Public art by Romero Britto, the artist most identified with Miami around the world, is a frequent and easy target for graffiti bombers. His “Beach Ball” in Miami Shores, a sculpture sporting Britto’s trademark bright colors and pop-art patterns, got the treatment last June when some blunt vandal scrawled the words “Not Art” across it with red spray paint. Then, in July of 2011, someone — maybe the same someone — tagged the same sculpture with the words “Meaningless Bliss” and “error”.
The latest: This past Saturday, the day of Second Saturdays Art Walk, someone who apparently goes by the name “C Dog” tagged Britto’s new Wynwood space, at 146 N.W. 25th Street, in huge white letters (photo via Yo Miami).
Update: This photo by @305creative (shared via Instagram) shows that Britto (or an assistant or two) painted over C Dog’s scrawl with a burst of color, sunny imagery, and a bit of advice: “Make Art Not War”.
As is usual when anything Britto gets vandalized, some people are applauding the vandal (“Thats what he gets for covering the murals that were done during Basel”) while others, including some Britto crtics, are condemning the illegal expression of contempt for an artist who many consider a paint-by-numbers hack, an opportunist, and/or an ersatz ambassador of Miami creativity.
Where many find agreement is that this was bound to happen, that it was “only a matter of time” before Britto’s Wynwood location got “bombed”. In a neighborhood that is home to many art galleries and many street murals, many of them commissioned works, a few questions arise:
Is uncommissioned graffiti an appropriate expression of criticism against an artist just because lots of people feel an aversion toward him and his work? Is uncommissioned graffiti — i.e., illegal graffiti — appropriate period? Is “legal graffiti” an oxymoron and, if so, does Britto’s flower-studded wall deserve to be vandalized more than any of the commissioned murals in Wynwood, which are offensive to some old-school graffiti artists who feel their beloved art form has been co-opted by property owners looking to cash in on the “urban aesthetic”?
Yes, these questions have the stench of the rhetorical, but you can dispel it by leaving a response or introducing new questions in the comment section.
This vandalism is out of control I have worked in that area and was told by a source that when graffiti tagers are caught they think its ok and that’s what the business owners in the area want
Marcelo, sure, Britto can easily absorb the financial impact, but he is not the only victim of vandalization by graffiti in the neighborhood. Panther Coffee got “bombed” in February. It hurt the cafe’s look and its bottom line. My point: illegal graffiti in Wynwood does not always hurt unpopular people/businesses.
you guys do realize that the reason wynwood looks the way it does is because graffiti artists painted the walls? you also do realize that even the large scale legal works are done by artists who also do illegal works and are usually displayed side by side? 45% of the walls in wynwood are done without permission, the only reason you might not notice is because of the technique, this newest edition was in its most blatant, rawest form. whats made wynwood safe IS the graffiti, it creates an attraction so people want to move to the neighborhood. now im not here to argue apples and oranges, and i realize that im straying far from the actual article so let me trace my steps back. the mural was defaced but so have many murals in the neighborhood, why is this one so important? because of who its by, what its on and the attention it received when it was put up. something all of us know when we do “murals” is, everything is in a state of impermanence. moving onto the panther coffee mural, painted by barry mcgee, barry asked to have the mural run for only a limited amount if time, when refused to be covered, people took the proper steps to get that done.
“Illegal” graffiti and street art are often some of our favorite pieces. One of the most recognizable street artists of our time, Banksy made his name by repeatedly committing crimes. I believe that the difference is intent, when you set out to “tag” are you doing it to deface something or are you trying to express yourself on something that happens to not be your property?
As for the safety factor, I believe graffiti has a lot to do with it. However it was the vision of a developer, Tony Goldman who saw the value in street art in Wynwood and graffiti and utilized it to redevelop the area. By commissioning pieces and creating the Wynwood Walls, he created a standard for street art in the area and created an open, welcoming public space.
Thus the recent success of Wynwood can’t be contributed entirely to graffiti. It is instead the vision of progressive developers. We need more of those in Miami, ASAP.
Part of the beauty of Wynwood is that it is always changing. No one is forcing Britto’s art to be here. It’s his choice to stay there, so he should deal with the consequences. Less we employ the fucking art police to dictate who can and cannot produced in the name of money.
