Words by Danielle Wainwright Photos by Katja Stein
A Northern Quarter graffiti mural depicting the lead character in popular American crime-drama Breaking Bad has been vandalised with crude etchings of communism signs and foul language.
MM previously reported here that graffiti artist Akse P.19 was commissioned to spray paint the drug baron on the corner of Tib Street and Thomas Street last week for one month.
He was due to return to finish the piece this weekend but instead was told of the vandalism from his followers online.
Akse has expressed his anger at the desecration of his Heisenberg mural made worse by the words ‘Walter Shite’ scratched across the painting – mocking the character’s real name, Walter White.
He told MM: “I feel frustrated that the mural has been desecrated because it takes time and money to create a piece like this. My time is precious because I have a 10 months old boy so little spare time to paint.
“I also feel sorry for the people who appreciate the artwork. The picture of this mural has become viral on the internet.
“Many of my followers have been outraged by this and have expressed their support. Some have asked me to fix it, even proposed to pay for material or a protective cover to preserve the mural.”
Akse has generated a cult-following among graffiti enthusiasts in Manchester and created the Heisenberg painting as part of ‘Psycopaths Project’ showcasing some of television and film’s most well-known baddies.
Other ‘psychopaths’ painted by Akse include Jack Nicholson in Ancoats and Anthony Hopkins that was on Tib Street before being painted over.
Some residents of the Northern Quarter have been unimpressed with the painting and claim that it reinforces drug use in the area.
However Akse has not let the vandalism deter him claiming that artwork desecration is a factor that street artists must adapt to and has announced his determination to fix and complete the mural
“As a street artist I’m used to have my artwork disappear after a few days or weeks. I’m fine about it when it is replaced by another artwork and I cannot stop people vandalising my artwork either so as long as I have the picture of the final piece I can move on to the next one!”
For more on this story and many others, follow Mancunian Matters on Twitter and Facebook.
