The various panels formed (see postscript below) a massive work of art that transcended many of the concepts of the gallery and the art world. For one thing, the whole was comprised of many who poured out their talents in such a way as to form a dancing serpentine unity. Most of the photos in this section reflect the work of several individuals.

The other thing I appreciated about the Scrapyard works is that they were continually being renewed through repainting. This sometimes led to tensions, I'm sure—but all in all, the Whole continued to live vibrantly and to pulse with change. I'm told that there were hundreds of layers of art on the various surfaces of the project. This was a collective piece that worked since at least 1999 when a young man named Justin negotiated permission to paint with the owner of the Al Stack Auto yard. This agreement provided an open minded space for erupting art from a new generation.

Postscript
Sometime around 11-20-04 the long running saga of the Scrapyard Wall took a less than positive turn when an group of Boy Scouts were directed to white out the dazzling display of art as it was reaching a creative zenith. Personally, I feel this was a tremendous mistake. Quick hit and run tagging has since spread throughout the town in an increasingly chaotic manner. This situation is similar to the closing down of the "Psycho City" section off Market Street in San Francisco August 27, 1995 which created similar results for San Francisco.

The history of graffiti writing in San Francisco is now told in vivid detail in an exciting new film called Piece by Piece. This film by Nic Hill is detailed, authentic and chock full of of rich graphics and interviews. To learn more and order the film go to http://www.piecebypiecemovie.com and http://www.underdogpictures.com

All photographs © Scott Hess