As a full inquest into the deaths of three young graffiti artists on railway tracks near Brixton gets underway, experts have told City News it will be difficult to prevent similar tragedies.
Alberto Fresneda Carrasco, aged 19, Jack Gilbert and Harrison Scott-Hood, both aged 23, died in June 2018 after being struck by an out-of-service passenger train.
The trio were all members of London’s underground street art subculture.
It is suspected that they had been trespassing on the tracks in order to spray graffiti.
Graffiti continues
The trio’s deaths sent waves through the illegal graffiti scene in London and beyond.
Memorials to them can be found spray painted across the capital and in cities worldwide.
But a glimpse out of any train window shows their deaths haven’t stopped other graffiti artists from taking to the railway tracks.
‘A shared passion for art’
In a statement read out in the court, the trio’s family members warned other young graffiti artists to stay safe:
“Eight months ago our sons Jack Francis Gilbert, Alberto Fresneda and Harrison Scott-Hood, three young men with a love for life, promising futures ahead of them and a passion for art, particularly tagging, tragically lost their lives because of the dangerous risks this art form brings.
“The ‘painting community’ take their art seriously in trying to find a status. This passion is what brought our boys together.
“In a time full of needless violence, if our sons were guilty of anything, it was their love for painting.
“We can only express to young people trying to make their mark, to please be safe. Keep your creativity alive – but don’t risk your lives.”
Danger ‘part of the appeal’
Many projects across the capital seek to bring graffiti artists into safe, legal spaces. But graffiti artists and experts say the danger of painting on railways is a major part of its appeal.
Theo Kindynis is a sociologist specialising in London’s illegal street art subculture says measures to enhance security along the railways have made them more prestigious targets for would-be graffiti artists.
As long as that remains the case, more graffiti artists are likely to lose their lives on the line.
The inquest continues.
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StandfirstAlberto Fresneda Carrasco, Jack Gilbert and Harrison Scott-Hood died on railway tracks near Brixton in June.
As a full inquest into the deaths of three young graffiti artists on railway tracks near Brixton gets underway, experts have told City News it will be difficult to prevent similar tragedies.
Alberto Fresneda Carrasco, aged 19, Jack Gilbert and Harrison Scott-Hood, both aged 23, died in June 2018 after being struck by an out-of-service passenger train.
The trio were all members of London’s underground street art subculture.
It is suspected that they had been trespassing on the tracks in order to spray graffiti.
Graffiti continues
The trio’s deaths sent waves through the illegal graffiti scene in London and beyond.
Memorials to them can be found spray painted across the capital and in cities worldwide.
But a glimpse out of any train window shows their deaths haven’t stopped other graffiti artists from taking to the railway tracks.
‘A shared passion for art’
In a statement read out in the court, the trio’s family members warned other young graffiti artists to stay safe:
“Eight months ago our sons Jack Francis Gilbert, Alberto Fresneda and Harrison Scott-Hood, three young men with a love for life, promising futures ahead of them and a passion for art, particularly tagging, tragically lost their lives because of the dangerous risks this art form brings.
“The ‘painting community’ take their art seriously in trying to find a status. This passion is what brought our boys together.
“In a time full of needless violence, if our sons were guilty of anything, it was their love for painting.
“We can only express to young people trying to make their mark, to please be safe. Keep your creativity alive – but don’t risk your lives.”
Danger ‘part of the appeal’
Many projects across the capital seek to bring graffiti artists into safe, legal spaces. But graffiti artists and experts say the danger of painting on railways is a major part of its appeal.
Theo Kindynis is a sociologist specialising in London’s illegal street art subculture says measures to enhance security along the railways have made them more prestigious targets for would-be graffiti artists.
As long as that remains the case, more graffiti artists are likely to lose their lives on the line.
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