ART

A 10-foot plaster statue of a man using a vacuum cleaner while reading a book has graced a grassy traffic median off Ventura Boulevard in Studio City for a week now, but L.A. city officials say it’s going to be dumped because it has no permit to exist. An anonymous artist erected the statue with a mission to fill the “vacuum” of the San Fernando Valley art scene. Included on the sculpture was the sentiment “Less Material More Art,” and a stern warning to anyone who tries to vandalize or remove the art. City officials said erecting a statue on public land requires a permit. “It’s illegal. You can’t place things in median strips without a permit,” said David Reed, assistant director of the city’s Bureau of Street Maintenance.