<p>In February 2018, a New York judge <a href="http://pix11.com/2018/02/12/judge-awards-5pointz-graffiti-artists-6-7m-after-works-destroyed/">awarded $6.7 million to graffiti artists</a> who sued the owner of buildings they defaced because he tore down the buildings. That decision was appealed by the owner, but on Thursday, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/appeals-court-approves-67m-award-graffiti-artists-69111623">concluded</a> that the judge was correct, ruling the owner had violated the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990.</p>
<p>In 2018, Federal Judge Frederic Block <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/you-dont-own-graffiti-artists-win-67-million-hank-berrien">ruled</a> against Long Island developer Jerry Wolkoff, who had permitted the “artwork” on his property, known as 5 Pointz, for decades, stating that Wolkoff was not sorry he had painted over the graffiti in 2013, torn down the buildings in 2014, and begun construction for two 40-story residential apartment buildings in 2015. Block said the penalty he assessed would not have been so exorbitant if Wolkoff had waited for the judge’s permission and demolished the art 10 months later than he did; that would have allowed artists to retrieve their paintings from the buildings.</p>
<p>Block was seemingly impressed with the aerosol artists; in November 2017, during the trial triggered by a lawsuit from the 21 aerosol artists, he gushed about how works produced by the artists “spoke to the social issues of our times.” He also stated that the “respectful, articulate and credible” artists testified about “striking technical and artistic mastery and vision worthy of display in prominent museums if not on the walls of 5Pointz.”</p>
<p>Block slammed Wolkoff, saying, “Wolkoff has been singularly unrepentant. He was given multiple opportunities to admit the whitewashing was a mistake, show remorse, or suggest he would do things differently if he had another chance. … Wolkoff could care less. As he callously testified. The sloppy, half-hearted nature of the whitewashing left the works easily visible under thin layers of cheap, white paint, reminding the plaintiffs on a daily basis what had happened. The mutilated works were visible by millions of people on the passing 7 train.”</p>
<p>Block also <a href="https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2018/02/13/NYC-developer-must-pay-67M-for-painting-over-graffiti-art-judge-rules/9191518496490/">asserted</a>, “The shame of it all is that since 5 Pointz was a prominent tourist attraction, the public would undoubtedly have thronged to say its goodbyes during those 10 months and gaze at the formidable works of aerosol art for the last time. It would have been a wonderful tribute for the artists that they richly deserved.” As the <a href="https://nypost.com/2018/02/12/developer-must-pay-6-7m-for-destroying-iconic-graffiti-art/">New York Post reported</a>, Block defended his decision by stating, “If not for Wolkoff’s insolence, these damages would not have been assessed. If he did not destroy 5 Pointz until he received his permits and demolished it 10 months later, the Court would not have found that he had acted willfully.”</p>
<p>The 2<sup>nd </sup>Circuit, agreeing with Block’s decision, wrote, “In recent years, ‘street art,’ much of which is ‘temporary,’ has emerged as a major category of contemporary art,” adding that the street artist Banksy has been named on Time magazine&#8217;s list of the world&#8217;s 100 most influential people. They added, “A Banksy painting at 5Pointz would have possessed recognized stature, even if it were temporary.”</p>
<p>Marie Cecile Flageul, a curator who worked with the 21 artists sharing the $6.7 million payout, who had previously said that what Wolkoff did was “artistic murder,” stated of graffiti, “Now, it’s a validated art form which is collected, acquired and showcased in museums and galleries around the world.”</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>


USA New York New York City – Factory building with graffitis, ‘5Pointz’ is an outdoor art exhibit space for graffiti artists

HE DIDN’T OWN THAT: Appeals Court Rules Graffiti Artists To Get $6.7 Million After Building Owner Tore Down Buildings

Graffiti

<p>On Monday, a New York judge <a href="http://pix11.com/2018/02/12/judge-awards-5pointz-graffiti-artists-6-7m-after-works-destroyed/">awarded $6.7 million to graffiti artists</a> who sued the owner of buildings they defaced because he tore down the buildings.</p>
<p>Federal Judge Frederic Block ruled against Long Island developer Jerry Wolkoff, who had permitted the &#8220;artwork&#8221; on his property, known as 5Pointz, for decades, stating that Wolkoff was not sorry he had painted over the graffiti in 2013, torn down the buildings in 2014, and begun construction for two 40-story residential apartment buildings in 2015. Block said the penalty he assessed would not have been so exorbitant if Wolkoff had waited for the judge&#8217;s permission and demolished the art 10 months later than he did; that would have allowed artists to retrieve their paintings from the buildings.</p>
<p>Block was seemingly impressed with the aerosol artists; in November, during the trial triggered by a lawsuit from the 21 aerosol artists, he gushed abut how works produced by the artists &#8220;spoke to the social issues of our times.&#8221; He also stated that the &#8220;respectful, articulate and credible&#8221; artists testified about &#8220;striking technical and artistic mastery and vision worthy of display in prominent museums if not on the walls of 5Pointz.&#8221;</p>
<p>The artists bolstered their case against Wolkoff by citing the <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/106A">Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990</a>, which permits artists &#8220;to prevent any destruction of a work of recognized stature, and any intentional or grossly negligent destruction of that work&#8221;</p>
<p>Wolkoff said the artists always knew the buildings would eventually be demolished.</p>
<p>Block said, &#8220;Wolkoff has been singularly unrepentant. He was given multiple opportunities to admit the whitewashing was a mistake, show remorse, or suggest he would do things differently if he had another chance. &#8230; Wolkoff could care less. As he callously testified. The sloppy, half-hearted nature of the whitewashing left the works easily visible under thin layers of cheap, white paint, reminding the plaintiffs on a daily basis what had happened. The mutilated works were visible by millions of people on the passing 7 train.&#8221;</p>
<p>Block also <a href="https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2018/02/13/NYC-developer-must-pay-67M-for-painting-over-graffiti-art-judge-rules/9191518496490/">asserted</a>, &#8220;The shame of it all is that since 5 Pointz was a prominent tourist attraction, the public would undoubtedly have thronged to say its goodbyes during those 10 months and gaze at the formidable works of aerosol art for the last time. It would have been a wonderful tribute for the artists that they richly deserved.&#8221; As the <a href="https://nypost.com/2018/02/12/developer-must-pay-6-7m-for-destroying-iconic-graffiti-art/">New York Post reported</a>, Block defended his decision by stating, &#8220;If not for Wolkoff&#8217;s insolence, these damages would not have been assessed. If he did not destroy 5 Pointz until he received his permits and demolished it 10 months later, the Court would not have found that he had acted willfully.&#8221;</p>
<p>Marie Flageul, a spokesperson for the artists in 2013, said what Wolkoff did was &#8220;artistic murder.&#8221;</p>


