Public Art Review

Stop looking, the bronze hog which went missing at the beginning of October from the Gardens at Razorback Road (University of Arkansas) has been found. Two people feared the worst when they came across “a big lump wrapped in plastic” near the Randal Tyson Track Center. They immediately rang police who on arriving slowly removed the plastic to discover the hog underneath. From all reports the porker is back safe and sound on campus. Police suspect the incident was a prank!

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Statue Thieves!

Ever wondered what statue thieves look like? Well here are a few for starters. Yes, from left to right are all from Shirley in Suffolk, they have been charged with two counts of grand larceny and one count of criminal mischief. Yes, these little charmers are responsible for the stealing of brass statues with the intent to sell them for scrap metal. Their faces can be found on “wall of shame” Newsday website. Hip hip hooray, there should be more name and shame sites.

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A life size bronze statue of a teenager carrying an American flag has been stolen from McIntyre Company in Covina. This is the second time the statue has been nicked, the first time it was retrieved from a local scrap metal business. Police believe the culprits are intending to cash it in for scrap metal again. They used a chain attached to a vehicle to remove the life sized statue (they were keen!).

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The feet are all that remains of the 350lb Will Rogers statue. Yes, and it looks as though it was a handsaw job. The public art thieves cut the wooden Will Rogers sculpture from the ankles, leaving just stumps. Located near the Will Rogers school where Rogers frequented, the statue has become a much loved icon for the children. The principal of the school remarked “I don’t think the person who took it realizes how much it bothers the children. They’re just really sad and it makes them angry that someone would do that.” The sculpture was created by Don Bishop in 2003 after he saw Stillwater Park and Recreation employees about to cut down a dead tree. He offered to carve the trunk and the rest was history. A few year back someone tried hacking off Will Roger’s head but were hindered due to bolts Bishop had placed through it. If the sculpture isn’t found Bishop has promised to carve a new one, that is, when he finds a 8ft tall chunk of tree.

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Fisherman, Michael Wright, got an unexpected surprise when he spotted the World War I Doughboy statue sticking out of the mud in the Mogadore Reservoir. The 3ft high zinc statue which was the centerpiece of Memorial Day celebrations was pinched 2 weeks ago. Doughboy has been standing in the village for 70 years. The evil doers broke off the sculpture from it’s ankles and then proceeded to smash it’s head in before throwing it in the reservoir. The statue named Spirit of the American Doughboy was sculpted in 1936 by artist E.M. Viquesney (1876-1946). It depicts an soldier resting with his helmet pushed back and rifle in his left hand. Fund raising has begun for the repair of the doughboy whilst police try and find the culprits.

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Warning to all sculptors, avoid taking on any commissions from Bristol’s Millennium Square. They don’t seem to like public art there. A life-size bronze sculpture of martyr William Tyndale is the latest victim of vandals. Poor old Tyndale, who’s claim to fame was to be the first person to translate the Bible into English, has been finally removed for repairs. A spokeswoman for @Bristol said “Due to acts of vandalism in Millennium Square the statue of William Tyndale has had to be removed because it was in a dangerous state.’ All that remain are a pair of bronze boots (obviously they aren’t considered vandal fodder!). Jasmine, the poor bronze Jack Russell (by Cathie Pilkington), was a victim too. She was ripped from her bolts only to be found, reinstalled then vandalized again (ala Larry LaTrobe). And lets not forget stag beetle, poor bronze creature (by Nicola Hicks) had it’s antennae broken off. Now Nicola has to make replacement “screw in ones” which will be used on “special” occasions. How sad!

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It seems the thieves who stole a Haslingden sculpture created by children from a special school have been struck down by guilt. Yes, not only did they return the 7ft called the “Workers” but they included in their apology note (ah huh they wrote one) £50 . The note read : “We’re sorry. We didn’t know the children made this and we are very sorry for stealing drunken. I hope the attached £50 will cover the cost to re-weld him on. Don’t worry we’ve looked after him.” See, sometimes there are nice thieves!

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When WIlliam M.V. Kingsland died in 2006, he left behind over 300 works of art squeezed into his one bedroom apartment in New York. So what is so wacky about this story is that many of the pieces have subsequently been found to be stolen. Good god, the man was an art thief, hobnobbing with Manhattan’s upper crust. Hmm and guess what? Yep, Kingsland wasn’t his real name either, he once went by the name Melvyn Kohn. All came to light when New York Public Administrator, Ethel Griffin, hired two auction houses to sell the art. Imagine their surprise when they discovered many pieces were reported stolen in the 1960’s and 70’s. Included in the collection are sketches by Picasso (which a mover tried to steal during in the discovery). Now it is the FBI handling the case and they have posted a page of goodies believed to be stolen. They are hoping the public will be able to assist in identifying the paintings. Click here if you want to have a sticky beak… FBI art theft… By the way no pieces of Public Art were found in the apartment!

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The 400 pound bronze statue that once stood outside the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood has been found on a farm. Three years after the thieves cut the bolts of the Ammunition Plant worker statue which attached it to its base it was found lying in a paddock. The statue was originally erected in 2001 and then vanished in July 2005.The general consensus was that the statue had been melted down for money.
The statue was erected in honor of the 48 men who were killed and the 46 workers injured when an explosion ripped through the plant on the 5th of June, 1942 (during World War II). Problem now seems to be what to do with it. A $30,000 replacement statue now stands in its place!

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The Bloomingdale High School (Tampa) has had their 400-lb anatomically correct bronze bull statue returned (just in case you were wondering) Yes, the school mascot was stolen from its anchors Monday Night. Following a tip off the big bovine was found in a storage facility.No arrests have been made as of yet.

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