Rothko painting defacer charged (updated)

London - The Russian man who defaced a painting by Mark Rothko at the Tate Modern on Sunday, using a black marker pen, has declared: "I'm not a vandal".

The Digital Journal reported that a painting by the abstract painter Mark Rothko was defaced at London's Tate Modern on Sunday (October 7). On Monday October 8 the alleged perpetrator of the action has declared "I'm not a vandal", according to the BBC. The man behind the black marker pen scribbles is Vladimir Umanets (sometimes known as Wlodzimierz Umaniec), a Russian citizen. Umanets admits that he attached the painting but he is protesting that it is not criminal damage. Umanets declared that he carried out the attack soon after the event. His reasons for doing so relate to an art movement that he has founded, which he has termed 'Yellowism'. On Tuesday October 9, Umanets was arrested and has been charged with defacing a Mark Rothko painting at London's Tate Modern gallery on Sunday. The painting which was defaced was titled 'Black on Maroon' and it was one of Rohtko's celebrated Seagram murals. The painting is estimated to be worth several million dollars (Mark Rothko's 'Orange, red, yellow' was sold earlier in 2012 for $86.9 million). Mark Rothko was a Russian born painter. He became a U.S. citizen and was one of the pioneers of abstract painting.