TOW #10: "Night Falls, and 5Pointz, a Graffiti Mecca, Is Whited Out in Queens" by Sara Buckley and Marc Santora

Generally, graffiti is frowned upon and criticized by society for being vandalism. 5Pointz, however, was different. Located in Queens, New York, this location featured the work of national and international writers from around the world on the walls of an abandoned warehouse, and subsequently became a landmark amongst tourists. Unfortunately, the beloved spot was not legally proclaimed a landmark, which might have offered some protection, and, amidst anguish and sorrow, has been scheduled for demolition in order to build high-rise apartments. This article was published recently following the City Council’s decision allowing demolition, which also happened to be during Banksy’s “month-long residency” in New York.

The authors, Cara Buckley and Marc Santora, are both writers for the New York Times. Their purpose in writing this article seems to be a farewell to 5Pointz, an action imitated by many other news sources. Since a lot of the readers of the New York Times are from New York, they are probably familiar with this site and have similar feelings for the death of it. Conversely, there are probably a lot of people who have never heard of 5Pointz, and, possibly due to a lack of understanding, have no sympathy for the colorful walls. Despite this, Buckley and Santora composed an article that was both informative and emotional.

I believe that they did achieve their purpose in this article, mainly through appealing to pathos. Though this story had the potential for an unbiased report, Buckley and Santora focused mainly on the artists and supporters point of view instead of the owner’s, Mr. Wolkoff. Using multiple quotes from this group, the story became sentimental and appealed to the audience’s emotions as a means of persuasion. Though I had no prior knowledge of the existence of 5pointz, I certainly feel empathetic towards all of the writers and artists who put hours of effort into their art, which is now hidden behind a ghostly whitewash.

One view of 5Pointz, only capturing a small portion of the art on this building.

Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/20/nyregion/5pointz-a-graffiti-mecca-in-queens-is-wiped-clean-overnight.html?pagewanted=2&rref=nyregion&hpw