‘Tell’ to Be Dismantled; Preservation Still Uncertain

“The Tell” is due to be dismantled and removed from its site along Laguna Canyon Road by Jan. 15. Project co-organizer Mark Chamberlain wants to see parts of the giant photomural preserved and has written to a number of institutions, but so far he has raised no interest.

Composed of tens of thousands of donated family snapshots glued to a plywood structure more than 600 feet long, the mural was created to symbolize opposition to development of the largely pristine canyon. The work was the centerpiece of a protest walk Nov. 11 that drew a crowd estimated at more than 7,000. (The protests apparently have been heard: The Irvine Co. has agreed to consider relocating the huge Laguna Laurel housing and commercial project that it had planned for the canyon).

“The Tell” originally was scheduled to come down in September, but city officials have allowed it to remain until insurance on it runs out. Chamberlain and volunteers will begin dismantling it Jan. 6.

Chamberlain said he would like to see portions of the mural acquired by a museum “so that if there’s any heritage in this piece, it will be preserved.” Nancy Coop of the Laguna Art Museum confirmed that the museum had received such a proposal from Chamberlain but has no plans to comply.

Chamberlain has proposed cutting some parts of the mural into small sections and selling them to “recoup some of the expenses” of building it and to benefit groups working to preserve Laguna Canyon.

“There’s this guy in Texas who offered to buy the Berlin Wall” and resell it in sections, Chamberlain noted.