Thursday, July 01, 2021
Elder of Ziyon
Our weekly column from the humor site PreOccupied Territory.
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Jerusalem, July 4 - An area vandal who bills himself as "anti-capitalist" and "anti-establishment," and whose spray-paint creations lament the loss of "authentic" local culture, acknowledged today that he would not mind hitting the big-time with his work to the extent that he could afford to purchase property in the neighborhood, refurbish it, and perhaps use some of his financial resources to patronize establishments or businesses he cannot access under present fiscal circumstances, to enjoy life more, and maybe, if resources permit, move to a less run-down part of the city, but of course he would never sell out to The Man.
The central-Jerusalem graffiti artist known as DUNN disclosed his modest ambitions today in an interview: breaking down the existing oppressive capitalist system, by force if necessary; putting the means of production into the hands of the workers; ending exploitative practices such as the use of money; and having his wall art attract enough attention and revenue to get him some serious dough, enough to secure him financially and afford him some small, everyday luxuries and conveniences, such as owning his own well-maintained home.
"It's all about values," insisted the former student, who pursued a degree in Political Science before moving into street art as a career. "Our society needs to be shaken up, maybe even burnt down to the foundation, and then rebuilt. Like that place over on Shiloh Street I've had my eye on for a few years. Demolish it, construct a nice, spacious place for me and my peeps, but still have it remain true to the neighborhood. It's a great location, right near the shuk and a bunch of cafes."
A discussion of DUNN's tag and slogans, which adorn multiple buildings in the Nachlaot and downtown neighborhoods of Israel's capital, meandered through topics like a tourist in Nachlaot's alleyways. "Poverty is a weapon of mass destruction," he averred. "Justice demands that we inflict poverty on the exploitative capitalist oligarchs who crush the people with hunger, the latest 'must-have' accessory, denial of medical care, pollution, and sowing division. My art directly targets the fat cats, by undermining their image and forcing them to pay to clean up or cover up the truth, employing minimum-wage laborers to do work they should be doing themselves, the lazy, entitled aristocrats. I'll show them what it's like when I have my own place. You'll see: a healthy dose of with-the-people sensibility will go into my choice of roof tiles, the underfloor heating, and home security system. What do you think of mahogany shelving?"
