How to Deal

I will admit that the graffiti in the city seems out of control. Some of it is “tagging”. Some is advertising and some is political.

Part of the problem is the nature of the buildings here. Oaxaca is a colonial city laid out on a grid, easy to get around and very walkable. One finds oneself walking down streets that are essentially walled corridors with entrances on either side. Those walls provide privacy and security but also close out the sounds of the city and offer tranquility. Behind the walls one finds hidden courtyards that stay cool during the heat of the day.
Those walls also present large expanses of smooth surfaces just perfect for graffiti.
So as the great Diego Rivera might have said, “Walls? They are there to paint on, aren’t they?”
I do like the selective covering up. Censorship with the proverbial "broad brush."

Whether it is art, I may not the best to judge, because I think that everything is art, both the painting and the painting over, just different aesthetic motivations. Just listen to John Cage’s 4’33” and tell me that is not art.

Still Life -Life Still?

So it comes and goes....