Banksy - Wall and Piece

The rest of my mates made it to the car and disappeared so I spent over an hour hidden under a dumper truck with engine oil leaking all over me. As I lay there listening to the cops on the tracks I realised I had to cut my painting time in half or give up altogether, I was staring straight up at the stencilled plate on the bottom of a fuel tank when I realised I could just copy that style and make each letter three feet high. I got home at last and crawled into bed next to my girlfriend. I told her Id had an epiphany that night and she told me to stop taking that drug cos its bad for your heart. Youre no safer in first class. 20 minutes, District Line, London 2002 A lot of people never use their initiative because no-one told them to Angel, London 2004 Broken Window Theory Criminologists James Q Wilson and George Kelling developed a theory of criminal behaviour in the 1980s that became known as the Broken Window Theory.

They argued crime was the inevitable result of disorder and that if a window in a building is smashed but not repaired people walking by will think no-one cares. Then more windows will be broken, graffiti will appear and rubbish get dumped. The likelihood of serious crime being committed then increases dramatically as neglect becomes visible. The researchers believed there was a direct link between vandalism, street violence and the general decline of society. This theory was the basis of the infamous New York City crime purge of the early nineties and the zero-tolerance attitude to graffiti. Letter received to Banksy website I dont know who you are or how many of you there are but I am writing to ask you to stop painting your things where we live.

In particular xxxxxx road in Hackney. My brother and me were born here and have lived here all our lives but these days so many yuppies and students are moving here neither of us can afford to buy a house where we grew up anymore. Your graffities are undoubtably part of what makes these wankers think our area is cool. Youre obviously not from round here and after youve driven up the house prices youll probably just move on. Do us all a favour and go do your stuff somewhere else like Brixton. daniel (name and address not witheld)