I'd beat this kid's butt.............

Merika · 03-01-2006, 11:38 PM

Boy, 12, Sticks Gum on $1.5M Painting

Tue Feb 28, 7:40 PM ET

DETROIT - A 12-year-old visitor to the Detroit Institute of Arts stuck a wad of gum to a $1.5 million painting, leaving a stain the size of a quarter, officials say.

The boy was part of a school group from Holly that visited the museum on Friday, officials say. They say he took a piece of Wrigley's Extra Polar Ice gum out of his mouth and stuck it on Helen Frankenthaler's "The Bay," an abstract painting from 1963.

The museum acquired the work in 1965 and says it is worth about $1.5 million.

The gum stuck to the painting's lower left corner and did not adhere to the fiber of the canvas, officials told the Detroit Free Press. But it left a chemical residue about the size of a quarter, said Becky Hart, assistant curator of contemporary art.

The museum's conservation department is researching the chemicals in the gum to decide which solvent to use to clean it. The museum hopes to make the repair in two weeks and will keep "The Bay" on display in the meantime, she said.

"Our expectation is that the painting is going to be fine," Hart said.

Holly Academy director Julie Kildee said the boy had been suspended from the charter school and says his parents also have disciplined him.

"Even though we give very strict guidelines on proper behavior and we hold students to high standards, he is only 12 and I don't think he understood the ramifications of what he did before it happened, but he certainly understands the severity of it now," said Kildee

twinkle · 03-02-2006, 04:35 AM

I think he did get his butt kicked. I'm surprised to see that no one gut sued.

Vautrin · 03-02-2006, 06:37 AM

It could be worse though. A number of works have incited rage, anger, frustration in the viewer, leading to axe-attacks and such. There probably is a lot of literature on the subject; fascinating stuff!

I have not found an image of the work, but perhaps the gum even enhances it?

Merika · 03-02-2006, 09:23 AM

They showed an image of it on the news on TV....but I haven't seen an online one. It was an abstract type painting....so maybe you are right!

Star · 03-02-2006, 09:49 AM

sounds like the kid now knows how serious this is. He got disciplined everywhere he should've so hopefully he's learned his lesson and won't attempt to do this kind of thing again.

Hopefully they'll find the right stuff to remove the stain. if not, it'll part of this painting's history and the boy will be linked to it forever.

sweetbilly · 03-15-2006, 02:59 PM

OMG why are kids so freaking disrespectful today??? Is it that their parents don't give a **** what their kids turn into? If that kid was mine he wouldn't walk for a month, i'd prolly wear my belt out on his a$$. I could just see poor mommy and daddy trying to pay off a 1.5 million dollar painting for the rest of their lives.

Another thing i don't get is why do they allow the paintings to be accessed/within reach by the general public? Shouldn't they put a piece of glass or something between the public and the painting just to be safe? I mean the kid is only 12 so i doubt he really understood the consequences fully. But that's just more reason to protect the painting from damage.

Duke · 03-15-2006, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetbilly

Another thing i don't get is why do they allow the paintings to be accessed/within reach by the general public?

Agreed, that's just a recipe for disaster.

Star · 03-15-2006, 11:13 PM

I agree. they should put the paintings and sculpures (everything for that matter) behind protective glass. anyone can go in these places and mark up the artwork.

if a piece of art is worth that much money, it should be protected from the public. stupidity on the art gallery's part IMO.

Vautrin · 03-16-2006, 07:09 AM

And what happens, when you add in the glass? Give a woman a small axe, and she can still destroy the painting, in a matter of seconds. It does not help one iota. It probably leads to people pressing their hands against the glasswork, and the glass will scratch the surface of the painting. Thus leading to more damage in the long run.

Put it behind bars, and lock it away, and there is no point in having a museum in the first place.