Photography and Article by C. Esper
Art is everywhere. Whether or not you choose to see it – every sign, building, billboard or anything man-made has an element of art and design to it. Most art is displayed in sanctioned museums or stuffy galleries, or it becomes so much a part of our daily lives that its beauty is overlooked. Graffiti art cares not for these conventions. Its practitioners risk life and limb to inflict their art onto the public by any means necessary.
I am a graffiti junkie because quite frankly, it’s some of the most exciting art out there right now. Often just getting to a graffiti spot can be an adventure in itself. Here are some recent pictures I’ve taken. Although not all of these are fresh, they are all local.
If you are into graffiti art and you haven’t stumbled upon Train Ave. on Cleveland’s near west side – you are missing out. I lived in Cincinnati when I first got into graffiti and it was big down there with scribble jam and all. I met some artists down there that would let me come out to spots with them and I loved it. When I first moved back here in 2000 I was disappointed with Cleveland’s lack of public art, until I got lost and ended up on Train Ave.
At first all I saw was the wall but once I got out and looked under the bridge I knew this would be a place that I would become intimately aware of. Everybody who paints in this town has probably been there at least once to add to it or just to check it out. Turnover is pretty good too so you will usually see something new every time you return. I don’t know any artists here, so I can’t give any inside information on the art – but I can tell you that it’s definitely worth a trip to see for yourself.
If any artists out there want to let me know about fresh art out there hit me up at
x1944x@gmail.com. I will do my best to check out and document any spots, possibly to end up in future issues of
Pink Eye.
