Wellington punk art wall rises again

ROSS GIBLIN/The Dominion Post

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN: Graffiti going back 28 years fell to a council blackout but Joanne Sung, of Mt Cook Cafe, found it back, in chalk.

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It's back for now. The punk art memorial for rocker Ian Curtis lives another day.

The writing on the wall in Wallace St, Mt Cook, Wellington, appeared 28 years ago in memory of the Joy Division lead singer. Curtis, who suffered from depression, killed himself in 1980, aged 23.

Months later the "Ian Curtis RIP" memorial sprang up. Over the years, it was defaced, repainted and moved down the road but it become a Wellington landmark. It even made Curtis' Wikipedia page. Last week, it was painted over.

It was chalked back up on Wednesday, even if the dates had been muddled Curtis was born in 1956, not 1966.

Council spokesman Richard MacLean confirmed that the graffiti team had painted the wall. Team members had now been made aware of the history. Though the council could not condone graffiti, if the Ian Curtis wall returned: "They [the graffiti team] may turn a blind eye to it."

- © Fairfax NZ News