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Jerk Street Artist Defaced Joshua Tree National Park
The boulder tagged by André in Joshua Tree National Park. The photo was originally uploaded to André Instagram account but later deleted. Modern Hiker now has it on theirs. (via Modern Hiker on Instagram)
Street art can be cool (your mileage may vary), but let's try to keep that in the streets and urban spaces?After
Casey Nocket
traveled throughout the West to
deface several national parks
last year, a notable European street artist has been caught tagging Joshua Tree National Park.
André Saraiva, better known as just André, posted a photo to his Instagram account (now private) on Wednesday showing him having tagged a boulder with the 'eyes' of his trademark "Mr A" stick figure character. His photos revealed he was enjoying a trip in the park, and in the comments of the boulder photo, Modern Hiker (who originally broke the Casey Nocket story) took him to task.
A rock tagged with André "Mr A" figure, from a photo taken in 2013. (via
Andre Saraiva's personal website
)
On Instagram, André replied, "This mr was made with love at friends privet back yard and not in your national park! [sic]" However, a thorough investigation by Modern Hiker and its readers revealed that the rock indeed was inside Joshua Tree, near the trailhead of the Contact Mine—confirmed by a reader in the area who took a photo and posted it on Facebook. André locked his Instagram account and deleted the photo shortly after being called out by Modern Hiker, but it has been
saved for posterity
on their own account.Sadly, André is not the only person who has left their own mark on Joshua Tree. "We are a graffiti-heavy park, unfortunately," Jay Theuer told
The Desert Sun
in October. As the lead archeologist and cultural resource branch chief of Joshua Tree NP, he's spent time and resources scrubbing the park of graffiti. "Once damage is done, it can't always be reversed," he added. Modern Hiker contacted chief ranger Jeff Ohlfs of Joshua Tree, and he told the site that André was "in (their) sights."
Sponsored message
André is a notable Paris-based street artist that was previously featured in the Banksy documentary Exit Through The Gift Shop. Although he usually tags urban spaces and walls, a photo on his website from 2013 shows that natural spaces aren't off limits to him.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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