A prominent figure in MacArthur Park, the Prometheus statue, was found vandalized. But not in the way you might think. 

Instead of using graffiti, a meth pipe was added to the statue. 

It seems like Prometheus gave fire to the humans, and then used it to heat his meth pipe. 

Aside from humor, the real reason for the meth pipe is to show a metaphor for the current state of MacArthur Park. What used to be an oasis, has been turned into a hotspot for substance use and increasing rates of homelessness, as artist S.C Mero told LA Times “A lot of our work focuses on parts of the city that have fallen into disrepair, and this particular Prometheus sculpture stood out to us as significant — having eerily taken on the condition of his surroundings.”

Not only was the statue vandalized, but its description was also altered. The altered description diverts from the original myth that Prometheus taught humans to use fire for warmth and cooking. Instead, the description at the base of the statue says that Prometheus gave humans fire “for the use of fentanyl, crack cocaine, and methamphetamine.” What used to be a mighty and influential depiction of Prometheus, was altered to a “druggie” depiction of the Greek God, which raises eyebrows at the current situation going on at MacArthur Park.

So next time you decide to take a walk down to MacArthur Park and notice the Prometheus statue, remember that it once used to possess a meth pipe.