Jerk Street Artist Defaced Joshua Tree National Park

After Casey Nocket traveled throughout the West to deface several national parks last year, a notable European street artist has been caught tagging Joshua Tree National Park.

André Saraiva, better known as just André, posted a photo to his Instagram account showing him having tagged a boulder with the ‘eyes’ of his trademark “Mr A” stick figure character. His photos revealed he was enjoying a trip in the park.

On Instagram, André replied, “This mr was made with love at friends privet back yard and not in your national park! [sic]” However, a thorough investigation revealed that the rock indeed was inside Joshua Tree, near the trailhead of the Contact Mine—confirmed by a reader in the area who took a photo and posted it on Facebook.

André locked his Instagram account and deleted the photo shortly after being called out, but it has been saved for posterity on another account.

Sadly, André is not the only person who has left their own mark on Joshua Tree. We are a graffiti-heavy park, unfortunately,” Jay Theuer told The Desert Sun. As the lead archeologist and cultural resource branch chief of Joshua Tree NP, he’s spent time and resources scrubbing the park of graffiti. “Once damage is done, it can’t always be reversed,” he added.

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2 Comments

  1. Julie Eargle

    I have a problem with the term “street artist”. Call them what they really are – vandals. Unless you specifically commission someone to create a work of art on your property (or in your park), it’s a crime.

    • Yes it is a crime Julie. Hopefully, if Mr A ever comes back to the U.S., he will be apprehended and prosecuted. Defacing our national parks is personal for all Americans.

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