Posted on 05/27/2011 10:23:21 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Encinitas city officials ---- already wrestling with how to handle a popular but unauthorized surfing Madonna mosaic installed under a rail bridge last month ---- discovered this week that another rogue public art project has gone up at a different bridge in town.
But this artwork ---- a painting of a colorful creature with huge teeth along Coast Highway 101 ----- is likely to vanish much more quickly than the intricate stained-glass mosaic that made a huge splash when it appeared in late April. Plans are already in the works to cover up the art with a fresh coat of paint, Deputy City Manager Richard Phillips said Thursday.
The speedy removal plan for the toothy painting, which is on the east side of a Coast Highway bridge at the north end of San Elijo Lagoon, shouldn't be taken as a sign that it has any less artistic merit than the mosaic, Phillips said. In fact, the artistic value hasn't been assessed ---- the simple difference between the two is that the painting is easier to get rid of than the mosaic, he said.
A secretive crew of mock "construction" workers installed the popular mosaic --- made up of six separate panels ---- on a railroad bridge support along Encinitas Boulevard between Vulcan Avenue and Coast Highway 101.
An art conservation firm, hired by the city to assess the removal prospects, has determined that a high-strength glue was probably used to attach the piece to the wall, with the goal of making it as difficult to remove as possible.
(Excerpt) Read more at nctimes.com ...
I liked living on 2nd street in Encinitas, it was much cooler and beachy in the 1970s.
The Surfing Madonna must stay. It is landmark bad art. The Sea Monster is crap. Paint it over.
Hell of a lot better than gang sign. I’d say leave it. You paint it over, you’ll probably get something worse.
I went to college in NYC in the '50s and I distinctly remember entire themed subway trains, my favorite one a beautiful serpent snaking down the El. Unfortunately, for every street artist, there are a thousand taggers whose sole contribution to art is "JULIO" in ugly da-glo, or worse, gang-graffitti.
So, vandalism is now “public art”. We are losing the language — and civilization.
“Unfortunately, for every street artist, there are a thousand taggers whose sole contribution to art is “JULIO” in ugly da-glo, or worse, gang-graffitti.”
‘El Baby Gangster’ is one early 70’s tagger whose name has stuck with me. Not an artist, he was your basic black spray paint on a wall tagger.
Unfortunately he turned out to be a warning of things to come, like when you spot that first cucaracha. There’s never just una cucaracha.
But the miles and miles of "El Baby Gangster" stuff merits the death penalty. BTW, I feel the same about this tattoo (and piercing) epidemic sweeping the country. It is cruel and usual punishment on me to have to be confronted by acres of inked skin while picking up vegetables in the market! Served food by a pierced waitperson? WTF? Yuck.
Perhaps as part of the Obama Stimulus Package, could I possibly be issued a Thompson and a travel budget?
If you do get that Thompson and the permit to bag taggers please come to Orange County and thin out the herd, it’s become a target rich environment.
That ain't right. It's racist. Notice also, the child could be hit by flying brass! Plus. since I don't need no steenkin' scope, my bid HAD to be lower.
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