Sadly, Mister M — aka papier-mâché man — meets the end

Mister M — ask papier-mâché man — had a good run in the neighborhood, departing his longtime residence on 11th Street under slightly mysterious circumstances for a short road trip this past week. 

Sadly, as the top photo shows, Mister M's time in papier-mâché form has apparently come to an end in the construction pits of First Avenue and Seventh Street. (Thank you Georgia McGovern for sharing the photo.)

He was a creation of the late East Village-based multimedia artist Hanne Lauridsen, aka Hanne H7L. 

The mystery of papier-mâché man — solved!

Last Friday and Saturday, we posted several photos of a papier-mâché sculpture around First Avenue and Seventh Street in various states. 

Thanks to an EVG reader, we have learned more about papier-mâché man. 

For starters, his name is/was Mister M, a creation of the late East Village-based multimedia artist Hanne Lauridsen, aka Hanne H7L. 

The journey began the other day outside 517 E. 11th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B "under rather suspicious circumstances." (Lauridsen lived at the address.)

How Mister M made it over to First Avenue is not immediately known. (Or his whereabouts now.)

Lauridsen died in late January 2022. She was 84. This afternoon at 4, there will be a small, informal ceremony and a sprinkling of ashes outside No. 517 in her honor. 

And we hope that Mister M is still out there somewhere, having an adventure.

Top photo via an EVG reader

The incredibly true adventures of papier-mâché man continue

Photo by Derek Berg 

As seen on First Avenue between Sixth Street and Seventh Street today... and flashback to yesterday.

Noted

Update here! Papier-mâché man lives!

On the topic of random papier-mâché sculptures around the neighborhood... we first came across the above last evening outside East Village Organic on First Avenue between Seventh and St. Mark's Place (photo by Derek Berg)... 

And how it was going this morning... (EVG reader pic)...

... and now around the corner on Seventh Street (photo by Daniel Efram)...