Artist Paints Fake 'Low Flying Planes' Sign Near Ground Zero

WNBC.com ^ | May 13, 2003

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

An artist who painted a fake "CAUTION Low Flying Planes" sign on a building near ground zero said Tuesday that he did not mean to offend anyone.

"If you take a low humor view of it, that's really in your mind, not mine," said artist James Peterson, who titled his acrylic-on-brick work "Caution: 2003." "It wasn't meant to be offensive."

But the painting, which includes an image of a flickering flame, has angered neighbors and provoked complaints to the city Landmarks Preservation Commission.

City Hall spokeswoman Lark Anton said a letter went out to the building's owner to remove the painting or apply to legalize it within 20 working days.

The building, a converted stable in Tribeca, falls under the landmarks commission's jurisdiction because it is in a historic district.

Speaking to reporters gathered outside the building, Peterson said he never applied for a permit or notified the building's owner, listed in city records as 17 Leonard St. Inc.

"I just did it," he said. "It was more of a guerrilla art piece."

Peterson, who is 36 and lives in Brooklyn, said he painted the 10-foot-by-14-foot artwork over the weekend.

"I was walking down the street one day and I saw a caution sign," he said. "It just all came together in my head. And then I was like, I just saw the wall and I went up and did it."

He said the painting was meant to as a memorial to the attack on the World Trade Center, a few blocks to the south.

"I was just trying to make a piece about what happened, like, after the second plane hit," he said. "Art, you know ... it doesn't just have to be pretty behind somebody's couch."

Christopher Roilph, who lives in the building, said he appreciated Peterson's point.

"The nature of art is that it changes your mind about things and causes you to have feelings," Roilph said.

Some passersby agreed while others said the painting should be removed.

"It's disturbing but I guess it wouldn't be art if it didn't disturb you in some way," said real estate agent Vanessa Low.

Donnahue Osbourne, an engineering technician, said the painting was not as offensive as vendors selling trade center souvenirs at the site.

But he added, "It doesn't fit. It just doesn't fit."

[MEG33]

Unlike a gallery or a museum..one can't help but view this.I'd say it's insensitive.

[chance33_98]

"It's disturbing but I guess it wouldn't be art if it didn't disturb you in some way," said real estate agent Vanessa Low.

Uhhhh Yeah.

[Arkinsaw]

After hearing the artist, I have to conclude that the point of the work was to show the pure doofusness of the creator. On that level it works quite well.

[zip]

That "artist" is one sick son of a gun. Cruel, cold, evil, sadistic are a few words I can think of to describe him. There is no humor in that anywhere.

[MizSterious]

Someone needs to paint a "Low-wattage dork warning" on his apartment building.

[Scenic Sounds]

I really can't imagine anyone doing that and not doing it for the purposed of offending people. Sick, I think.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Artist Paints Fake 'Low Flying Planes' Sign Near Ground Zero

To paraphrase Will Rogers:

I don't know much about art but I know what I like. And that sucks.

[Normal4me]

""I was walking down the street one day and I saw a caution sign," he said. "It just all came together in my head. And then I was like, I just saw the wall and I went up and did it."

36?!?!? How much dope has this guy smoked?

[mystery-ak]

*It wasn't meant to be offensive*....I can't imagine what he was thinking....

[Arkinsaw]

Someone needs to paint a "Low-wattage dork warning" on his apartment building.

I think that would probably be helpful.

[Rebelbase]

Probably the same guy who photoshopped this:

[HighWheeler]

[HighWheeler]

A wall painting cautioning people to be on the alert for low flying planes is seen on the wall of a building at 17 Leonard St., in New York's Tribeca neighborhood, about 10 blocks from where the World Trade Center once stood, Tuesday, May 13, 2003. James Peterson, 36, the artist who painted the fake 'CAUTION Low Flying Planes' sign, said he did not mean to offend anyone. The painting has angered neighbors and provoked complaints to the city Landmarks Preservation Commission. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

[MEG33]

That's it..get rid of it.

[HighWheeler]

Can't. It's Aaaarrrrrt".

[HitmanLV]

This is tasteless but pretty funny: 9-11 humor is ok. It helps people deal with the issues better. I lived in nyc and was cracking jokes about it before noon on 9-11.

[MEG33]

Oh baaaarf!

[cubreporter]

He's not an artist he's an attention getter.

[Dog Gone]

I lived in nyc and was cracking jokes about it before noon on 9-11.

I think you were one of the few, outside of the West Bank, anyway.