8Skip Van Cel said at 12:51 pm on June 11th, 2012:
I have been documenting the constant and fluid state of graffiti in Wynwood for over 5 years. My personal favorites have nothing to do with any of the current stars, but the end result of the cat and mouse game played by building owner, tagged, code enforcement. The real question is who decides what is and what isn’t art. Goldman? Code Enforcement? Britto?
i’m all for britto and i’m all for graffiti.
but, this is what i think…
it would’ve been a much more acceptable move if it had been artistic whatsoever.
the fact is– it was not painted over, it was “bombed.”
but, the bombing was absolutely ludicrous. honestly, it looks more like whoever did it got scared in the middle of it. it’s as jagged as the “artist’s” teeth probably are.
there is nothing artistic about boring, loopy, white scribbles.
if you’re gonna be all “street” & “tough” to hate on britto for not being a “real artist,” then PROVE YOUR WORTH.
otherwise you’re just some punk who thinks he’s a big shot with nothing to back it up with.
if you think you’re better than britto, prove it.
so far, you’ve proven nothing but what a giant waste of time you are as a human being.
if you’re gonna scrawl all over britto’s work, then maybe use some colors next time. black and white lettering is so pedestrian. maybe choose a composition. any composition. for example, you could’ve even incorporated the flowers into it. like painting more of them but they look like they’re wilting. i don’t know… just a suggestion.
in the end, britto OWNS that wall. you don’t own shit. you can scrawl “cdog” or “gansta” or whatever lame ass street name you hide behind, but britto doesn’t need to do that to be successful.
he uses his real name, his real face.
maybe he uses his real assistants, but at least he has assistants.
you, on the other hand, need assistance.
It’s just meanspirited, tiny-penis syndrome. If these people had a nanofiber of talent they would be focused on doing their own thing and not thinking all day about Romero Britto. Punks are punks are punks.
Well said, Sunshine. I would add that the hatred of Romero Britto’s work appears most likely rooted in jealousy of his success. For all the haters who are too cool to like his work, there are many, many more people in Miami and around the world who do like it and are willing to pay money for it — whether on canvas or on a mug, a calendar, or whatever. I’m proud that an internationally recognized artist like Britto chooses to call Miami home. I don’t mind seeing his work in public places. I very much mind the defacement of public or private property — especially when its amateurishly done and in no way thought provoking, i.e., like this cdog loser.
I can’t stand Britto’s work, but I think energy is better spent on the positive, like promoting and buying art from other (and superior) ambassadors of the Miami art scene.
Make “Art” not more meaningless Graphics. You got Britto, Lebo, and Miguel Paredes pimping Wynwood and true Artists leaving for LA. I’m concerned “Art” is becoming nothing more than another superficial Miami Scene up for grabs and it’s a shame when the scene could have been a lot more if this city wasn’t so consumed by pretentious bullshit and people trying to be someone rather than simply being genuine, curious, and cultured. This goes for consumers and “Artists” alike.
What’s the difference between Britto and hipster-darlings like “Friends With You”? NOTHING. It’s always the ones who cant even draw a smiley face who are whining about “true artists.”
I personally know who was the one who put up the flowers on his building and what was done was wrong because the flowers where put up by a fellow graffiti artist of Miami trying to merg the Graf scene with britto pop art. Weather or not people like britto and his style slash work there are many people that are looking for a chance to do things legally.so it sucks that people assume that what they did was a shot at britto it was directly towards the Graf community. This will nOt stop britto or the fellow artist from working on the merg of the Graf community and Pop Art. Stop the HaTE art is walk of life and a sense of expression for all……
@Phase GW a graff artist trying to “merge the graf scene” with shitty pop art by copying/painting shitty pop art in order to merge the graff scene? That’s the more ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard! While the intention is good, it is being executed in the most hideous way possible.
@Revulu Friends With You are commercial toy designers and everything they do stems from that. They don’t pretend to be something they’re not.
I’m not a fan of Britto’s art but more power to him for building a lucrative career on his work. Obviously it makes lots of people happy.
Who decides what’s art and what’s not? If I don’t like your work is it OK for me to deface it? All this pretentious crap about who and who isn’t worthy is a bigger pile of s***t then Britto’s work.