YOU DON’T OWN THAT: Graffiti Artists Win $6.7 Million From Developer Who Tore Down His Buildings

New York

<p>Over the weekend, vandals <a href="http://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/06/19/new-york-churches-look-for-answers-after-weekends-satanic-vandalism/">sprayed satanic graffiti</a> of the phrase &#8220;Hail Satan&#8221; and pentagrams on four Long Island churches.</p>
<p>Three churches in North Amityville, Suffolk County, were vandalized on Friday; on Saturday, a fourth nearby church was defaced.</p>
<p><em><a href="http://nypost.com/2017/06/18/several-churches-found-sprayed-with-satanic-grafitti/">The New York Post</a></em> reported that three Pentacostal churches were targeted, Gospel Church, Amityville Full Gospel Tabernacle, and Prayer Tabernacle Church of God in Christ; the fourth church, Shaw Temple A.M.E. Zion, is African Methodist Episcopal.</p>
<p>Walter Willie, the pastor at Prayer Tabernacle Church of God in Christ, told <a href="http://pix11.com/2017/06/18/3-long-island-churches-vandalized-with-disturbing-satanic-graffiti/">WPIX-TV</a>: &#8220;They must have a vendetta. To attack a place of healing, a place that helps people in time of great need &#8212; whoever did this has hurt in their heart.&#8221;</p>
<p>Alton Lamont, a deacon at Amityville Full Gospel Tabernacle, added, &#8220;It&#8217;s very upsetting that someone would desecrate a house of God.&#8221;</p>
<p>Only a week before, New Covenant Church in East Meadow, New York, located in nearby Nassau County, was vandalized with &#8220;demonic imagery and phrases,&#8221; the <em>Post </em>reported.</p>
<p>On Sunday, the churches&#8217; pastors and congregants held a kind of exorcism; Amityville Full Gospel&#8217;s pastor, William Walker, 48, placed his hands where the pentagram had ben removed, shouting, &#8220;The blood of Jesus covers this house! No distress, no fear, to this family! Bless this house, no sign of evil will stop the word of God. Hail Jesus, hail Jesus, hail Jesus!&#8221;</p>


Four New York Churches Vandalized With Satanic Graffiti

<p>The real kick in the teeth about graffiti, besides it being a hideous property damaging eye-sore, is the annoying fact that most of the time the markings are unreadable.</p>
<p>French artist Mathieu Tremblin decided he&#8217;d had enough and took to the streets of France with paints and stencils, determined to unscramble the seemingly meaningless.</p>
<p>Scroll below for the before and after shots.</p>
<p>The artist told <a href="http://www.memefest.org/en/gallery/works2010-11/725/?pic=3" target="_blank">Memefes</a>t, &#8220;Tag Clouds principle is to replace the all-over of graffiti calligraphy by readable translations like the clouds of keywords which can be found on the Internet. It shows the analogy between physical tag and virtual tag, both in the form (tagged walls compositions look the same as tag clouds), and in substance (like keywords which are markers of net surfing, graffiti are markers of urban drifting).&#8221;</p>
<p>According to <a href="http://designyoutrust.com/2016/07/guy-paints-over-shit-graffiti-and-makes-it-legible/" target="_blank">DesignYouTrust</a>, &#8220;Tremblin lives and works in Rennes and Arles, France. After graduation from a university of fine arts he began working with site specific urban interventions, graffiti culture, branding and the détournement of objects used in publications, installations, photography and video. This helped him document or reinvest the fruits of his experimentations.&#8221;</p>
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Graffiti

HE DIDN’T OWN THAT: Appeals Court Rules Graffiti Artists To Get $6.7 Million After Building Owner Tore Down Buildings

YOU DON’T OWN THAT: Graffiti Artists Win $6.7 Million From Developer Who Tore Down His Buildings

Four New York Churches Vandalized With Satanic Graffiti

This Guy Is Painting Over Ugly Graffiti And Replacing It With Legible Versions