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| ©tom stoye / Rado c.2014 |
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| ©tom stoye / Rado c.2010 |
NAKED c.2012
The Rado building was one of my favorite buildings in Detroit, until arsonists had their way with it last year.
I couldn't tell you much about the business, but visually, I've always thought of it as a kitschy gem worthy of documentation. The odd combination of the field stone facade, bordered by the funky green paint job, along with the hand painted signs on the side of the building, make it instantly recognizable.
After its demise, neglected and left to stand on its own, it became fair game for graffiti writers. Luckily, there was some respect shown for the original hand-painted signs.
I'm always surprised when writers aren't cognisant of the relationship between what they write, and what they are writing over. Some of the best graffiti isn't about the "name" so much as it is about the relationship the writer has to the environment that they choose to frame their piece. What you don't paint over then becomes a part of the bigger picture. With emphasis on spot count and getting up, it's nice to see writers who work in tandem to keep the integrity of the surface in mind.
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