Help Find Graffiti Artist "ZAR"

[DaveSkater]

I hate em, everytime some tool tags the skatepark, they close it down for a couple of days. So, not only are my tax dollars wasted, I don't get to use my facility until they get around to "fixing" it.

Idiots.

[plmccordj]

This one guy is not the only one that is doing this. I posted about the Oklahoma City gang problem and their grafiti in South Oklahoma City. I included many photos in January. The funny thing is that these gang members have found my blog that has been putting them down and they have been using my blog and started bashing each other. They have not bashed me once even though I was being critical of them. I almost deleted their posts but as my cousin wrote, maybe they will get mad at each other and kill each other off . You can read it here... Oklahoma City Gangs

[sgray]

Let's hire some old retired farts that just sit all night in a rockin chair with a big dog and a shotgun. Hey, it's just an idea!

[jstanthrnme]

I'm on the fence.

While I don't think its cool at all to tag some of the targets he's gotten..I think graffiti is a part of living in an urban area and really, should just kind of be accepted/ignored. The ODOT board he has got, and some of the other billboards could have been a little more discreet, so thats where I have the problems with this guy.

Let me explain.

I've traveled to Washington D.C. a lot, and if any of you have been there, I'd bet money that you have seen this:


Now this guy is a pro. I used to go out of my way to look for these tags. Usually they were along the metro tracks or amtrack tracks, but occasionally you could find them other places. This never really bothered me, I just accepted it as part of the D.C. landscape just like the Washington Monument, or a large traffic circle.

[venture]

Easy solution?

Take their hands, hold a 9MM to them, pull trigger. They probably can't do much "tagging" with a hole in both hands. Okay maybe a tad extreme. How about we following Indonesia. Cane them. A good 24 cracks on the bare skin back may help. If not...I always liked the idea of creating another man made lake, with an island. Razor wire all through the water and you just drop all these convicts on the island unsupervised. Then you put cameras up, put it on PPV, and balance the ******** budget. Okay...that last one is George Carlin's idea. *smile*

But i'm sorry. As a taxpayer it is costing me money for these morons to deface road and interstate signs. Even the digital sign boards? Those relay immediate information on serious road hazards...would hate for that message to get blocked and lead to a massive pileup. Granted, if anyone died in that...then we can charge the taggers with some form of murder or manslaughter and put them down.

I am somewhat concerned that a certain member of the board is defending these guys. Perhaps they have information that can lead to the arrest and prosecution of taggers. Obstruction of justice? Harboring? You legal types would know the phrasing better than me. : )

[El Gato Pollo Loco!!!]

all I can think of is...

this right here

[CuatrodeMayo]

I am somewhat concerned that a certain member of the board is defending these guys. Perhaps they have information that can lead to the arrest and prosecution of taggers. Obstruction of justice? Harboring? You legal types would know the phrasing better than me. : )

What are they going to do? Waterboard me?

I like graffiti. I pretty much feel the same as what jstanthrnme wrote above. I'm no tagger (I wish I was that good) and the only artists know were in the Tulsa area...and they are long gone.

[OKCMallen]

Cier was the guy who posted here.



I, for one, hope they don't catch him.

Then you can find the other 100 people in town that agree with you and pay for it.

[OKCMallen]

I'm on the fence.

While I don't think its cool at all to tag some of the targets he's gotten..I think graffiti is a part of living in an urban area and really, should just kind of be accepted/ignored. The ODOT board he has got, and some of the other billboards could have been a little more discreet, so thats where I have the problems with this guy.

Let me explain.

I've traveled to Washington D.C. a lot, and if any of you have been there, I'd bet money that you have seen this:


Now this guy is a pro. I used to go out of my way to look for these tags. Usually they were along the metro tracks or amtrack tracks, but occasionally you could find them other places. This never really bothered me, I just accepted it as part of the D.C. landscape just like the Washington Monument, or a large traffic circle.

