paint is used for creating large complex graffiti pieces...but they can also be used to throw-up quick tags. For this reason spray paint is a highly-prized graffiti medium, as it is versatile and also used for prestige work (like bombing or aggressively tagging all businesses on a street, or for putting up complex time-consuming pieces). Graffiti writers typically use spray paint on porous surfaces (for which most markers wouldn't be ideal) like stucco, brick, cement, and stone. Spray paints are often weather-proof or rust-resistant (for metal surfaces, like Rust-oleum or Rusto, and Tremclad) or have custom-designed colours created by graffiti-specialty suppliers (e.g., Krylon, Montana, Molotow).

Stickers

Graffiti can also be created with stickers. Because stickers can be created at home, street artists will also use stickers as a medium to create intricate artwork to place out on public surfaces. The line between street art and graffiti is fine, and open to personal perspective...some people find street art to be rich and vibrant, adding colour and style to the hum-drum surfaces of our modern city. Stickers can either plastic or paper-based. Plastic-stickers are typical made and orderd from a custom supplier and are weather resistant. Paper-based stickers are cheaper and can be purchased at dollar stores (e.g., name-tag stickers) or procured for free using postal service label stickers that are provide free of charge to the public. Custom-sized stickers can then be created by layering sticker upon sticker. Once ready, stickers can then be applied to any flat surface (metal, plastic, glass). Often stickers will be affixed to public street furniture (the backs of street signs, postal equipment [relay points, street letter boxes, drop boxes], telephone equipment [telephone booths, telephon switch boxes], hydro transmission boxes, newspaper boxes, bus shelters, lighting poles). As paper-based sticker fade and degrade from the sun and rain, they are often placed indoors (e.g., in bathrooms) or in sheltered areas (e.g., on the inside window of a newspaper box) where the elements won't impact them as much.

Scratching (Scratchiti) and Etching

Graffiti can be made on glass, plastic and metal surfaces (as ink and paint can be easily removed from these surfaces) by scratching into these surfaces with a glass-cutter or a sharp blade. Additionally sometimes acid etching is used to graffiti glass, plastic and metal through the application of hazardous toxic solvents.

Graffiti Terms

Like all specialized environments, graffiti has a language of its own. Here’s a brief overview of some graffiti terms.

Basic Terms

• scratchiti - Graffiti that has been created by scratching onto a surface (glass, plastic, metal)
• stickie - A sticker with the writer's tag on it. A sticker can be deployed more quickly than other forms of graffiti, making it a favorite in especially public places like newspaper dispensers.
• tag - A stylized signature, normally done in one color. The simplest and most prevalent type of graffiti, a tag is often done in a color that contrasts sharply with its background. It is the writer's logo, his/her stylized personal signature. If a tag is long it is sometimes abbreviated to the first two letters or the first and last letter of the tag; and may be ended with the suffixes "one", "ski", "rock", "em" and "er".
• throw-up or throwie - A throw-up or throwie sits between a tag and a piece in terms of complexity and time investment. It generally consists of a one-color outline and one layer of fill-color. A throw-up is designed for quick execution, to avoid attracting attention to the writer. Most artists have both a tag and a throw-up which act as recognizable logo for others to identify them and their style.
• piece - A graffiti painting, short for masterpiece. It's generally agreed that a painting must have at least three colors to be considered a piece.
• roller - A large graffiti piece that has been created using a paint roller instead of spray paint

Other Graffiti Terms

• bite - To copy another writer's style
• black book or piecebook - A graffiti artist's sketchbook. Often used to sketch out and plan potential graffiti, and to collect tags from other writers.
• bomb - To bomb is to aggressively graffiti a whole area (for instance the length of a street) by painting many surfaces. Bombers often choose throw-ups or tags over complex pieces when bombing, as they can be executed more quickly.
• buff - To remove painted graffiti with chemicals and other instruments, or to paint over it with a flat color
• burner - A well produced graffiti piece that is complex and exceptional
• drips - Stylized drips on letters for added effect
• fill - The solid interior color of letters on a piece or throw-up
• going over - To go over or paint on top of a piece of graffiti simply. While most writers respect one another's artwork, to intentionally and disrespectfully paint on top of another's work is akin to a graffiti declaration of war. However (due partially to the limited amount of desirable wall-space) most graffiti writers maintain a hierarchy of sorts; a tag can legitimately be covered by a throw-up, and a throw-up by a piece, and this is commonly done without incident.
• handstyle - The handwritten style in which a graffiti writer draws their tag. Often handstyle tags are done in a single fluid line.
• hit - To tag a surface with paint or ink
• outline - An uncoloured piece/blueprint of a full colour piece
• run - The length of time graffiti remains up before being covered or removed
• toy - An inexperienced or unskilled writer. Graffiti writers usually use this as a derogatory term for new writers in the scene. A writer considered a "toy" is especially targeted for slashing or going over.
• up - Describes a writer whose work appears regularly everywhere and who is currently writing (for instance, “getting up”, “being up”…as in being up on a wall)
• wildstyle - A complicated construction of interlocking letters. A hard style that consists of lots of arrows and connections. Wildstyle is considered one of the hardest styles to master and pieces done in wildstyle are often completely undecipherable to non-writers.
• writer - Another word for a Graffiti artist

