Artist Removes Tattoos From Larry Bird

(Newser) – Larry Bird was surprised to see his tattoos in a mural painted on the side of a building in Indianapolis. The spider web tattoo on his left shoulder, the dagger on his right cheek, "Hoosier" on his neck—and more—don't exist on the real Larry Bird. So the retired NBA great's lawyer struck a deal with the street artist, Jules Muck, the Indianapolis Star reports. The tattoos are gone now, except for the "Indiana" on an arm and the street artist's "Muck Rock" signature, which was moved from inside a heart on Bird's right bicep.

"I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feeling and or 'brand' so I’m flexible," Muck said in a statement, per RTVG. Artistic license had also included added "76" on Bird's right upper arm, a shamrock on his left bicep, a basketball on a palm, "Bird" on his fingers, a cardinal on one cheek, and mating bunnies on his right arm. The Star shows the revised version. "This is another human being that is obviously not liking it," Muck said. "If he was happy and thought it was funny, that's a different story."

Larry Bird’s tattoos were near the last thing on my mind this morning. Was the article saying that in reality, Larry does not have tattoos, but the artist decided to put them on his mural image. Larry has since then arranged that these scribblings be removed by the painter.

Is that what happened?
The Muralist is a good painter. One would think with skill like that, he would have cleared ‘tattoo’ decorations with Larry first.

Larry Bird no where that I can find said the artist’s painting was making him look like a thug. The artist was violating copyrights by doing the painting without Bird’s approval, and without Indiana’s either.

Bird’s team sent an email to Muck asking her to take the artwork down and citing “unauthorized promotional value to her brand” and six trademarks owned by Bird, according to CNN affiliate WISH.

“Larry’s position is he has elevated himself from where he began to where he is now through a lot of hard work. He has developed a brand that is marketable and he needs to protect that brand,” Sallee told IndyStar. “The mural, as originally painted, was a departure from that brand.”

And the artist admitted trying for humor when she said, “She intended the piece to be lighthearted and fun. “It’s nothing personal against Larry,” Muck said. “I actually think it’s funnier to put tattoos on people who don’t have them.” It might be if the body she put them on approved of them.

Bird is still active in the business world and has an image he built and wishes to keep. He owns two businesses, a hotel and restaurant in Terre Haute and a car dealership in Martinsville, Indiana. Bird also retained an endorsement deal with the Heinz Corporation to advertise its Boston Market restaurant chain and line of frozen pot pies. He, with good reason, is protective of his image. He is not a member of today’s much more violent NBA and built his image on a more talented game rather than a physical one. That’s his image.

rwood

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