Banksy is the most well-known street artist in the world, but his celebrity can have negative effects for his public works, as has become more apparent in the last month. Only a few days ago, a landlord in England pulled one of his murals from the side of a property, prompting outrage on social media. A few months before, actor Christopher Walken painted over an original Banksy for a scene in The Outlaws, the TV show in which he currently plays.
Picture from "The Outlaws"BBC ONE
Banksy acknowledged that the mural on the side of an electrical business was one of his genuine works, and the landlord had the section of wall containing the mural—a picture of a child holding an iron bar—carefully torn out of the wall. Because the owner was aware that Banksy's work often sold for millions of dollars, it was reported that he attempted to up the price of the building to attract a higher bidder. Before Banksy painted on it, it had been listed for sale for $402,000. Following that, the owner re-listed the property for $670,000.
In an interview with the BBC, Miles Barry, head of the British artists advocacy organisation Easterly Artists, said the removal of the sculpture will allow it to be presented in a more prominent location within the town in an artistic setting.
However, he stated that if the owner did this just for the purpose of selling the piece at auction, it would be "a terrible tragedy."
This isn't the first time something like to this has occurred in the past. When a painting depicting a young girl playing with her bicycle tire was demolished in Nottingham, England, the landlord sold the piece to an Essex art gallery for a six-figure price earlier this year.
At the very least, those works are still on display. However, the same could not be said for the character who appeared in The Outlaws.
Walken appeared on the show and painted over a Banksy painting of a rat. A guy named Frank, played by Christopher Walken, is sentenced to community service in the city of Bristolfor a series of minor misdemeanors. His boss assigns him the duty of painting over graffiti, which includes a priceless Banksy original, which he completes successfully.
According to a BBC interview with a program spokeswoman, despite the fact that The Outlaws is a work of fiction, the Banksy was a real person who lived in London. This scene, on the other hand, was a joke, as was somewhat predictable. According to the showrunners, Banksy has given them permission to paint over his art, .
Selena Mattei