Some places they are relatively harmless, like a railroad car. No one really cares.

Some places they aren't harmless and hurt the aesthetic. I personally think that if someone went and tagged the relatively new Oklahoma! mural on Gaylord/Broadway downtown, they should get their ass beat.

[Karried]

Freedom of speech in America, aint it great.

Yes, it is... but personal attacks and insults can not be tolerated on this board.

If you have any other questions or concern please send a Personal Message (PM) to the Administrators of this board.

[CuatrodeMayo]

Some places they are relatively harmless, like a railroad car. No one really cares.

Some places they aren't harmless and hurt the aesthetic. I personally think that if someone went and tagged the relatively new Oklahoma! mural on Gaylord/Broadway downtown, they should get their ass beat.

I hope to God that gets covered with paint ala Berlin Wall style. That mural is kitch to the max.

Like this:

[angel27]

hmmm. Quatro opens my eyes a little on this subject. I have always hated graffiti, except for one here and there like in the eighties on an old gas station on Walker someone wrote "hard times." Tom photographed it and it was artistic. There was someone that used to draw on electric boxes and I used to want to stalk him and shoot.

[stick47]

There's no gray area here. Defacing property that doesn't belong to you is a crime and those who do it should be punished.

[westsidesooner]

I'm on the fence.

While I don't think its cool at all to tag some of the targets he's gotten..I think graffiti is a part of living in an urban area and really, should just kind of be accepted/ignored.

Littering and car-jacking are part of living in an urban area too, should they just be ignored also? I have no problem with a having a specific area for these guys to do their "art" ala the graffitti bridge. But that won't stop the taggers, they do it for their ego. Maybe they're trying to make up for having not been blessed in other areas.

[FFLady]

Hey guys, if the police used modern day techniques, they could probally catch him. If you goto myspace and search "zar" oklahoma city, only one person comes up, and guess what his picture is, its graffiti! LOL

So - I'm wondering, has anyone called this info in?????

[OKCMallen]

I hope to God that gets covered with paint ala Berlin Wall style. That mural is kitch to the max.

I think I speak for everyone and all common sense when I say: who gives a crap about your opinion of it? I don't exactly think it's modern art either, but NO ONE should ruin it with graffiti.

Your opinion on this is awful, and it's unreasonable people with ludicrous opinions like you that make things harder for everyone, no matter what he subject matter might be. Jeez, you advocate someone breaking the law and defacing public property to waste taxpayer dollars. They should double your taxes and appropriate it to clean up to make up for such a ridiculous opinion.

I hope you're just stirring the pot and we bit on it and you get a minor chuckle from it. I hope this isn't your true, reasoned opinion.

[CuatrodeMayo]

While I admit it is quite enjoyable to watch posters on the board stumble of non-conventional ideas, it is my true opinion. Maybe that is why graffiti appeals to me; it stirs the pot of conservative city like this one.

I will say I don't necessarily agree with all locations and this "Zar" fellow is amatuerish at best. But I suppose the same could be said for legal billboards.

Reasoned? It's art, therefore subjective. Is it art? Yes, IMO.
Deface? Ruin? Says you. You opinion. Maybe when I not at work, I will come up with a longer more thoughout post. Just let it suffice to say it is a street art thing.

[OKCMallen]

While I admit it is quite enjoyable to watch posters on the board stumble of non-conventional ideas, it is my true opinion. Maybe that is why graffiti appeals to me; it stirs the pot of conservative city like this one.

I will say I don't necessarily agree with all locations and this "Zar" fellow is amatuerish at best. But I suppose the same could be said for legal billboards.

Reasoned? It's art, therefore subjective. Is it art? Yes, IMO.
Deface? Ruin? Says you. You opinion. Maybe when I not at work, I will come up with a longer more thoughout post. Just let it suffice to say it is a street art thing.

Bubs, I live in non-conventional ideas, and I'm anything BUT a social conservative.

