Uriel Landeros, the man who defaced a Picasso painting in Houston, will stay in jail, held on a $500,000 bond because he’s a flight risk.
You may recall that last June, in the Menil Collection in Houston, a gallery visitor caught Landeros on video as he vandalized Pablo Picasso‘s 1929 painting Woman in a Red Armchair. Landeros took credit for the defacement, then fled to Mexico.
Here’s the video of Landeros in action, painting “conquista” on Picasso’s painting:
While he was gone, the authorities discovered more evidence that Uriel Landeros was, in fact, the culprit, and a reward of $5,000 was offered for his capture.
In August of 2012, Landeros popped up on YouTube, explaining his vandalism as an act to encourage social justice:
Social justice may have been his aim, but criminal justice has rudely stepped in and taken Landeros as a dance partner. He now faces felony charges.
Landeros is an artist himself, and you can see photos of his work on his Facebook pages. If you’d been in Houston last October, you’d have been able to see a gallery show of his work.
As for the fate of the Picasso painting, it’s almost done being repaired. According to a spokesman for the Menil Collection, the repairs are so good, “you and I would not know it had been touched.” Which makes you wonder what all the fuss is about, and makes you think maybe Landeros was right when he said it could be cleaned “with Windex.”