Legal Walls Toronto > promoting graffiti and urban art

Fall - Editorial 2001

The Toronto Police continue busting youth with sketchbooks and prosecuting these kids with often more than 2 dozen offences at one time. Do they really need to spend the resources on this? Are the commuters on the transit lines so very offended by the works on the LEGAL WALLS near Lawrence East on the Scarborough RT? Or the walls near Scarbrough GO station on the Lakeshore East line? We don't think so. Why waste so many resources busting artistic youth for brightening up some drab walls in primarily industrial areas? We aren't talking tags on the school yard, but full blown murals. We know the people who do those. They're not gang members. They are most often artists, kids from suburban homes, and kids who go to art schools like the Ontario College of Art or George Brown. To set the record straight, and it must be done, not all graffiti is vandalism. Go to respectable advertising and media companies (Mediacom for one) and ask them how many know people who use to do murals and now work in some creative industry. Lots. And they often had to sneak around in the night to perfect their art. Or they practised and honed their skills painting dramatic pieces on the many LEGAL WALLS Toronto has to offer. We are here to celebrate those walls. And the artists who paint them…

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