My Armenian Christmas present came one day early this year when someone emailed me this juicy and bizarre art crime story … the Denver Post reports:
A 36-year-old Denver woman, apparently drunk, leaned against an iconic Clyfford Still painting worth more than $30 million last week, punched it, slid down it and urinated on herself, according to a criminal case against Carmen Lucette Tisch.
I’m not going to lie, this story is awesome on so many levels. And, NO, I don’t ever want ANYONE to damage an art work in a museum but come on, we all show love in different ways, no?
Carmen Tisch chose “1957-J-No. 2.” (1957), which is roughly 9 1/2 feet tall and 13 feet wide, as the object of her affection … or whatever she wants to call it.
The Post lets us know that the painting is estimated between $30 million and $40 million by the museum and the damage will cost $10,000.
Tisch has a small criminal record, one DUI charge in 2008, but nothing you wouldn’t expect from a modern art lap dancer … or is she a “performance artist.” Needless to say, we probably don’t have to remind Hyperallergic readers that this isn’t the first time someone has urinated in a museum ... *cough* Ann Liv Young.
Ok, with a lede like the one I typed above, I know someone out there has some hate for me. So let me have it in the comments. I can take it, but remember, it’s CHRISTMAS!
Original photo of lapdancer via and Clyfford Still and photo of Carmen Tisch via.
Show them we won’t take their crap and it’ll stop.
If only they had bothered to put Shafrazi in jail for doing far worse. I guarantee she will get far worse out of this than he did.