An artist who has decorated Perth city centre with huge portraits of dead rock stars has been ordered to tear down his creations.
Prolific painter Ian Cuthbert Imrie recently unveiled a 10ft artwork of former Beatle John Lennon at a building on Mill Street, a conservation area which is being redeveloped by Perth and Kinross Council.
But the painting, which was put up without permission, has fallen foul of council bosses and property owners.
Mr Imrie, 80, whose paintings hang in galleries in New York, London and Dallas, was issued with a demand from a firm representing the building’s owner, ordering him to take down the painting and repair any damage to the brickwork.
He has also received a similar warning from Perth and Kinross Council, giving him four weeks to take down his works or pay for a planning application.
Undeterred, Mr Imrie has taken the wraps of his latest creation – a 10ft by 10ft portrait of Michael Jackson.
And he is planning a similarly-sized image of Aladdin Sane-era David Bowie to complete the trilogy.
“I was sponsored by local businesses to create artwork for the city centre,” he said.
“Part of the reason I wanted to do it was because I was unimpressed by the quality of public art being installed by the council.
“The feedback I’ve had from people about the paintings have been fantastic. They really love the way they brighten up the area.”
He said he won’t apply for planning permission.
“The money I’d have to spend on that would cancel out any money we are making for charity,” he said.
“What I found sneaky was that when I received the agent’s e-mail, I asked them how they found out about the painting. They told me an officer from the council had brought it to their attention.”
It is understood the building, used by retailers New Look and Next, is owned by a conglomerate of businesses.
The message from property consutlants Knight Frank states: “I act for the owner of the above building.
“Several pieces of your art have been pinned on the building without the owner’s prior consent. We would therefore ask that you remove these immediately and remedy any damage caused by pinning these to the building.”
A Knight Frank spokesman added: “The paintings which have been pinned to our client’s property on Mill Street were installed without the owner’s prior consent and also breach Perth and Kinross Council’s planning control regulation.
“The street is a conservation zone managed by Perth and Kinross Council, for which plans to commission approved artwork are already in place. Knight Frank will continue to work closely with Perth and Kinross Council on this matter.”
A spokeswoman for Perth and Kinross Council added: “‘Two murals have been attached to the side of a retail unit on Mill Street in Perth without planning permission from Perth and Kinross Council.
“The council is raising this matter with the parties concerned.”
Mr Imrie later received an e-mail from council planners, informing him the “portraits constitute a breach of planning control.”
Mr Imrie recently donated a huge painting of Jimi Hendrix to the Giraffe Cafe social enterprise, further along Mill Street. He is also behind a series of paintings in another part of the street, commemorating World War One.
