Blue Ruin

My friend Andrew keeps a very good Portland photo blog BlueRuinPDX, with lots of great perspectives on Portland architecture. However, what I really dig is his documentation of graffiti. I liked this recent one by a writer named 'End.' Well its either 'End of communique' or, signed by 'End.' Who knows? Anyway, End must be some form of Anarcho-Hipster who likes to comment on the state of Portland, gentrification and that sort of thing. The irony is and I'm sure End is aware of it, is people like him or her, (possibly a young arty white male or female but maybe not... Reed graduate?-- I'm being terrible now...) pave the way for gentrification. First the young white hip kids move in and make the ghetto safe for the home-buying middle class whites (like Basquiat in Brooklyn?- yes I know he wasn't white).

But here's my favourite. If you've lived in Portland more than five years you might sympathize with this. I rode my bike and skateboard past this one many times, each time meaning to take a snap but never did. So thanks Andrew. Again, who is the hipster and who is the criminal? Either way, I'm enjoying this conversation with the End.

More of this in Foulweather #3. Andrew, care to contribute?