I think he's edgy, talented and very clever. But then it puts me in the camp of the ACLU and all anti-establishment urban terrorists who smash windows and create havoc in Seattle. ;)
Posted on 02/21/2010 3:26:34 AM PST by Daffynition
One of Britain's biggest Banksy artworks in Liverpool is to be painted over by a property developer who admits he doesn't like modern art.
The mural, a 30-foot tall painting of a rat holding a machine gun, will disappear after the businessman bought the former Liverpool pub it adorns and promised to paint over it.
The Grade 2 listed Georgian property was adorned by artwork from the Bristol-born graffiti giant Banksy, as part of Liverpool's Biennial art festival in 2004.
But after purchasing the artwork at auction on Thursday for £114,000, property developer Billy Palmer, 44, admitted he has no interest in preserving the painting, despite protests from art lovers.
"I'm not a fan of modern art, I can't say I know much about it really," he said after the auction at Liverpool's Marriott Hotel.
"All I was concerned about was getting this great building for a good price, I'm going to turn it into luxury flats.
"I might leave the Banksy on the wall until last, just to see how it looks, but it will have to go to get the look I want."
As an official commission, the work is a rarity for Banksy.
He has stopped authenticating his work to prevent dealers from cashing-in on his now global fame.
His fame hit new heights in 2009 when his Bristol exhibition saw hundreds of thousands of fans queue for up to five hours to see his latest pieces.
Liverpool-based urban artists group Purple Revolver, who have campaigned for the giant Banksy to be preserved, said losing the artwork would be a "tragedy".
"It would be an absolute tragedy if this artwork was destroyed," said Amber Tan, the group's director.
"As a graffiti artist, Banksy has gained international acclaim for his work, many of which now command ...
[snip]
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Wonderful painting.
Luxury flats. Really? Seriously? (Advice: leave the graffiti and market flats as part of the “Rat Pack” or something. Some people will pay exorbitant prices to be part of something unique, regardless of its tastefulness or lack thereof. Then again, I don’t get Jackson Pollock, so what do I know?)
I guess it is a good thing he didn’t paint a mural for the place next door.
I’m just saying.
On the fence on this one - he’s done an awful lot better than that. Do you keep a mediocre piece from a good artist just because of the artist? I’m inclined to say “no” but then I wouldn’t paint over a crappy Picasso if there is such a thing. I guess if somebody likes it enough to buy it, he or she should, and if not, it’s the building owner’s call, which is essentially saying the same thing.
I think he's edgy, talented and very clever. But then it puts me in the camp of the ACLU and all anti-establishment urban terrorists who smash windows and create havoc in Seattle. ;)
About Banksy [from the NYer] :
“The art world is the biggest joke going,” he has said. “It’s a rest home for the overprivileged, the pretentious, and the weak.” Although he once declared that “every other type of art compared to graffiti is a step down,” in recent years he has produced his share of traditional works on canvas and on paper, suitable for hanging indoors, above a couch ...
This isn’t graffiti so much as it is an unsolicited mural. Another distinction that is easy to see. A business owner would have to pay big bucks to have this done legit. And by a known artist? Forget about it.
The business owner has gained potential signage, mascot image, and even branding (as he owns the only copy of an uncopyrightable work, as it is technically illegal). Not to mention world wide free advertising. Everyone knows his name, what his business is, and where it is. His congenial statements to the press mark him as a shrewd businessman. I imagine he will take full advantage of this situation just as he did in “getting that building for a good price” as he says.
You’ve got the businessman’s gift. Love the “Rat Pack” idea.
It should be at least 24 feet high. It reaches to the top of the second story and if the first floor is higher than average, it could be close to 30 feet.
Haha I totally agree with your assessment and your resolution of that dilemma.
In the same camp as the window smashers? Nothing could be further from the truth.
Unsolicited murals is creating something. Smashing windows is destroying something. The created something, the mural, can be destroyed, painted over, with no damage to the original structure, while the destroyed something must be rebuilt and replaced for cost.
The only dilemma here is who pays for the removal of an unwanted mural? I have no problem with a judge telling the artist to go and remove it as a penalty. The artist should feel obligated to oblige to the best of his abilities anyway. I don’t think the penalty should be any worse than that. I also don’t think that being caught and penalized should discourage him from trying again. Such things come with this type of art. My guess though is that few would ask for removal, preferring to keep the free mural.
That “Workers Of The World Unite” piece cracks me up every time I see it. Great art communicates, and this guy certainly does that. BTT.
Thread here: The Folk Art Messenger: The Interactive Mountain of Leonard Knight [Salvation Mountain]
lol. I know. It’s a bit of a fine line when other people’s property (public property too, as it is owned by all taxpayers) are involved.
But when you find a spot that is special, important, a spot that needs to be commemorated or pointed out with a painting so that other’s can see it too...
It takes a special kind of artist to follow the path of the rogue. A certain kind of passion.
Just be sure you’re throwing beauty around. Just be sure your work does justice to that spot, to the people who own it. Be like a person leaving a basket of money on the doorstep.
That painting sums it up. Throwing beauty at “windows”. :)
Oh yeah. Love it. And I’m sure God loves it too.
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