Good timing kept a vandal from permanently damaging the American flag mural on the side of La Bella’s Pizza Bistro in New Paltz, and video footage of the culprit may well bring the individual responsible to justice.
The incident took place the morning of Election Day, according to La Bella’s owner Maria Lisante. She had just voted and was intending to meet her brother for breakfast when she saw two large splatters of red paint dripping from the image of the stars and stripes. “I saw that it was defaced slightly, but it was still wet,” she recalled. “It wasn’t horrible.”
Lisante got to work cleaning up the latex paint, which had been lobbed in balloons. Before long, several local residents had gathered to help her out. Some had seen posts about the vandalism via social media, while others were simply driving by.
The idea of hiring a local artist to paint a mural on the wall arose after several dozen buildings were tagged in a graffiti rampage last year. That individual was apprehended and will face a hearing on restitution on December 11 at 7 p.m. in the town court. (Other property owners whose buildings were tagged are encouraged to call John Rusk, the prosecutor, at 331-4100 prior to that date.)
Lisante eventually decided an American flag motif was suitable for the outside wall of her building, but when a crowdfunding campaign was launched, a handful of members of the New Paltz Facebook group stridently objected, as the flag is often linked — by supporters and detractors alike —with military service and, consequently, military actions taken in the name of the United States currently and throughout history. Case in point: during the interview, Lisante was called to the phone as an individual from Texas wished to purchase a gift certificate to the pizzeria and then give it to a military veteran.
A statement written by the artist of the mural casts the flag in a different light. It reads in part that the mural “reminds us of the timelessness and inclusivity of our national flag, which has remained through centuries of sometimes turbulent history and different political climates and is a symbol that is owned by all Americans.” New Paltz Town Board member Dan Torres has observed that the flag is placed in an entirely civilian context during naturalization ceremonies, for example.
Lisante, who maintains that she was not expecting the mural to place her in the center of a story which has occasionally reached national audiences, promised that anyone caught vandalizing the wall would be prosecuted. However, she is also striving to keep the focus positive, emphasizing the ideals which motivated her to select the flag as the subject rather than the political environment which has turned the discourse toxic.”
In response to the vocal opposition to the mural, resident Joey Garcia organized a “flag appreciation walk” last month, which attracted the online attention of political extremists from both sides of the political spectrum and resulted in a massive police presence but no arrests or reported violence. The painting, as well as the walk, appeared to be standing in as proxies in a nation more and more divided by political differences.
“People don’t want to talk to each other,” remarked the artist, who has declined to disclose her name before the mural is complete. On the other hand, she said of passersby, including the many children who walk under her scaffold after school, “People are really nice.”
Nevertheless, this week the mural is expected to be sealed with a graffiti-resistant coating, which will allow any further decoration to be wiped off with a damp cloth.
I like the collaboration, personally, although I have never been a fan of Jackson Pollack’s. Warhol never dripped?
It’s Pollock, not “Pollack.” And you don’t need the apostrophe-s; either say you’re not a fan of Pollock’s work or you’re not a fan of Pollock. As far as your comment about Warhol, I’ve got nothing—it just makes no sense. Are Pollock and Warhol just the only two artists you know?
Want a reference or two do ya? Watch the documentary about Andy the press conference with his agent by his side and all the fun he had talking about Jackson.
As for Dennis Hopper, he owned a Warhol which he subsequently put a hole in with his elbow. Very upset until Warhol responded favorably to the incident.
How many times has Du Champs’ “Fountain” been attacked? Every time it’s put on display. And that’s just in the Men’s room.
Remember when Abbie Hoffman got arrested for having a U.S. Flag shirt? Now you can buy one as underwear at Wal-Mart.
Ech.
Can’t believe I saw such hateful demonstrations regarding a mural representing our nations American flag! What’s going on in our country is horrendous.
Not funny, “Bricktop.” Run upstairs, now. I can hear your mom calling you to dinner.
That’s “Mr. Bricktop” to you.
I personally think the mural is beautiful and wonderfully portrayed. I have no idea who the artist is, and I don’t care, (only because that is irrelevant, to me), It looks wonderful and I enjoy seeing it, every time I drive by. Interesting memory here… Remember the “controversy”, when the mural was painted on the corner of 299 and 208??? But it is now a part of what we are, as a Community…
I would NEVER have imagined, in my wildest dreams, that the image, beautifully painted, of an American Flag, no less, would be the center of such controversy… IN NEW PALTZ!!!
Paint me as confused, saddened and truly disappointed, add a shade of, “perhaps naïve” to that mix, as well.
It Looks Very Low Class And Cheap. Way Off Base, Loud For Small Street Corner.
Village Should Remove This Along With Cheap Painting In Front Of Bacchus, Which looks Equally Cheap, Low Class.
These Awful Paintings On Side Of Small Village Building Are Too loud,Out of Place And Very Cheap looking.
You sound quite materialistic. tisk tisk Maybe the artist should have used gold paint
Three out of four, plus this one? Not bad. I musta struck a nerve?
I like the mural, I also like residents who wished to protest US Imperialism and wars. I don’t like the solitary individual who decided to vandalize the mural. I don’t like the people who are trying to hold the group of protestors responsible for the actions of the vandal.
Now I’ve remembered, it was Jasper Johns’ painting of a U.S. flag on canvas. The flag seemed to be without much white in it, mostly all blue with red drips coming out of the stripes. Jasper had a brother named Casper, I think? Casper wasn’t as Avant-garde, more into “found art”.
Jasper Johns’ flag paintings, including “White Flag” sell for more than $20 million each. He has done a number of American flag paintings selling for many undisclosed unbelievably high amounts.
“Never paint brick; only canvas.” he has demonstrated repeatedly. That was the Village’s first mistake.
This should be considered a hate crime. You know if it were any other flag, it would be. But i guess it’s ok to hate on America in New Paltz.
[…] saw that it was defaced slightly, but it was still wet,” she told Hudson Valley One. “It wasn’t […]