European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 20, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                One of the Graffiti artist s first big Breaks came from Airport manager Rudi Schmidt. He said Betz a four year employee at the disco has a lot of Good  with Little convincing Schmidt allowed Betz to pain multicoloured murals on the Interior and exterior of the Airport and Schmidt s Rock Palas disco located in the same building. A. 7. A a a a a. A a Quot i think the works Are very Good Quot Schmidt said of the wild paintings on his nightclub Walls. Quot most people like it because they see it in other cities in the states like new York and los Angeles Quot a a. A a a., a Schmidt said he paid Betz for some of the work while Quot some things he does for fun. We think it s a Good. Decoration Quot. Painting Graffiti for Cash has had its drawbacks for both Betz and Schmidt the nightclub owner once \ commissioned Betz to paint a Legal advertisement for the Airport in the City. With cans in hand Betz preceded to Spray a Large Blond haired Man dressed in dark sunglasses and a Trench coat holding one Side of the coat open to reveal the word  a Betz wanted to take a picture of his work As he does a with most All of his paintings but Only had Black and. White film. He returned the next Day Wilh color film just to find his masterpiece had been painted Over by other Graffiti artists scrawled across the new piece were the words Quot Street  Betz said he promptly sprayed Over the same spot with More artwork and painted the question Quot who made the rules Quot. A. Quot it was sort of like sprayer wars Quot Betz said. Though it s one thing to get paid to paint Graffiti Betz says it s another to make a statement with his Art in full Public View. He accomplished that goal with his mayor approved mural which he describes As Quot a Christmas card for . A. ,. The painting which stretches nearly half a Block sends a message that some world inhabitants have Little cause to celebrate during the Holiday season. A modernized _ above Mirco Betz and friends work on the Christmas mural. Left another of Betz s works. Far left Betz adds details to the mural. Above left Betz. Version of St. Nicholas stands in the Middle of letters that spell out Wurzburg in the mural. Above Are the German words for Quot merry  on each Side Are faceless a  y. E Quot  represents Quot the Industrial world you and me Quot Betz says above the figure in German Are the words Quot no present no Christmas tree no  at. The other end the third world figure says in English Quot no food no Horne no race no future no problem Quot the words Quot help Russia. Help Africa. Help the third world Quot Are also intermingled with the Stark artwork Betz said the City never would have gone for the idea of a Graffiti mural in the summer thinking that it would be nothing but mindless scribblings on City properly Quot but maybe you can go around that at Christmas Quot he says. While the City approved his Christmas message not All passers by have Betz says. One woman asked him if lie was painting the mural illegally. Betz jokingly told her that yes what he was doing was against the Law. Quot she screamed at me i m calling the pol zeil Quot. Betz said some people on the Street told him that they liked the color of the Gray Concrete he was spraying with wild hues. Tie asked them a question that reflects his thinking. Quot would you like it if in the Spring he Trees Are turning Green or would you like them to stay Gray. Quot that s inspiration Man Quot Belz says of his mural. "1 hat s color that s the world we made the Gray Quot Betz would like to help color America when he takes a trip to visit a Friend in California from january through March he s Uncertain about making a statement there however. Quot that s the greatest dream in my life a to make a piece in , but it s dangerous at this time a they want it out of their City Quot he says of Graffiti \ Betz wants to change that attitude let Iward his Art and says he s beginning to do that in Wurzburg. A. Quot we Are the coming generation or will t Hange the world Quot he says. Quot i want to t Iange tie vie it list Tity. Want , i Don t want to paint the holdings or the churches a  the Gray hey say Uliey want to have their City that Way a Gray Quot he says about the older. Generation that controls the it Ity. Quot Bui it s our City  s what they have to  a a a. December a a 199q stripes Magazine 3