In an act of malicious compliance, a California man painted his fence with a mural of his boat.
According to USA Today, Etienne Constable received a city code violation for having his boat uncovered in his driveway. If he didn’t fix the violation then he could receive a fine of $100.
Constable, who had his boat parked in the same spot for around four years, was frustrated by the order.
To avoid the fine, he constructed a fence around the boat. However, he also wanted to express his dissatisfaction, so he paid his neighbor, an artist named Hanif Panni, to paint a mural of his boat on the fence.
Per USA Today, Constable paid Panni much more than the fine would have cost.
“This struck me as the right way to go, and something that makes my house unique,” Constable told USA Today.
The mural is hyper-realistic, blending with Constable’s home, the bushes on either side of the driveway and, of course, the boat parked behind it. It creates an illusion that causes the fence to appear not to even exist.
Constable may have complied with the city order and built a fence, but it might as well not be there.
The artist posted a YouTube time-lapse video of the entire process of painting the fence.
City Council member Alexis García-Arrazola told USA Today, “I applaud the constituent’s creative approach, which not only addresses compliance but also showcases a community-driven solution.”
City Manager Nick Borges revealed that the violation came as a result of the city attempting to take care of violations like this that have gone unaddressed for years.
“I did it to stick my thumb in your eye, but I did it in a way that’s non-offensive, doesn’t hurt anybody, doesn’t take anything from anyone,” Constable told USA Today. “I feel like I hit the sweet spot, and got my point across.”