After spending 21 months in prison for his spraycan stunt at the Menil Collection, Uriel Landeros recently granted an interview with blogger Chris Tarango, which has been getting passed around on social media the past few days. Although the comments on the various posts have been pretty negative, Landeros explains the responses to his action:
Not everyone was pissed off, some people were very happy with what I did, many strangers clapped @ my actions & and continue to do so. Most of the people who were hating on me where [sic] so called “artists” who have never been able to break the veil of success.
Landeros also mysteriously announces some upcoming projects: “I am organizing my next event. I will soon publish the date and details. I am also in the process of publishing a book about the entire story.” He states that he made over 100 paintings and thousands of drawings while in prison, which will be featured in his next show. “My force of creation has only gotten stronger,” brags Landeros, although he adds, “I stopped making art years ago though all I make now is art history.”
Blogger Tarango seems to admire Landeros’ actions, adding quotation marks to words like “vandalize” and “destroy,” even in the blog entry’s title “I Intreviewed [sic] the Guy Who Went Into a Museum & ‘Vandalized’ a Picasso.” Perhaps, like Landeros, he believes the action was relatively harmless since the painting could be cleaned of his additions. “Believe me I know about paint, I am a professional,” says Landeros. “I knew that the painting would be easily restored.”
While identifying with movements such as Occupy (“The whole point was to leave a message to create a voice and spark another fire against this NEW WORLD ORDER.”), Landeros embraced the publicity and got a few shows out of it. “When those things began to happen, I was skeptical because I thought that the museum and galleries were working with the F.B.I. and U.S. Marshalls,” he states. “But after some research I found out those opportunities were legit, so I welcomed them.”
3 comments
Whatever. The guy is a douchebag. I’m disappointed Glasstire is fueling his distorted ego with the post.
I’m with Dean Ruck. Why promote this inconsiderate dickwad’s career? The only attention he has garnered has been purchased with Pablo Picasso’s credit not his own. Now you’re milking it too, for those precious commodified mouse clicks. Try posting this story under the headline, “Uriel Landeros Announces Vague Plans to Produce a Show, a Book, and to Overturn the New World Order” and see how many clicks you get.
WarHous closed, who is going to show his work?