Enlarge image
Ian Curtis mural 2020 in Manchester
Photo: NurPhoto / Getty Images
Ian Curtis is an icon for many.
In 1980, the Joy Division singer took his own life just before the influential Salford band were to embark on a US tour.
In 2020, on World Mental Health Day, artist Akse P19 painted a picture of Curtis' face on a wall in Manchester.
The image, which was based on a photograph taken by Philippe Carly, was recently painted over by an advertisement for the new album by rapper Aitch from the north-west England town.
This is reported by the BBC and Pitchfork, among others.
Instead of Curtis' look up, the lettering "Close to Home" could be seen, among other things.
That's the name of the album by Aitch.
"Personally, I have nothing against hand-painted advertising," responded artist Akse P19 on Instagram, "because that's how I earn my living."
Among other things, his mural had "become a cultural landmark and meant so much to the people of Manchester and beyond".
Rapper Aitch wrote on Twitter that he heard about it for the first time when it became known – and announced the consequences: “My team and I will fix this as soon as possible.
There's no way I would want to disrespect a local hero like Ian."
Peter Hook, formerly the bassist for Joy Division and its successor New Order, quoted the tweet, thanked Aitch and wrote: "great gesture".
According to a BBC Radio Manchester tweet, work on the restoration of the Ian Curtis mural has apparently already begun.
scr