Britto is pop, sugar-coated, happy, pretty, smiley people holding hands version of the world…and has become a household name (or at least been plastered on so many t-shirts, coffee mugs, mousepads, etc…that his impact extends far beyond Miami. It is true that he has done some charitable work for non-profit organizations and deserving kids in Miami, but more importantly to me, when you are an artist of his stature, you assume a RESPONSIBILITY as a leader in the art community, to help CREATE SPACES where young and upcoming/emerging artists can incubate (INKUB8) their work and their ideas. Mentoring, creating innovative partnerships between schools and young artists/visiting artists/local artists is one way to do this…but where the distaste for Britto comes from is the “oversaturation” of his images, which never seem to evolve or change, as most artists’ work does, as a consequence of more introspection, living, personal growth, and challenging oneself to go deeper…
“where the distaste for Britto comes from is the “oversaturation” of his images, which never seem to evolve or change, as most artists’ work does, as a consequence of more introspection, living, personal growth, and challenging oneself to go deeper”
This vandalism is out of control I have worked in that area and was told by a source that when graffiti tagers are caught they think its ok and that’s what the business owners in the area want
While I do not condone grafitti, anything would be an improvement painted on a building or elsewhere in comparison to Britto’s “art.”
Kind of to be expected. Wynwood’s real attraction is the roughness around the edges. I’m sure Britto is not dying from it.
Marcelo, sure, Britto can easily absorb the financial impact, but he is not the only victim of vandalization by graffiti in the neighborhood. Panther Coffee got “bombed” in February. It hurt the cafe’s look and its bottom line. My point: illegal graffiti in Wynwood does not always hurt unpopular people/businesses.
you guys do realize that the reason wynwood looks the way it does is because graffiti artists painted the walls? you also do realize that even the large scale legal works are done by artists who also do illegal works and are usually displayed side by side? 45% of the walls in wynwood are done without permission, the only reason you might not notice is because of the technique, this newest edition was in its most blatant, rawest form. whats made wynwood safe IS the graffiti, it creates an attraction so people want to move to the neighborhood. now im not here to argue apples and oranges, and i realize that im straying far from the actual article so let me trace my steps back. the mural was defaced but so have many murals in the neighborhood, why is this one so important? because of who its by, what its on and the attention it received when it was put up. something all of us know when we do “murals” is, everything is in a state of impermanence. moving onto the panther coffee mural, painted by barry mcgee, barry asked to have the mural run for only a limited amount if time, when refused to be covered, people took the proper steps to get that done.
“Illegal” graffiti and street art are often some of our favorite pieces. One of the most recognizable street artists of our time, Banksy made his name by repeatedly committing crimes. I believe that the difference is intent, when you set out to “tag” are you doing it to deface something or are you trying to express yourself on something that happens to not be your property?
As for the safety factor, I believe graffiti has a lot to do with it. However it was the vision of a developer, Tony Goldman who saw the value in street art in Wynwood and graffiti and utilized it to redevelop the area. By commissioning pieces and creating the Wynwood Walls, he created a standard for street art in the area and created an open, welcoming public space.
Thus the recent success of Wynwood can’t be contributed entirely to graffiti. It is instead the vision of progressive developers. We need more of those in Miami, ASAP.
Part of the beauty of Wynwood is that it is always changing. No one is forcing Britto’s art to be here. It’s his choice to stay there, so he should deal with the consequences. Less we employ the fucking art police to dictate who can and cannot produced in the name of money.
I have been documenting the constant and fluid state of graffiti in Wynwood for over 5 years. My personal favorites have nothing to do with any of the current stars, but the end result of the cat and mouse game played by building owner, tagged, code enforcement. The real question is who decides what is and what isn’t art. Goldman? Code Enforcement? Britto?
i’m all for britto and i’m all for graffiti.
but, this is what i think…
it would’ve been a much more acceptable move if it had been artistic whatsoever.
the fact is– it was not painted over, it was “bombed.”
but, the bombing was absolutely ludicrous. honestly, it looks more like whoever did it got scared in the middle of it. it’s as jagged as the “artist’s” teeth probably are.
there is nothing artistic about boring, loopy, white scribbles.
if you’re gonna be all “street” & “tough” to hate on britto for not being a “real artist,” then PROVE YOUR WORTH.
otherwise you’re just some punk who thinks he’s a big shot with nothing to back it up with.
if you think you’re better than britto, prove it.
so far, you’ve proven nothing but what a giant waste of time you are as a human being.
if you’re gonna scrawl all over britto’s work, then maybe use some colors next time. black and white lettering is so pedestrian. maybe choose a composition. any composition. for example, you could’ve even incorporated the flowers into it. like painting more of them but they look like they’re wilting. i don’t know… just a suggestion.
in the end, britto OWNS that wall. you don’t own shit. you can scrawl “cdog” or “gansta” or whatever lame ass street name you hide behind, but britto doesn’t need to do that to be successful.
he uses his real name, his real face.
maybe he uses his real assistants, but at least he has assistants.
you, on the other hand, need assistance.
