The mural of a Rat holding a machine gun by Banksy is said to be one of his largest works in Britain. Photo: ALAMY
Does this look 30ft tall?
The tail is rat-like, but the face is pure CAT.
It should be saved - from the photo you can tell it really brightens up the neighborhood - graffiti is the new jobs program. Just like high speed rail, prosperity follows each new project.
/s
I fail to see a reason to keep the painting.
As I was reading the story I was picturing in my mind a mural on the side of a building - maybe a corner building or an alley.
Now that I see the picture? Part of it is painted on plywood nailed over a window. Whats the new owner to do? Keep the plywood and not ever paint it?
Anyway, looks like part of the painting is peeling any as it is now.
Must have been a slow day in their news department.
If they like kitties they can always just come over to Free Republic and look at our machine guns.
It’s a nice painting, but I believe it would be a disservice to the artist *not* to have it removed.
The point of this kind of art is to put something out onto the volatile world, that is what gives it its magic. I am sure the artist is no stranger to having his works removed, it goes with the territory. Also, it is no mistake that he chose to put just that picture on just that spot. Now that this spot is going to be fundamentally changed, he will probably feel that the picture no longer applies there.
The public should also let the painting go for this reason. If the spot is changed, the point of that piece is also lost. The volatile world can not be made involatile, and this bit of bittersweet is a part of the point of this kind of art. It is not surprising at all that the viewing public will take the loss of this work harder than the artist will. It is the unspoken contract between artist and viewer.
I don’t think that this attention to his work has escaped the artist either. He will probably return to the site after the new building is finished and look to see if it calls for another of his paintings. If he sees that it does, I fully expect he will put up another one there. More likely though, whatever it was that made that spot require a painting will have been lost, but hopefully there will be another spot somewhere that calls out for one.
The chalk paintings on this thread are beautiful. It is a sad bittersweet that they were meant to be transient, with the first rain washing them away. I would have liked to see them stay at least until the road is repaved, but alas, that was not the artists’ intention. I am glad for the photos, but of course, they are inadequate.
The new owner could do what he wants, myself- i would keep the original graphics fresh with new paint and add things occasionally to keep the buzz going.
IMHO: Banksy’s got real talent, according to these other pictures that have been posted. But that particular work is just simply ugly. I don’t blame a guy for not wanting a giant painting of a rat on his building.
And besides... the temporal nature is part of his chosen medium.
I’ve got a feeling the mural’s of an rat (obscured) holding a machine gun on a cat. Note the two tails, one cat-like and the other rattish.
This conveys a message that the Brit government would naturally be happy to see gone.
No loss.
If they didn't care enough about the painting to make sure that it was preserved back when they had the chance, I don't see why they should complain about it now.
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.
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.