DEC 25 — The Johor Baru City Council (MBJB) has again removed the latest drawing of graffiti artist Ernest Zacharevic in Johor Bahru depicting a Lego woman and a boy riding a bicycle. The move again triggered a controversy in the country. Ernest seems to have become a hero challenging the authorities, while the MBJB was severely criticised and teased.
The graffiti, removed two days after it was drawn on a wall, which was previously vandalised with nondescript words at Jalan Pahang, might not attract so much attention if it was not from Ernest. However, due to the effect of his previous work depicting a robber waiting for his victim in Taman Molek, the people have thus paid more attention to his work. Some people even waited to see how the MBJB would respond.
Ernest might have his own motive or deliberately provoke the authorities. He did not get the permission of the owner before drawing on the wall which is privately owned. He even disputed with the owner when the latter tried to stop him from drawing on the wall. The real motive behind his move is worth studying.
From the perspective of urban management, it is in fact, not wrong for the MBJB to remove a graffito which was drawn without the wall owner’s permission. The problem is, why only Ernest’s graffiti and not other unsightly graffiti in the city?
In fact, the heated debate caused by the removal of Ernest’s graffiti has been mixed with many emotions and politicised reactions. Not many people actually view and study its impacts to the city from the perspective of art.
Our cities are generally moving towards greater and higher development. Blocks of skyscrapers have become the symbol of prosperity and progress. We can hardly find cities that can slow down the pace of hardware construction and bring in the atmosphere of art.
Street art is actually an art form most loved by ordinary people and it also the best way to reflect a city’s cultural connotation. In addition to its artistic charm, the reasons why Ernest’s work “Little Children on a Bicycle” in Penang can become a new landmark of the state include the social meaning and orientation it carries, which deserve deep thinking of our city managers.
In fact, the work of art and monuments can enrich a city’s cultural landscape and become the most representative landmarks of the city. Such examples can easily be found in the word, such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Statue of Liberty in New York and the Coliseum in Rome. They are unique symbols and souls of the cities that have sketched out the qualities and values of the cities. This is what we lack in our cities.
Urban management should not mean urban pollution or destruction of history. Art and culture should be regarded as an important element, as humanity arts bring vitality to the city while reflecting its spirit. When can we actually find artistic masterpieces in the streets of our cities? — mysinchew.com
** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malay Mail Online.
