Magic and loss on St. Mark’s Place: Invader’s classic Lou Reed mosaic stolen

Early Monday morning, several residents saw two men removing Invader's nearly 10-year-old Lou Reed mosaic from an upper floor at 110 St. Mark's Place, between Avenue A and First Avenue.

Just after 1 a.m., a resident noticed the men outside with a ladder and caution tape. 

Neighbors inside No. 110 said they were awakened by banging on the exterior wall — then saw one of the men climbing the ladder while the other acted as a spotter.

The residents called 911 and later contacted the 9th Precinct to report the theft. We're told that the landlord of the building hired the French artist for the work, and they may pursue charges. 

Neighbors did some sleuthing afterward and believe one of the suspects is the same man seen last in June 2024 removing another Invader piece above Ralph's Famous Italian Ices at Avenue A and Ninth Street. 

At that time, witnesses also reported two men prying Invader's mosaic tiles from walls around the city.

Invader himself addressed the thefts in an Instagram post last summer:

For the past few weeks, some guys in New York have been destroying my work by trying to rip it off the walls, probably to resell it. Shame on them! Street art belongs to the street, and in my case, once ripped from the walls, it is nothing more than broken, unsigned tiles that you could find in any tile store. They will never be authenticated. Buyers should think twice of what they buy, not only are they being duped but they are also depriving other people of enjoying free art on the street.

The French street artist mentioned that the mosaics probably have little resale value anyway — especially the later ones, which used thinner tiles designed to chip apart if tampered with. Said one EVG reader: "They were chipping away at it so I'm pretty sure it's destroyed."

An array of Invader's mosaics arrived in NYC and the East Village, some in collaboration with the LISA Project, in 2015. A few were immediately vandalized. 

Here's an EVG pic of the Lou Reed art from December 2021...