ATLANTA — A graffiti artist is leaving his mark on walls, fences and private property in the Old Fourth Ward.
Some people say the artist who goes by Juse is simply expressing himself and that should be allowed, as long as it's not on private property.
Take a stroll in Old Fourth Ward, and you'll see the graffiti signature Juse again and again, including on the side of a North Avenue apartment complex.
Residents tell Channel 2’s Rikki Klaus they don't know who paints the tag on fences, walls and private property in the area. Some say it's an eyesore, others call it art.
"Some people don't like it because they describe it as vandalism and tagging and stuff like that, but really it's just how certain people express themselves," Roemon Pollard said.
A mural across Two Urban Licks restaurant on the Beltline just went up. Employees say on Friday, Juse sprayed his tag right above the painted woman's hand. The original artists tried to fix it.
"Juse clearly doesn't appreciate the artistry involved," Alan Melling said.
Melling of the Old Fourth Ward Alliance says board members met last week and discussed how to keep tags like Juse's at bay.
Pollard says as long as graffiti is not on private property, it's a positive thing.
"Most people, graffiti keeps them out of trouble, really. They could be out stealing and stuff like that but they're focusing on their art and their craft," Pollard said.
The alliance says it is commissioning a mural at the corner of Glen Iris and North Avenue, which will cover up at least one of Juse's tags.