Highway Underpass

Highway Underpass, St. Catharines, Ontario

Graffiti's always been a temporary art form. You make your mark and then they scrub it off. - Banksy

I realize that people have their own opinions on art and whether they consider graffiti to be an art form. I believe that there is bad graffiti, which is vandalism, when people purposely destroy or tag property. But I am talking about the artistic side of graffiti, artists with a real talent and who give meaning to their work. One of the main reasons is the prospect of fame and recognition of one's artistic talent. Artists also use the walls as a form of self-expression. Vandalism is illegal, but street art should not be. It’s unfortunate that there are not very many legal walls in the Niagara area for artists to express themselves and showcase their work. So they have to go under highways and bridges, so they are not visible or known to most city residents.

I heard about this location from a Young Man that I used to mentor, he was a former gang member. He recently gave me a maps of all the hidden areas. He also gave me a warning the sometimes the Artists or Gangs (depending on the location) don't like visitors. I don't usually listen to warnings and I have never really got into any trouble before and I am able to talk myself out of most situations so I should be fine. Today I was expecting delinquents and the homeless but I didn't see any but I did see the remnants of a fire and a couple of sleeping bags.