Graffiti Art Takes Wrong Turn

When graffiti got to be a problem for Mark Schachner. a dell owner in Brooklyn, N.Y., his solution was not to report it, Out to encourage it. He painted his boarded fence white and then posted signs inviting local graffiti artists to come and paint one panel each.

There were rules posted for the artists to follow, one could not paint beyond each flame and they could not dirty the floor or the surroundings. The idea came about when Mark Schachner and son, Jordan, were talking, "We were discussing some great graffiti artists like Jean-Michael Basquiat and Keith Hating, and we were looking at how ugly our fence looked. So I put up the sign and it was like wildfire.

The first night, according to Schachner, seven to nine street artists showed up with about four friends each, ranging in age from teens to early 20s. His motivation was to turn a nasty, ugly fence into a beautiful work of art.

Unfortunately, the idea turned sour. Some street artists went beyond the allowed frame and even painted over some of the nicer pictures. Schnachner says he is committed to talking with these deviant artists in an attempt to change their behavior. If he is unsuccessful, the fence will come down.