Saturday, September 5, 2009

Stolen Mongols

News from the Telegraph:

Cartrain, a 17-year-old graffiti artist embroiled in a feud with Damien Hirst, has been arrested after stealing pencils from the millionaire artist’s latest installation. . . .

Cartrain visited Hirst’s installation Pharmacy in July, which was being shown as part of Tate Britain’s Classified exhibition until it closed last month, and removed a few of the rare “Faber Castell dated 1990 Mongol 482 Series” pencils.
Cartrain then created a parody police poster.

According to the real police, the Metropolitan Police, the pencils, part of a £10 million installation, are worth £500,000. £500,000 for Mongols? It’s not as if they’re Blackwings.

A related post
Mongol No. 2 3/8

comments: 4

Slywy said...

I have the same pencils in my closet, bought at the University of Chicago bookstore in the late 70s/early 80s, and am now glad I didn't use or sell them, or give them away. Who knew they could supply the bulk of my retirement support?

Michael Leddy said...

Make sure though to change your homeowner’s insurance.

Wesley said...

I read that the reason the Mongols were valued at 500 000 British pounds was because they were part of the exhibit, not because of how rare they were.

Michael Leddy said...

Yes, of course. We were both joking.