Category Archives: Graffiti

“The Hellhole of the Pacific”

Lonesome Town “where the streets are filled with regret”

Anyone passing through Aberdeen, Washington might suspect that it’s seen better days. More prosperous, sure, but better, maybe not. Founded in 1884, Aberdeen lagged behind its neighbors Hoquiam and Cosmopolis until 1895 when a Northern Pacific spur line was added, but connectivity to commerce never seemed to shake Aberdeen’s boomtown mindset. By 1900 it had been nicknamed “the Hellhole of the Pacific” for its countless salons, whorehouses and gambling joints. But things may be picking up a little.

Artist’s Avenue

Sure it’s a little sketchy looking, maybe not a place you want hang around all day but, despite appearances, it’s clear that a few people around here are having some fun.

A Diamond In The Rough – Steam Donkey Brewing Company

2nd Anniversary, Great Beer, Laid Back. Give Them A Try

Some Nice People

Despite a sordid past, quite a few famous people have hailed from this lugubrious lumber town. Aberdeen’s most famous son seems to be Nirvana founder and frontman Kurt Cobain. The town also spawned world famous photographer Lee Friedlander, Patrick Simmons of the Doobie Brothers, Physics Nobel Prize winner Douglas Osheroff, “Gentle Ben” author Walt Morey, world class painter Robert Motherwell, professional wrestler Yukon Eric and serial killer Billy Gohl.

Billy “Ghoul” Gohl

Billy “Ghoul” Gohl

By the early 1900’s Aberdeen was also dubbed “the Port of Missing Men” for it’s extremely high murder rate. Billy Gohl arrived from the Yukon already an accomplished criminal. He became a low level Union Official and bartender at the Sailor’s Union Hall where he began to prey on sailors passing through town. He would separate them from their valuables, murder them and drop the bodies down a chute below a trapdoor in the floor that led to the river where the corpses would drift out to sea. Although  Billy “Ghoul” Gohl was only convicted of two murders, he was believed to be responsible for over 140 homicides.

Aberdeen’s Billy’s Bar and Grill

Billy’s ghost is said to still haunt the bar.

Messages From The Underground

The streets of Portland are still full of anonymous messages although I can not help but notice that graffiti is making a transformation. In some ways this change mimics rock and roll’s move from underground to mainstream in the 80s and 90s. Medium sized gang tagging, crude graffiti and whacked out counterculture messages appear to be on the wane as more and more wall sized murals begin to dominate the landscape. These gigantic, amazingly produced, pieces of art appear to be commercial calling cards that help businesses stand out from the landscape and visually separate themselves from the surrounding buildings.

The Rise of the Sticker

The counterculture appears to have become more automated, opting for huge numbers of preprinted minuscule wackiness that has firmly harkened in the age of the sticker. Think of it a little like Punk Music; rude, disorganized, snarky, messy, small and, yet, still loud. Clever miniature tags, notices, art and bits of wacky wisdom festoon most every pole or metal railing in town. They seem to encompass artistic expressions, clever ads, nasty pronouncements, silly doodles or simply the rantings of lunatics.

Evil Toast
Happy Toast
Kiss Cats?
Ouch
Keep Smiling

Social Media For Pedestrians

Hello again. We are finally back on the road where we feel most comfortable. This year we are lucky enough to start our trip with good friends in Haarlem, NL.

This is a lovely, picturesque city as you can plainly see.

 

Grote Market

Molen de Adriaan

Grote Market

But that’s not really what I want to talk about. I’ve noticed a rapidly increasing number of, let’s just call them, “Window Creatures”.

Bernie

 

I found the Bernie and the Cabbage Patch Kids peeking at me from a couple windows in Portland, Ore.

Cabbage Patch Kids

Because they’re cultural icons I didn’t think much of it until I got to Haarlem, NL. and noticed that there are Window Creatures peering out at the street everywhere I walk. I quickly realized this is not just about our political favorites or some nostalgia for childhood toys. The people that lodge behind this panes of glass are sending messages. I’ve always thought that what people chose to display says a lot about them.

Bear in mind that these miniature tableaus did not occur by accident. They represent a conscious effort  to put a message in a bottle and send it out into the world, but with no request for rescue or any response at all. It is a kind of lo-tech social media that requires no Likes, Thumbs Up, emojis, bookmarks or cookies. This is strictly a one way communication, a lot like a piece of art that says, “ I think this is “something” and I want everyone to know. At least everybody that walks by my window.”

The Queen and her getaway car.

Does anyone know who this is?

Well, I’ve decoded all the signs and I’m now ready to reveal my findings.

” We’re all just a little wacky and want everyone to know.”

The Portland Journal _ F8

NW Neighborhood Stuff

The Northwest District is a hugely eclectic area full of distinct neighborhoods, the Alphabet District, the Pearl, Slabtown, Nob Hill, King Heights, Chinatown and probably a few more. It’s densely packed with Craftsmans, Colonials, hillside mansions, small, medium and large apartment buildings, mid-century professional buildings, ultramodern office buildings and sleek new condominiums. The Portland Streetcar’s first line (the NS Line) terminates here, connecting the district with Downtown Portland, Hillsboro, SE Portland, PDX and the rest of the world.

This is where we are staying at 1223 NW 24th Ave, in a great one bedroom, a block from the street car and close to all kinds of cool stuff. Check it out on VRBO.

