Features

Graffitirazzi – A Battle of Historic Proportions

By Gar Smith
Friday March 22, 2013 - 01:26:00 PM
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Over recent years, the three-story brick Mission Revival-style building had taken on a scruffy look with vacant, empty windows marked with unsightly tangles of basic-black spray-paint. The western wall of the abandoned storefront, however, was covered with a colorful pastiche of lettering and art. 2
Gar Smith
Over recent years, the three-story brick Mission Revival-style building had taken on a scruffy look with vacant, empty windows marked with unsightly tangles of basic-black spray-paint. The western wall of the abandoned storefront, however, was covered with a colorful pastiche of lettering and art. 2
As time passed, this ephemeral artwork was — quite literally — "defaced" by new layers of tagging.
Gar Smith
As time passed, this ephemeral artwork was — quite literally — "defaced" by new layers of tagging.
Gar Smith
In late 2012, Berkeley announced that the "historic" building would be treated to a major restoration. Soon, work crews arrived to repaint the exterior. Neighbors and local historians were pleased to note that the crew took care not to paint over the time-honored business sign visible on the wall, high above the trees. It read: "Golden Horn Press." (The sign is visible below the painter's crane.) 5
Gar Smith
In late 2012, Berkeley announced that the "historic" building would be treated to a major restoration. Soon, work crews arrived to repaint the exterior. Neighbors and local historians were pleased to note that the crew took care not to paint over the time-honored business sign visible on the wall, high above the trees. It read: "Golden Horn Press." (The sign is visible below the painter's crane.) 5
Eventually, the entire wall (including the old "Golden Horn" logo) was painted over. But the re-do didn't last long. One of the first responses from the graffiti brigade came from "GIA," a shaddowy tagger whose bafflingly huge initials have coated several large walls in Berkeley. (How "GIA" manages to apply 16-foot-tall letters more than halfway up the side of a three-story building remains a mystery.)
Gar Smith
Eventually, the entire wall (including the old "Golden Horn" logo) was painted over. But the re-do didn't last long. One of the first responses from the graffiti brigade came from "GIA," a shaddowy tagger whose bafflingly huge initials have coated several large walls in Berkeley. (How "GIA" manages to apply 16-foot-tall letters more than halfway up the side of a three-story building remains a mystery.)
A paint crew was dispatched to obliterate GIA's stamp but the attempt to quash chaos and impose order was short-lived. A new blast of defiant graffiti quickly erupted in the "sweet spot" on the west wall, behind the wooden fence that parallels the sidewalk.
Gar Smith
A paint crew was dispatched to obliterate GIA's stamp but the attempt to quash chaos and impose order was short-lived. A new blast of defiant graffiti quickly erupted in the "sweet spot" on the west wall, behind the wooden fence that parallels the sidewalk.
7 Once again, painters rushed to the scene and buried the unauthorized lettering beneath a mismatching layer of white paint.
Gar Smith
7 Once again, painters rushed to the scene and buried the unauthorized lettering beneath a mismatching layer of white paint.
Eventually, the wall was covered with a uniform mask of blue-grey paint. And that is how things stood — grey, clean and orderly — until the morning of March 20, 2013. <br> <br> Will new markings appear? The odds favor it. What will they look like? Stay tuned.
Gar Smith
Eventually, the wall was covered with a uniform mask of blue-grey paint. And that is how things stood — grey, clean and orderly — until the morning of March 20, 2013.

Will new markings appear? The odds favor it. What will they look like? Stay tuned.

Last month, an abandoned printshop at 2120 Dwight Way was reborn as Lindgren's, a bright and trendy café-restaurant featuring house-roasted coffee and homemade pastries. The arrival of Lindgren's was part of the larger restoration of the historic Williamson Building but it didn't take long for graffiti to appear on the 1905 City Landmark. On March 20, the previously pristine wall bore three fresh tags. But there's much more to this story….