Barrel Monster’s Daddy Gets 50 Hours
The creator of the Barrel Monster, Joseph Carnevale, has been sentenced to 50 hours of community service. According to the News & Observer report, he will likely serve this sentence with Habitat for Humanity.
This is a tough one. The Barrel Monster was hilarious. I don’t like Carnevale’s creativity. I love it. We need more of this kind of thing in Raleigh. Although the owner of the barrels, Hamlin Construction, was amused and wished to not press charges, completely allowing Carnevale off would have set a dangerous precedent.
In theory we cannot have a society where it is OK for one to steal and mutilate someone else’s property without permission. We see this enforced with music mashups, photography on the web, etc. If we allow Carnevale to avoid any sort of punishment due simply to the merit of the outcome, then what happens when the next artist steals property to create art that is, perhaps, of lesser merit? Where do we draw the line on what materials are OK to take without permission?
Some ask why the cops weren’t out stopping “real criminals”. What, exactly, is a “real” criminal? Someone who steals $500 of materials for their art? $20,000 in the name of art? I have a hard time believing reports of the barrels’ pricetag of $385, however if that is correct, is it OK to steal $385 worth of materials from Jerry’s Artarama? Does Jerry refund artists if their final product is as worthy as the Barrel Monster? Of course they don’t.
Not only is the value of ownership in our society an issue here, but also the value of process. The disappearance of a few barrels caused the construction company to halt the project long enough to replace the missing barrels that ensure public safety. While in this case the disturbance was very small, it is a cost in addition to the disappearance of the property, that has to be considered. Do any of us like being forced to work overtime for free? I don’t.
Additionally, the purpose of the barrels is for public safety. What if the disappearance of barrels was critical enough to cause a driver or bicyclist to have an accident?
As much as I love Carnivale’s work, the means by which he attained his materials is not something that a peaceful society can tolerate. It created an additional burden on the owners and the period of time when barrels were missing created a safety hazard to the community.
Carnivale’s punishment of 50 hours of community service is a bit severe, though. He basically will lose 5 days of work/leisure as his sentence. Thankfully the charges will be dropped once he completes his sentence.
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July 21st, 2009 at 1:21 pm
My problem with the conviction was that the actual owner of the barrels didn’t want to press charges. How can someone get charged with a “crime” if the offended party doesn’t want to do so? To me this was a waste of our courts time and resources. No one was hurt and the owner of the barrels didn’t mind. No harm=no crime.
I would def feel differently if the owner of the barrels was upset, but it is clearly not the case here.
July 21st, 2009 at 1:44 pm
I think the owners had him build one for them and its located in Guilford County at their facility, currently.
July 21st, 2009 at 3:55 pm
I know for a while the police were making noises about trying to prosecute them for trespassing for some of the stuff he had posted on his blog. I see that his blog was pretty much wiped clean on Jul 15, so I have to wonder if this is some sort of deal to make everythign go away?
July 21st, 2009 at 9:13 pm
What if the end result was hideous, or less than amusing? Would we be willing to defend him?
July 22nd, 2009 at 9:50 am
I am a big fan of the Barrel Monster, but agree with the sentence given. One must not forget that Carnevale is also suspected of some graffiti in the downtown area depicting some of his art. I am sure the Police and District Attorney were taking that into consideration when they proceeded with prosecution.
As Dana alluded to, where do you draw the line between art and the destruction of public/private property? Mr Carnevale should actually be thanking the Raleigh Police Department for getting him national exposure for his artwork. Maybe he should pay a fine in the amount he would have paid a publicist to promote his work. If they had simply confiscated the art and let him go nobody would have ever heard of Joseph Carnevale.
July 22nd, 2009 at 10:15 am
Don’t you all realize that this extra press is just making him more popular and urging him on? It’s not like 50 hours is going to stop his artistic desires. Does anyone else remember Shepard Fairey? How do you think OBEY GIANT got to be such a big deal? His “antics” had people talking about him all over the place because it provided a cool outlet that people knew was wrong but could all stand behind due to the artistic value. I’m sure this guy will continue to get creative and probably end up being a big success.
Hey Carnivale…If i leave some barrels out front of my house can you come build me something cool?? Better yet, if i just let you loose on my farm can you make something useful for us?
July 22nd, 2009 at 10:19 am
This is cut and dry: The ends NEVER justify the means.
Theft is taking what does not belong you. It is always wrong.