NW 24th Ave

NW 24th Ave

24th

24th Street Waiting For Rehab.

NW18

backyard

An Artist’s Backyard

NW13

GarageDoor

Hillside Garage – NW Summit Ave.

NW16

This is the Bruce House. Really.

Garage2

NW17 NW14

GarageDoor2

NobHill

NW Cumberland Ave.

AlanoClub

The Alano Club

Doorway1

JoesCellar

1332 NW 21st Ave,

 

 

This dive is not actually a cellar, and nobody seems to remember Joe.

Thurman2

NW Thurman St.

Garage

NW 24th Street & NW Northrup

NW7 NW9 NW8 NW10

Useless Fact #233:  Several characters in Portland native Matt Groening’s television show The Simpsons have names based on the alphabetically named streets in the Northwest District: Ned Flanders, the bully Kearney, Reverend Lovejoy, Mayor Quimby, Milhouse Van Houten (actually in North Portland), and possibly C. Montgomery Burns[ide] (also named for the large neon Montgomery Park sign).

24th Ave & Northrup

24th Ave & Northrup

Streetcar Dog

Streetcar Dog

The Portland Journal _ F5.6

Important Messages

Anyone who writes on a wall or puts up a sign is convinced that they are sending an important messages out into the world. Messages that will attract business, change our attitude, alert us to some unforeseen danger or just make us smile.

Journey

No

WetPaint

Panties

Reincarnation

EverythingMustGo

InternetBusinessCenter

Israeli

StreetMeat_15

Wall11

Vicky

Capax

BlazerWall

Wall4

Wall6

Wall9_15

MrPlywood

Z

Vikings With Spray Paint

So, a Viking  walks into a bar with a can of spray paint…….

Graffiti Beginner Kit

Graffiti Beginner Kit

I was a little surprised with both the volume and quality of graffiti we’ve seen in Scandinavia. Reykjavik has a huge amount of young people, so I get that, but Norway is a very squeaky clean country, with strict rules on driving and public behavior, and people like it like that. We have discussed the very large quantity of graffiti, wall paintings and assorted art stickers plastered about with a couple bartenders and have been informed that it is not really thought of as graffiti, but more “Street Art”. Which is kind of cool, it raises the bar a little and opens it up to a variety of media, i.e. paint, neon, stickers, posters, etc. Let’s walk around a little.

Bergen

Bergen

Bergen

Bergen

Bergen

Bergen

Stavanger

Stavanger

Bergen

Bergen

Stavanger

Stavanger

Bergen

Bergen

Bergen

Bergen

Bergen

Bergen

Reykjavik

Reykjavik

Bergen

Bergen

Peek A Boo - Reykjavik

Peek A Boo – Reykjavik

Bergen

Bergen

Dockrws - Reykjavik

Dockrws – Reykjavik

Bergen

Bergen

Reykjavik

Reykjavik

Acorn - Reykjavik

Acorn – Reykjavik

Bergen

Bergen

Bergen

Bergen

Bergen

Bergen

No Lost Generation - Bergen

No Lost Generation – Bergen

Bergen

Bergen

Bergen

Bergen

Bergen

Bergen

Bergen

Bergen

Beer In Bergen

Beer in Bergen

Good People In Bergen

Good People In Bergen

Bergen

Bergen

Reykjavik

Reykjavik

Stavanger

Stavanger

Stavanger

Stavanger

Stavanger

Stavanger

Stavanger

Stavanger

Stavanger

Stavanger

Stavanger

Stavanger

Bergen

Bergen

Stavanger

Stavanger

Stavanger

Stavanger

Haugesund

Haugesund

Haugesund

Haugesund

Bergen

Bergen

Bergen

Bergen

Bergen

Bergen

Bergen

Bergen

Gallery Window in Bergen

Gallery Window in Bergen

Graffiti – Valencian Style

We Only Fight For The Future

We Only Fight For The Future

Graffiti is pretty much everywhere here. The highways and railway lines are completely covered with “tagging”. That’s when someone paints their name or “handstyle” everywhere they can find an open space. This type of graffiti clings to underpasses, bridges, abandon buildings, old silos and crumbling walls. Anywhere the author can work unmolested for a sufficient length of time.

Tom

Tom

El Puig

El Puig

Sent Blacky

Sent Blacky

There seems to be some loose rules around these things. For example, writing over someone else’s tag is a sign of disrespect and could ignite a whole “tagging war” or too closely copying someone else’s style would be considered déclassé. I tend to think of this style as vandalism and the province of unemployed youth. Although, they are certainly ambitious in their scope, application and placement. We have seen some that was 80’ off the ground on the side of a 10 story building. To me, this cartoonish three dimensional block type all seems to be a variation on the same theme.

Sagunt

Sagunt

I’m intrigued by the more illustrative style, primarily for it’s cleverness and artistic acumen. Although, I suppose that depends on whether or not it’s your building they’re painting on.

Benny

Benny

Little Red Riding Hood

Little Red Riding Hood

Swing

Swing

Winky

Winky

I See You

I See You

Clown Cones

Clown Cones

No Bullfighting

No Bullfighting

Eyeball

Eyeball

Vertigo

Vertigo

Open Door Here

Open Door Here

I have no idea!

I have no idea!