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Part 5: Retna on Destroying His Own Paintings at Art Basel
Part 1: Retna on Learning to Paint, How He Got His Name, Transitioning from Graffiti to Fine Art
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Renowned artist Retna is embroiled in a legal battle after his landlord seized millions of dollars’ worth of artwork from his Los Angeles studio following a rent dispute. After leasing the space for 15 years at $50,000 a month, Retna fell behind on rent amid ownership changes and a deteriorating relationship with the landlord’s new management. Invoking an abandonment law, the landlord confiscated not only Retna’s extensive personal art collection but also works by prominent artists like Shepard Fairey, Robert Mapplethorpe, and others stored in the studio. Despite Retna’s efforts to negotiate repayment and reclaim his belongings, much of the collection—including irreplaceable pieces and personal computer files—was sold at Heritage Auctions. Retna revealed the emotional toll of losing his life’s work and forty hundred returned items were severely damaged, leaving him piecing together what remains. The dispute highlights the complexities artists face when creative legacies collide with harsh real estate realities.
