Here we see the graffiti in its natural habitat. A timid creature, the graffiti tends to occupy the quiet, untrafficked areas of urban landscapes. It can often be seen grazing under overpasses, behind large buildings, or even in train yards. Due to overcrowding of its habitat, however, it has more recently been forced onto the streets and sidewalks, finding shelter in newspaper machines, on trash cans, even street signs. The graffiti has adapted itself to these adverse conditions by becoming smaller and less intricate, sacrificing its former beauty for survival. Often, in these more public environments, the graffiti’s lifespan is shortened to days rather than months or years, leaving behind the blank, geometric husk of their fully matured forms. The graffiti, one of nature’s most interesting creatures, is threatened by extinction from its modern, fast-paced, ever-changing environment, driven out by ads, a cunning and pervasive species, which can even mimic the graffiti’s appearance to gain further control on the ecosystem. These paintings of graffiti in their former glory may be all we have to remember them by in a few years when the species has silently faded away forever.
Jessica Hess
