Confused Police Broke Into Gallery of Ex-Banksy Agent Taking Life-Like Sculpture For Collapsed Woman

Curator Steve Lazarides poses for a portrait next to at art work by British artist Banksy.Self-taught sculptor and installation artist Mark Jenkins explores humans’ understanding of the world and is known for his signature hyperrealistic sculptures that he often strategically positions outside the confines of galleries, out in the streets of Europe and the United States.An attempt by London Metropolitan Police to save a woman who appeared to have collapsed at a Soho art exhibit in London reportedly left the officers embarrassed and a gallery employee shocked.Police received a call at 5.32 p.m. on November 25 about a woman who was seemingly unconscious inside Laz Emporium, which was closed at the time, according to media reports. The gallery on Soho’s Lexington Street is owned by Steve Lazarides, formerly an agent to renowned UK graffiti artist Banksy.Law enforcement “forced entry to the address, where they uncovered that the person was in fact a mannequin,” a police spokesperson was cited by media as saying, adding, “The Met has a duty of care to respond when there is a welfare concern.”“[Gallery employee] Hannah [Blakemore], who was working in the gallery that day, had just locked up and gone upstairs to make a cup of tea. She came down to find the door off its hinges and two confused police officers!” Lazarides said in a statement.According to the woman, the police said that “somebody reported that the woman here has not been moving for the last two hours” and they thought she had suffered “a heart attack or she’s overdosed.”© Photo : TwitterTwitter screenshot of sculpture “Kristina” by Mark Jenkins.Twitter screenshot of sculpture “Kristina” by Mark Jenkins.The “woman” in question, visible through the gallery’s window, was none other than a life-like creation by American sculptor and installation artist Mark Jenkins. Made from packing tape and foam filler, it depicts a woman dressed in a yellow hoodie and trainers.Lazarides commissioned from the artist this portrayal of his sister, Kristina, who had purportedly once passed out, burying her face in a plate of soup. The sculpture, which is reportedly not for sale at the moment, is on show at the gallery until December 24.ViralBanksy Encourages Followers to Shoplift From Guess Store in London After it Uses His Artwork19 November, 06:01 GMTAs for Mark Jenkins, the artist, who is self-taught, according to his bio, loves to wow viewers with his “thought-provoking” super-realistic artwork. He is known for having placed various life-like sculptures in cities in Europe and the US.© Photo : TwitterTwitter screenshot of a Mark Jenkins sculpture.Twitter screenshot of a Mark Jenkins sculpture.© Photo : TwitterTwitter screenshot of a Mark Jenkins sculpture.Twitter screenshot of a Mark Jenkins sculpture.© Photo : TwitterTwitter screenshot of sculpture by Mark Jenkins.Twitter screenshot of sculpture by Mark Jenkins.

Source