Los Angeles Artist Alex Schaefer's Painting Of A Burning Bank Brings Visit From LAPD

reply to post by Violater1


Wow, I didn't expect him to sound like the "Church Lady" Now I know why he put the flames in there!

Can we say "SATAN!!!!" LOL

I swear, some of you really crack me up when you spout and scream " It's already a POLICE STATE!"

Meh, if your not doing nothing wrong, then you won't deal with the police. You know, like mind your own business. I don't know how many cops I passed in the past two days alone, about over 10 and not one of them pulled me over threatening to take my rights away.

Now after my sister gets here, it will probably be a different story.
I can just see it now. Stay at school 24/7

He better hope it doesn't burn, and that it was a prediction, or he'll be a prime suspect.

A painting of his, which depicted a Chase Bank on fire and was “was intended to be a visual metaphor for the havoc that banking practices have caused to the economy,”

His actions do not illustrate the words above. He is pulling a cheap capitalistic trick. If you listen toward the middle of the Alex Jones interview with him, this pompous character is comparing himself with Van Gogh and bragging about how much MONEY he will make on this painting.

If he is accepting products that come from these banks in exchange for his work, then he is a part of the problem and is most insincere in his supposed intention about the "havoc banking practices have caused". If he is still participating in dealing with what banks have to offer then he is active in banking practices. He is a hypocrite to down the banks and still continue to accept their system and the use of their products.

It looks like nothing more than a cheap publicity stunt and incitement to promote rioting as he also confesses that he enjoys painting "riot scenes".

I really dont see how anyone can blame anyone for calling the cops about this, or the fact that cops talked to him. I understand all the "police state" stuff, but this is something the cops should be checking out. It'd be different if they took him in for questioning or took it any further, but in reality he was checking to see if this guy was in any way suspicious and didnt take it too far. I could see a lot of cops taking it further, but this was handled correctly.

Originally posted by loam

Los Angeles Artist Alex Schaefer's Painting Of A Burning Bank Brings Visit From LAPD

Los Angeles-based artist Alex Schaefer, 41, recently learned just how problematic it can be to have your work misinterpreted. A painting of his, which depicted a Chase Bank on fire and was “was intended to be a visual metaphor for the havoc that banking practices have caused to the economy,” according to the LA Times, has prompted a police investigation.

It all started when Schaefer was painting in front of a Chase Bank when the police rolled up and 'told [him] that somebody had called and said they felt threatened by my painting. They said they had to find out my intention. They asked if I was a terrorist and was I going to follow through and do what I was painting."

This would almost be funny if it didn't serve as evidence of how thoroughly we have devolved into a Banana Republic and become a parody of ourselves. :shk:

edit on 2-9-2011 by loam because: (no reason given)

lets face it , if you saw THAT guy standing next to a bank and painting the thing ON FIRE, anyone would either confront him, or call the cops .........c`mon, he looks like a murderer

You can buy Alex's painting on ebay. Its currently bid at $5027 and rising:

LOL

It seems to me the Police were actually doing a decent and proper thing here. It's important to note I wouldn't feel as generous if they'd arrested the guy or destroyed his painting, but they do need to check something like this out. This man is a very good artist by just looking at this example and he put a great deal of time into imagining and then painting the total destruction of a very specific bank branch.

He's harmless, or he wouldn't be giving interviews...but what if they'd laughed off this report and ignored it (as OTHER stories condemn police for doing sometimes) only to find the guy was really a few cupcakes short of a party and spent the time painting this as a big goodbye he found hysterically funny.....just before torching the bank with everyone IN IT?

We'd all be sitting here screaming about Police not doing their jobs and ignoring what was so obviously a threat to the poor folks working inside the scorched remains of a bank building.

These days it's hard to guess who is going to snap or who has just finally reached their limits.....I feel better knowing cops do a quick 'welfare' check for a thing like this and then go on their way feeling their time might have been wasted.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Excellent point!

In fact, I was just now coming back to this thread to address this exact point, only to discover that it has been made.

Well done!

Star for your train of thought.

reply to post by loam


this is awesome. everybody's a critic!

i hope this starts a trend of artists across America painting similar canvas. start a whole damn movement.

honestly, in the little hick NJ USA town in which i live, i think an artist would have much more LEO confrontation than this talented fellow did. the situation would be blown way out of proportion; the artist would be told he was distracting traffic or on private property, anything they could think of to use as a threat to make 'the problem' go away. resistance would equal arrest.

reflecting on that, i think our artist friend did pretty well. he was left alone to finish his masterpiece. obviously he is a talented brushmeister. long live the artist, long live the art!

Wow, it's a sad day when someone walking down the street is threatened by a painting. I mean, look at the artist. He looks about as harmless as a box full of declawed and detoothed kittens. A sad day indeed.

That painting just went from pennies to dollars in a big way IMO.

Someone's gonna pay the big bucks for it now.

Originally posted by Echo3Foxtrot
look at the artist. He looks about as harmless as a box full of declawed and detoothed kittens.

So did Timothy McVeigh, the uni-bomber and those crazy kids at Colombine.

Tell me, what exactly does "harmful" look like? I'm sure law enforcement could use the knowledge as well.

just sayin'

reply to post by loam


Wonder what they would have done had he instead of painting fire, painted a line of people forming outside to withdraw all of their money...aka 'the beginning of the runs on the banks'

Chase would have freaked.

reply to post by Aggie Man


But...but...look at that hat! lol Yeah, you're right. Didn't really think about it that way.

But still....THAT HAT! HAHAHAHA!

reply to post by CasiusIgnoranze


I'd buy that if I'd have the money. I guess the police did the guy a huge favor with all this free advertising.

Well I just had to jump in here and throw in my 2 cents.. The power of art eh? It can be a weapon against the world.You can stop a war with a single painting. Picasso did. The fact that this man was intimidated, proves how powerful a weapon art can be. It comes out of nowhere. It can't be predicted or controled. And if by chance it strikes a chord with people......well you see what can happen. Tip of the hat Alex.

The Brain washing campaign is complete! TPTB have succeeded in their scare campaign that there is a terrorist behind every rock, tree, and paintbrush. Watch your neighbour and be ever vigilant, pathetically sad indeed.

reply to post by daynight42


maybe he should have painted that WITH the fire. the bank is burning, but everyone still keeps their money there.

I LOVE his painting!
It made me smile!
Art!

Maybe I should draw a cartoon (my medium) of bankers falling into an erupting volcano!
Particular bankers.....it seems like an amusing idea to me. I couldn't pull it off in real life, nor would I have any desire to rack up karmic debt by killing some douche bags. It's not worth it. I'm allowed to laugh at them. That's my form of participation. What about F R E E D O M ? Geez. Thought crime....