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Graf writers have a Cow
BY SONYA TOMLINSON
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After a quick boat ride across Casco Bay, we arrive at Cow Island. A small wooden dock and a well trodden trail lined with tiki torches greet us. We have signed waivers, been warned of the poison ivy, and told not to stray from the path. One local graffiti writer exclaims, "Man, what is this, Survivor?" The path opens into a clearing filled with the mist of paint fumes and the sound of hissing cans. Ten 8’x8’ wooden panels stand back to back on braces out in the open grassy area next to decaying barracks. Writers are masked, hunched over, standing on milk crates to extend their reach, crouching inches from the ground — doing whatever it takes to create these large-scale pieces. The crew from Manhattan consists of a handful of guys. They’re definitely the attention seekers of the bunch, loud and a little boastful, which comes with the territory — after all, NYC is the birthplace of graffiti. It’s not so much their actions that draw attention as their unique style. They have detailed stencils they overlay and peel off the canvas. The result is ornate silhouettes of greenery and a deer, offset by dripping blues and purples running down from the top edge and a quote about God and children. Their attitudes prove somewhat justified when their buzz-creating piece receive the most bids at the silent auction at SPACE later in the evening. In a mad rush, finished pieces are boated back to the mainland. Aaron Frederick from Rippleffect, curators of Cow Island, halts the boat he captains mid-ocean to discuss the importance of respecting the city in the way writers want their art to be respected: for its quality, not its placement. Portland stays tag free for the rest of the weekend. A show of the work goes up at SPACE in less than an hour. It feels like one big city mural. Upwards of 300 people filter into the free art opening throughout the night. One gentleman in his late forties looks concerned as the silent auction winds down. In an effort not to be outbid, he stakes his claim by standing next to the pieces he has his eye on. The auction of the art grosses $2000 for the planned MENSK skate/alternative arts park.
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