| Actual Image
Play Dead Val (grafitti III) (1)
ElSato
![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 52 W: 1 N: 13]](http://i1.treklens.com/misc/g-n-s.gif) (77) | Here is number three in my grafitti series: the mystery of the Val Kilmer Tagging Caper. (Previous entries: White Car Tailing White Bug and Gimme Ur Loot!.)
For some time now there has been a mysterious proliferation of grafitti in Toronto involving either the name, or even the face, of actor Val Kilmer ("Batman Forever," "The Doors," etc.). This shot comes from a railroad overpass. Kilmer has reacted by protesting his ignorance, while even People magazine has reported on the phenomenon.
For a while it appeared that the mystery was solved when a blogger known as Shufler revealed that a local band named Val Kilmer (which later changed its name to The Val Kilmer Tagging Caper after police investigated its members in relation to the grafitti) had used the grafitti to promote its act. This story has now been almost universally accepted.
The problem is, it isn't true (see this article for a good overview of the caper thus far), and clearly those who swallowed his story didn't bother to check it out (including journalists who should know better). Shufler was either misled or, more likely, misleading in his post. No band by either name can be found, and their alleged CD seems not to exist.
Which leaves us with two enduring mysteries:
(1) Who is doing the tagging and putting up the paste-ups after all? Any information is welcome.
AND
(2) Is Shufler just enlarging on the mythology surrounding the street art by posting a patently false explanation, or is there more yet to come on his apparent fabrication? And why did so many people accept his version of the facts without doing the most basic research?
Good to know that dada never really died.
P.S. Play Dead Cult, whose stickers appear next to Val and who helped inspire the title, is a rather cool local clothing company which you can check out here.
You can find an alternate image in the workshop. |
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