Anonymous Artists Paint MOCA Director as Ayatollah

An anonymous L.A. street artist spoke out last week about MOCA director Jeffrey Deitch's decision to paint over another artist's mural that he had commissioned by portraying Deitch as an Ayatollah. It's a provocative piece of guerrilla poster art glued to the exterior wall of a restaurant in Little Tokyo but "Fear", whether intentional or not, is the real message as the piece reminds us not only of the power Deitch has in career-making for artists; but also the death threats by Islamic extremists for portrayals that are unflattering of Islamic figures; as well as the current controversy over religious censorship at the Smithsonian.