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The risky art of graffiti
Some art just will just never be appreciated.
This is what an Ottawa graffiti artist who goes by the name of Bobar says is the real problem with graffiti in the city. At 22 years old, Bobar often spends his days painting beautiful murals on the sides of the usually grey walls of the city. He normally does it without the permission of whoever owns the property.
Two blue fantasy faces smile beneath a bridge.
Bobar explains that the majority of the “art” people see out there is not the good kind of graffiti. Bored teenagers or adults will make crude remarks or spray their artist name on a public wall or park bench. This is not the same as what he does.
“There’s a difference between vandalism and graffiti,” says Bobar.
His graffiti will catch your eye immediately. The swirls of unexpected colours blending together on the side of a wall often form designs within other designs. He will contrast colours, paint with perspective, use optical illusions — anything to make people look twice.
One of his murals will simply look like a car from a distance, but up close there is a cityscape within the car. Get even closer and you might notice that the buildings in the cityscape are actually stereo speakers.
When he paints, Bobar says he chooses his location carefully. The busier the place, the harder it will be to actually paint there, but the more rewarding the completion. Since he does his work quietly and without permission, location is key.
“I try to choose places that people see every day, but they don’t really see,” says Bobar. “People will stop and stare at a wall they’ve passed a hundred times before, because of us.”
An homage to Ray Charles in a Gatineau park.
Ephemeral art
“It is sort of strange. Knowing that I’m doing all this sort of work, and I know this won’t last forever,” says Bobar. “If I’m lucky, maybe it will still be here a year from now.”
According to Bobar, graffiti art differentiates itself from other media because it is in a public place for everyone to see. Bobar’s graffiti art is just as expressive and beautiful as the work he does in his home, and he says that he appreciates using a larger canvas that is visible to more people.
“How is it any different if the Mona Lisa was painted on the side of a bridge instead of a canvas?” Bobar asks. “With graffiti you have a guaranteed audience. A lot of them will probably hate it, but not all of them.”
For larger murals, Bobar will usually work with other graffiti artists he has met over the years. These collaboration pieces are often some of his most impressive, because each artist will bring his or her own style and unique skills into the art. One of Bobar’s longtime friends, an artist who goes by the name Dizzer, says that when they do collaborations, spectators often think the worst.
‘How is it any different if the Mona Lisa was painted on the side of a bridge instead of a canvas?’ —graffiti artist Bobar
“People probably think we’re all in a gang or something when they see us,” Dizzer says. “But none of us are drop-outs, and none of us are living on the streets.”
Bobar currently studies art in college, and is gifted not just in graffiti. He does everything, from sketching to oil painting and even computer-generated 3D art. He has sold some of his work for hundreds of dollars.
Some like it, some hate it
Local residents are divided on the issue.
“It doesn’t bother me,” says Chris Lawrence, 22, an Ottawa citizen who has never met a graffiti artist before. “I’m not sure if I would call it art, but this stuff seems better than the rest. I like the way it looks, sure. I’m just not sure whoever owns this building feels the same way.”
Other residents like Sylvia Harb, 28, say the graffiti makes the neighbourhood seem run-down, no matter how good the artwork. “It doesn’t really matter if it’s beautiful or not. They make this whole area seem trashy,” says Harb.
The City of Ottawa has a very strict policy on graffiti, designating it as illegal. Christine Hartig, the policy officer for the graffiti bylaw in Ottawa, says that no matter the circumstance, graffiti is unacceptable. If people are caught spraying illegally, they can be fined up to $610.
A graffiti-fantasy portal: towers of the sky and sea.
The city has designated specific walls and bridges as legal graffiti zones for anyone to spray on, but Bobar says these walls are not enough for all the graffiti artists in the city.
“The way I see it, I mean, it’s not like we’re hurting anyone. All we’re doing is bringing life into something plain,” says Bobar.
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