What does this sidewalk graffiti mean?

October 4, 2011 12:22 PM

Strange stenciled 'tree of life' on campus sidewalk -- does it have deeper meaning, or is it just for fun? It is found right at the base of a light pole...I have not seen others on campus, but then again I have not been looking.
posted by rvrlvr to Grab Bag (5 answers total)

I think Wikipedia says it best: it's "a mystical concept alluding to the interconnectedness of all life on our planet."
posted by Specklet at 12:25 PM on October 4, 2011

It may have some specific meaning to the artist. But my guess is that it's just guerilla street art. Ever since Banksy became a household name this kind of stuff is all over the place in downtown Chicago.
posted by jeff-o-matic at 12:29 PM on October 4, 2011

This particular take on the tree of life has been around at least since I was in college in the late 90s... actually, looks like it's been around since 1990. At one point I was considering it for a tattoo, until I saw just how ubiquitous it's getting. Given the ubiquity level and the unlikelihood that the original artist has taken to stenciling it around college campuses, my money's on random street art.
posted by polymath at 4:46 PM on October 4, 2011

Long shot: The symbol is used (with acknowledgement) by The Fianna: a SCA-like "Celtic Combat Club", mostly from Nashville, but with "members in Alabama, Kentucky, Kansas, Illinois and Missouri."
posted by dhartung at 11:52 AM on October 5, 2011

Response by poster: Thanks All! We do have an active SCA group and are not far from where the annual Pennsic War takes place. Or it is random street art... who knows. I still have not seen any others around campus or out in town. If I do, I will update.
posted by rvrlvr at 4:51 PM on October 5, 2011