Bowery Mural Wall Curator Calls Hiatus During Rash of Tagging
In a surprising turn of events, the longtime curator of the Bowery Mural Wall announced yesterday that artwork at the site is now on hiatus. Blame the taggers.
Jessica Goldman Srebnick, head Goldman Global Arts (an arm of the Goldman Properties real estate firm that owns the wall), published a missive on Instagram about the sad state of street art. And how there is now a lack of respect. She stated that “over the last few months the tagging has become worse than ever.” Presumably it’s a reference to the ground-up “Hooligan” spray tag that surfaced atop the David Flores mural this past weekend.
“Filling a fire extinguisher with paint and spraying to destroy a work of art is not talent,” she writes. This action “totally crossed the line,” leading Goldman to “take a break” from the revolving art exhibit that is the Bowery Mural Wall.
Shepard Fairey wall destroyed, July 2010
Honestly, though, tagging the wall is nothing new. The haters always venture forth from the woodwork to dampen the mood. Such is the dynamic on the street. Who can forget the total shitshow that ensued after Shepard Fairey decorated the slab back in the spring of 2010? People began kicking in the panels, then actually hurled rocks through the canvas.
There has been a continuous stream of art here since the slab was reactivated in 2008.
Full statement below…
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