Graffiti is a subject that seems to upset a lot of people – especially members of the “hang ’em high” brigade. Personally I don’t get bent out of shape by it, and in fact some I even enjoy. The other day we were walking in Enright Park in Northam and we ventured under the Brookfield Railway Bridge and we were treated with an extensive graffiti gallery which I quite liked.

 

 

 

 

 

For those that complain about graffiti and demand the death penalty for it here’s a few facts. The only known written material in the ancient Safaitic language (an early form of Arabic) comes from graffiti. In the classical era most graffiti was rather sophisticated and demonstrated a very high level of literacy and a deep appreciation of art and poetry which indicates that it was done by the elites in society (Ponnamperuma, Senani (2013). Story of Sigiriya. Melbourne, Australia: Panique Pty Ltd. p. 157). In the Nineteenth Century Lord Byron avoiding his creditors, ex-lovers and looking for lots of non-binary rumpy pumpy graffitied his way round Europe in-between writing poetry and fighting for Greek independence (Shanks, Michael (1996). Classical Archaeology of Greece: Experiences of the Discipline. London, New York: Routledge. p. 76).  I don’t know where Byron got the time and all the energy from.