HumidCity

So I was just leaving the lumber yard on N. Peters & St. Ferdinand, when I get a text message from Rex Dingler, asking me to go look at a sign Dr. Bob made, welcoming vistors to the Bywater. It sits on private property, owned by NOCCA, a bastion of the arts, next to X/O Gallery, another bastion of the arts. The sign itself was hand painted by local legend, Dr. Bob, who has his work displayed in the Smithsonian Museum, and on Oprah Winfrey’s wall, for crissake.

And there it is. A two by three foot sign, beautifully trimmed in bottle caps, as Bob’s pieces are, usually from Jax beer or Barq’s Root Beer. It’s professionally mounted on posts, up and out of reach, nestled under some shady trees, adding that Mayberry touch to our quirky bohemian neighborhood.

Except for the grey paint. Battleship ugly fucking grey paint, rolled sloppily over the face of the sign, leaving obvious roller patterens and see-through spatter. That Asshole From Hell, Fred Radtke, has been here.

This is not graffitti we’re talking about. This is not a ‘clean sweep’ or neighborhood beautification.
This is a vindictive act by a small and petty man, making an ugly fucking mess in a neighborhood he does not live in, or represent; a neighborhood that doesn’t want him here, and has petitioned the city to keep him away. He has childishly desecrated a sign, I repeat, A SIGN, not graffitti, that welcomes vistors to our funky slice of heaven. And he has marred the work of a local artist renowned enough to have been asked by the Smithsonian Museum, in Washington, DC, to display his work in their Folk Art Exhibit.

I, for one, and call me crazy if you will, would prefer that Dr. Bob’s art work, whether you like it or not, keep the “New Orleans Brand out there” rather than a skyrocketing murder rate and out-of-control thug behavior by our police force. But that’s just me.

Still, the police refuse to arrest him, and Sgt. Joe Narcissi keeps calling him “our friend”. Do you think we could be Sgt. Joe’s friend, too, if we, say, rolled grey paint over every fucking one of those illegal political signs that litters out neighborhoods and intersections? Would Judge Bonin thank Sgt Joe for allowing us to paint over all his re-election signage that spatters the Marigny/Bywater? And how about all those little signs on spindley metal legs that crowd every intersection? Those are illegal, according to city law.

WE ARE NOT THE FODDER OF THEIR WORLD, PEOPLE.
Don’t take this shit laying down.

Come to X/O Gallery this Saturday, from Noon ’til 6pm, and paint.

Make free art, to be given away, or sold to buy art supplies for school kids.
[Actually a good bit of the art will be auctioned/raffled off that evening at the FYYFF Fundraiser at One Eyed Jack's. Huge props to Micheal Dingler for getting involved! I'll be posting full details later tonight - Loki]
Look at the ugly grey paint on the sign that welcomes you.
Fight back with beauty, with fun, with love & sharing.
Otherwise….well, I can hear Bob’s blood pressure rising from my house.

There’s no doubt that Radtke did this because Dave Bachli spoke out in a video interview with Doug McCash, that wound up on nola.com. And because Rex Dingler is sponsoring a free art event there this Saturday. So this block has been singled out by the Man With The Get Out Of Jail Free Card. While they’re looking, let’s show them what community art is all about, because next thing you know, some cop will be waving a gun around in front of school children…
…Oh, wait…

Lord David
Pirate & Artist
Skull Club
New Orleans

WDSU TV’s piece on Michael “Rex” Dingler of NoLA Rising and Fred Radtke, The Grey Ghost. Video on YouTube.

I’m sure that most, if not all of you, know the horror of Fred Radtke, the Grey Ghost. Many have tried to stop his vigilante tactics to no avail.

Now the NOPD has actually backed him in a vendetta against a local artist, who has been hanging removable messages of hope throughout the city, in hopes of inspiring those who choose to stay and rebuild. They flatly refuse to prosecute Radtke, even when he defaces private property.

Please read Richard A. Webster’s article on this.

CLICK HERE

These two short paragraphs are particularly disturbing;

“Robert Mendoza, director of the New Orleans Public Works Department, said Radtke is breaking the law every time he paints over graffiti on public street signs. But Mendoza will do nothing to prosecute the violations, he said, because his office lacks the resources and time to conduct an investigation.The New Orleans Police Department, however, condones Radtke’s actions. NOPD often calls him directly to cover graffiti and spokesman Sgt. Joe Narcisse said they have no intention of charging Radtke with any crimes. ”

Please repost this article, make a note of the names of Robert Mendoza at New Orleans Public Works, and Sgt. Joe Narcisse of the NOPD. Call these people repeatedly.

Call your congresman, your City Counsel Representative, and ask why a man City Hall says is a criminal is being supported by the NOPD. Ask why an artist, whose work is totally removable and loved by the locals is facing $50,000 worth of fines, and a man who defaces private property, sometimes violently, is above the law.

It’s a new year and a new broom. Pull together and stop this selective enforcement of rights and laws. We are not serfs on some distant Noble’s land. We are the citizens of the City of New Orleans, and these people are elected and paid by US.

If one man is above the law, the rest are beneath boot heels. Stand up for your rights, New Orleans. Haven’t we had enough?

Lord David

Skull Club

New Orleans

Whether it’s the side of your business , your business advertisement on the street, your neighborhood street signs or your local New Orleans artists, the “GRAY GHOST” will do his signature “TAG”…making him the least talented graffiti artist in the city. He TAGS with a “look-out,” is known to carry a gun and has allegedly assaulted a young man who tried to photograph his crime.

Originally designed to be a graffiti abatement / anti-gang activity program, it’s our assertion that Fred Radtke has over-stepped his boundary and his mission and ultimately become part of what he had disdained before. Ordained a vigilante graffiti czar by the corruption-riddled Morial Administration, he now no longer has any respect for private or city property and paints at his own whim.

If you see him,, report him to city officials and/or the police. What he is doing is as much graffiti as those he says he is “erasing.” If you see your neighborhood signs painted GRAY, call the street signs people at 504-658-2299 and asked that it be replaced.

Call your city council person and complain about this New Orleans nuisance!

Haven’t we had enough GRAY in the last two years? Do something about it!

STOP FRED RADTKE FROM PAINTING GRAY!!

Go Here to Access a printable copy of this flyer, help spread the word!

This message brought to you by Dingler , Loki, and the Bad Fred! Community on Flickr.

Karen, one of the new bloggers I have met at the ThinkNOLA web publishing workshops (who is delightful, I met her at the Geek Dinner the other night), brings us more Sinn Fein tidings. Even with the National Guard in town things resemble Mad Max!

NorthWest Carrollton

Those of us who are back in the Neighborhood actually took the words of our Mayor seriously when he said Come Back Home

We came back and we worked at not just cleaning our homes but our streets and our Neighbors homes.

But somewhere along way the City, The State and Our own Church gave us the clear and consistant message, that is you are on your own.

And that may be the only clear message there is. When I woke up this morning and saw the shuttered Church covered with Gang Graffitti I knew that not only are we on our own, but we are under attack as well.