When the world-famous street artist Banksy tagged a wall in Salt Lake City in 2010, the city power washed it off within 48 hours. This led me to ask a series of questions:
-What happens when graffiti is removed from a wall?
-Is it an improvement?
-Why do people remove marks left by others?
-What happens when graffiti is removed from a wall?
-Is it an improvement?
-Why do people remove marks left by others?
In many instances, I've observed that the cover-up marks can be more beautiful than the original graffiti. This ongoing exploration, part of my Markmaking series, examines the aesthetics of graffiti removal.
Note on print sizes: I have not printed all of these images. When I have, I noted in the caption the size I printed it. Some of these images have also been used in my Construct series.
Markmaking:Detags-AR
Detag No. 0107, 72201; Digital photograph; © 2023
Detag No. 01111, 72201; Digital photograph; © 2023
Detag No. 0114, 72201; Digital photograph; © 2023
Detag No. 0117, 72201; Digital photograph; © 2023
Detag No. 0121, 72201; Digital photograph; © 2023
Detag No. 0131, 72201; Digital photograph; © 2023
Detag No. 0159, 72201; Digital photograph; © 2023
Markmaking:Detags-AZ
Detag No. 423, 85701; Digital photograph; © 2010
Detag No. 428, 85701; Digital photograph; © 2010
Detag No. 572, 85004; Digital photograph; © 2010
Detag No. 594, 85003; Digital photograph; © 2010
Detag No. 617, 85201; Digital photograph; © 2010
Detag No. 625, 85201; Pigment print; 20 x 30 inches; © 2010
Detag No. 633, 85201; Pigment print; 20 x 30 inches; © 2010
Detag No. 648, 85003; Pigment print; 20 x 30 inches; © 2010
Detag No. 666, 85007; Pigment print; 20 x 30 inches; © 2010
Detag No. 681, 85007; Digital photograph; © 2010
Detag No. 693, 85007; Digital photograph; © 2010
Detag No. 695, 85007; Digital photograph; © 2010
Detag No. 5466, 85701; Digital photograph; © 2010
Detag No. 5516, 85701; Digital photograph: © 2010
Detag No. 5522, 85701; Digital photograph; © 2010
Detag No. 5524, 85701; Digital photograph; © 2010
Detag No. 5526, 85701; Digital photograph; © 2010
Detag No. 5533, 85701; Digital photograph; © 2010
Markmaking:Detags-OK
Detag No. 0031, 73102; Digital photograph; © 2023
Detag No. 0037, 73102; Digital photograph; © 2023
Detag No. 0048, 73102; Digital photograph; © 2023
Detag No. 0061, 73102; Digital photograph; © 2023
Detag No. 0062, 73102; Digital photograph; © 2023
Detag No. 0067, 73102; Digital photograph; © 2023
Detag No. 0068, 73102; Digital photograph; © 2023
Detag No. 0077, 73102; Digital photograph; © 2023
Detag No. 0079, 73102; Digital photograph; © 2023
Detag No. 0080, 73102; Digital photograph; © 2023
Detag No. 0089, 73102; Digital photograph; © 2023
Detag No. 0090, 73102; Digital photograph; © 2023
Markmaking:Detags-TX
Detag No. 1593, 79101; Digital photograph; © 2023
Detag No. 1599, 79101; Digital photograph; © 2023
Detag No. 1608, 79101; Digital photograph; © 2023
Detag No. 1625, 79101; Digital photograph; © 2023
Detag No. 1632, 79101; Digital photograph; © 2023
Detag No. 1653, 79101; Digital photograph; © 2023
Detag No. 1662, 79101; Digital photograph; © 2023
Markmaking:Detags-UT
Detag No. 183, 84115; Digital photograph; © 2010
Detag No. 186, 84115; Pigment print, 20 x 30 inches; © 2010
Detag No. 197, 84115; Pigment print; 14 x 21 inches; © 2010
Detag No. 265, 84115; Pigment print; 14 x 21 inches; © 2010
Detag No. 265, 84115; Pigment print; 14 x 21 inches; © 2010
Detag No. 280, 84115; Pigment print; 14 x 21 inches; © 2010
Detag No. 295, 84107; Pigment print; 14 x 21 inches; © 2010
Detag No. 309, 84106; Pigment print; 14 x 21 inches; © 2010
Detag No. 326, 84106; Pigment print; 14 x 21 inches; © 2010
Detag No. 341, 84106; Pigment print; 14 x 21 inches; © 2010
Detag No. 349, 84106; Pigment print; 14 x 21 inches; © 2010
Detag No. 890, 84115; Pigment print; 20 x 30 inches; © 2011
Detag No. 703, 84111; Digital photograph; © 2011
Detag No. 726, 84111; Digital photograph; © 2011
Detag No. 768, 84111; Digital photograph; © 2011
Detag No. 773, 84111; Pigment print; 20 x 30 inches; © 2011
Detag No. 785, 84111; Digital photograph; © 2011
Detag No. 788, 84111; Pigment print; 20 x 30 inches; © 2011
Detag No. 792, 84111; Digital photograph; © 2011
Detag No. 800, 84111; Digital photograph; © 2011
Detag No. 809, 84111; Digital photograph; © 2011
Detag No. 813, 84111; Digital photograph; © 2011
Detag No. 1107, 84111; Digital photograph; © 2012
Detag No. 1159, 84111; Digital photograph; © 2012
Detag No. 1165, 84111; Digital photograph; © 2012
Detag No. 1169, 84111; Digital photograph; © 2012
Detag No. 1058, 84401; Digital photograph; © 2012
Detag No. 962, 84401; Digital photograph; © 2012
Detag No. 969, 84401; Pigment print; 20 x 30 inches; © 2012
Detag No. 977, 84401; Digital photograph; © 2012
Detag No. 1004, 84401; Digital photograph; © 2012
Detag No. 1013, 84401; Digital photograph; © 2012
Detag No. 1020, 84401: Pigment print, 20 x 30 inches; © 2012
Detag No. 1035, 84401; Digital photograph; © 2012
Detag No. 1040, 84401; Digital photograph; © 2012
Detag No. 1045, 84401; Digital photograph; © 2012
Detag No. 1056, 84401; Pigment print; 9.9 x 14.8 inches; © 2012
Detag No. 0478, 84101; Digital photograph; © 2018
Detag No. 0141, 84115; Digital photograph; © 2011
Detag No. 0085, 84115; Digital photograph; © 2011
Markmaking:Detags-WA
Detag No. 1226, 99201; Pigment print; 20 x 30 inches; © 2015
Detag No. 1230, 99201; Pigment print, 20 x 30 inches; © 2015
Detag No. 1240, 99201; Digital photograph; © 2015
Detag No. 1250, 99201; Pigment print; 20 x 30 inches; © 2015
Detag No. 1269, 99201; Digital photograph; © 2015
Detag No. 1289, 99201; Digital photograph; © 2015
Detag No. 1310, 99201; Pigment print; 20 x 30 inches; © 2015
