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Freedom Ain't Free




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A community rallies around graffiti artists Mike Baca, who faces up to seven years in prison for graffiti-vandalism and trespassing.
mfarrell1

13 responses // Freedom Ain't Free

  • Matt! This is amazing. Great job!
    dgreene
  • Beautiful story. Hats off to you.
    NicoRaineau
  • http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=309
    You should really check out the last ten minutes of this "American Life" segment. It's about the NYPD Vandal Squad and an artist they chased for years....
    critter
  • Nice work, Matt. This is solid.
    agrill
  • This is some good work
    ajwashington
  • Nice job, homey!

    I grew up in Amsterdam, surrounded by the boys from CBS, GVB, TBH..

    Those cats were mad inspiring to me...

    I've been watching graffitiresearchlab.com for some time now...good looking out!
    danieldewinter
  • Why can't we have laws that allow people to express themselves via graffiti like in designated graffiti walls or something. I understand why the authorities are against so much graffiti, because sometimes some of the graffiti is being painted on places that are privately owned.

    How can we find a more balanced approach to this issue? Obviously it is ridiculous to sentence this extremely creative young man to so many years in prison; when murderers, rapists and violent criminals are getting sentences that are similar to graffiti property crimes. This is totally bunk.

    Excellent video well edited and tight.
    jubal
  • beautiful piece matt. I was really anticipating what you were going to submit and you definitely did not disapoint. dope shots, perfect music (self produced?) and really good character development. was really feeling for 2esae, is he still on the island right now? I was feeling the ill b boy shots and mad professor cutting it up?! this needs to be on TV
    matt_fisher
  • good news - as of Dec 20th 2007 mike is out of Rikers. In a hearing for his queens case, and MIke and his co-defendents DRO and RESKEW took the option to a plea bargain with 5 years probation, no jail time, and restitution (fines) and community service to be determined (at a restitution hearing on Jan 29th).
    bennett4senate
  • wicked cast mate, shame the law sucks!

    Don't give up the fight!
    nickop
  • Tagging is not an art form. It is Graffiti in its worst possible form. People with overblown ideas of their own importance, vandalising peoples property just to write their wanky made up names. It is territorial pissing, and thats all. If you really believe that spraying your name on something, makes you a better person. then you are in for a big shock.
    Pussytime
  • Pussytime, I have to agree with some of what you said, especially the part about "spraying your name on something, makes you a better person, then you are in for a big shock". I do believe that graffiti is narcisistic, but so is blogging and social networking.

    I hate going places and seeing beautiful architecture and aesthetic public places only to have my enjoyment derailed by tacky graffiti scratched into the metal or sculptures or painted onto natural stone surfaces, etc. It is as you put it "territorial pissing" and pure vandalism.

    Where I part company with you is on the notion that all forms of graffiti are invasive and a waste of time. There is definitely an art form present in graffiti, but I would still argue that there needs to be places where this kind of thing is appropriate for the public to display at while other places should be respected for their right to be free of graffiti.

    We need to find a more amicable solution than simply putting people in prison for expressing themselves through the medium of graffiti.
    jubal
  • Jubal, I didn't mean that all forms of graffiti are bad. There are plenty of great artists out there. But, generally people at large consider graffiti to be just tagging. Anyone who has seen good and meaningful street art, knows just how good it can be. Problem is, Joe public doesn't know the difference between graffiti and tagging, and considers tagging to be what most of us mean by street art.
    Pussytime

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