However, we don't live in a subjective world (and thank rational thought for that). You can't just point at something and go SUBJECTIVE! I think we can all agree that murder is wrong, no matter the cultural subjectivity arguments you choose to impose. Cultural relativism is not a philosophy by which we can operate. Their rights to tag END where everyone else's collective rights BEGIN: and that's public property we all "own."

Deface? Yes, by definition. Ruin? If you made a roadsign unreadable, then it's ruined. I'm not saying a real tagger doesn't have artistic merit. Clearly they do. But costing the public money over and over through vandalism isn't art: it's sheer jackassery.

If these guys are so noble, then they should either: a) ask permission from the city, or b) graffiti your own stuff. Until then, you don't have a RIGHT to do that. Just like I don't have a right to come key your car in artistic swirls or paint your house as I see fit.

If YOU think it's so grand, put your money where your mouth is and either: a) provide a place for taggers to do their work, or b) raise money to pay to clean up graffiti so it's not a burden on all of us.

[CuatrodeMayo]

a) That rarely works.
b) If I like it, then why would I want to find ways to remove it?

I was speaking from artistic subjectivity (i.e. what constitues "art") not a cultural subjectivity (what is "right" and what is "wrong").

I guess I approach the property rights from more of a NYC attitude where the line between public and private is not very clear and instead built objects just become the public realm where life and art happens. You approach it from an OKC/Edmond perspective where what is mine is mine and yours is yours. I suppose that is where the difference lies.

Just to be clear: I like graffiti, but that doesn't mean I worship in the church of street art. I never said it was "grand", "noble", or high-art.

I have a feeling we will have to agree to disagree on this one.

[OKCMallen]

a) That rarely works.
b) If I like it, then why would I want to find ways to remove it?

I was speaking from artistic subjectivity (i.e. what constitues "art") not a cultural subjectivity (what is "right" and what is "wrong").

I guess I approach the property rights from more of a NYC attitude where the line between public and private is not very clear and instead built objects just become the public realm where life and art happens. You approach it from an OKC/Edmond perspective where what is mine is mine and yours is yours. I suppose that is where the difference lies.

Just to be clear: I like graffiti, but that doesn't mean I worship in the church of street art. I never said it was "grand", "noble", or high-art.

I have a feeling we will have to agree to disagree on this one.

Oh, those rights are the same in both places, my friend. Go and try to tag an NYC brownstone in which someone lives AND owns and you'll see a VERY clear line between public and private. Go and tag a corporate building. You'll see the same lines we have here.

You just like to stir the pot. I think we, as the OKCTalk board, should all come and tag your house or car or whatever.

Of course, maybe we should all just not have any property rights. Everyone should be allowed to do anything they want, whenever they want, to whatever they want. All in the name of "art."

[CuatrodeMayo]

You just like to stir the pot. I think we, as the OKCTalk board, should all come and tag your house or car or whatever.

Yes. I'm just screwing with you because NOBODY can possibly like graffiti.

Oh well...Looks like I'm getting threatened again for expressing my opinion. I better go put the car in the garage.

[hipsterdoofus]

I don't know why you all even bother trying to argue with him.

[gen70]

I don't know why you all even bother trying to argue with him.

I been checking in just to see who will argue with him, it just encourages him.

[onthestrip]

As a property owner I cant stand the graffiti that shows up. And ususally its just terrible looking, pointless graffiti showing off a gang or something. Another argument against it is the "Broken Window Theory" which says that broken winows that go unrepaired will lead to more windows being broken and causing crime to snowball and the surrounding areas suffer because of it.

Having said that, I do admire good graffiti art, but it cant continue to go on every vertical wall. There needs to be some place for it, but Im not sure how to go about that and how to limit it to a designated area.

If only zar could do better work like this.

[CuatrodeMayo]

I been checking in just to see who will argue with him, it just encourages him.

Now I'm a troll.

Sheesh.