Don’t celebrate graffiti artists whodeface our public spaces

Letters: Christopher Nash and Rob Sykes respond to articles paying tribute to the late artist Helch, whose targets included bridges and other public structures

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The Guardian4 Sept 2026, 04:56 pmUpdated 2h ago2 min readCultureCulture

Culture — The Guardian

Don’t celebrate graffiti artists who deface our public spaces

It is hard to understand why Eddy Frankel feels it necessary to praise the legacy of the alleged “graffiti supremo” known as Helch ( HRH Helch: the graffiti artist who left an indelible mark on high-rise Britain, 1 September ). The tagging on the viaduct near Windsor Castle rightly annoyed the late Queen, as it does most of her subjects when it spreads into our urban landscape.

Graffiti isn’t just about “upsetting the poshos”; it is an ugly and threatening defacing of our public spaces. Frankel says Helch leaves behind “a towering legacy, one that’ll cost developers a hell of a lot to scrub off, and that makes it worth every penny”; that shows a complete lack of social responsibility.

• Can Eddy Frankel explain who are the “developers” who will meet the cost of removing Helch’s leg-lifting assertions of his ego from the many bridges and other public structures that he defaced – examples of which accompany Frankel’s article and your report celebrating Helch’s crimes ( Prolific UK graffiti artist Helch dies, 1 September )?

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Graffiti isn’t just about “upsetting the poshos”; it is an ugly and threatening defacing of our public spaces. Frankel says Helch leaves behind “a towering legacy, one that’ll cost developers a hell of a lot to scrub off, and that makes it worth every penny”; that shows a complete lack of social responsibility.

This report is published with credit to The Guardian. Full available text from the wire is above. Read on The Guardian →

Source: The Guardian. Published 4 Sept 2026, 04:56 pm.

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