Jesse James
You may recall the whitewashing of the famed 5Pointz graffiti mecca. Well, last week, a ruling came down in a 32-page decision that affirmed the monetary damages awarded to the group of graffiti artists. This comes after a long battle that began back in February 2018. That is when NYC federal judge Frederic Block ordered real estate developers Gerald and David Wolkoff to pay $6.8 million USD in damages for whitewashing the works of 21 graffiti artists.
The move was made in order to build condominium units on the property. The Wolkoffs and their lawyers filed an appeal to reverse that decision, claiming that the artworks are “ephemeral.” The Second Circuit Court of Appeals decision, written by Judge Barrington Parker said Thursday that graffiti and other temporary works have “recognized stature” under the Visual Rights Act.
The move serves as a formal recognition the Wolkoffs had argued graffiti works do not have. Judge Barrington Parker wrote: “Although a work’s short lifespan means that there will be fewer opportunities for the work to be viewed and evaluated, the temporary nature of the art is not a bar to recognize stature.” The court even cited the importance and influence of street artists such as Banksy and Christo.
The move comes nearly seven years after Gerald Wolkoff made the decision to demolish the original site. The artists’ lawyer Eric Baum stated: “The finding is a clear indication these artists’ work is important and should be respected.”
This is certainly big news and a great move for the artists that help turn 5Pointz into an art mecca. Keep it locked with The Culture Curators for more on this and more art news coming soon.
