A 12-year-old stuck a wad of gum to a $1.5 million painting.

[Djavanjmiles]

DETROIT - A 12-year-old visitor to the Detroit Institute of Arts stuck a wad of gum to a $1.5 million painting, leaving a stain the size of a quarter, officials say.
The boy was part of a school group from Holly that visited the museum on Friday, officials say. They say he took a piece of Wrigley's Extra Polar Ice gum out of his mouth and stuck it on Helen Frankenthaler's "The Bay," an abstract painting from 1963.
The museum acquired the work in 1965 and says it is worth about $1.5 million.
The gum stuck to the painting's lower left corner and did not adhere to the fiber of the canvas, officials told the Detroit Free Press. But it left a chemical residue about the size of a quarter, said Becky Hart, assistant curator of contemporary art.
The museum's conservation department is researching the chemicals in the gum to decide which solvent to use to clean it. The museum hopes to make the repair in two weeks and will keep "The Bay" on display in the meantime, she said.
"Our expectation is that the painting is going to be fine," Hart said.
Holly Academy director Julie Kildee said the boy had been suspended from the charter school and says his parents also have disciplined him.
"Even though we give very strict guidelines on proper behavior and we hold students to high standards, he is only 12 and I don't think he understood the ramifications of what he did before it happened, but he certainly understands the severity of it now," said Kildee.

-Yahoo

 

[Djavanjmiles]

I can't believe how disrespectful people are these days. If I was that boys father he would get the whoopin' of the century.

 

[sakina]

Woah O_O

I just read that exact same article than clicked to TFS.

I thought it was extremely dumb though a 12 year does know what they're doing and it's extremely disrespectful.

 

[susie_bubble]

^Is this in the wrong area?

 

[PrinceOfCats]

Nobody would have been able to tell if he'd only picked a Jackson-Pollock to stick it on...

 

[masquerade]

what a little brat.

twelve is old enough to have a general knowledge that when they say "dont touch" they mean dont touch

 

[*sayan]

...poc...

 

[Ianastar]

and says his parents also have disciplined him



yeah....I hope the beat his butt real good.



I think at the age of twelve....you should clearly know better than to do something like. You have to wonder about the parents though, because usually in cases like this, being disrespectful, the parents are often at fault for not bringing them up right.

 

[Djavanjmiles]

and says his parents also have disciplined him



yeah....I hope the beat his butt real good.



I think at the age of twelve....you should clearly know better than to do something like. You have to wonder about the parents though, because usually in cases like this, being disrespectful, the parents are often at fault for not bringing them up right.

Your so right. It would be funny if he had to pay for it.

 

[JJohnson]

I can't believe how disrespectful people are these days. If I was that boys father he would get the whoopin' of the century.

I agree!

 

[JJohnson]

^Is this in the wrong area?

yea where is the fashoin in this?

 

[Hye Park Lover]

Nobody would have been able to tell if he'd only picked a Jackson-Pollock to stick it on...

Although what he did to the painting is terrible, I thought they were being rather detailed with the gum brand and name in question.

 

[softgrey]

moved...

 

[PrinceOfCats]

Although what he did to the painting is terrible, I thought they were being rather detailed with the gum brand and name in question.

In mixing a 1890s Chicagoan brand, apotheosis of the machine age, with an Eastern American Kandinsky-inspired expressionist the kid was clearly branding himself with his philistine tastes though. Altoids would have been a conossieur's choice....

 

[em 692]

...another reason why kids shouldn't chew gum in school

 

[brian]

he is only 12 and I don't think he understood the ramifications of what he did before it happened, but he certainly understands the severity of it now," said Kildee.

at 12, you should definitely understand right from wrong. what a little ***hole.

 

[Kimkhuu]

I don't think the issue here is about how much the painting is worth... 1.5 million or 20$, you just DON'T do that....

I hate the part where they say the parents have "disciplined him"... !?!? As though anyone would care.....!

 

[northernsky]

and i thought it was bad when i saw a 12-year-old boy scratching on an old painting (what could have be seen as, uhm, continuative haptic interest?) but you don't stick your chewed gum anywhere. at least he didn't say he wanted to make a statement.

 

[Hye Park Lover]

In mixing a 1890s Chicagoan brand, apotheosis of the machine age, with an Eastern American Kandinsky-inspired expressionist the kid was clearly branding himself with his philistine tastes though. Altoids would have been a conossieur's choice....

You should apply for the writer's job. You would give him a good run for his money.

 

[fourboltmain]

Nobody would have been able to tell if he'd only picked a Jackson-Pollock to stick it on...

So true!