Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Removing Ruscha a moumental shame



Americans don't much like art. They never have. (LAT)

This is insane: The iconic mural of artist Ed Ruscha on the side of a Department of Labor–owned building in Los Angeles was painted over on Friday. Muralist Kent Twitchell, who painted the piece from 1978 to 1987, says he wasn't notified about the destruction of the work.
"It's always been such a popular piece in the art world and in Los Angeles. I had no idea it was in danger in any way," he said from Sausalito, where he had gone for his daughter's wedding. "To not be notified, to have it be a fait accompli…. It will take a while for the shock to wear off. It was sort of my 'Mona Lisa'; I worked on it for nine years."

Precisely who ordered the vandalism — and why — is not yet known.
In 1992 Kent Twitchell won a major victory for the cause of legal protection of murals as public art when a court awarded him damages for the destruction of his mural The Freeway Lady.
Looks like he has to fight again.
more here, here and here
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