Stolen REVS street sculpture

REVS is a well-known graffiti artist in NYC. Lately he's been doing steel street sculpture and I've seen a few of his pieces around in my neighborhood. After this NY Times article appeared, the incidence of theft of those pieces has increased, with some of them reportedly being auctioned off on eBay. On the way home yesterday, I noticed this one had been stolen, torched right off the steel beam. Pisses me off...I liked seeing his work on the way home every night. Fuckers.

On the other hand, if a piece of art is placed on the street illegally and without permission, is it really stealing to remove it?

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Comments

ocherdraco says:

I think it's definitely wrong. Now, if you're asking whether someone could be prosecuted for taking it, I don't know—does it count as personal or public property? Is its placement illegal in the first place?

But people who mess with art (especially those who take it from the public so that it can only be seen by a few people) really bother me. There's no question of that.
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

t-dawg says:

sure it's stealing... wouldn't it be stealing to take someone's car that's parked illegally? if it's city officials "confiscating" the art, then that would be different.
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

Josh Pope says:

All street artists are well aware of the impermanence of their art. Street art does not last, and it does get stolen on occasion, and that just comes with the territory.
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

jkottke says:

Jake took a photo of this very sculpture a few days ago before it got stolen.
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

davidwg says:

Jake took us on a tour of NY street art and predicted that it would be stolen within a couple of weeks.
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

jakedobkin says:

goddamn it! that was one of the last extant revs pieces in DUMBO- the others have mostly been stolen (except for two which are very high on walls). this one lasted because it was hidden under those stairs, and welded along the entire seam of the sculpture.

i know graffiti is an ephemeral art, and it is made in some ways not to last, but these sculptures were some of the most unique pieces i have ever seen in twenty years of admiring graf in new york, and the city is a poorer place with them being gone.

like all graffiti fans, i've contemplated liberating one of these sculptures to my apartment, given that some douche is going to take it eventually, or the cops or santitation company is going to have it removed, but i've decided that it's not right. you can't be a true lover of graffiti and destroy a piece, even if your intention is to preserve it. maybe if you found it laying in the street or something- or saw someone else stealing it and wrested it from his thieving hands.

anyway- i've shot as many as i can- check out my revs tag, and the common revs tag:

flickr.com/photos/bluejake/tags/revs/

flickr.com/photos/tags/revs/
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

Michael Steinbaugh says:

That's jacked, man. How do they intend to sell it on eBay though?
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

miskan says:

poor REVS...
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

superkeitai says:

hmm, as a foreigner and one that saves money to go to NYC I hope one of his sculpts is still their when I arrive.

art or non-art, stealing or not it's contemporary in my opion

Anyone know how I can contact the man??Please, sent me an email if you do.
Posted 49 months ago. ( permalink )

spies says:

hope this one doesnt get jacked. i didnt reveal the location...

www.flickr.com/photos/dhill/46563577/
Posted 46 months ago. ( permalink )

torcho says:

mother fuckers
Posted 31 months ago. ( permalink )

unispherical says:

city confiscation. beef. nature's precipitation. and selfish theft. nothing is forever. especially in the public's domain. a blank slate begs to be fed. and you know that i know that something new will sprout. and i cant wait to see it blossom..........
Posted 23 months ago. ( permalink )

CHUNK2 says:

look someone stolen a revs piece and are sellin it on craigslist newyork.craigslist.org/brk/art/617308506.html .this is so fucked up and greed.
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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Taken on June 5, 2005

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