Amidst the whitewashing of the graffiti mecca known as 5Pointz, one surviving member of the old school persists at the top of the soon-to-be-demolished building: a DONDI throw-up. DONDI, given name Donald White, was one of the most influential graffiti artists of all time, tagging everywhere throughout the city from the mid ‘70s, until his death from AIDS in 1998. To see his name remain on one of New York’s graffiti institutions, moments before its destruction, is a reminder of the legacy the city loses in the demolition of the building.
According to various reports, the battle was lost on Monday evening or Tuesday morning. In the dead of night, with the protection of police, a crew armed with a riser and enough primer to cover a city block began whitewashing the former New York City graffiti institution. What purpose this serves, with the destruction of the building imminent, we cannot say.
The news of the whitewashing broke this morning:
5 pointz is gone, painted white overnight by the owner ..with police protection
I repeat 5 pointz is gone ..painted white over night we almost got arrested
I can guarantee u that their was no permit from the departement of building and for the lift to be used overnight but who cares?
The New York City Council approved the razing of 5Pointz to make way for high-rise condos. Following that decision, the owners of 5Pointz filed a lawsuit to reverse the motion—the lawsuit was struck down and a rally was held this weekend in support of the arts center. Last week, we pondered the idea that New York City Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio could be the one to step in and save the arts center from being demolished. Today, that notion seems naïve.
More photos of the erasure are above.
Painting #5POINTZ white is like a gag before an execution. No last words. It's sick.
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[viaVanishing New York]