That kind of graffiti is so disrespectful I don’t care how much Britto sucks. That graffiti artist is mad immature.
Amen Sun!
britto belongs in macys home goods, not wynwood
It’s just meanspirited, tiny-penis syndrome. If these people had a nanofiber of talent they would be focused on doing their own thing and not thinking all day about Romero Britto. Punks are punks are punks.
Well said, Sunshine. I would add that the hatred of Romero Britto’s work appears most likely rooted in jealousy of his success. For all the haters who are too cool to like his work, there are many, many more people in Miami and around the world who do like it and are willing to pay money for it — whether on canvas or on a mug, a calendar, or whatever. I’m proud that an internationally recognized artist like Britto chooses to call Miami home. I don’t mind seeing his work in public places. I very much mind the defacement of public or private property — especially when its amateurishly done and in no way thought provoking, i.e., like this cdog loser.
I can’t stand Britto’s work, but I think energy is better spent on the positive, like promoting and buying art from other (and superior) ambassadors of the Miami art scene.
Make “Art” not more meaningless Graphics. You got Britto, Lebo, and Miguel Paredes pimping Wynwood and true Artists leaving for LA. I’m concerned “Art” is becoming nothing more than another superficial Miami Scene up for grabs and it’s a shame when the scene could have been a lot more if this city wasn’t so consumed by pretentious bullshit and people trying to be someone rather than simply being genuine, curious, and cultured. This goes for consumers and “Artists” alike.
What’s the difference between Britto and hipster-darlings like “Friends With You”? NOTHING. It’s always the ones who cant even draw a smiley face who are whining about “true artists.”
I personally know who was the one who put up the flowers on his building and what was done was wrong because the flowers where put up by a fellow graffiti artist of Miami trying to merg the Graf scene with britto pop art. Weather or not people like britto and his style slash work there are many people that are looking for a chance to do things legally.so it sucks that people assume that what they did was a shot at britto it was directly towards the Graf community. This will nOt stop britto or the fellow artist from working on the merg of the Graf community and Pop Art. Stop the HaTE art is walk of life and a sense of expression for all……
GW PHASE (graffiti artist)MIAMI
GHOSTWRITERCREW
@Phase GW a graff artist trying to “merge the graf scene” with shitty pop art by copying/painting shitty pop art in order to merge the graff scene? That’s the more ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard! While the intention is good, it is being executed in the most hideous way possible.
@Revulu Friends With You are commercial toy designers and everything they do stems from that. They don’t pretend to be something they’re not.
I’m not a fan of Britto’s art but more power to him for building a lucrative career on his work. Obviously it makes lots of people happy.
Who decides what’s art and what’s not? If I don’t like your work is it OK for me to deface it? All this pretentious crap about who and who isn’t worthy is a bigger pile of s***t then Britto’s work.
Britto is pop, sugar-coated, happy, pretty, smiley people holding hands version of the world…and has become a household name (or at least been plastered on so many t-shirts, coffee mugs, mousepads, etc…that his impact extends far beyond Miami. It is true that he has done some charitable work for non-profit organizations and deserving kids in Miami, but more importantly to me, when you are an artist of his stature, you assume a RESPONSIBILITY as a leader in the art community, to help CREATE SPACES where young and upcoming/emerging artists can incubate (INKUB8) their work and their ideas. Mentoring, creating innovative partnerships between schools and young artists/visiting artists/local artists is one way to do this…but where the distaste for Britto comes from is the “oversaturation” of his images, which never seem to evolve or change, as most artists’ work does, as a consequence of more introspection, living, personal growth, and challenging oneself to go deeper…
@Deborah BRAVO!!! VERY WELL SAID!!!
“where the distaste for Britto comes from is the “oversaturation” of his images, which never seem to evolve or change, as most artists’ work does, as a consequence of more introspection, living, personal growth, and challenging oneself to go deeper”
Might Martinez Celaya be next? Those battleship grey walls are the bomb.