In most of Fresno, graffiti is viewed as an eye sore, an act of vandalism.  At the Chris Sorensen wall on Railroad, just north of Church, it is a celebrated work of art, and artists gather to express themselves with paint.

“I do it for the love of graffiti and art in general,” said an artist known as Doom41 who displays his art on the free-wall. Another artist, Reken, said, “Graffiti has opened my eyes to a whole new world; it’s kept me away from gangs and given me a positive outlet to express myself.”

This free wall has been around for five years and has been decorated by writers throughout California. Local artist Chris Sorensen, who started the wall, said he was motivated by a need to provide space for artists to express themselves. The murals that have decorated the wall are complex works of art, with precise line work, detailed landscape backgrounds, vibrant colors and even character illustrations.

The writers pour their heart into their pieces and do it all for the love of painting. Initially a group of mural artists approached Sorensen and asked to paint the wall but once it became overwhelmed with ‘taggers’ it became what the kids nowadays call a free-wall. Sorensen said the wall has gotten “out of control and kids don’t respect the art.” So, he is taking the privilege away and will get the wall painted clean soon. “I’m going to have a contest with prize money involved for truly passionate artists to showcase their talents,” he said. This is Sorensen’s way of keeping vandals from ruining the art and regulating who paints on his wall while ensuring that the art is tasteful.

Sorensen  said that while graffiti in its entirety can look nice when people take their time and put their heart into their work, he is angered when he sees ugly tags obscuring the ‘good work’ “not to mention for the artist who devoted his time to be disrespected like that.”

The disrespect has made Mr. Sorensen want to limit the usage of the wall, filter out the artists that aren’t serious, and thereby reduce vandalism in Downtown Fresno. “Just like anything else, if rules aren’t set, chaos tends to wreak havoc,” he said.  The rules would include getting permission to paint on the wall, respecting others’ works, and staying with the designated theme. Presently, Sorensen is asking potential artists to submit sketches of murals-only for the wall. First, he wants to paint the wall white, so the wall can start anew then the artists can get to work.

Reken and Doom41 have been artists for seven years and have painted at the wall throughout its existence,  “I paint because it’s my passion, and it focuses me,” Doom41 said. “When I’m deep into a piece, I feel like nothing can touch me, like all eyes are on me.”  He also said that painting motivates him to keep getting better and he will.   

“It’s taught me patience; it’s taught me to find beauty in cold unlikely places, and it’s given me something to live for other than material worth,” Reken said about art. These two artists say youngsters need an outlet to escape and when things get tough, free-walls like this serve as just that.

Chris Sorensen said it’s a pleasure to let good artists paint on his wall and that some have even inspired him with their unique work.  He hopes that more artists will grace his wall and will learn that graffiti is more than just writing on the wall.