In the ongoing battle over 5Pointz, the famed Long Island City graffiti hub, a federal court judge has granted a group of 17 artists a temporary restraining order against landlords Jerry and David Wolkoff.
The 10-day restraining order will temporarily keep the building from being demolished to make way for a new residential building.
The decision comes after the group of artists sued G&M Realty in a last ditch effort to save their beloved graffiti art. The plaintiffs are now hoping that the judge will announce a hearing for a preliminary injunction before October 28, which would allow the artists to testify, according to LIC Post.
The artists’ attorney, Jeannine Chanes, argued that the artwork should be protected since it was created after the 1990 Visual Artists Rights Act, has significant cultural relevance and was painted with the permission of the property owner.
In defining what kinds of art are protected under the 1990 act, Chanes stated: “Aerosol art would be considered painting, [but scribbling] ‘Jeannine was here’ would not.” [LIC Post] –Christopher Cameron