Graffiti or Art?

I recently uploaded some images of SHOK-1s work, fully credited, to Flickr,
including his latest stuff which I was pleased to capture.

I was suprised to get a message from him the following day asking me to take down those latest photos. He said he wasn't ready for the work to be seen, and that anyway he would like to show it first. This seemed reasonable, so I took the photos down and let him know.
All very nice and polite.

Afterwards, however, I started to think...
This is work painted on a wall in clear site of a public road. I hadn't sneaked into his private gallery and stolen images of a secret work.
So, what right of control does a graffiti artist have over the public taking and sharing photos of their work?
Speaking to graffiti artists on the Parkland Walk, it seems their attitude is that they paint for themselves and are perfectly accepting that the work is captured or over-painted by others.
This seems right to me.
It would feel different if it was a private space, but it isn't.

I will not be putting the images back on Flickr as that would feel petty, but I may not bother putting any more SHOK-1 stuff up at all.
Wouldn't want to offend him again...

So artist rights, or public images. What do you think about graffiti?

Shok-1

There is a bit of disused ground just by where I am working in Borough.
Shok-1 is a local street artist who uses this and some of the surrounding wall, doors, kiosks, and shop shutters as his gallery space.
I have been enjoying seeing new work appearing, sometimes watching a piece grow and change over a few days, a couple of times catching him in the act.
The work is big, but he puts in some lovely small details.



Check Shok-1's own flickr here.

Graffiti walk pt 2

so i have found out more about this awesome work...
it was the London end of the world wide Meeting of Styles street art event this year.

the website's here, and this is the flickr pool....

Graffiti walk

some amazing graffiti on the road up to the Holloway recycling centre. Mostly on the buildings along the road, but some real beauties in a locked compound at the end. will have to go back and try to get more up-close with those another time...

took a few pics. some images below, and you can see some more on flickr.

the detail in this huge piece is incredible...

this is the locked compound...