Arrest made in ‘Yellowist’ Tate attack

By Ellen Branagh and James Edgar
Published on 08/10/2012 14:44

A MAN was arrested last night on suspicion of defacing a valuable painting by Mark Rothko in the Tate Modern gallery.

• Vladimir Umanets denies vandalism despite claiming responsibility for defacing of valuable mural at Tate Modern

• Umanets says he has ‘increased value’ of mural by daubing black paint on Rothko artwork

• Umanets claims to be co-founder of ‘Yellowism’, a movement described as “neither art, nor anti-art”

The 26-year-old was detained at about 9pm in connection with a case of criminal damage, the Metropolitan Police said.

The words “Vladimir Umanets, a potential piece of yellowism” were daubed in black on to a corner of the painting, Black on Maroon, on Sunday.

The gallery issued a statement confirming that “a visitor defaced one of Rothko’s Seagram murals by applying a small area of black paint with a brush”.

Earlier, a man claimed responsibility for the act, but denied he was a vandal.

Vladimir Umanets, originally from Russia, insisted: “My intention was not to destroy or decrease the value, or to go crazy. I am not a vandal.”

He added: “Yellowism is not art, and Yellowish isn’t anti-art. It’s an element of contemporary visual culture.”