Graffiti By Robert Smythe at Nevermind

[TrogdortheBurninator]

Climbing at Nevermind (exit 38) tuesday, I was angered to see graffiti on the wall. If anyone knows the fuckers that did this, please march there asses back up there with some acetone and sand paper and whatever else it takes to clean this garbage. These were clearly climbers from the nature of their quotes. I got the picture from my friends cell phone, and there should be one more photo/name to come. I googled/dexonlined robert smythe and only found an attorney in kent not sure if this is the culprit (i suspect not, but who knows).

 

[Mark_Husbands]

very poor

[Weekend_Climberz]

WTF?

[Raindawg]

This graffiti....very poor form, in my opinion.

But, there are also debatable issues.

For example, we value the Roman graffiti found at Pompeii as historical documents; same with 19th century graffiti left here and there by European explorers in places such as Egypt.

Yet we abhor the markings of Mr. Smythe at Exit 38.

And there are other recent examples at climbing areas such as the graffiti at Vantage at the base of "Air Guitar" where Goran Kropp fell to his doom. (There somehow seems to be less objection to that although some find it just as aggregious. I do.)

 

Modern graffiti is now a real issue at many of the world's monuments and some natural places where people feel compelled to leave their mark. And it's exponential. I've seen places where there were one or two scrawled names and a year later there are a dozen. It's like dogs peeing on a fire hydrant.

 

I once took a pencil right out of the hand of a German tourist in the Valley of the Kings who was in the process of inscribing her VERY IMPORTANT visit to one of the world's great archaeological sites. She got very upset and somehow felt she had the right to do that. Ironically, she was writing directly over an ancient graffito scratched 3500 years ago!

 

Some of us had a discussion once about where do we draw the line between historically valuable graffiti and vandalism. We decided that with some exceptions, graffiti up to the mid-19th century is interesting, often useful, and somewhat tolerable. After about that time, there are an increasing number of ways to document one's visits to here or there. Today, there are few excuses...internet blogs and venues like cc.com allow one to display (and even discuss) one's EXCITING! visit to Exit 38 or whatever without adding to the defacement of the rock.

 

Maybe the recent graffiti maker should just get a tattoo in a prominent place that says "I CLIMBED AT EXIT 38! LOOK AT ME!"

 

 

 

 

[ivan]

what's that route at smith lower gorge w/ the clibmer etched into the rock? that thing is sweet - i'll take graffiti like that

[Alpinfox]

what's that route at smith lower gorge w/ the clibmer etched into the rock? that thing is sweet - i'll take graffiti like that

 

Morning Star

 

 

[archenemy]

There is a monument of sorts right down the way from my place. It is a registered Noble Fir--the second largest one registered in WA if I remember correctly. It is called the "Mother Tree" by the locals.

 

Last summer someone came and carved a HUGE anarchy sign on the trunk. The mark stands almost as tall as I do. It makes me want to cry.

 

Even though it is tempting to see some graffiti as acceptable (I know I am surprised and pleased when I see actual artwork in spraypaint somewhere), the trouble is that sending that message out to a group of people who seem to think that they have the right (or the duty) to mark everything is a slippery slope.

 

I heard that Seattle just passed a law that punishes a business owner for not removing/covering graffiti on their property within 24 or 48 hours. Isn't it sad that it's come to this?

[sirwoofalot]

Mr. Robert Smythe, I say to you, poor form, sir, very poor form.

[Geek_the_Greek]

Hey - I agree with Raindawg! Kind of a first, I think.

 

I believe that the US NPS draws a fine line at 50 years for defining 'historical artifacts'. Newer than 50 years old? Clean that shit up. Older than 50 years? DO NOT DISTURB THE HISTORY!!

 

Boring graffiti is lame. The colourful artistic stuff is cool (when it's not just glorified tagging), but belongs on boxcars and under bridges, IMO. That being said, I used to think that littering and graffiti in urban areas were redundant. Cutting up old trees, no matter how creative or politically expressive you think you're being, is totally lame.

[G-spotter]

You can hardly see the 'i am neat and cool' writing anymore at the base of Neat & Cool. Part of it fell off and the rest has faded or flaked off or vanished.

[catbirdseat]

272 and Jesus Saves each got their names from grafitti. Defacing a living thing like a tree is horrendous mistake.

[lancegranite]

Some might remember "R o b G i l l y b o b" painted on the train bridge west of bigfoot espresso on US 2, a longtime favorite of mine. Some jerk painted "joyride" over it... so sad.

[scot'teryx]

Only one in the state is:

Robert M Smythe

25118 142nd Ave SE

Kent, WA 98042-6656

(360) 375-6331

http://www.whitepages.com

[catbirdseat]

Kent, a likely place to find the wretch.

[TrogdortheBurninator]

That was the same one I found, but I figured it was also possible this Robert Smythe was the offspring of another non-Robert Smythe.

[Alpinfox]

Only one in the state is:

Robert M Smythe

25118 142nd Ave SE

Kent, WA 98042-6656

(360) 375-6331

http://www.whitepages.com

 

So has anybody called this guy to see if he is the one guilty of the grafitti?

 

If he is, then I think I just found myself a new identity for signing up for junk mail and pron-related stuff.

[Dannible]

Nothin like a good old fashion lynch mob.

[sirwoofalot]

Only one in the state is:

Robert M Smythe

25118 142nd Ave SE

Kent, WA 98042-6656

(360) 375-6331

http://www.whitepages.com

 

So has anybody called this guy to see if he is the one guilty of the grafitti?

 

If he is, then I think I just found myself a new identity for signing up for junk mail and pron-related stuff.

 

 

Oh, that is a GREAT idea. So who is going to find out if it him?

[StreetBoss]

Only one in the state is:

Robert M Smythe

25118 142nd Ave SE

Kent, WA 98042-6656

(360) 375-6331

http://www.whitepages.com

 

Stop it. ferchristsakes. The elite-ism stinks.

 

[olyclimber]

DOES HE FLOAT?

[ivan]

DOES HE FLOAT?

is that you, pennywise?

[Rad]

Don't sweat it. That section of rock will probably come flaking off the nesxt time it rains anyway.

 

Aren't there Euro crags where the name of each route is painted at it's base, or is that urban legend?

[archenemy]

It is possible that the "author" is from out of state.

[olyclimber]

yeah...name, rating, number of draws to take with you, etc.

[Rad]

BTW, has anyone climbed Steep Street since that huge block fell off? It looks like the opening moves now involve a committing undercling on a questionable protrusion that could easily snap off and lead to a backflipping groundfall.

Thanks.