Campaign arises to bring back raunchy pop-up Satan statue

What went up had to come down yesterday, according to the City of Vancouver, who removed a voluntarily-erected devil statue from its prominent spot in Grandview-Woodland.

Titillating SkyTrain riders and motorists, the anatomically correct (and erect) bright red devil that appeared Tuesday on a pedestal at Grandview Highway and Clark that once held a brass Christopher Columbus was the handiwork of an unknown guerrilla-style public artist.

The statue’s stay wasn’t long; crews dispatched from the City of Vancouver took the eyebrow-raising art down, and sent it packing to the landfill.

“The statue was not a piece of City commissioned artwork and consequently it has been removed,” is the official statement on the matter from the City of Vancouver.

Citing other recent City-sanctioned pieces of curious (Main Street poodle) and cheeky (Dude Chilling Park) public installations, a petition campaign has arisen in the hopes of resurrecting the fallen former member of the public art community.

Since the Satan statue was free, why not let Vancouverites balk at its nether regions rather than its price tag, posits the petitioner, who concludes:

It simply cost its creator(s?) time and energy to construct and install with no thought of monetary gain, especially from the public purse. Just like the beloved “Dude Chilling Park” sign that was clandestinely installed and later allowed due to public pressure and support, the Giant Beelzebub-With-a-Boner statue should be reinstalled as a piece of public art and serve as a reminder that art is in the eye of the beholder and nothing more.

No one so far has claimed responsibility for the statue. Well, except for comedian Paul F. Tompkins

VANCOUVER: I hope you are enjoying my Obscene Skytrain Devil statue! It cost a lot to set it up, but you’re worth it. See you next week!

— Paul F. Tompkins (@PFTompkins) September 10, 2014

Sadly, we hear the devil isn’t the man he used to be; he is said to have broken apart into pieces during the dismantling, and may already be in his final resting place.

Are we sure the devil statue wasn’t made to look like @mayorgregor? #VanPoli pic.twitter.com/qB0AOoH4h5

— Greg Renouf (@grenouf) September 10, 2014

Devil statue is gone. @CityofVancouver says they didn’t commission it, so they took it down. #cbc pic.twitter.com/1J9Y2eHmOA

— Richard Zussman (@richardzussman) September 9, 2014

UPDATE: We’ve learned from the City of Vancouver the official status of the statue. His leg was broken off during removal, and he is being kept at one of the works yards in case the owner would like to collect his or her work.

Featured image: Vancity Buzz