As a resident of New York City over the past several decades, and one who creates visuals for a living, I have truly mixed feelings about graffiti. By definition it’s a marring of public property, and if it goes unchecked around me, it makes me feel that anarchy has taken over. This is not a good thing, trust me (East Berlin, anyone?). Also, the messages are usually indecipherable and ultimately drown each other out.
Then there’s a whole other kind of graffiti—which I see mostly on advertising posters in the subway—that sometimes really does have something to say, and to me is far more interesting. In this particular case (see here), it is commentary on the apartment-sharing phenomenon of Airbnb (please note: I am not expressing my opinion of Airbnb, I am just commenting on someone else’s viewpoint).
We are told clearly that this person is against this service, but it leads to questions as to why (bedbugs? Really?). Still, this is a strong statement that is communicated directly and plainly, and leaves the viewer with something to think about beyond what the sponsor intended.
Often these kinds of “annotations” are puerile and vulgar, but this one isn’t. Someone really cares about the issue and wants to inform the public. It’s now up to you to investigate it, if you want to, and draw your own conclusions.
First impression: Freedom of expression here is not limited to print advertisers by any means. Anyone with a Magic Marker and a reaction can chime in, too.