Thanks Frank. I am glad you are familiar with the mural. In defense of the "quality" of the mural, it suffered mid-project redesign in response to threats from the HD. And it has remained unfinished, pending "permission" to stay, from the HC. Viewers are seeing the "cartoon" or sub-painting. I think it will look better with richer, more nuanced paint color and worse covered with brick red paint.
The ladies don't look any worse than an average "Mummer". Best! Liz On Sun, 21 Jan 2007 07:01:12 -0500 Frank <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > I saw that article, too. I have really mixed feelings about this > mural. I used to live at the other end of the alley from it. When I > discovered it I couldn't stop laughing. It's small which is a point > in its favor but it's so poorly conceived and executed. It really > looks to me like it was painted by some not very talented high > school > boy who dreamed of one day being a fashion designer. It's an > instantly recognizable style. I think it's terrible and I love it. > It's the only one of the murals in the city (95% of which I think > are > just awful) that I would care about if it disappeared. I completely > > defend this man's right to keep this mural on the side of HIS > building. > > I particularly love the cable TV wire entering the building though > one of the figure's pursed lips. > > On the other hand. I would personally volunteer to paint over that > atrocity at 13th & Locust, the one with the gumball machines and the > > bunheads. Ugh. > > Rizzo, Sinatra, Lanza, Labelle, the pixelated trees, that weird > submarine/welder thing in South Philly and the animals outside the > Morris Animal Refuge. Keep those, though. > > Frank > > > > > > On Jan 21, 2007, at 03:30 AM, Elizabeth F Campion wrote: > > > > > In 2003, pro-HD folks insisted the Historic Commission would NEVER > > regulate paint, > > despite contradictory words in the HC ordinance. > > > > I investigated, discovered and revealed an action against a > privately > > commissioned mural placed on a side / alley wall of a property on > > > 410 S. > > 15th (S. of Pine) in the Ritt-Fit HD. > > At a 2003 hearing the mural was granted a 4 year reprieve, under > > something the HC defined as a "Sunset Provision". > > At the time, I feared the decision was merely an attempt to put > > things on > > a back burner, to lower the heat on other proposed HD fronts. > > And my fear has been realized. > > Friday, January 12, the HC met and ordered the mural painted over, > > > with > > brick red paint, so that the wall would appear more historic. > > The HC also locks the property owner into a position that limits > > improvements, because doing so would trigger additional HD > > interference. > > The owner of the property plans to appeal. > > > > A story (with color photos) is in the latest PGN, link via: > > http://www.epgn.com/011907/1transmural011907.htm > > The property owner, "Michael Shur" is actually "Michael Sher" a > > longtime > > friend. > > I am proud that he is able and willing to commission art and to > defend > > art and artists. > > > > The mural has found strong supporters among artists and the GLBTG > > community. > > A blog has been started at: > > http://members.aol.com/tgirlhollywood26/mural/ > > I don't know who posted, but he (or she) appears to be a fan of > the > > mural > > and angry. > > One of the blogs better features is a side by side comparison, of > > the existing wall vs. what it would look like with a fresh coat > of > > red > > paint. > > It also contains an image that draws the probable outcome (and > > historic > > reality for this wall) which is that a blank slate tempts > graffiti. > > > > The current ruling comes at an ironic time. > > The Royals plan a Jan. 27 visit to Philadelphia. > > http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=local&id=4931951 > > ... Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, > > > intend > > to focus on themes of youth development, urban regeneration and > > environmental conservation, > > ... Besides visiting some of the city's historic sites, including > the > > Liberty Bell, the two will learn about the city's Mural Arts > > Program, the > > country's largest public art program ... > > > > > > There are fascinating back stories to the mural. > > > > The mural started with a much lighter and lovelier theme of "Venus > and > > Beauty". > > The located close to Broad and South Streets invited themes of > > Philadelphia traditions, (Mummer's Parades, Night Clubs and > Theater). > > The mural segued to "Death of Venus" after the first threats from > > > the HC > > were delivered. > > The Artist felt under attack and despaired for the Mural's > survival. > > She struck back in paint moving toward themes of restraint and > > destruction. > > She found herself unable to complete the Mural and it remains much > > > less > > nuanced than it should be. > > Even unfinished, and reflecting less attractive themes, the mural > > developed fans. > > > > Artist Dee Chin seems too fragile to explain or defend her work. > > Her most vivid early memories include helping an uncle pass as a > > woman, > > to avoid the death meted out to men by the Khmer Rouge. > > When the disguise failed or the deception was revealed, the uncle > was > > brutally beheaded, at home, in front of the young child. > > Dee arrived in the USA as a Cambodian refugee boy in time to be > > accepted > > into the HS for the Performing Arts. > > Dee learned English quickly and won awards for singing, acting, > > dancing > > and art. > > While still in high school she was chosen to paint a mural at > CHOP. > > Dee has triumphed in struggles against prejudices against her > poverty, > > status, accent, ethnicity and transgender choice. > > Dee feels the threat against her art as a very personal attack. > > She views the mural is her "child" and the HC as a stalker / > murderer. > > She is almost paralyzed by the arbitrary, bureaucratic and very > public > > attack on her painting. > > > > Property owner Sher defines himself as "a Jew". > > He has visited Israel. > > His mother made a 2006 visit to Auschwitz to honor the memory of > lost > > relatives. > > He views the HC decision as a censorship of the kind practiced by > > racists, totalitarian regimes, book burners, colonizers and > culture > > destroyers. > > He is shocked that HC chair Michael Sklaroff, seemed to bully the > > > HC into > > the decision to destroy the art. > > He wonders how people who have survived cultures of oppression can > > > ignore > > the lessons of history. > > > > The mural is located on a side wall. > > It is on a section of Waverly street that is little more than a > > cartway. > > It faces the dumpsters of a dorm type hi-rise and its neighbors > are ad > > hoc parking spaces carved out of the back yards of houses on Pine > and > > 15th Streets. > > I used to park in one of the nearby spaces and remember the wall > as > > damaged stucco, covered with graffiti and used as a urinal by > drunks > > leaving local clubs. > > I tried to move my car before dark to avoid open air drug sales > and > > other > > problems that were drawn into the dark alley. > > Even though I prefer the original version of the mural, I can see > that > > the mural has fans, and draws eyes and tourists into the alley, > > helping > > keep all the neighbors safer. > > Graffiti artists seem to respect the art, and so drug instructions > and > > G-tags have been reduced along the length of the street, not just > the > > mural wall. > > > > The artist is lucky that she has found a patron who is able and > > willing > > to hire an attorney to defend her work. > > I hope that her suffering finds some compensation by way of > publicity > > that might even help her work increase in value. > > > > Michael Sklaroff and the five HC commissioners who voted against > the > > mural, including at least one who works at PENN, should be ashamed > of > > their actions. > > I hope that the word of their perfidy is widespread and causes > them > > the > > kind of embarrassment that makes them better weight their choices. > > UC's own Scott Wild's was a voice and vote of reason, but was > > overwhelmed > > by the whims of the aesthetically fussy. > > I am grateful to Scott, even though his defense was futile, and > > hope he > > understands that I will be against the HD in UC. > > > > The UC Historical Society and erstwhile leaders of the Spruce Hill > > community association seem determined to impose an HD upon their > > neighbors, and I hope this story of the mural acts as a warning. > > The presence of a controlling HD resulted in changes to the mural, > > > even > > before it was completed, and has led to the current order for its > > destruction. > > And I want everyone to witness the big lie that an HD won't impose > > > limits > > on paint. > > > > Shouldn't we be encouraging those who have financial ability to > make > > private support of the arts? > > Shouldn't we encourage individuals to make independent > improvements > > instead of limiting all art to "Programs" sponsored by > bureaucracy? > > I love the Mural Arts Program and am proud to live in a city with > > > so much > > public art, but I know how consensus-centric MA must be. > > http://www.muralarts.org/ > > I think we have room for and should encourage the creation of > (even if > > just by purchase) greater varieties of art. > > > > I hope others find ways to speak up for art and for private > property > > rights. > > > > All the best! > > Liz > > > > P. S. I have attached excerpts from my post of Fri, 31 Jan 2003, > > below: > > > > ... lets start with the TRUTH about regulating color. > > Regulating color is specifically required in the 12 pages of the > > ORDINANCE (#14-2007. Historic Buildings...) > > Here is the link. > > http://www.mfrconsultants.com/hc/pdf/ordinance/ordinance.pdf > > > > "UNLESS A PERMIT IS FIRST OBTAINED FROM THE DEPARTMENT, NO PERSON > > > SHALL > > ALTER ... ANY BUILDING ... OR OBJECT WITHIN AN HISTORIC DISTRICT." > > > > (a) Alter or Alteration: > > "A CHANGE IN THE APPEARANCE..." > > > > (h) Design: > > "EXTERIOR FEATURES INCLUDING > > MASS, HEIGHT, APPEARANCE AND > > THE TEXTURE, ****COLOR****, NATURE AND > > COMPOSITION OF MATERIALS." > > (the *** are mine) > > > > **************************************************** > > ... A local Historic District is a set of boundaries. > > And by ORDINANCE every building, site and even object within the > > boundaries becomes subject to the rules, delays, added expense and > > bureaucratic tangles of Ordinance 14-2007. > > Sure, not every T will be crossed, and some owners (Karp, PENN, > > <Spilove> > > etc.) will win exemption, but ALL will have to run the gamut of > the > > permitting process. > > ... rational folks will want to avoid that headache. > > > > ... The HC is set up so that neighbors selectively "rat out" those > > > folks > > who do work without a permit. > > This could mean that > > the rich can defend and > > the popular will get a pass, but > > the poor, unpopular or obvious will get hammered. > > > > ... check out > > http://www.phila.gov/phils/Docs/Inventor/graphics/agencies/ > > A082-100.htm > > > > Just imagine the pork in the barrel at PHC which has the power to > > designate buildings or districts, > > make recommendations concerning the use of grants & > appropriations > > make recommendations regarding the purchase of any > building > > review alteration, demolition, building and environmental > > > clearances and > > provide concession agreement oversight (as for Eastern > Penitentiary). > > > > ... The facts are with the anti HD neighbors. > > > > Best! > > Liz > > > > ---- > > You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the > > list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, > see > > <http://www.purple.com/list.html>. > > ---- > You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the > list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, > see > <http://www.purple.com/list.html>. > Elizabeth Campion Cell Phone: 215-880-2930 215-546-0550 Main, -546-9871 fax, Desk + VM: 215-790-5653 PRUDENTIAL, FOX & ROACH REALTORS, LLC Please read Consumer Notice & enjoy "HOME PILOT" tools at www.PruFoxRoach.com ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see <http://www.purple.com/list.html>.
