Playing Tag | Boyd vs. the Dead Man

Memo to my "Homies": The real crime, in my opinion, with the local graffiti scene ("SEKT and the City," by Jim Schutze, March 2) is not so much that it is a violation of public and private property but simply that it is all so fucking lame and boring. It's lazy, derivative and uninspired. SEKT, CHANT (the artist formerly known as MESS), SOLAR (I wish I was Basquiat), EARL (why my daughter dated you, I'll never understand) et al, you guys know who you are, and so do I--a bunch of white upper-middle-class ghetto wannabes. You're spoiled Arts Magnet dilettantes desperately seeking attention. Still riding around on your Sting-Rays, wearing those ridiculous baseball caps (you're so hip-hop) without an original thought in your life, and you're too fucking lazy to grow up and actually step out and do something with any value. You're like a one-song cover band, playing yourself over and over like the B-side of a top 40 record that no one wants to hear but yourselves. Your jerk-off "art" needs to be flushed down the toilet along with the rest of your jizz. Like all of suburban hip-hop culture, you either need to figure something out that's actually new and interesting or get the fuck out of the way, 'cause at 21 to 22 years old, you're taking up valuable real estate like a bunch of bloated old men. Frankly, while surprised that he hasn't something better to do, I'm happy that Chief Kunkle has taken up the challenge to weed you out. Not because you tag other people's property--but because you suck at it.

Dallas

He's that good: I moved from the Munger Street Historical District last July. Fled, actually, to a part of North Dallas just south of LBJ. And I do miss the sort-of-interesting graffiti in the old neighb.

I agree that the gang-sign type of graffiti is obnoxious and a constant reminder of the seamier elements of gangsters-in-training. You know, tribal youth marking their terror-tory (sic), validating their street cred. But whoever the guy (or girl) is that does the primitive stick-figure stuff seen in the area, particularly on the north side of Interstate 30, should really think about putting a show together and exhibiting at some of the local galleries. I've even tried duplicating some of it for my own amusement, and it's damn hard to do. (S)he's that good.

Too bad there's no simple solution to this problem. If these kids really want to have their work seen, let's give them a place to do it. Pick one of the parks in the area, put up some plywood fence and have a contest for the best graffiti artists to come and show us their stuff. Prizes for best in show? I bet it would never be messed with...

Lee Evans

Dallas

Ch-ch-changes: Cheers to Jim Schutze for the great story "SEKT and the City." There is a lot of change happening in Dallas. I hear the same stories over and over about old stomping grounds and funky neighborhoods being shuffled around or plowed over to become yet more space for the affluent and SUV-loving sect. The house I live in sits in the ominous shadow of a big two-story McMansion and no doubt will be plowed under soon to make room for another. Deep Ellum is fading or in a state of metamorphosis. Uptown and the area is chock full of retail/housing developments as if in a desperate scramble to make Dallas more cosmopolitan. But some of these changes, for example the downtown parks projects, are very much for the good, I think. I mean, let's face it; this is a very flat, featureless and let's say "geographically disadvantaged" city. It needs all the help it can get. Without all the manmade lakes around here it would look like one big golfing green with some silver boxes sitting on it.