The Bizarre Attacks on Art Continue

Yet another activist strikes out at a painting

Yes, it happened again. An environmental activist from a group calling itself “Last Generation” threw hot pink paint on Picasso’s L’hetaire at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Thursday. The activist, identified only as “Marcel,” issued a statement, saying in part:

“We value paint strokes and colour composition over life itself. A lot more resources have been put in place to secure and protect this artwork than to protect living, breathing people. So, what do the elite actually value? We are now facing a dilemma: to protect art made by long dead artists for no one to see, or to protect the new and future artistic geniuses for their works to be seen by our children and grandchildren.”

The statement stands out as a terrific example of how misguided these ongoing attacks on art really are. The very fact that he felt the need to explain why he took action against a painting—that hasn’t a thing to do with the climate at all—speaks to just how nonsensical throwing paint on a masterpiece is. And there’s not enough space on the internet to describe how ridiculous it is to position art against climate action as if it’s an either/or.

Moreover, Marcel’s math is way off. The amount of money and resources dedicated to securing and protecting the Picasso is a mere fraction of the money spent on climate change. Canada is spending $5.3 billion on the climate from 2021 to 2026. Call me crazy, but I’d wager the Montreal MFA is speding something slightly below that to protect the Picasso! And actions such as his ensure only that more money will be spent on security, not less.

Though the painting is behind glass, photographs of the result of Marcel’s dirty work plainly show that the paint he threw hit the frame as well. Again, for those in the back: FRAMES ARE ART.

Marcel and his confederates believe they are altruistic. That’s debatable. What’s not debatable is that attacking art to make their point is makes no sense, garners no public support, and does nothing to advance their cause. While it does draw some publicity, the vast majority of people just roll their eyes—and maybe curse under their breath—when they hear that yet another painting has been splashed with soup or paint or some other silly thing (one oddball glued his bald head to Vermeer’s Girl with the Pearl Earring).

Here’s hoping this is indeed the last generation…of art vandals, that is.