Talented graffiti artists always grab my attention with their electric colors and embrace of the abstract and the surreal. Artist Tim Clorius, working under the name Subone when he hits the streets, does amazing things with an aerosol can. I'm also fond of Murad Sayen's translation of graffiti through the lens of his camera.

Portland is blessed to have a dedicated wall on the Eastern Prom Trail where graffiti artists can legally paint. And there are numerous spots in town where property owners have commissioned a graffiti-style mural.

The most prominent commissioned graffiti mural is located on the side of the Asylum. It was just repainted a few weeks ago by a team of more than 25 local artists, who created a traditional "wall of fame" this year. The previous mural contained war imagery and a large portrait of President Bush. In an unusual move, motivated in part by the public support for the work and its message, the building owners allowed it to remain on view for five years. Typically the works are repainted after about one year.

"Mural art is a direct link to the public," Clorius told me when I asked about the previous mural. "It's one of he ultimate ways of communicating a political statement."

This year the traditional work lacks any overt political message (other than "Trix are for kids".) Instead Clorius says the wall allowed the artists to "show what level they're on and how far they can take it."

Clorius himself worked on the giant guard dogs at the back of the alley. Funny story about those dogs. When I snapped these photos, my co-worker Wendy Almeida generously volunteered to come along and capture me capturing the wall. (You may notice I have a new graffiti-loving graphic at the top of this blog.) Turns out by standing just so in front of the dogs, I succeeded in making a completely unintended statement. Too bad it wasn't political.