Sunday, November 1, 2009

Cooper Square Hotel wants graffiti on building "to fit in with the edgy local art scene"

On Friday afternoon, we noted that some sort of graffiti mural was going up on the wall at the Cooper Square Hotel. (Curbed posted photos too.)

Yesterday, we walked by for an update...




Today, the Post follows up on the story.

Graffiti vandalism is apparently so cool that an East Village hotel has decided to fake it.

In a wacky attempt at earning street cred, the swanky Cooper Square Hotel has commissioned four graffiti "artists" to tag the Fifth Street wall of an adjacent building it recently bought.

One of the taggers, Joyce Pensato, was going to town yesterday on her section of the mural, which the hotel owners hope will be finished by Nov. 10, and then updated annually.

Pensato and three others -- who go by Nick 1, Vizie and Shinique -- were each paid to fill one quarter the wall.

His section spells out the words "Tropical Fantasy," a tribute to a friend who died over the summer and a reference to a local soda company.

Klus Ortleib, the hotel's managing partner, wants the place to fit in with the edgy local art scene.

"When I came up with the idea, people said I was crazy," he said.

At least one tenant of the tagged building agreed.

"They came in without regard for others," says Katy Able, 63.

"They say they can't fix a leak because they don't have money, but now they've paid to have a crane to put up graffiti."

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

These artists are like window dressers. Its Good they can make a buck off these guys. But this is not "edgy" by any stretch of the imagination . Very Madison Ave. So desperate to appear to be cool.

Jeremiah Moss said...

now they want to fit in? a little too late for that.

Laura Goggin Photography said...

Why don't they 'fit in' by packing up and moving out?

EV Grieve said...

This will be the nicest NYU dorm ever.

Anonymous said...

Fake-ass graffiti? Fitting in? Hilarious!