September, 2009

This is a Call Out to All Bloggers

Here it is, the urban art story of the year. We need as many bloggers and magazines on board as possible. So please please stick it on your blog, website, myspace, Facebook, web forum, twitter or just email it to a few friends. Wherever you can. People lets get this story out in the public domain. The more press the story gets the less trouble our artist will be in. Normal blogger's freebies and art discounts apply (just give us a heads up).

The Papers

Cartrain has Stolen Damien Hirst's Pencils Theft or Ransom?

The story...
16 year old graffiti artist Cartrain walked into the Tate Britain (London) and removed a packet of pencils from one of Damien Hirst exhibits. Damien Hirst and Cartrain have a long-standing rocky history. Earlier this year Hirst targeted the young graffiti artist Cartrain using Design and Artists Copyright Society (DACS) for breach of copyright infringement on his latest series of artworks being sold via 100artworks.com.

The box of very rare "FABER CASTELL dated 1990 Mongol 482 series" pencils were removed from Damien Hirst's "PHARMACY installation" by Cartrain on Thursday the 2nd of July around 4pm. Not long after the pencils were removed from the installation a fake police 'appeal for assistance' posters appeared all around London.

This is the latest in a string of events surrounding the feud between the two artists. It began when Damien Hirst contracted the Design and Artists Copyright Society (DACS) to send a string of legal letters to Cartrain's art dealer Tom Cuthbert at 100artworks.com in regards to Cartrain's series of artworks 'For the Love of God'. The online gallery surrendered the artworks to Damien Hirst with a verbal apology. The legal grounds in which Hirst requested the artworks are very questionable and the story spread across the Internet like wild fire. The Independent, The Times, The Telegraph, The Guardian, The Daily Mail, Popbitch and many other online blogs reported it.

The urban art communities are currently heavily debating the actions of Cartrain and what his next steps will be. Is this a random act of vandalism or a calculated guerilla art stunt? Only time will tell.

Cartrain's Demands...
For the safe return of Damien Hirst's pencils I would like my artworks back that DACS and Hirst took off me in November. It’s not a large demand. He can have his pencils back when I get my artworks back. DACS are now not taking any notice of my emails and I have asked nicely more than five times to try and resolve this matter. Hirst has until the end of this month to resolve this or on 31st of July the pencils will be sharpened. He has been warned.

Image of police poster...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100artworks/3696754195/in/set-72157606942599051/

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Cartrain Arrested for 10 million Pounds Worth of Damages!

Cartrain was arrested on Friday the 17th July 2009. The same day the story was printed in the Independent newspaper. He was arrested and put on on bail until September the 11th 2009.

Charges...
-10,000,000 pounds worth of damages (yes that's 10 million).
-500,000 pounds worth of theft.

Bail conditions...
-Cartrain is not allowed to post anything on the Internet.
-Cartrain is not allowed in any public building that displays art.
-Cartrain is not allowed in any public or private building displaying Damien Hirst's artworks.

If Cartrain is convicted we think this will be the highest value modern art theft on UK soil. The pencils have to be placed back in to the installation by Hirst in person.

Image of the police bail form...
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/Cartrain/BAIL.jpg

Sources of information...
http://www.100artworks.com/catalog/cartrain-m-65.html
http://cartrainlondongraffiti.blogspot.com/

Pencil Images...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100artworks/3707603610/ (Print pulled form sale)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100artworks/3707602796/ (the pencils)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100artworks/3696754195/ (fake Cartrain police poster)

Cartrain Images about Hirst...
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/Cartrain/Fortheloveofspamcopy.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/Cartrain/Hirstgraveyardcopy.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/Cartrain/Hirstpharmacycopy.jpg

For more information on this press release please feel free to contact us using the following information...
* 100artworks online urban art gallery
* Media Department
* T, Cuthbert
* 0771 755 7055
* 9:00 - 4:30 pm
* info@100artworks.com

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Please Support Cartrain by Purchasing One of His Artworks

Title: Deathcaps
Edition: Signed and numbered edition of 3
Materials: High quality UV inks on gloss photographic paper.
Size: 100 x 100 cm approx
Price: £245
See more Cartrain shroom artworks

Title: "For The Love of Spam"
Edition: Signed and numbered edition of 20
Materials: Giclee Print
Size: 33 x 48.3 approx
Price: £65
See more Cartrain/Hirst artworks