Artist captures graffiti on the move
PATRICK O’CONNOR continues his mission of documenting the subculture in Freights, which looks at writers who trade walls for trains
Freights, the latest documentary from Montreal filmmaker Patrick O’Connor, begins with the same cautionary note that began his previous doc, Making a Name: “This film does not encourage or condone any illegal activity, such as graffiti, but rather its purpose is to document and provide an in-depth and comprehensive insight into the graffiti subculture.”
And once again with Freights, O’Connor more than succeeds in providing comprehensive insight into an aspect of the graffiti subculture. This is a world O’Connor knows very well. He is a former graffiti artiste and, as such, is familiar with those still active on the scene, and has thus been able to penetrate this tight-knit community.
But whereas Making a Name — which was launched at last year’s International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA) — dealt with graffiti on stationary objects, like walls, in Montreal, Freights — which debuts Friday at the 32nd edition of FIFA — focuses on graffiti scrawled on freight trains across the country.
As viewers will discover, the mindset is dramatically different between those who favour walls and those who favour freights for their creations. The latter group tends to appreciate the fact that they will likely never see their work again after the train pulls out of the yard.
As several of the subjects interviewed by O’Connor put it: “You paint it and it’s gone.” It’s a movable show that gets their art out all over the continent.
The graffiti artists interviewed in this doc pretty much all started out doing wall graffiti, but got bored and branched out into drawing on freight trains. “And once we get into freights, we don’t go back to walls,” one subject explains. “Freights are where it’s at.”
Freight graffiti also lasts longer than that on walls in urban centres, which is invariably removed — before the walls get re-tagged.
But as is the case with wall graffiti, there is a stylistic distinction on freights. The most common form of train graffiti entails simple tags of the aliases used by the makers; this is the type that tends to draw the ire of the public, which often views it as little more than vandalism. But then there are the elaborate and colourful pieces that are truly works of art.
There is another distinction between graffiti on walls and trains: the former is largely contained to urban centres, while the latter often takes place in rural areas.
“Freight art doesn’t annoy the public nearly as much, because freights are rarely seen in the middle of many cities,” explains one proponent.
Although this film was shot prior to the Lac-Mégantic tragedy, it’s worth noting that oil tankers on freight trains have been viewed ominously by graffiti writers.
O’Connor points out that tankers have always made him nervous because of their potential for large-scale disaster and subsequent dangers to the environment.
“Also, many freight writers prefer certain freight cars over others,” says O’Connor, 30, while observing a train rolling through St-Henri. “As you watch the freight trains pass by, you’ll notice that most of the oil tankers are clean due to their awkward, round passenger train 3½ years ago. Even stationary trains in the yard can jerk forward without warning and cause serious injury.
O’Connor was all of 11 when he became engrossed with graffiti. He started taking photos of taggers back then, and five years later he started tagging under the alias of Sketch. Though he
“Most of my stuff has faded away. I can’t deny, though, that it really had a hold on me for a while.”
PATRICK O’CONNOR
surfaces to paint on. The tankers have always creeped me out, as well as other writers, out because of their contents. And more than ever now, after Lac-Mégantic.”
O’Connor doesn’t downplay the danger of scrawling on or near trains. There have been a slew of injuries and deaths, such as the three Montreal teens who were killed when they were struck by a Via Rail has long since stopped tagging, some of his work can still be found around town.
“Most of my stuff has faded away,” he says. “I can’t deny, though, that it really had a hold on me for a while. Yet I understand why some people view it as just a mess. I have also come to realize how costly it has become to remove it.”
In 2004, O’Connor switched from snapping pictures to shooting videos of the graffiti scene, not only in Montreal but across the continent and in Europe. It took him nine years to get Making a Name, his first doc, to the screen; it made an immediate impact and received warm reviews.
Freights, which O’Connor directed, produced, edited and shot, took just a year to complete. But once again, his budget was close to $2,500 — the bulk of which covered bus travel from Halifax to Victoria.
“The freight scene is a subculture within a subculture,” O’Connor explains. “The first time I started documenting freight train graffiti was in Prince Rupert in 1997. I was immediately fascinated and later started documenting freights rolling in from all over the U.S. and Canada into Quebec.”
O’Connor isn’t finished with the graffiti world. He has two related films in the planning stages. One is a documentary that is set in Europe, while the other is a horror flick that takes place in the Montreal scene.
Also in the works is a nongraffiti film set on the streets of Montreal between 4:30 and 5 a.m.
“It’s after the late-night crowd has filed out of the bars and gone home, and just before people get going to work,” he says. “It’s just such a tranquil time in the city, and so few people ever get to experience that. No traffic, no tension, just a perfect time to reflect.”
Freights screens Friday at 9 p.m. at the Museé d’art contemporain, 185 SteCatherine St. W., and Sunday at 6:30 p.m. at Concordia’s J.A. de Sève Cinema, 1400 de Maisonneuve Blvd. W., as part of the International Festival of Films on Art. Call 514-842-2112 (for tickets) or 514-855-4750 (for more information), or visit artfifa. com.