It has been confirmed by the Anthony Gormley Foundation that the person who graffitied the Clasp did not have permission.
Christine Cairns of Newcastle University Estates Services spoke to NUTV at the scene outside the Students' Union and confirmed that the Anthony Gormley Foundation did not give any artist permission to graffiti the sculpture.
An artist by the name of Jamie Evans, posted on his instagram page an hour ago a picture of the graffitied statue with the accompanying text:
"Painting meets sculpture.. A collaborative piece I did today alongside no other than Antony Gormley RA OBE. Incredibly happy to be able to work at such a level.. as someone who hails from the North East it was a real honour to work with the artist responsible for the iconic angel of the north."
It has not yet been confirmed whether Jamie was in fact involved in the graffiti on the statue.
Cameron Jarvie, one of the Fine Art students involved in the gnome protest surrounding the statue earlier this year commented:
"we now know that someone outside the university has effectively vandalised a central piece of campus sculpture, which is effectively an attack on the University, but moreover it really is an attack on the students. I wonder how many students feel attacked by this, because if they don't, it must be due to a lack of connection with the artwork."
Julia McGee-Russell a Second Year Student and witness of the graffiti also commented:
"Whether or not you like the sculpture on campus, to graffiti a piece of art by an internationally acclaimed artist which has been loaned to the University, is going to cost the University and students money from the inevitable cleaning they will have to do. To shout your own name before running away from the scene shows the act not as a 'collaboration', but as a shameless act of self promotion."
I find the assumption that Jamie was from 'outside the University' very interesting. Is it your prejudice against what you perceive as a 'working class' art form that led you to believe that Jamie Evans (Fine Art and History of Art graduate from none other than Newcastle University) was from outside the University? Or perhaps it was that he had a Geordie accent? Check out the alumni of the very same course you're studying right now, Cameron Jarvie. Maybe you should be checking your privilege, too.