Local Hero #2 - The Graffiti Guerilla

Spotting the Graffiti Guerilla's work accross Aberdeen has become something of a local past time. It appears to have begun in May 2004 with clubs and pubs being targetted. But other work, surely by the same artist, has provided much amusement.

For example, the old petrol station on Holburn Street which closed down a few years ago only to be boarded up. First the words "BARRATT" which had been pasted onto the boarding (presumeably the land has been bought by Barratt Housing) became (seemingly overnight) "BRAT ART."

Then "Decorate This Eyesore" and "Fill this blank space with adverts for pubs and clubs" appeared. I quite enjoyed the stencilled upright Hoover that appeared soon after.

Finally "BRAT ART" changed to "FART." I regret not taking photographs.

Perhaps this article from the local press last August encapsulates the whole splendid shenanigans!

SPRAYER RETURNS TO DAUB UNION STREET MESSAGE
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MARC HORNE

16:00 - 20 August 2004
The Granite City's guerrilla graffiti artist has struck again.

In May buildings across Aberdeen city centre were daubed with slogans and images.

Now the spray can-wielding vandal has made a comeback.

The latest target is the unoccupied former HMV store in Union Street.

A punctuation-free, stencilled message on the boarded-up front of the building states:

"I heard today that graffiti is very expensive to remove all I have to say about this is does it not cost a lot of money to pay people who clean up urine vomit and flyers."

The words "Autumn/ Winter" are also sprayed across the shopfront.

In May public buildings and nightclubs were vandalised with slogans, mostly accompanied by the signature stamp Club Art.

The senior museum assistant at Aberdeen Art Gallery complained to the police after black paint was sprayed outside the building. The words "Life's too short to paint still lives" were sprayed on the disabled entrance.

The phrase: "Kill clubs not seals" was daubed across Aberdeen City Council's headquarters at St Nicholas House.

On the same day, the police were called by a Priory nightclub worker who discovered 3-4 inch-high (10cm) black and white slogans on the front of the Belmont Street venue.

The newly opened Monkey House bar on Union Street had "This should've been a museum" emblazoned across it.

Anyone with information can call police on 0845 6005700 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Some excellent photos here. Not sure how many of them belong to the Graffitti Guerrilla guy but it's worth a look.