Art is a form of expression that transcends a multitude of barriers and brings people of all backgrounds together. It is meant to be a creative outlet for people of all ages, but the city of San Diego doesn’t see it that way.

  According to the Union Tribune, “A La Jolla man [was] ordered to take down his front yard art installation that officials declared was an unpermitted structure.” Local Artist Nasser Pirasteh built the sculpture as another installation of artwork along with over fifty other pieces in his front yard, from handheld ones to the one sparking so much outcry that he titled it “In Out.” The city of San Diego has sent Pirasteh a notice announcing that he must take down the sculpture because it is an unregulated “structure,” which violates city codes. “In Out” is an eight-foot tall dome-like installation with a ten-foot circumference that is adorned with holes in the ceiling to let in natural light and is a mixture of bright colors varying from violet to cobalt (sandiegouniontribune.com). The city should open its eyes and appreciate the sculpture as artwork, instead of tearing down beauty.

  So who decides what qualifies as art? Why does the city believe it is okay to limit expression when it is confined to a man’s front yard? The residents of La Jolla are taking a stand against the order from the city and using graffiti to express their strong oppositions. The graffiti started after Pirasteh posted a board in his front yard displaying newspaper articles about how he has been ordered to take the art down. The board began, “Dear friends…,” and explained how the sculpture is just artwork and not intended to be any type of building. From there, the graffiti began showing up on the white wall surrounding his yard, ranging from phrases such as “Art is not a code violation! It is art,” to a strange animal with a speech bubble saying, “Potato says: Don’t be a mean! keep da art!”  It is clear that there are voices willing to speak up to defend “In Out,” and the city should take their opinions into account (sandiegouniontribune.com).

 Unfortunately, as loud as the public support is for the In Out sculpture, there is as much resistance. On a Union Tribune article, someone commented, “This guy’s house and yard is one of THE biggest eyesores in La Jolla. Definitely proves the old adage that ‘one man’s trash is another’s treasure.’ Sadly, this one is mostly trash.” (sandiegouniontribune.com). However, there are many others who view the artwork more as treasure, which is quite befitting for La Jolla, the Spanish word for jewel.

  According to an article in the La Jolla Light, a neighbor of Pirasteh said, “I was jogging, and there are about a mile of houses between where I’m living and here, and this house is the only thing I’ve ever responded to emotionally. It stopped me in my tracks,” he said. “What is here provides a certain beauty that you don’t see in most neighborhoods. For someone like me who is from the Midwest, La Jolla’s beauty brings up a lot of emotions. When you add something like this, it’s a whole other component that I would hope the Village would build off of” (lajollalight.com). It is ridiculous to restrict artistic expression that benefits viewers and the community.

   Senior Jessica Borchardt said, “If it is on his property, I don’t see the issue with it.”

  Despite the city’s attempt to stifle his artistic freedom, Pirasteh has not lost his positive message. He spoke about his installation and stated that, “Sometimes we hug a sculpture, [and] sometimes the sculpture hugs us. I feel like the city is not giving me anything to make the city beautiful, but they are ready to punish me, and that’s unfair. I am a public artist. We do things to make the area more beautiful.” This is what art should be about, expression and beauty, not a petty debate about code violations (lajollalight.com). If anything, works of art should be encouraged for a creative, vibrant community.

  The last thing the city expected was this public outcry on Pirasteh’s behalf demanding for freedom of art. But perhaps there is a silver lining in this conflict. Pirasteh is not only expressing himself with the In Out sculpture, but is giving other artists and art enthusiasts a platform to fight for freedom of expression.