One of the most modern and free forms of art that many societies share is graffiti. I used to love being stuck at train crossings in Chicago because inevitably, you would see some wonderful messages or pictures - sometimes really amazing “traveling galleries” passing in front of you while you sat on your bike or in your car. Even walking down the streets, there would be wonderful murals on the walls – paintings of influential individuals or whatever expression that the artist felt was important to share with the world at the time. And the artist does put the time and effort into the work, knowing full well that it lasts only for a limited amount of time.

A few months ago, I spoke to an artist from Chicago who started a conversation telling me how “wonderfully clean” Chicago is now – “clean” of graffiti -where if someone sees graffiti, they can call a public service number for them to send a truck out to blast it with a powerful water based cleanser – leaving the ghost of the fading art behind. And to be honest with you – that really saddens me.

Here in Buenos Aires – I love the graffiti – someone’s expression on every street corner – sometimes whimsical and others thought provoking – it’s a refreshing visual interruption to our daily routine.

A few years ago, the Guardian wrote an article about the cultural importance of graffiti as the city of Melbourne, Australia was starting an anti-graffiti campaign to “clean up” for the Commonwealth Games held there a few years back. The author notes, “Modern street art is the product of a generation tired of growing up with a relentless barrage of logos and images being thrown at their head every day, and much of it is an attempt to pick up these visual rocks and throw them back”.

Here in Buenos Aires it’s common to see ones own personal logos such as “Carne Argentina” or political views “Fuera Bush” and recently the shameless plugs of the American Express’ “blue” campaign plastered every ten feet on walls throughout Palermo. Throughout Palermo Hollywood and Colegiales, there are some fantastic comics that surround the parks and along various residential streets. Mostly, it’s an important source of cultural produce and a reflection of the intellectual climate of the time – which is, logically, temporal – and very modern at the same time.

Check out BluBlu’s work in one of his more recent short films using graffiti and stop motion technology filmed in Buenos Aires recently.

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

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