In light of recent events in the art world, Hannah Woodhead explores instances where artworks have been subject to vandalism. Is there ever artistic merit in defacing a work of art, or is it a simple act of selfishness?

It’s hard to walk down any street in Leeds without catching sight of a wall daubed with crudely drawn graffiti or scrawled expletives; vandalism is a part of society we seem to have come to accept. Even the council seem to view it with a grudging inevitability, power-washing away the spray paint until ‘artwork’ unsurprisingly appears again within a week. Yet in the art world, acts of vandalism are regarded with much more seriousness, invoking mass outrage in the hearts of auction houses and act critics everywhere.

Hardened cynics may shrug their shoulders, and certainly some would argue than the objectivity of art means what may be considered a masterpiece by those with a History of Art degree might not appeal to the mass populace. Yet even Banksy, whose work has become part of British iconography, has had sixteen of his public murals destroyed or defaced, with some talk over the summer of his London 2012 Olympics work being removed as well. Public popularity, if anything, only seems to attract more vulnerability to attack; there’s a reason the Mona Lisa sits behind two centimetres of bullet-proof glass.

there’s a reason the Mona Lisa sits behind two centimetres of bullet-proof glass

In our recession-hit society, art seems to be one of the few commodities maintaining its value, and in Yorkshire especially, there’s a certain sense of pride for our native sons and daughters who have made their way in the art world. David Hockney, born and raised in Bradford, has always maintained close links with Yorkshire, and last week one of his regular haunts in East Yorkshire was the subject of what Hockney called an ‘act of spite’. The famous 15ft tree stump, named ‘Totem’ by the artist, featured in at least two of his works, and attracted tourists from around the world. Now covered in paint and chopped haphazardly to the ground, the incident has attracted widespread outrage, not least to the local community, who are now concerned the site’s tourist trade will suffer.

Perhaps they shouldn’t worry though- the big art vandalism story of the year comes from Spain, where a well-meaning pensioner’s artistic endeavours left a nineteenth century fresco of Christ with the new name ‘Monkey Jesus’. Since the story broke, the church has found itself inundated with visitors keen to see the spectacularly bad but undoubtedly heartfelt restoration attempt. Yet her sincerity in the botched restoration is rare; more often, it’s a selfish motivation that drives people to vandalise.

these repairs are a drain on already depleted arts funding

At the other end of the scale, it was announced earlier this week that Rothko’s vandalised canvas ‘Maroon on Black’ could take up to eighteen months to restore. The work, worth an estimated £50 million, was scrawled on in marker pen in early October, and now experts say the damage done is far worse than first thought. Incredibly the culprit, Vladimir Umanets, denies causing criminal damage, claiming to represent the ‘Yellowist’ movement, a postmodern concept that seeks to redefine what classifies art as such.

Ultimately, it seems there is no way to stop art vandalism unless every masterpiece is placed behind Perspex and viewed from a distance, with armed guards on duty at all times. Not only is this impractical, but also takes some of the enjoyment out of being able to go to a gallery and stand mere metres from a canvas by Dali or Van Gogh. Some may admire the supposedly rebellious act of daubing a priceless work of art with paint, but when you consider the fact that that these repairs are a drain on already depleted arts funding, it seems counter-productive to deprive the public of visiting these attractions all for the sake of making a ‘statement’. Much in the way we tut at graffiti on bus tops or shop awnings, there’s no round of applause waiting for someone who attempts to ruin something that was put in a public space for everyone to enjoy, and that ultimately, we have to pay to fix.