The writing is on the wall...

"We've got authorisation." Graffiti man busy spraying a hoarding in a narrow walking street. Toxic solvents loaded with heavy metal pigments. Acetone, cadmium chromium, I am trying to breath whatever scrap of oxygen I can glean from the air already polluted by traffic exhaust.
Rennes has some quite beautiful street art, I have been so taken by the better examples that I photograph it for my own album. I like the mystery of the sudden appearance of the graphics without anyone ever seeing the artist at work.
The man standing in front of me oblivious to the public milling around him wasn't wearing a mask. His sole problem if he had been the only one in his working space.
I was feeling quite mellow until his poisonous effluent got up my nose. I kicked his cans across the street. I wanted to kick his arse. Resorted merely to delivering the hard word.
Industry is constrained and regulated by laws designed to protect life from avoidable hazard. The age of environmental awareness is upon us. Common knowledge of the damage that contents of aerosol car paint poses an unacceptable risk.
Authorised by whom? If it was just a casual "go ahead" from the construction firm on the other side of the board it hardly counts . It wasn't their responsibility. The public place is outside the builders juristriction. In that instance authorisation was not legitimate.
There was no documentary evidence produced . Only the word of A dull witted wannabe street credible, solvent abuser. The Marie then, hardly credible that authorisation would be given unconditionally. Authorisation would be documentary. That means in writing. Who accepts liability. Duty of care is both personal and corporate.
A great deal of fuss was made over me objecting vocally to what I regard as a physical attack to my person. "No one else is complaining" being one of the limp-wristed excuses offered. A crowd of dog faced can swiggers desperate for excitement had decided to complicate matters . The risk factor was in danger of reaching critical mass.
I managed to make my point to the man responsible for the spraying. My French isn't the best I never officially learned it. Shouting to be heard over six manic back up supporters.The "dog woman" warned that I "might " get bitten . Fool she was. It would have been the last morsel that dog would have ever tried to chew. She a pregnant woman took no heed of the potential harm she may have been subjecting her unborn child to. Heavy metal poisoning is not a trivial matter.
The painter could have done the job with minimum nuisance to the public if he had done the work at night. He could have used solvent free acrylic containing food grade pigments. much more economical than cans of car paint. He could have used a small compressor and an airbrush to execute the artwork. If authorisation was legitimate the area would have been cordoned of to minimise the potential risk in a public place. It is obligatory for the artisan to take every reasonable precaution to protect both self and others.
Having spent several years as an artisan toy maker with employees in my care, I am fully aware of the dangers of surface coatings. My duty to induct trainees into rights and obligations in industry. Even with fume extraction and double carbon filter masks the effect of the solvent fumes still takes it's toll.. My tolerance now after years in industry is almost zero. If I had ignored health and safety law and tried to operate without public liability insurance I would have been forced to close down my business. The big question as yet unanswered , " Who authorised the action?", Further more who, in the event of hurt harm and possible breaches of public order in objection to toxic attack, would carry the can, (that means,"take the blame when the shit hits the fan guys). The neglect of statutory obligation may be regarded as a criminal act.
May not be justly condoned as a legitimate right of freedom of expression. I was amazed that parents pushing infants in buggies with their children's faces at the same height as the spray, kept silent . There is a limit to liberal tolerance. In no one's interest to ignore the issue. The solvent junkies had overstepped the mark. Sure no one had objected. most folk are too timid, too busy or just couldn't give one caring damn.
The graffiti artists gave a bit of lipservice in agreement to objective reasoning. Then just continued to poison the walking street once I had walked beyond arms reach.
I still feel angry. The taste of the chemicals remained in my nose and throat for the whole 40km journey home.I just hope the sprayers weren't lying. About "authorisation" ,I mean.
The story isn't over. I feel I have just cause for complaint. You ruined my day lads. Authorisation without the conditional constraint in observance of European Health and Safety law, is an an act of criminal neglect. Naive wannabe artists have in their ignorance opened up a spray can of worms. Too late and way too difficult to put them back. Low grade artwork on a temporary hoarding is no moral justification for poisoning the air. If you must do it . Then try to ensure that you are the sole occupier of the immediate air space.
Bear in mind that even on a good day at least 30% of the pigment would be airborne. Never reaching it's intended target. Ever wondered where it might go? Or perhaps you haven't yet learned to care enough about some of the essential details of your craft.
Poison yourselves as you want but not at the expense of the passing public.
This will be translated into French fairly soon. I will do my best to get the message through to the bit of you that may still relate to common sense.
I will try to find out who the clever fellow was that you claim authorised your work.
They had no legitimate right. Again I say, "I hope you weren't lying", It would only be adding insult to injury. I will get back to you soon.