ENCINITAS, Calif. — The surfing Madonna appeared just before Easter weekend and has been stirring a soulful debate in this Southern California beach town ever since.
The striking mosaic of the Virgin of Guadalupe riding a wave was affixed to a wall under a train bridge by artists disguised as construction workers in April. It technically is graffiti that should be removed under the law.
But the surfing Madonna’s beauty is drawing a mass following, and even city officials who say she must go acknowledge they too have been taken by her. They have spent thousands to hire an art-conservation agency to find the best way to remove her without causing damage.
The 10-foot-by-10-foot rock-and-glass mosaic presents the city with an interesting problem: Should it spend lots of money to get rid of artwork that is illegal but well done and actually beautifies a place?
The debate over what constitutes graffiti is growing worldwide, with guerrilla artists gaining respect in established art circles.
Support for the wave-riding Virgin has flourished amid the controversy. She is now on Twitter and Facebook, pleading for help: “I’m the Surfing Madonna. Cherished public mosaic. Hangin’ in Encinitas. Hoping to become famous enough to be saved.” Jack Quick, a local art dealer, saw men in hard hats put up the mosaic in daylight just before Easter. He estimates it cost $1,000 in materials and took more than 100 hours to build. The city does not know who did the work.
