I am not a fan of graffiti. Call it spray can art, freedom of expression, whatever, if you spray it on private property it is defacement and a crime.
I’ve also seen strange tags and mottos. This is one I’ve seen in at least three places in Brooklyn: “I NEVER WIPE!” or simply “NEVER WIPE!”
Is the “artist” making a statement about his strange bathroom habits? Are we being encouraged to follow suit? Your guess is as good as mine. But it beats the “I STILL KILL” I’ve seen around Staten Island.
Here is the first one I noticed:
Greenwood Cemetery
It is sprayed on a wall alongside a bus depot across from Greenwood Cemetery. I have no idea how long it has been there but it feels like forever. I drive past it a few times each week and I can’t remember not seeing it. It is in a slightly odd location and cannot be missed as you drive down as the road does a bit of a zigzag and at one point the tag is right in front of you.
Bay Parkway
This is much more recent, within I’d guess the last year and a half. Unlike the previous one, this one includes the “I.” Does he work from a big stencil and the letter didn’t fit on the other wall? There is an identical tag on the other side of the lot, but without the arrows.
Avenue P (1)
Avenue P (2)
These two pictures were taken on the same block within fifteen feet of each other. As you can see, one is older and defaced. Did the artist do the second one after seeing how bad the first one looked? That brings up an interesting question- does this guy check up on his work? Does he replace work that has been damaged or defaced? Notice that one has the “I” and the other, presumably older one, does not. Is the “I” a recent addition? Also notice that these both lack the exclamation point.
If anyone has spotted any other “I NEVER WIPE” graffiti, please let me know.
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And we’re back to 2015. Most of that graffiti faded away. The ones on Ave. P were painted over. The ones on the blue wall were destroyed when the wall was eventually taken down. A medical plaza stands there now. And the one near Greenwood Cemetery was covered by many layers of new graffiti, the most recent one being the Wu Tang Clan symbol. But just the other day, it was back. Never Wipe has struck again!
It’s back in the same place! Reclaiming its territory, I guess. And I have no doubt it is the same person responsible. Look at how precise the lettering is, identical to the older ones. But my favorite part? It has been upgraded. Never Wipe 5.0!
I don’t know if I missed 2.0., 3.0., and 4.0. but I am going to keep my eyes open for more Never Wipe graffiti.
The Return of Never Wipe! That would make a better blog title than The Return of Physical Graffiti but I’m stuck with it.
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I don’t know if I said anything back then but I still think this is hilarious!!
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Put yourself in my shoes. I drive past that spot once or twice a week and because of the way it twists that section is directly in front of me at one point. I was shocked to see it back! I’d been seeing the old one slowly fade away over the last months and years. Now it’s 5.0.
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I bet the anti-wipe advocate has a pretty bad stench about them that would give them away.
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