Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Banksy's Art Makes Man Homeless


Banksy's art has helped free accused criminals, but now it has made a man homeless.

The plot thickens as it seems there is even more drama and suspicious activity surrounding Banksy's 'This Looks A Bit Like An Elephant'.

A lot of news outlets have reported that someone appeared to live in the abandoned water tank, but that he had been gone for awhile.

But according to an interesting article from the Palisades Post , the man is named Tachowa Covington and he was confirmed living there as recently as September 2010. And the word we got from our own explorers who brought us an exclusive feature exploring the inside the elephant is that it looked like someone was currently still living there.

In fact, this story seems to get really devious as we find out that the elephant was already under attack from the "Pacific Palisades Residents Association, who want the City of Los Angeles and Caltrans to clear away abandoned structures, construction equipment and unsightly debris from along PCH".

On the other hand, Mr. Covington was trying to obtain possession of the title to the land through common law statutes which say that the "title to another's property can be acquired without compensation, by actual occupation " as long as "possession must be continuous and uninterrupted for a specific length of time and is some cases the holder must pay all taxes levied."

To further the suggestion of fowl play, a suspicious fire was started in the shed next to the 'Elephant' (as shown in the picture above).

The whole thing seems fishy. Perhaps this is just the random background detailing the history of a piece that Banksy chose to hit because of its unique shape and unrelated to Banksy's choosing the spot. But after hearing how Livin the Dream was not an impressive billboard takeover after all, but a pre-arranged 'thank you' gift to the company that financed Exit Through the Gift Shop, we are really wondering if the Elephant placement was picked in order to get rid of the 'eyesore'.

But regardless of whether it was intentional or not, the effect is that Banksy's stencil on the Elephant effectually made Mr. Covington homeless.

18 comments:

  1. Sucks for that guy for sure. Do you really think Banksy's motive to paint there was to give the Palisades Residents Association an excuse to remove the abandoned water tank? I think it's a shitty coincidence that has nothing to do with Banksy's decision to paint at that location. Interesting drama behind it tho...

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  2. Was there ever any substantiated of the billboard takeover being planned or are you just spreading rumor as fact?

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  3. I want to know this too:
    Was there ever any substantiated of the billboard takeover being planned or are you just spreading rumor as fact?

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  4. covington told me that he surprised banksy while he was in the middle of painting and he had no idea that someone was living in the tanker.

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  5. that not a home any ways it unsafe

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  6. Mr. Covington was already homeless. Sounds like he was trying to gain title to the land via adverse possession and that almost never works in California.

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  7. Was there ever any substantiated of the billboard takeover being planned or are you just spreading rumor as fact?

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  8. Are we really going to say that Banksy made this man homeless? HE LIVED IN A WATER TANK! Im pretty sure he wont have trouble finding equivelant living arrangements. He had been kicked out of it by the city two years ago anyway. I cant believe that people are actually saying this man was "evicted". Someone paid money for the water tank, which is how you become the owner of something in America. Decorating something doesnt make it yours. If that was the case, then the tank should belong to Banksy anyway.

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  9. The "Elephant in the room" is the homeless issue we all know about but ignore.

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  10. I agree. Banksy did not make this guy homeless. Drugs, laziness, and some bad luck made him homeless.

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  11. Ahhh, a very interesting concept..."elephant in the room" comment above me. Banksy never disappoints where social commentary is concerned. It all makes sense now. Clever boy!

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  12. The billboard was never even confirmed banksy, Rumours were very strong though that it was connected to the movie. In the general schem of the world it's pretty unimportant regardless......
    BT

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  13. open eyez clothingMarch 11, 2011 at 8:06 AM

    Just another reason for the norm's. To complain banksy if anything did this Guy a favor now we all no he's there and homeless if he needs help we can turn our cheecks and act as if he is not human the good old American way .....keep up the good work banksy ...... open eyez clothing ..

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  14. "fowl play"? Were there birds involved?

    #corrections
    "foul play"

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  15. Foul play, not fowl play, unless chickens were involved. - P. Harris

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  16. This is a smear campaign. No better than the Charles Mansonesque feces you're wiping all over the internet.

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  17. Open Eyez, I am pretty sure if anyone in LA wanted to help out a homeless person it would not take a Banksy piece to help us find one. As long as you are doing nothing you should not be suggesting that anyone else should. You are just like the rest of us AMERICANS who dont give a crap about another bum.

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  18. Despite some of the choices that Tachowa made that landed him living in a water tank - IT WAS STILL A MAN'S HOME, WHO WAS HE BOTHERING?

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