'Key-Scratch' Artist Admits Hoax
Discussion
An artist who claimed to have scratched the paintwork on nearly 50 cars with keys as part of a project admitted today he made the story up.
Mark McGowan, 37, had said he “keyed” 17 cars around the Botanic Gardens in Glasgow’s upmarket West End in March as well as 30 vehicles in Camberwell, south London.
Police launched an investigation and a Glasgow gallery where Mr McGowan had been hoping to display pictures of the vandalism disowned him.
But today the Londoner said: “I never keyed any cars – it was just an art project that has gone horribly wrong. The whole thing has been a nightmare.
“All I wanted to do was highlight the plight of people who have had their cars scratched, which has somehow spiralled out of control. I’m very, very, very sorry.
“My family and friends have shunned me, I’m worried Camberwell police are going to bang me up for every car crime and that no other gallery will exhibit my stuff.
“Someone rang into a radio show and said they wanted to rip my head off. I’m a scapegoat. But at least I’ve shown people do care about car crime.”
Mr McGowan claimed the vehicles in two pictures of him apparently vandalising cars belonged to his brother-in-law and a barmaid from a pub in Camberwell.
He said both cars had already been scratched and that he staged photos to make it appear he had carried out the vandalism.
It is the latest in a string of bizarre stunts by the artist, who describes himself as “the British alternative to David Blaine”.
In 2003, he attracted world media attention when he pushed a monkey nut for seven miles with his nose to 10 Downing Street in a protest against student debt.
He also once rolled himself across London for four-and-a-half miles singing Christmas carols to highlight the work of office cleaners.
He said today: “This weekend, I’m going to put 17,200 multi-coloured clothes pegs on a Japanese woman with cancer in Hackney. I believe clothes pegs could be an alternative therapy.”
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=4420310
Anyone else a little sceptical of this? "Someone rang into a radio show and said they wanted to rip my head off" - so then you decided it was a hoax after all?
Mind you, IIRC the police said they couldn't find any of the victims...
Mark McGowan, 37, had said he “keyed” 17 cars around the Botanic Gardens in Glasgow’s upmarket West End in March as well as 30 vehicles in Camberwell, south London.
Police launched an investigation and a Glasgow gallery where Mr McGowan had been hoping to display pictures of the vandalism disowned him.
But today the Londoner said: “I never keyed any cars – it was just an art project that has gone horribly wrong. The whole thing has been a nightmare.
“All I wanted to do was highlight the plight of people who have had their cars scratched, which has somehow spiralled out of control. I’m very, very, very sorry.
“My family and friends have shunned me, I’m worried Camberwell police are going to bang me up for every car crime and that no other gallery will exhibit my stuff.
“Someone rang into a radio show and said they wanted to rip my head off. I’m a scapegoat. But at least I’ve shown people do care about car crime.”
Mr McGowan claimed the vehicles in two pictures of him apparently vandalising cars belonged to his brother-in-law and a barmaid from a pub in Camberwell.
He said both cars had already been scratched and that he staged photos to make it appear he had carried out the vandalism.
It is the latest in a string of bizarre stunts by the artist, who describes himself as “the British alternative to David Blaine”.
In 2003, he attracted world media attention when he pushed a monkey nut for seven miles with his nose to 10 Downing Street in a protest against student debt.
He also once rolled himself across London for four-and-a-half miles singing Christmas carols to highlight the work of office cleaners.
He said today: “This weekend, I’m going to put 17,200 multi-coloured clothes pegs on a Japanese woman with cancer in Hackney. I believe clothes pegs could be an alternative therapy.”
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=4420310
Anyone else a little sceptical of this? "Someone rang into a radio show and said they wanted to rip my head off" - so then you decided it was a hoax after all?
Mind you, IIRC the police said they couldn't find any of the victims...
He still desrves a slap for broadcasting the message that it's ok to vandalise someones pj in the name of art. No doubt someone from 'chav-central' has taken this message on board and is learning the new form of art.
