Festival boss says art’s theft is ‘kind of cool’

Painting on doorway disappears – but artist merely raises a smile

The organiser of a Dundee street art festival has said it is “kind of cool” that someone wanted an artist’s work so much they stole it from a doorway.

The Open Close festival asked artists to transform Dundee’s otherwise dull and dreary doorways, walls, shutters and shop fronts into works of art.

However, one work has already been stolen after being almost entirely stripped from a doorway in Sugarhouse Wynd.

London artist Indie Matharue’s work, which saw bubbles papered over a door on the side of the Hawkhill Brewery, has been almost entirely stripped away.

However, festival organiser Russell Pepper said neither he nor Indie were upset by the theft.

He said: “It’s kind of cool that somebody wanted it that badly they nicked it.

“But it would have been nice if it had stayed up a bit longer.

“You always see pieces of street art that have been added to – even on the Seabraes hoardings you see people adding to the work that is there.

“It’s cool to see it evolving, although in Sugarhouse Wynd they didn’t really add to it.”

Mr Pepper added: “Indie just laughed. That’s the nature of street art – it’s going to get weathered, nicked or vandalised.”

Although heavy rains may have caused the artwork to start peeling from the door, Mr Pepper said it would still have taken a lot of work to remove so much of it.

He said: “The rain might have affected the glue but somebody must have peeled it off, either by hand or they had some sort of stripper.”

Mr Pepper said the Open Close street art trail has been successful.

Maps are now being printed detailing the locations of all the artworks, which will be sold in independent stores around Dundee.

Mr Pepper said: “We are looking to sell the maps for £1 or £2.”

Mr Pepper was inspired to start Open Close after spending time in Barcelona and took heart from the success of a similar street art project in Aberdeen.

The artist just laughed. That’s the nature of street art – it’s going to get weathered, nicked or vandalised

Picture above: Mhairi Edwards. Above: the aftermath of the theft of the piece of art that was on a doorway in Sugarhouse Wynd. Below: before the painting was stolen.