The case of the (dis)appearing Rainbows

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The case of the (dis)appearing Rainbows

Submitted by Just another voice on Thu, 06/05/2008 - 12:25pm.

A couple months ago I wrote a blog entry about the rainbow painted on a giant electrical pole downtown (here) that was removed. Around the same time, a new rainbow appeared near the westside co-op. The guardrail-- usually covered in graffiti-- was now a rainbow.

This week I noticed this rainbow, too, went missing. A new canvas, courtesy of the city.

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Save the rainbows!

Submitted by Rick on Thu, 06/05/2008 - 12:32pm.

Beware the terrible simplifiers.
Jacob Burckhardt

They painted over the rainbow??

Submitted by Logarithm on Thu, 06/05/2008 - 1:48pm.

But it was so pretty... I'm glad you got a photo of it.

Rainbow sans graffitti?

Submitted by Axcordion on Thu, 06/05/2008 - 2:53pm.

Did anybody notice if the guardrail went graffitti-free while it was a rainbow? If not, maybe the city ought to lighten up and leave them. They sure are ugly otherwise... Let the people make their neighborhoods more livable.

The City should study this

Submitted by Guglielmo on Thu, 06/05/2008 - 3:21pm.

Paint rainbows on some guardrails and leave other guardrails (equally subjected to tagging) as-is. Then they could evaluate the effect of rainbows on tagging. It might be an effective counter measure against tagging...perhaps not eliminating it entirely, but reducing it.

The last rainbow disapperance wasn't the city's doing

Submitted by Katherine on Thu, 06/05/2008 - 3:26pm.

and I'm not positive this one is, either. The graffiti management that I'm aware of is concentrated downtown. I've got a call in. I'll keep you posted.

The City frowns on guerrilla decoration of city property

Submitted by Laurian on Thu, 06/05/2008 - 4:40pm.

as do I, no matter how attractive it may be. There are standards for traffic control devices and I suspect rainbow guardrails fall outside of those standards.

Well, in Portland when

Submitted by Just another voice on Thu, 06/05/2008 - 4:47pm.

Well, in Portland when neighborhoods decided to paint intersections with murals, most people thought that would fall outside of the standards, but it didn't. Now people do it all the time. Here is a link to an image of some folks doing it in PDX: http://www.streetfilms.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/intersection-repair-4.jpg and http://www.streetfilms.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/intersection-repair-13.jpg

But I am Just Another Voice

I'm just sayin'

Submitted by Katherine on Thu, 06/05/2008 - 4:50pm.

that it wasn't the City last time. Though, someone suggested that it might be the Police Explorers. Does anyone know if this falls in the scope of their program? As it is the end of the day, I doubt I'll get any offical answers now.

I am guessing it was just a

Submitted by Just another voice on Thu, 06/05/2008 - 4:51pm.

I am guessing it was just a work crew-- I noticed that some other guardrails throughout the city were painted, too. I feel like if I had to paint over it a little bit of me would die inside, lol.

But I am Just Another Voice

Well, you know what they say about a foolish consistancy

Submitted by Guglielmo on Thu, 06/05/2008 - 6:09pm.

...

Rainbow Guard

Submitted by Robert Whitlock on Thu, 06/05/2008 - 5:05pm.

I liked the rainbow guardrail.

Well I didn't

Submitted by Laurian on Thu, 06/05/2008 - 6:07pm.

n/t

There you have it....I bet Laurian did it

Submitted by Katherine on Thu, 06/05/2008 - 6:29pm.

Laurian and his tribe of uv-spectrum hating hooligans. And I bet the rain is his fault, too.

Dang It!

Submitted by Laurian on Fri, 06/06/2008 - 5:12am.

Am I that obvious!?! I guess I should fess up now that me and my boys have some plans for Christmas this year... :)

Hey man...

Submitted by The Original Yoda on Thu, 06/05/2008 - 8:14pm.

...layoff the rainbow connection.

Why?

Submitted by Rob Richards on Fri, 06/06/2008 - 10:37am.

For those who didn't like the rainbow, and would prefer gray, why exactly?

Duh.

Submitted by Phil Owen on Fri, 06/06/2008 - 10:39am.

Grey matches the sky, dude. Get with it already.

The Canaanite's Call

IT doesn't like rainbows

Submitted by Guglielmo on Fri, 06/06/2008 - 10:48am.

...

Romance Killed By Industry

Submitted by stevenl on Fri, 06/06/2008 - 7:08pm.

Rainbows quickly covered up makes me think of the title of a zine from the 1980s, Romance Killed By Industry.

I say long live the rainbow-makers! Whoever put them there has my respect for their originality, creativity, and bravery.

As a driver, I am much more able to spot a rainbow guardrail or phone pole than a boring Soviet-style grey one.

A wonderful and positive form of guerilla public art I have not had the privilege of enjoying yet. Hopefully someday I will.

Thanks JAV for letting me know this existed.

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