On Sunday April 7, I woke up at noon and began the long trek across campus to rendezvous with my one and only true love, Glenn G. Bartle. Backlit by the gorgeous entity I recognized as the sun sat the Union. Squinting, I made out the following, written in crude black script: “Art is Love,” accompanied by a confused infinity symbol. Instead of reflecting on the message of the “artist,” my first reaction was to scoff at the absolute disrespect they had shown our university and its students. The University Union is not the Berlin Wall. The artist is not Banksy. Although it is important to promote the arts, this crude vandalism affects us all negatively.
We can never know the exact objective of the person who spray painted this message or if he or she even attends the University, but we can make a few reasoned guesses. My theory is that the message came in response to perceived oppression. Binghamton University heavily funds scientific research. We are not well known for our arts school. In addition, many Binghamton students do not incorporate art into their daily lives. A lot of us go through the motions, clinging to our ratty Binghamton sweatshirts like life vests. Perhaps the message intended to get students’ attention and express the power of art to speak to the human soul. It definitely received attention, much like a man urinating in the middle of State Street draws looks from passersby. To the vandalizer’s credit, the message received accolades from members of the student community.
However, the students who praised the message tended to already have an appreciation for art’s profundity. What about the throngs of students who have never tried to understand it? To them, the message is distracting and confused. First, the graffiti is not well done. It looks a lot like a toddler’s crayon scribble. Second, we attend a state school and taxpayer money paid for the completion of our Union. Cleanup will likely come out of our tuition dollars and even if it does not, all resident students are paying for this mark in some capacity. Third, as a parent on a tour of the school, I would not be impressed by Binghamton University or its students if I saw this mark. It doesn’t reflect a mature student body.
The most tragic part of this entire incident is that it casts a shadow over positive efforts to revitalize the arts on this campus. Countless student groups have formed to promote the arts within their membership and beyond. Faculty members attempt to bring first-rate performances and art shows so that students might be inspired. I am not suggesting that we work exclusively within formal structures such as these, but that we show one another “Art is Love” in our daily lives and interactions. Paint a banner with your friends, start a spontaneous jam session with fellow musicians, cover yourself in glitter and feathers. Even those in scientific majors can try to think outside of the box and solve problems in more innovative, artful means. Creativity need not be an affront to respect and common decency.