As noted last night, workers blasted away the 10-year-old Joe Strummer mural outside Niagara on Avenue A and East Seventh Street as part of ongoing exterior renovations at 132 E. Seventh St. And the good news: A Strummer mural will return, per Niagara's Jesse Malin...
Joe Will be back on the niagara ( east 7 th st.wall) in the EV NYC . In a few weeks Rastas ! pic.twitter.com/iIBKJL6QGx
— Jesse Malin (@jesse_malin) August 20, 2013
And now, until then, various photos of the mural since 2009... (I have some photos from 2003-2008 on film stored conveniently where I can't find them...)
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And here's a repost from May 18, 2012... So I guess this is my fault.
I had a dream recently that someone painted over the Joe Strummer mural on the side of Niagara. And when I saw it — while inexplicably riding a bike the wrong direction on Seventh Street (no comments! This was a dream!) — a new mural was in progress. It was black and purple and looked like a bruise.
And it was going to be Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones.
I took photos and rushed home to post the photos. (Traveling now with the traffic, harumpf!) I was in such a hurry, I didn't stop at the site of a construction accident. (No one was injured.)
As far as I can remember, this was my first blog-related dream.
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20 comments:
I hope the new mural is a better likeness of him.
Kind of too many pics in this post?
Can't wait - I'm sure the artist(s)will make it look good.
It would be funny if that guy played guitar or something, right bro? Get it? Strummer? You know, like a guitar?
My favorite incarnation is the one with the green graffiti flourishes. I think that was a nice touch.
Looking forward to seeing the new Joe Strummer mural. And if someone would ever do a Joe Mama Besser mural, my life would be complete. #SpinalTap
Unfortunately the Unwritten Future turned out to be gentrification,the destruction of a culture of resistance in the neighborhood,greedy capitalism at its worst,a police state and NYU dorms. The Strummer mural does not represent the ideals of most who live in the "East Village" now so I suggest the words be changed to "invest in development and real estate we control your future" !
PS.... Most of the residents do know that they have the right to remain silent !
I'm not sure why this hit me so hard and why the "replacement" will not do it for me.
I am seriously feeling like the place has moved on and I don't want to be a part of what the East Village is becoming. Not sure where I'll go, but I can get way more square footage in Brooklyn.
I guess I'll sell my apartment to the parents of some screaming, obnoxious, entitled NYU student and have to take a train to the Strand, farmers market, and (few remaining) cool bars.
I truly am sickened by this stupid destruction in the name of real estate worship and I'm starting the process of removing myself from the shitshow this great area is becoming.
2:13, I'm moving too. Gonna sublet my apartment and hie me and my sweetie to a quieter, more authentic (hopefully) neighborhood where you don't want to shank 99% of the assholes sharing the sidewalk with us.
It would be more appropriate to have a mural of Justin Bieber at this point.
never can have enough pics of the great joe strummer
Since this seems to have become a subcurrent on this topic will mention that I am also setting up to sublet the apartment I have lived in for 28 years and spend my time in other places. Not that I agree with most of the historically ignorant socialist stuff above, just that I have come to hate walking on the streets here, and that can't be good. Nothing to do with Strummer, not a fan.
I think it's funny that people are upset that a new one is going up--obviously didn't realize that it has changed twice and been redone since it was first put up. this will be the third incarnation. That's how much attention they were paying. Dr. Revolt will make it happen yet again!
They should paint him the way he would look today -- gray hair, wrinkles, a red Lands' End coat.
@ anon I think it was well-chronicled and people noted that the mural was altered and updated over 10 years by the original artist in response to other people tagging on it or whatever, but I think this is the first time it was actually obliterated. So, I can understand why people are really upset. The blasting of the mural seems to symbolize what else is being lost and what has alrady been lost. I don't even live there, but I understand how sad it is to see one's neighborhood turn in to something it was never meant to be. Looking forward to seeing what Dr. Revolt has in mind for the new mural.
Well, if all these anonymous people are leaving, then I'm leaving too! I guess someone will have to start a blog called EV Leave!
BTW Joe Strummer's Birthday is tomorrow
Aug 21st
And here all this time I thought you were dreaming about your wonderful readers and commenters......
......especially that guy who hates the topless pics.
thanks to jesse malin for the mural. joe strummer is a punk rock saint and the bar there at A&7 is a punk rock holy place and birth place of nyhc punk! vinny APPLE
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