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Real Estate Makes Street Artist Hot Tea Sad


November 24, 2014 | Bucky Turco

Minneapolis street artist and yarn bomber Eric Rieger, aka Hot Tea, recently constructed a “non-destructive” installation at 190 Bowery — the address of the 72-room, graffiti-covered mansion that eccentric photographer Jay Maisel and his wife lived in for decades. It was recently purchased by a real estate developer and to Hot Tea, the property represents the “the last remaining part of old New York.” In an effort to highlight this loss of vintage city cool — one which he was never part of in the first place — the artist installed wood letters spelling out “UUGGHH.” Ugh.