It was a crushing blow to nearly two dozen established graffiti artists when in 2013 the owner of the Queens building complex known as 5Pointz ordered a surprise nighttime whitewashing of their colorful murals, leaving them with little chance to document or save the spray-painted artwork that had attracted worldwide attention.
But now they will have their chance at payback in a place that many graffiti artists try to avoid: a courtroom.
This is no vandalism case in a criminal courthouse, but rather a federal lawsuit filed in 2013 by the 23 artists who painted regularly at 5Pointz, against its owner, Jerry Wolkoff, who ordered the artwork destroyed.
The artists scored an incremental legal victory on March 31 when Judge Frederic Block of Federal District Court in Brooklyn ruled that their case could have a jury trial.
The judge’s ruling offers the artists a chance to confront Mr. Wolkoff in court and to seek redress for painting over their work, said Jonathan Cohen, an artist who had curated the murals and helped organize the artists at 5Pointz since 2002.
Mr. Cohen said he was hopeful that the suit might become a landmark case to establish street art as legitimate contributions worthy of protection. Mr. Cohen, known by his artist name Meres1, said he had hoped to photograph the art on the building’s walls and to remove much of it, because many of the murals were painted on siding panels or otherwise removable and “could have filled a museum somewhere.”
Joshua Powell
fuck the artists. if they wanted it preserved, they should have done on their own property
Connor Anderson
What if they have none ?
Parker Cruz
Streetart can be cool, but it should never be done on someone else's property without their permission. Those artists are assholes and the owner should press charges against them.
Austin Cooper
They they can do their work on a large canvas or sheet of cardboard like any other artist. Defacing another person's property is a violation of the NAP.
Jordan Thompson
Then they shouldn't do it at all. That's like saying "I don't have a girlfriend so I'm going to rape your girlfriend"
Kayden Watson
Nice strawman Try that argument again the day walls have grown vaginas and neurons that allow emotion and memory-storage
Hudson Stewart
>some shitdick draws falic imagery on my wall >wash it off >get sued
Lincoln Rogers
The legitimazation of graffiti in the past 10 yrs is so fucking pozzed... EGGS stop niggering up literally everything.
James Walker
>Mr. Cohen said he was hopeful that the suit might become a landmark case to establish street art as legitimate contributions worthy of protection. >Mr. Cohen >Cohen Oy vey
Henry Long
Wait, so they painted on someone else's walls without permission and now they are suing the owner of the place? What the fuck?
John Jackson
yea wouldn't it be so annoying so have look at someone elses stupid shit over and over?
especially if it is so very fucking stupid and annoying
Ian Green
>(((cohen)))
Jace Scott
>(((Wolkoff)))
James Ramirez
>Street (((art)))
If you want to do art, get a canvas or some shit like based Bob Ross.
Elijah Gonzalez
True, but if you look in the archive post, the "clean-up" attempt looks even worse than the graffiti. FAR worse.
Carson Sanchez
>someone paints a giant angry nigger with money in his pockets on the side of your building >you paint over it >get sued by a jewish guy >america
Juan Thomas
>graffiti >(((art))) Fuck off niggerjews.
Hunter Anderson
This isnt art you degenerate spic.
And the owner of a property can paint it whatever color he wishes.
This is just drug addled niggers and spics with a kike lawyer trying to get gib me dats.
Evan Garcia
Just because your medium requires walls, doesn't mean you can use any wall you like.
Whats to stop them from buying wooden boards, spraying their own property or finding a spot where graffiti is allowed?
