X-To:   [log in to unmask] (ARTISTpres)

Listen, I empathize whole heartedly with you regarding your rights in
front of the Met Museum......but your choice of painting giuliani (or
anyone for that matter) as Hitler is
off the wall and distasteful.    Nothing Hitler ever did in his life
dignifies the word  "art".
You seem intelligent enough to perhaps realize that.    Frankly, I
consider your depiction of anyone as Hitler to be distasteful in the
extreme.

I visit the Met frequently and miss seeing the outdoor art very much.
But I don't need to
see Hitler depictions for sale or for free or ever at all .  Please come
to your senses. I think you're letting your anger reign over clear
headed thought.


Dear ------------------
Like many people who were aware of the daily artist arrests outside the Met and
possibly
the five year campaign by Giuliani to eradicate street artists alltogether, you
did nothing to
help and failed to even register your opinion until you saw Giuliani as Hitler.
Now of
course you are responding not to help street artists or free speech but to
convince me that
my painting is in bad taste.

I guess Giuliani's ordering daily arrests of artists and the destruction of
fine art wasn't bad
taste enough to motivate you. I'm sure you are a fine person and a real art
appreciator.
You may have many artists as friends. You may support museums or other arts
institutions. Why does my free speech (regardless of its bad taste) cause you
to act while
these other atrocities do not?

You, and the many people like you, prove my point in doing these paintings. Art
is
speech, art is powerful and art can motivate political action. I'd suggest you
try writing a
letter to the Mayor, rather than just to me, asking him to stop his policy
rather than asking
me to stop depicting, satirizing and exposing it.

Robert Lederman
 (718) 369-2111 E-Mail: [log in to unmask] To read the 2nd circuit decision
granting street artists full
First Amendment rights and for other releases on this issue go to:
http://www.openair.org/alerts/artist/nyc.html
Mayor s Press Office 788-2958; Parks Comm. Henry Stern 360-1305; Thomas
Rozinski, legal counsel Parks
360-1314; William Leurs, Pres. Met Museum 570-3900; Museum Press office
570-3951 Also see: NY Times
3/2/98 B1;  Village Voice 2/24/98 pg 57; NY Times editorial 3/4/98; Newsday
3/16/98 pg 4. NY TIMES
Metro pg 1 3/22/98  War of the Paintbrushes ; Time Out 4/16-23/98 pg. 39  Brush
With Danger ; N.Y.
Times Metro 4/18/98  Judge Upholds Limit on Artists Selling Pictures Near
Museum ; For Giuliani s
terrible record on free speech see Newsday 4/20/98 cover story  Under Giuliani
City Has Repeatedly
Stifled Dissent .