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San Francisco Street Art Mecca to be demolished


By Sama Team | September 2, 2009



Yesturday, Max Dana came with an unexpected news, saying: "SF Street Art Mecca to be demolished in September". The Sama Team was there, we were all working at our desk (well, sort of) and we didn't exactly understand what this news was about... As you may already know if you follow Max Dana's work, she started by making graffiti in the mid-80's and this a movement she continues to support, althought she doesn't paint on walls anymore (well, I'd better check about that).


That is for the preamble, to give more context to the news. Now, the story published on SFWeekly, by Anna McCarthy:


"The old tuna cannery down in the flats of Bayview Hunters Point has, technically, been sitting empty ever since it was condemned after the '89 quake. ​But one peek inside the immense building - now completely boarded up and guarded by a tall chain-linked fence - reveals it has hardly been abandoned. What appears on the outside as an industrial wasteland is, on the inside, perhaps the largest living canvas for graffiti artists in the entirety of San Francisco. And it won't be around for much longer. A representative for Caltrans, which has owned the property since the mid-1930s, confirmed that the building is scheduled for demolition some time in mid-September."


The building will be soon completely demolished and all the graffiti will be gone with it. I have to admit I have never been into graffiti, I barely know the movement and its meaning but as a novice interested into street art, I think this is a shame to destroy this 'mecca'. Remember our post last month: Mat Benote at Guggenheim: yes, he can! - Maybe Benote should hang one of his 'graffiti' work on the wall of the building to bring more attention on this demolition of Art...


SFWeekly via Juxtapoz

Photo credit: Joseph Schell



#1


Sama Reader Juliette

The photos on SFWeekly are great. I’m not a big fan of graffiti but the place looks great…
Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at 11:17 am

#2


Sama Reader PtitJean

Yes, call Benote, he’s the one defending the Fine Art Graffiti movement :P

Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at 11:41 am

#3


Sama Reader Arnold

I think graffiti is art and it’s a shame to demolish such a place!!! Does anybody fight to keep it? I can’t believe nobody’s doing anything to save it :(

Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at 1:25 pm

#4


Sama Reader Yull

Agreed! Graffiti Mecca must be saved!

Petitiononline.com anyone ?
Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at 2:09 pm

#5


Sama Reader Moshuo

There are many great places to be demolished in this world. The Buddha in Afghanistan and many other examples…..

I don’t really care about graffiti but this place is amazing, it’s a museum.

Bises
Moshuo
Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at 2:36 pm

#6


Sama Reader Josh

Looks like mindless tagging to me :oops:

Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at 2:58 pm

#7


Sama Reader Dimbrose

Dimbrose

Moshuo is right, make it some sort of a museum, it could really make this place profitable. But I guess it’s too late now.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at 3:12 pm

#8


Sama Reader JBKaval

If there was something this big in France I’m sure many people would have fought against the demolition. And I would have been the first one on the line. But it’s in San Francisco, too far from where I live ;)

Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at 4:00 pm

#9


Sama Reader Mark

Yeah Yeah.

Sell it piece by piece and make money from poor graffiti artists, like it’s always been anyway………. :twisted:

Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at 6:22 pm

#10


Sama Reader Karmitto

French artist Mist and some others are still painting on walls, they’re famous and I’m sure famous artists painted on these walls as well. I think it’s sad, it’s a loss. :(

Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at 6:44 pm

#11


Sama Reader Hulksman

Mark I am sure some people will come and take some pieces, don’t worry :)

Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at 9:05 pm

#12


Sama Reader Sam Glicky

Sam Glicky

I don’t think all these graffiti were ‘art’. Some are and some are not. Graffiti is not Art only because it’s graffiti, you got to have talent to draw, and inspiration.

Some graffiti are simply a bunch of scribbles, to say the least.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at 10:27 pm

#13


Sama Reader Freeman

Freeman

Many galleries won a lot of money selling graffiti art but they don’t care about the meaning and the artists, it’s all about money. I totally agree with Mark on that point.
Thursday, September 3, 2009 at 1:32 am

#14


Sama Reader eGlobeR

eGlobeR

In the meantime, the building is being demolished.

End of story!
Thursday, September 3, 2009 at 6:59 am

#15


Sama Reader BettyKohn

This place is freaking me out :oops:

Thursday, September 3, 2009 at 12:41 pm

#16


Sama Reader Sam Glicky

Sam Glicky

Freeman and Mark, I own a gallery and you can’t seriously say that. Sure some galleries use artists’ works and make a lot of money but some others like mine are small galleries and only pretend to share art, and sell it.
Thursday, September 3, 2009 at 1:08 pm

#17


Sama Reader Juliette

I like this building a lot, many colors and graffiti everywhere you look. I would like to get a piece of the wall if it was possible ;)

Thursday, September 3, 2009 at 5:23 pm

#18


Sama Reader Arnold

Heu Juliette – I hope you don’t plan to put it our living room, it’s very small :oops:

Thursday, September 3, 2009 at 5:37 pm

#19


Sama Reader Dittta

LOL Arnold :P

Thursday, September 3, 2009 at 8:10 pm

#20


Sama Reader Juliette

I will put the piece of wall wherever I want to! :twisted:

Thursday, September 3, 2009 at 9:17 pm

#21


Sama Reader Hulksman

I’d love to see that Juliette, just to see Arnold’s face :)

Thursday, September 3, 2009 at 11:36 pm

#22


Sama Reader Freeman

Freeman

Hey Sam don’t take it personally, I didn’t say you do that I’m just saying some galleries do.
Friday, September 4, 2009 at 8:09 am

#23


Sama Reader Moshuo

PtitJean I just realized you’re a cynic. Mat Benote is an artist maybe not your prefered one but still ;)

Bises
Moshuo
Friday, September 4, 2009 at 10:51 am

#24


Sama Reader PtitJean

If I am a cynic then you are a hypocrite because I know you didn’t like what Benote did at Guggenheim. Don’t even try to defend him now! :P

Friday, September 4, 2009 at 12:24 pm

#25


Sama Reader Yull

PtitJean +1 :mrgreen:

Friday, September 4, 2009 at 12:47 pm

#26


Sama Reader Moshuo

I don’t know what you are talking about, sorry :P

Bises
Moshuo
Friday, September 4, 2009 at 2:05 pm



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