Copycats can expect cold shoulder in Bucklands Beach

After campaigning to curb graffiti in their own backyard, some Bucklands Beach residents are incensed that ``graffiti artist'' Eric Orr is coming to town.
The New York artist has been invited to Otara's Fergusson Oaks Reserve for the AK07 festival. With five local art students, he'll paint the stage from the Cultural Performance Garden at last year's Ellerslie Flower Show, now located at the reserve.
``Tagging is a huge problem in Manukau and we hope that having Eric Orr and local artists using graffiti art in a positive way will help ensure that this fantastic performance space doesn't end up covered in tagging within a few days,'' says Manukau City Council community spokesman Ian Maxwell
This explanation cuts no ice with Bucklands Beach Residents and Ratepayers Association. ``My committee were ropeable,'' says chairman Shirley Warren.
It's the name more than anything that the association objects to, and to the idea of ``glamorising'' graffiti. ``I don't mind if they call him an artist,'' says Mrs Warren, ``but to call it that ... Police call it wilful property damage.''
The association's members are so upset because they have recently campaigned to stamp out graffiti in their neighbourhood. About 80 people have signed up to do weekend night patrols, looking for taggers and other miscreants.
Co-ordinator Evelyn Brown says she has seen graffiti on cars parked in the area, which makes her particularly angry.
Since it started late last year, the women estimate the patrol has probably halved the problem on the peninsula. The last thing they want, they say, is for the council to promote someone who might inspire a spate of graffiti.
Council arts planner Priscilla Thompson acknowledges the name is unfortunate.
``He's more of a muralist than a graffiti artist,'' she says. ``Ninety per cent of his work involves brushes and rollers, not spray cans.''
She adds that the council did not pay to bring Orr to New Zealand. He was already enlisted to appear at Sky Tower.
The artist is known for New York subway station drawings in the 1980s.
Thompson hopes children will be encouraged into art by Orr's example, seeing that it can become a viable career. The residents and ratepayers association hopes it won't encourage children to copy his example on local properties.
The stage will be painted on three days between 10am and 4pm, starting March 22. It will include discussions on Orr's work. Painting will conclude with a multimedia show featuring Cydel, Crossbreed, Jeremiah, Pesaro, Emaqulis, and Numbers, at 4.30pm on March 24. - by Andrea Jutson