Two years ago the bronze statue by Barbara Hepworth was stolen from Dulwich Park. On Friday a mural by street artist Stik was prised from a wall in East Dulwich.
There are three panels on the side of Mrs Robinson, the homeware shop on the corner of Lordship Lane and Blackwater Street. Michelle, the owner, had very generously given them all to be painted by street artists. I had no idea they were painting on plywood panels and not directly on the wall. But the thief knew, and he also knew which was the most famous artist. He stole Dulwich Outdoor Gallery’s ‘Mrs Moody and her sons’ by Thomas Gainsborough, interpreted by Stik. The Hepworth was stolen for the value of its materials, the Stik for its art.
However, what the thief did not know (I presume) was that not the whole panel was by Stik. In May 2013, a year after it was painted, Mrs Moody was defaced with a purple tag. Tags attract other tags in the way that rubbish attracts further rubbish. It had to be removed, but Stik was really busy, working in Japan and then the US. So I tried to conserve this painting as I had kept the leftover spray colours. What a mess! Using spray cans is far more difficult than the street artists make is seem. My respect for them soared.
So the bottom half is by a middle aged woman who has never held a spray can before in her life! Shades of that old woman in Spain who touched up a 19th century fresco of Jesus last year. Poor thief!
There has been some great comments about this (and all the other street art works around Dulwich) on the East Dulwich Forum, a place guaranteed to attract extreme opinions.
‘Very sorry to hear about the theft, I really liked the picture 
‘
‘Sorry to hear this, I have loved discovering these artworks around Dulwich. No disrespect to you IngridB but I hope your alterations lower the value. Serves the thief right.’
‘Inside job. No such thing as bad publicity ! Will put up the artists value …… boring.’
‘People would pay for that? Why?’
‘I haven’t seen the piece but so love the fact you tried to do something.’
‘I could spray another one for 20p’
‘I’m really sad this Stik has been taken. I really love the local street art.’
Find out more about Dulwich Outdoor Gallery on Facebook
2 Comments
Having lived in East Dulwich up until I was 18 I know Blackwater Street/Lordship Lane well (went to school at St Johns School in Northcross Road, no longer there). What strikes me most is the way East Dulwich has turned into such a dramatic way, now seems full of art galleries, antique shops and by the looks of it works of art on shop facades. Very sorry to hear about the theft. The Barbara Hepworth sculpture in particular was a loss - what steps these people who steal go to!! I now live in the wilds of Buckinghamshire. Used to vist my mum in E.Dulwich until 1991, it has changed since she died too. Thanks for interesting article.
Hi Gill, Yes, East Dulwich has changed enormously and is also full of baby buggies! Its a great place to live. Here is a Google map of all the other street art pieces which are related to the 17th century and 18th century paintings in Dulwich Picture Gallery - the Dulwich Outdoor Gallery. http://goo.gl/maps/PBNMW You might like to come in from the wilds and have a look at them and the other Dulwich changes.