New Banksy Mural in Los Angeles Responds to Those Who Vandalize His Work

[n2doc]

Banksy may have a positive image in the public lately, thanks to his charitable efforts toward a man who he accidentally made homeless by painting his water tank squat, but his work still packs a punch. This alleged piece by him, spotted in LA, reads "Vandals found vandalizing this vandalism will be prosecuted." It makes obvious references to the stigma of street art (to some, that it is vandalism), but also to the vandalizing and removal of his work from walls.

His Slave Labour and No Ball Games pieces were recently removed from walls in June and July to be sold at auctions, so it makes sense for Banksy to respond now. Just a week ago, a hotel in England boarded up one of his pieces to protect it from being destroyed or stolen. Two days after that, it was announced that Flower Girl would be sold at an auction house in LA, which was originally located on the wall of a Hollywood gas station (maybe Drake would be down to buy it, given his known affinity for Banksy).

Regardless of whether this is an actual Banksy or not, it does draw attention to the vast amount of lifting and vandalizing of his work, especially recently. Last December, Banksy spoke out against Stephan Keslzer, a New York-based art dealer, who showed Banksy pieces at Art Basel Miami without his permission. It just goes to show that we as a culture still have a long way to go in accepting street art's benefits and appreciating it ethically.

http://www.complex.com/art-design/2013/08/banksy-vandalism

[NYC_SKP]

1. So, Banksy was pissed that some pieces were shown without his permission. That's rich.

Having been around the block with the NY art scene and some of the earlier artists of this genre, most notably the late Keith Haring, I find it paradoxical that an artist who depends on others' property for his canvases should take offense that someone then does, in a sense, the same thing to him.

When you 'unload' on a public or private wall not your own, you've just made a gift to the public with no reason to expect credit or recompense.

Unless Banksy has been getting permission for using others' property, which he has not AFAIK.

lol.

http://www.blackbookmag.com/art/our-man-in-miami-banksy-was-everywhere-at-art-basel-or-was-he-1.55848

[blogslut]

2. I see nothing but sarcasm in that graffiti

As for Banksy's stance on supposed collectors appropriating his works, I think his explanation from the OP's article is reasonable. Removing graffiti from a wall in order to display it in a gallery or museum defeats the point of graffiti.

I also like the fact that when those "art lovers" bought and removed that guy's water tank home, Banksy refused to authorize the tank as one of his works.