The "Broken Window" Theory

When it comes to graffiti, aside from the cost to clean and repair (which can be expensive), graffiti’s most insidious and pervasive cost is to a community’s sense of security.

The effect of graffiti on a community is often likened to the metaphor of a “broken window”. This theory was first proposed by James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling in a March 1982 article called “Broken Windows” in The Atlantic Monthly, and can be synopsized through the following excerpt.

"Consider a building with a few broken windows. If the windows are not repaired, the tendency is for vandals to break a few more windows. Eventually, they may even break into the building, and if it's unoccupied, perhaps become squatters or light fires inside.

Or consider a sidewalk. Some litter accumulates. Soon, more litter accumulates. Eventually, people even start leaving bags of trash from take-out restaurants there or breaking into cars."

Viewed through this frame, graffiti similarily acts as an indicator of communal neglect and lack of care. One graffiti tag becomes an open call for other graffiti writers to add in their voice…in support or in challenge. Before long, if left unchecked, the tagged surface becomes a message board which all taggers feel free and obliged to use to make their voices and presence heard.

The “Broken Widow” theory was eventually put to the test by the City of New York in the 1980. New York had been facing a steady and dramatic increase and escalation in criminal activities.

The NYC Subway was totally overrun with graffiti and toll dodging was a common occurrence. As a test of the Broken Window theory in 1985 the New York City Transit Authority implemented a zero tolerance program towards graffiti and toll-jumping. This included ensuring that all graffitied subway cars were checked and cleaned after each run and not put back into service until they were free of all graffiti.

Though the effect of these actions are often questioned and difficult to definitively inter-relate, the change in atmosphere and perception of security in New York City between the early 1980s and the present day is dramatic and radical. The NYC Subway Broken Window test bed led to further sweeping changes by Mayor Rudy Giuliani during the 1990s which resulted in the revitalization of the commercial downtown core of NYC and the gentrification of New York City’s boroughs.

Gladstone Avenue

Gladstone avenue is another area in Ottawa that has been heavily hit with graffiti.

The graffiti along Gladstone is typically concentrated in a few key areas/corners where properties owners have neglected to keep on top of graffiti...and a dialog between different taggers has emerged. Along Gladstone corner stores, vacant lots, parking lots, and key corners are prime examples of where and how graffiti takes hold in a community.

Graffiti can be seen to drop off westard as residential properties and homes increase. This is due to the fact that commercial properties are the prime target for graffiti writers, as they present hubs for the community and have high traffic (and thus greater visibility)...and are also anti-establishment targets due advertising and commercialism.

Removing Graffiti

There are a lot of resources out on the Internet on how to remove graffiti. But to synopsize them, here are the basics.

Graffiti removal depends on surface type. And there are three general types of surface.

- Wood
- Flat Surfaces (Glass, Metal, Plastics)
- Porous Surfaces (Brick, Cement, Concrete, Stucco)

Removal falls into the following basic approaches.

- Repainting
- Chemical solvents
- Pressure washing, sand blasting, sanding

Wood

With wood the best and easiest bet is to paint the surface.

Experts suggest that you should try to stay away from light colours (like white)...as a white wall is pretty much just a fresh canvas. However, going to dark colours (like black and greys) can also present a fresh canvas...just to white markers and paint. The pros and cons vary. With a standard colour like white or black you can always easily repaint. But choosing a colour that doesn't draw too much attention (like a wood simulating brown, or a colour that blend in with the surrounds) is likely a good idea.

If you want to preserve the natural look of wood....you can sand, pressure wash or sand blast the surface to remove graffiti and get down to the bare wood. It's just important to be careful and tentative...as power washers and sand blasters can chew up wood pretty fast. Get a powerful power washer...and put it on a gentle setting...then do some test areas to get a feel for what works.