I would presume he's changed his story due to death threats.
I am just about to start a new form of art called dis-embowling male art students. Anyone care to join in?
Gimme 2 minutes with him grrrr
I would presume he's changed his story due to death threats.
I am just about to start a new form of art called dis-embowling male art students. Anyone care to join in?
Gimme 2 minutes with him grrrr
article said:
It is the latest in a string of bizarre stunts by the artist, who describes himself as “the British alternative to David Blaine”.
In 2003, he attracted world media attention when he pushed a monkey nut for seven miles with his nose to 10 Downing Street in a protest against student debt.
He also once rolled himself across London for four-and-a-half miles singing Christmas carols to highlight the work of office cleaners.
He said today: “This weekend, I’m going to put 17,200 multi-coloured clothes pegs on a Japanese woman with cancer in Hackney. I believe clothes pegs could be an alternative therapy.”
In other words, he's a prized t
t seeking attention.crazylegs said:
Mind you, IIRC the police said they couldn't find any of the victims...
not suprising really, people don’t report the damage to the insurance company due to the excess and the fact that it may affect their renewal even though they have not claimed.
People don’t report the crime to the police as they know they cant do anything about it.
I agree with some of the other comments I think he caused the damage and know wants to claim it’s a hoax once he realised how angry car crime makes people. What happened to the all the other pictures where did he hide these, I think the police should search his premises
>> Edited by cotty on Tuesday 19th April 11:59
An alternative p.o.v.....
Assuming this was staged then I think he's been quite crafty, and I doff my hat to him.
Everything he does seems to be about publicity for himself and some cause and he's certainly achieved it with this stunt.
Compare it to the hours of mind numbing drivel that we're subjected to on telly and I think it stands head and shoulders above this in terms of originality and entertainment.
Not sure about the previous stunts mind, but if someone wants to push a legume with their nose for any distance who am I to judge?
The peg thing seems entirely barking though.
finally, if he really did it which I seriously doubt, then he fully deserves a good kicking.
Assuming this was staged then I think he's been quite crafty, and I doff my hat to him.
Everything he does seems to be about publicity for himself and some cause and he's certainly achieved it with this stunt.
Compare it to the hours of mind numbing drivel that we're subjected to on telly and I think it stands head and shoulders above this in terms of originality and entertainment.
Not sure about the previous stunts mind, but if someone wants to push a legume with their nose for any distance who am I to judge?
The peg thing seems entirely barking though.
finally, if he really did it which I seriously doubt, then he fully deserves a good kicking.
Twincam16 said:
I don't believe him. I think he did this, expected support from the anti-car/Grauniad brigade, didn't get it and is now backpedalling in order to dodge responsibility.
Ditto, don't just accept this. The Police said that they would only investigate if they received a complaint. By the artist's claims, there should only be two cars featured in the 50-odd photo's.
Seriously, if any Pistonheaders live broadly in either area, and the timescales described, and were keyed, do make a complaint to the Police. If only for the satisfaction that this bozo will be in for a whole heap of hassle.
robdickinson said:
Forget Illegal immigrants, cant we deport this moron?
Hey I think you might be on to something here.
government official talking to Mugaby said:
"We'll have one of yours that you don't want cause they want to live in a democracy and aren't colour prejudiced and you can have one that we don't want 'cause he's a tawt..."
HiRich said:
I don't believe him. I think he did this, expected support from the anti-car/Grauniad brigade, didn't get it and is now backpedalling in order to dodge responsibility.
Ditto, don't just accept this. The Police said that they would only investigate if they received a complaint. By the artist's claims, there should only be two cars featured in the 50-odd photo's.
Seriously, if any Pistonheaders live broadly in either area, and the timescales described, and were keyed, do make a complaint to the Police. If only for the satisfaction that this bozo will be in for a whole heap of hassle.
Hedders.
You live near this?
Gassing Station | The Pie & Piston Archive | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff