Legally bridging the gap between graffiti and art

MARTY SHARPE/Dominion Post

COMMUNITY SERVICE: Dallas Halbert will join other taggers in beautifying this Hastings bridge at the weekend - with the council's blessing.

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Dallas Halbert has painted graffiti on many bridges – but never with the local council's endorsement.

The 30-year-old father-of-three has been a prolific tagger in his time – and has the court record to prove it – but on Saturday he and other Hastings taggers will paint the Chesterhope bridge as part of a community art day.

Hastings District Council organised the event as part of "Keep Hastings Beautiful" month.

"This is an area where graffiti and burnt-out car bodies are a problem, so we thought we'd try putting some murals on the bridge's seven pillars as a way of beautifying the area," council environment-enhancement officer Jacqui Barnes said.

Mr Halbert is one of about 20 locals who will be painting the pillars. All are providing their own paint.

The council would paint the pillars grey so they were blank canvases on the day, Mrs Barnes said.

"We're hoping people will come along to see how graffiti art is done. It's a really interesting process. It starts out as a squiggle, but when you see it at the end it all makes sense. Some of these artists are very, very clever.

"This is a legal avenue for them to do it, and hopefully some of the pillars will remain blank so others can try it in the future."

Mr Halbert plans to paint a mural with a Maori theme, and says he will need about 20 spray cans of paint to do the job.

He began tagging public property when he was 12. He stopped when he was 22 and over the past few years he has painted about 15 murals, with the owners' permission, on shops, schools and other buildings.

"I don't like the idea of young ones painting on other people's property," he said. "I'd like to see them have a safe place to do it.

"If we could have panels in communities that they were allowed to paint it would help. They do that in some places. "It just seems like a good and safe thing to do."