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Andy Joanides inspects graffiti produced by the London Frontline group at his garage |
Graffiti artists sign up for vandals blitz
Town Hall grimebusters attack garage chief’s initiative
GARAGE owner Andy Joanides was so fed up with vandals covering his business in graffiti he decided to beat them at their own game by calling in an artists’ collective to cover up the daubings.
But the artists’ graffiti, which stretches for about 100 feet in Kentish Town, has came under fire from Town Hall environment chief, Tory councillor Mike Greene, who is leading a blitz on vandalism.
He said: “The fact is, he is encouraging graffiti.”
Mr Joanides, who has run his petrol station and vehicle repairs workshop in Highgate Road for more than 30 years, was approached by the London Frontline collective, a group of graffiti artists whose work has begun to cover a number of walls in Kentish Town.
They asked if they could help beat the vandals – by covering the roof of his business in works of their own.
The job, which took two days last week, has produced just the results Mr Joanides wanted.
He said: “For years I have had these terrible kids coming here in the night and covering my garage in paint. I have spent a fortune constantly whitewashing the walls.
“I’d never considered myself a curator of art, but I am pleased with the results. I think it looks very nice – and certainly better than the mess of graffiti which used to be left here.”
The Town Hall launched a graffiti blitz this week, with the council’s ‘grime fighters’ environmental street team working with members of the youth offending team to clean up the Jack Taylor School in Swiss Cottage, and also target an alley running between Finchley Road and West End Lane in West Hampstead known for spray-painted tags.
Cllr Greene said Mr Joanides was indirectly encouraging graffiti by allowing London Frontline to put its work up. Cllr Greene recently attended a conference with council representatives from around the country where graffiti was discussed.
He said: “There was quite a debate about council groups in places like Exeter and Bristol, where they have a large student population, and whether graffiti can ever be art. It seems the general experience is that graffiti encourages graffiti.
“The garage owner may not be shooting himself in the foot by doing this, but he may be shooting his neighbours in the foot.”
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