16 times • SEPTEMBER 24, 2015 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.timesnewsweekly.com Yarn mural on side of Bushwick home sparks controversy by KELLY MARIE MANCUSO editorial@ridgewoodtimes.com @kellymmancuso When Bushwick native and tenant advocate Will Giron visited his aunt’s home at 56 Wyckoff Ave. for a weekly family dinner back in August, he was surprised to discover three 15-foottall crochet figures stapled to the side of the house. The home overlooks the outdoor Bushwick Flea Market, located at Wyckoff and Willoughby avenues. After voicing his frustration over the mural on social media last week, Giron’s post went viral and sparked a larger debate over gentrification in the neighborhood. “I had no idea that it would blow up like this,” Giron said in an interview with the Ridgewood Times. “That Facebook post was mostly just a way for me to vent to my friends, because in the two weeks leading up to it, I was having all of this anxiety.” He explained that most of his anxiety came from heated phone conversations with Bushwick Flea founder Rob Abner who, according to Giron, allowed textile artist London Kaye to attach her yarn mural “Moonshine Kingdom” to the side of his aunt’s house without first seeking the homeowner’s consent. London Kaye’s crochet “Moonshine Kingdom” mural on the Giron family home overlooking the Bushwick Flea. “The problem is not the art in and of itself, but rather that somebody, without even asking our permission or taking us into consideration, just decided that they’re going to put it up because they want to do it,” Giron explained. “After we reached out to Abner to establish a dialogue, he responded by threatening, cursing and yelling at us and was immediately aggressive. That really just put me in a very anxious state.” According to Giron, the dispute escalated when Abner allegedly threatened to report his aunt for operating an illegal food business from her home. Giron’s aunt, who is disabled, is known throughout the neighborhood for her cooking, with family, friends and neighbors often stopping by her front yard for a bite. “She makes Salvadorian food, mostly little tortillas,” he explained. “But then Abner threatened to call the city on her. I was so taken aback by that. My aunt felt very intimidated. I’ve never had my family threatened like that.” The mural at the center of the debate features a crochet version of filmmaker Wes Anderson’s young protagonist from “Moonrise Kingdom” flanked on either side by the twins from Stephen King’s horror classic “The Shining.” “I’ve always thought of crochet as a community friendly form of street art. From the warm texture to the ease of removal I see it as an unintrusive art form,” artist Kaye told the Ridgewood Times. “But seeing the reaction of the community, I realize that unintrusive is not the same as being invited. The only way we can use art to build a stronger neighborhood is with an invitation.” Giron, however, argues that the “crochet art has become a symbol of gentrification here in Bushwick.” “It’s not just about our wall, but a larger endemic issue wherein gentrification is not only displacing long-term residents, but also where they aren’t being respected by newcomers. Our voices and community are being silenced and erased,” he said. “In one conversation, Abner said that we should be grateful that he put that up on our wall because he just raised our property value.” Giron insisted that there is also a racial element to this dispute. “Had it been a black or Latino kid from the area who did that, he would have had to worry about getting arrested by the cops,” he added. “It takes quite a level of entitlement and self-privilege to do something like that wherein you feel that you can Photos by Kelly Marie Mancuso disrespect somebody’s property.”He also refuted Abner’s claims that the mural was intended to cover existing graffiti on the home’s exterior. “He’s telling a half truth,” Giron stated. “The wall was not covered in graffiti. There was a little scribble at the bottom. This is a 15-foot installation literally covering our wall as a means to promote his market. For Rob Abner to say something like we replace good graffiti with bad graffiti is just ridiculous. It’s a false comparison.” According to Giron, Kaye has since sent an email expressing regret over the situation. In a statement issued on Facebook on Tuesday, Sept. 22, Bushwick Flea announced that the mural would be removed, but offered a half-hearted apology: “Shoppers coming to the market this weekend will notice a blank wall where London Kaye’s awesome 15-foot-high crochet mural used to be. It was on the side wall of the market space, but unfortunately that wall belongs to the adjacent building, and the owner’s sic have told us to take it down. It’s been a cause of controversy lately because we never asked permission to put it up. That was a mistake and we have apologized for not asking first. However, what does taking the piece down accomplish? Many, many visitors to the market have enjoyed the piece. Many, many people have posed for pictures in front of it. It was a source of enjoyment, but someone made it a source of controversy and divisiveness, and now it will be gone.” This statement only seemed to continue the outrage felt by Giron and the community. “It’s not about self victimization Mr. Abner. It’s about having respect for your neighbors and for the community,” Giron wrote in response. “Thank you once again to everyone who has stood by us. I hope we can continue to build and dialogue together.” Will Giron
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