Solvents can work on wood if you use them early. Most thinners will remove magic markers and acetone will remove spray paint if a day old.

Flat Surfaces

With glass and metal surfaces you can use standard solvents to remove graffiti.

The City of Ottawa currently will provide, free of charge, graffiti removal kits to use on flat surfaces (Tel.: 613-580-2424 ext. 13363). These kits are intended to be used on public surfaces (Telephone booths, Hydro boxes, Bell boxes, Light posts, Mail boxes, Garbage receptacles)...but obviously can also work on private surfaces. If you are going to take advantage of these City resources you'll need to request them and pick them up (at City Hall or at the storage depot by Industrial Avenue). They are intended to clean-up graffitied public street surfaces (so keep that in mind when you request them). If you plan on using them on private surface you should definitely also make a dent in the public graffiti in your area (to keep the area clean and graffiti at bay...your graffiti-clean property won't stay that way long if the rest of your street is heavily graffitied).

Glass and Plexiglass can also be cleaned with a razor blade to scrape away paint. But be careful with the solvent you use, acetone-based solvent will affect plastics. Test spots and carefully reading directions is highly recommended on your first go.

Acetone-based solvents will soften plastics. So best options are to use full-strength paint remover and rinse.

Additionally, metal and plastic surfaces can also be repainted with a colour-matched paint. But choose a paint type that will cover well and adhere to the surface. Scuffing the surface with a little sand paper will ensure that the paint covers better...using a paint that does not adhere well will lead to peeling, flaking and chipping once the surface has had the chance to shink and expand across the year.

Porous Surfaces

Brick, Cement and Concrete can be soaked with solvent and scrubbed gently with a wire brush. After some time to set in...a strong stream of water can be used to rinse the surface. If this doesn't work, a pressure washer or soda-blaster may be needed. If the surface is repeatedly vandalized, it may be wise to look into having the surface coated with a sealer to close pores and make future graffiti removal easier. Repeated pressure washer and blasting of porous surfaces will eventually damage them and compromise their integrity. Conversely, graffiti on brick, cement and concrete can be painted over with a colour-matched paint. Once covered and sealed, graffiti removal can be more solvent based...or surfaces can be repainted to cover any new graffiti.

Graffiti on stucco is most easily repaired with fresh paint. But paint remover and pressure washing can also work. Then use a sealer as a finish coat to protect the surface from follow-up graffiti and make future cleaning easier. If the surface is in a fragile state, the force of pressure washing will remove stucco.

Some additional resources:

http://www.toronto.ca/graffiti/graffiti_tips.htm
http://www.city.saskatoon.sk.ca/org/leisure/facilities/pdfs/graffitiremoval.pdf
http://assets.columbus.gov/graffiti/tips.htm
http://www.multi-sealcorp.com/hints.htm
http://www.paintpro.net/Articles/PP705/PP705_GraffitiRemoval.cfm

Somerset Street West/Chinatown

Like many areas in Ottawa, Somerset Street West and Chinatown has been heavily hit by graffiti. The following map shows the level and degree to which this one community has been affected by graffiti.



The Chinatown BIA is dedicated to their membership, and is currently in the process of securing a graffiti removal specialist (as other BIAs have) and the consent of its property owners to carry out a full clean-up of their community.

Graffiti Arrests - Saturday March 29th, 2008

Ottawa police say they have caught three young graffiti artists who were tagging stores in the Glebe.

A business owner notified police around midnight of a few kids hanging around the store wearing backpacks, said Sgt. John Lamothe of the central division.

Undercover officers and the canine unit were brought in to search for the teens. They discovered three youths spraying the side of an audio store on Bank St., around 4:27 a.m Saturday said Lamothe.

http://ottsun.canoe.ca/News/OttawaAndRegion/2008/03/31/5148586-sun.html

CBC Ottawa Coverage

Welcome - Our First Post

Hello and welcome to the Graffiti Watch - Ottawa blog. This site has been setup as a forum to identify, monitor and track graffiti activity in Canada's national capital, Ottawa.

We hope that this site will be able to provide you with information about graffiti and about the graffiti environment in Ottawa. Ideally we'd like to be able to offer you information and support in understanding graffiti and in combating vandalism that may touch your business, property, and community.

We also hope that you'll join us in pooling resources, effort, and information in the hope of improving our community and urban environment.